Tired of picking up your own birds? Once you've hunted with a well-trained retriever, you'll never hunt without one. Our Retriever program will mold your dog into a skillful hunter. Formal training can begin at around 8 months for most puppies. Remember, development begins very early with Puppy School at 10-weeks old (see below). Dogs begin with obedience training, collar-conditioning, and force-fetch. They progress to handling and marking drills. Before long, they are doing advanced marks and cold blinds on land and water. At completion, a finished retriever should be able to do multiple marks and handle reliably on land and water. They will be steady to shot, comfortable working with live birds, and experienced working with decoys. They are ready to go to the duck blind. The level to which this is extended depends on the dog and what the owner chooses, but is generally equivalent to AKC "Senior" or UKC "Seasoned" hunt-test level. They will be a solid hunting companion for life. We'll work with you to ensure that you and your dog are working comfortably as a team. Our "Retriever Manual" will help guide you through the first few weeks at home as well.   We stress owner involvement. Put simply, no training program is effective if life at home is not consistent with the training environment. In addition to teaching your dog new skills and perfecting existing ones, we will show you what needs to be done at home. We invite owners to watch or participate in their dog's training. Local owners can come by to check in on the progress of their companion. Owners that are too far to visit in person get periodic video updates so that they can keep an eye on how things are moving and what their dog is being taught. Whether in a duck blind or the living room, working effectively with your dog is a team effort. Keeping owners involved helps insure that they understand what is being taught and that they are confident when they return home.   For dogs that are participating in finished retriever training, we offer hunt test handling to allow owners to earn bragging rights and increase the value their dogs. We participate in UKC and AKC tests in the spring and fall. Hunt tests are a great opportunity to see your dog perform in the spotlight with other highly trained retrievers. Ask for details about participating. Getting your retriever off to a good start is a huge help for his development. Wondering about what you need to do? Our Puppy School will show you everything you need to ensure you're doing everything possible to get your pup headed in the right direction. Sessions are done on an individual basis and take 1-2 hours. You and your pup come by and we'll walk you through everything. It is absolutely the best time you can spend with your pup. He gets a good start, you feel more comfortable knowing things are being done right, and later training will move faster as a result. The best part is that Puppy School is FREE with a training contract.       Do the screws need to be tightened a little? For  previously-trained retrievers, we offer a refresher  course based exclusively on what you need. Whether  it's a general review to get ready for the season, or a  few sessions dedicated to solve a specific problem,  we're glad to help however we can. Durations vary  depending on what needs to be covered.       Don't want to leave your dog with somebody else? We're here to help. We've worked with numerous owners to help them solve problems themselves. If you want to do some of the work yourself, we'll be glad to guide you along the way. Call or e-mail for details. What we will need from you: 1.Vet Records: Dogs are required to be current on all vaccinations, including bordatella, and have a negative fecal exam within two weeks of arrival. 2.Current Flea and Tick as well as Heartworm medications: We will administer them during training monthly. Dogs must be current on medication before training begins. 3.Your signature: We ask that you sign our training contract authorizing us to administer vet care, etc. if we can not reach you in an emergency. You are welcome to come for a visit whenever you would like. Please call or e-mail to schedule an appointment. Payment for obedience training is due when the dog is picked up to go home. Invoices for retrieving are sent at the end of each month. Payment is due monthly or when the dog completes the program. For all training programs, it is critical that the dog see consistent commands and enforcement when they return home. We'll work with you as much as it takes to ensure that you understand exactly what to do when you leave. With a little effort, you and your dog will have years of enjoyment ahead.