Education

Having the right retriever training equipment will make the task of teaching your dog easier. It will also keep your retriever from developing some bad habits along the way.

Teach your retriever to mark better for more effective hunting Many people believe you don’t need to teach a retriever how to mark a bird falling to the ground. That they will just do it naturally. And some might. But, in my experience, marking is a skill that retrievers learn. And working on the skill […]

When training retrievers for hunting or hunt tests, there is a lot to consider. One element that is high on the list of considerations is weather. In the Midwest, our weather can change daily. And in the summer heat and humidity are a real concern.

6 steps to flawless quartering Upland hunting with a retriever can be a fun and exciting way to spend a day. Watching your dog work a field, finding and flushing birds for you to shoot can be a wonderful thing. That is assuming your dog understands what his job is and hunts with you, not […]

Training dogs is a process of teaching a dog to respond to praise and correction. During the training process, we praise the dog for good and acceptable behavior. We correct dogs for bad or unacceptable behavior. Through this process, the dog learns how to act and respond in a way that makes their owners happy. […]

When your hunting dog stops delivering birds Retriever breeds, as their name suggests, generally have an innate desire to retrieve. This can be fun for playing a game of fetch or exercising the dog, but there is also a more practical side. Retrievers make great duck an upland bird dogs for hunters. Their natural desire […]

As we start our training season again, I am reminded, as I am each year, why it is important for owners to teach their young puppies to deal with pressure. The dogs that come for training can generally be placed into two groups: dogs that handle pressure and dogs that don’t. The ones that handle […]

There are several obedience commands retrievers need to learn to become good, responsible companions both in the field and at home, but the two that are most important are SIT and HERE.

Moving into your puppy’s sixth month, you should notice a dramatic change in your dog’s ability to learn and progress through training. Most dogs show some maturity at six-months of age and all the work you have done up to this point (assuming you have done the work in the previous posts) should start coming […]

Balancing play time and crate time We recently picked up a black Lab puppy to add to our household. His name is Ink. It has been quite a few years since I have needed to raise a puppy, and I had forgotten just how much work puppies can be. Especially those first few months. Young […]

Many people start their search with good intentions. They want to find a good quality pup that will serve as a hunting companion as well as a family dog. However, somewhere along the way they end up just picking up a cute puppy that the family could not resist.

The first few months of a puppy’s life are so important, and yet many people get so caught up in the cuteness of these bundles of fur that they disregard any training until the dog is much older.

In the market for a new hunting dog? Here is what you need to know. In the market for a new gun dog or duck dog? You may be considering all your options. Those options include getting a puppy and starting from scratch, or buying a started dog that has a little training under his […]

Selecting a whistle for your hunting or sporting dog – what to consider If you are looking for a whistle for training your hunting or gun dog, you may be shocked at how many options there are. It can be confusing, especially if you have never trained using a whistle. In this post I will […]

If you want a hunting dog but your family wants a pet, you will be relieved to know that you don’t have to choose! Your hunting dog can be a family pet and your family pet can be a hunting dog. My husband and I are professional retriever trainers and most of our client dogs […]

As professional retriever trainers, we are often asked, “Should I get a male or a female puppy for a hunting dog?” While I understand the question, this decision is often not as simple as it appears. There are many things to consider when deciding if you want a male or female hunting dog puppy. What […]

A well-trained hunting partner starts in your yard – not the blind In my last post, I discussed the basic retriever training tools you need to train your hunting or gun dog. Those basic training tools are important, but depending on how and where you hunt, there are many other aspects and equipment your retriever […]