OUR TRAINING PROGRAM
Building Your Dream Hunting Partner, One Step at a Time
FORMAL OBEDIENCE AND E-COLLAR CONDITIONING
All dogs start with an evaluation at around 6 months to 1 year of age, followed by formal obedience training (sit, here, heel, and recall), whistle commands, and e-collar conditioning. During hourly training, we typically combine the evaluation and first session. We can break up obedience and e-collar training into multiple sessions to avoid information overload. Training progresses at your pace, but most importantly, at your dog’s pace. For this training, you will need a prong collar, a reliable e-collar, a whistle, and a 30' lead. Product recommendations are available upon request.
THE FORCE FETCH PROCESS
The force fetch process teaches your dog to reliably retrieve to hand, including the commands "hold" and "fetch." This training cannot begin until your dog has all their adult teeth (around 6 months of age) and their baby teeth have fallen out or been removed. For hourly training clients, please be aware that this process can be time-consuming and challenging, requiring patience and consistency. During training, you’ll need 2" and 3" bumpers and bird dummies. We can provide real birds to help your dog get accustomed to feathers. While an elevated place board is helpful, it is not required. We're here to support you throughout this important training step.
HANDLING AND STEADINESS
For upland dogs, we will teach basic handling and casting commands to help your dog quarter a field. Pointing breeds will learn the "woah" command, while flushing dogs will be trained to sit to the flush. All dogs will be trained to remain steady to the shot and wait for release before the retrieve. Upon request, waterfowl dogs will advance to more complex casting for blind retrieves and steady themselves for multiple marks. For hourly training clients, multiple place boards can be helpful, but are not required.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Graduates of our Board & Train program will receive a complimentary training session upon pickup to guide owners on how to work with their dog. For an additional fee, we recommend scheduling at least one field session in a controlled environment, where we use specialized equipment and real birds to reinforce learned commands. This controlled setup simulates actual hunting, ensuring your dog’s success and boosting both their confidence and yours as the handler.
