Education

If you are training your retriever to hunt, you may wonder if you need to use scent on your retrieving bumpers or dummies. This is a topic that will draw many competing opinions. Some people are convinced that scent is necessary to teach the dog to find the birds, others think that scent is just […]

Ever been in a hurry to go somewhere, and you know you will be gone for a while, so it’s vital your dog go potty?

Why your dog walks between or through your legs and how to stop it I have noticed a trend. Many of the dogs that our dropped off at the kennel for training walk between their owner’s legs. Most owners seem to like it or at least don’t seem to mind it. But this behavior from […]

Getting a puppy is an exciting time filled with wonder and expectations. There are many decisions that you will make while you plan for his arrival but one that is often overlooked, or at least not given the consideration it deserves, is what to name the puppy.

If you are reading this post, you probably already know how annoying a whiny, noisy dog can be, especially when you’re hunting or running a competition. Some retrievers are noisier than others, and sometimes genetics are to blame, but is there anything that can be done to stop this behavior? Or even minimize it? Here […]

Retrievers, for the most part, make great family dogs. Their easy-going temperament means they don’t mind when kids run circles around them and climb on them. They are also smart, so they learn quickly and their strong willingness to please often makes retrievers a great addition to the family. But some retriever puppies are a […]

Do you have a hunter and a gun dog or duck dog on your gift list this year?

If so, you might be at a loss for what to give them. Here are some gifts that are both practical – meaning they will actually be used, and essential.

Many dogs know the SIT command. But there is a difference between knowing how to SIT and sitting consistently on command. There is also a huge difference between a dog that will SIT when told to SIT, and a dog that will SIT and stay sitting even when there are distractions going on all around […]

This is part two in the series of posts about how to train with an e-collar. The first part of this post talks about how to condition your retriever to wearing the collar and how to avoid making your dog collar-wise. You can read that post here.   In this post, I will give you […]

Electronic collars or e-collars are great training tools. When used correctly, they can help your dog learn and progress quickly in training. But when used incorrectly, they can just as quickly confuse and damage your dog. This series of posts will walk you through the steps necessary to properly condition and start training your retriever […]

If there is one dog behavior that really drives me crazy, it is dogs jumping on me. I hate it. It gets my clothes dirty and it is super annoying. But the real reason I hate it is because it is so dangerous. If you want to learn how to stop your dog from jumping […]

Retrievers love to retrieve. They are, by nature, working dogs and if the breeding is good, they love to retrieve anything, anywhere. But just because they love to run out and retrieve a bird or bumper, does not mean that they love to bring it back to you and give it to you. This must […]

Labrador, Golden and Chesapeake Bay retrievers are all excellent hunting and family breeds. They often can span the role of being a family dog and a hunting dog with few downfalls. But that doesn’t mean they are perfect. Many retrievers are very stubborn and hard to train. If your dog is one of the stubborn […]

If you train your dog on a regular basis, you know how rewarding it is to watch your dog progress. Each day, each week, that you put in the work, you are likely rewarded with seeing your dog learn and grow. Unfortunately, what we, as professional trainers, often see is that owners love to do […]

Help your dog find more downed birds Most avid duck hunters know the value of having a dog that can handle. A retriever that can handle will find more downed birds. And will make the task of retrieving them easy work. But training your dog to handle is not an easy task. Many retriever owners […]

A client arrives at our kennel with his Labrador Retriever, and as usual, we spend a little time talking with the owner and observing the dog. We notice that often, when the dog comes and sits by the owner, the dog puts his paw on top of the owner’s foot. It seems so innocent, but […]

There are few things more frustrating than a dog that won’t listen. If your dog doesn’t come when you call him, or if she runs around you and plays keep away, you know what I am talking about. And the madder you get, the more the frustration grows, the harder it is to get your […]

YOU want to do WHAT? I imagine this is the response many people get when they suggest to their significant other or family members that they want to send the dog away for training. For some people it is simply inconceivable. The idea of sending their dog away for weeks and months at a time […]

Occasionally we get a call from someone with a new puppy who has gone off the deep end. In their excitement, they are training their 8-week-old puppy like it is an adult dog – multiple sessions a day, working on perfection of obedience commands and trying to steady their little pup on retrieves. Calls like […]