Our Gundog Program is designed to teach basic obedience commands (heel, sit, stay, come, down, no) as well as hold and fetch. You can expect the dog to be proficient both on and off leash once fetch training is completed in approximately eight weeks. In addition, proper exposure to water, gunshots, birds, decoys, etc. will be given. From this point, actual field work takes place, concentrating on ground coverage, simple marking concepts on land and water, simple steadiness and proper delivery. More advanced concepts are taught as the dog progresses, and anyone desiring a dog that handles should choose our Basic program, progressing into the Finished program.
| Basic: Choose our Basic program if you desire a basic "started" gundog, able to work both upland and waterfowl. You must commit to a minimum of 4 months of training. The Basic program will also prepare a dog to successfully run in AKC Junior Hunter or UKC Started tests. $475./month + birds when a minimum contract is signed. |
| Upland: Purely upland dogs will require at least three months of training, and should be enrolled in our Upland program. $550./mo + birds when a minimum contract is signed. Expect 10 - 30 birds to be used each month. Water marks/exposure will be minimal in this program. |
| Finished: For the hunter who wants a Finished gundog, we offer a complete program that includes full steadiness, multiple marks on land and water, and the ability to handle your dog on both land and water, as well as upland skills such as quartering. All candidates for this program will undergo an evaluation period before being accepted into the full program. A minimum of 8 months of training is required, and the evaluation period is included in this time period. The Finished program will also prepare a dog to successfully run in AKC Senior/Master or UKC Seasoned/Finished tests. $475./mo + birds when a minimum contract is signed. |
| A La Carte: Finally, we offer an "A La Carte" option. This covers such things as hold/fetch training, fine-tuning steadiness or handling, or training issues such as gunshyness, hardmouth, water refusal etc. A La Carte students will progress best if they are proficient in all basics: heel, sit, here, both on and off lead. If your dog is lacking in the basics, then you will be better served to enroll in our Basic program. There is no minimum contract required; all training is conducted as month-to-month, and can be extended or terminated however you wish. Please inquire if you would like to hire us "a la carte". $600./mo + birds as needed. No minimum contract required. Will |
All dogs in the gundog program are also collar conditioned at no additional charge. Ask us to recommend the best unit for your needs.
Upon arrival at the kennel your dog will be allowed to adjust to his surroundings. This process usually takes 2-3 days. It is most important that your dog be comfortable to facilitate training, therefore we make friends with your dog first. Once a rapport has been established, obedience commands are introduced to coincide with your dog's rate of learning. As with people, some dogs progress more rapidly than others; you will be advised of your dog's individual progress. Your dog will be worked on a daily basis and YES, we do work most weekends. Every session will include field-related lessons in addition to obedience. Traditional training methods of praise and correction will be employed. To properly transfer respect and authority to the owner, you are encouraged to attend weekly review sessions. You will have an opportunity to work your dog, making corrections as needed and learning when praise is appropriate. As the dog's training progresses into the field, you will be invited to join us on a daily basis. Once in the field, we use real birds in every marking set-up.
Client David Lynn and "Katie" with the results of Katie's first hunt!
Dogs preparing for competition in AKC Junior Hunter tests will require at least 4 months of training, unless they have significant prior experience (either trained by the owner, or by another pro). We offer handling at all AKC retriever hunting tests, if you are unable to attend the tests yourself. For further information on the AKC hunting test program, including dates and locations of hunting tests in your area, click here.
Dogs preparing for Senior or Master level work will require a minimum of 4+ additional months beyond that required for Junior work. As a dog's skill level and talent can vary greatly, we cannot put an estimate on a dog's stay until we have spent some time working with the dog.
We are proud to say that our record in the hunting test program has been successful. We have earned 8 Master Hunters, 44 Senior Hunters, and well over 100 Junior Hunters since 1994. Among those titlists have been Labradors, goldens and Flat-Coats. In addition, our students have also earned Master, Senior and Junior titles under our supervision while training and handling their own dogs.
All dogs enrolled in our waterfowl/upland combination program must commit to a minimum of 4 months of training. This commitment will guarantee our best rate: $475.00/month + birds, and this program will also prepare retrievers for the Junior Hunter title. Should your dog require additional training time, you then have the choice of contracting for an additional period of time (again securing the most favorable monthly rate), or going forward on a month-to-month contract. Month-to-month gundog training is billed at a rate of $600.00/mo + birds, and pro-rated daily training is $30.00/day + birds. Working gundogs must have live birds to be properly trained, therefore we generally shoot 2 - 4 live birds each month for dogs working on marking skills, and dogs working on upland work can expect up to 20 - 30 birds per month. Additional live birds may be needed to address specific problems - in this case you will be advised of how many birds we estimate will be needed.
Hunt test handling is available at $70.00/test. A $100.00 non-refundable deposit is required to guarantee all reservations. Deposits are accepted by check, PayPal or credit card. Any training that is under or over 30 days in duration will be pro-rated at $30.00/day. Hunt tests in the Southeast begin in March and run through May, then resume again in October though December. We feed Exceed, a premium-quality dry food. If you wish us to feed your dog another brand, you will need to supply it. There are no discounts for providing your own food. We do require that all dogs brought to the kennel have Frontline applied once a month. If you do not provide sufficient Frontline, we will apply a dose at a cost of $7.00/month. Fleas can be a huge problem in the southeast, and we do not want to infest either your dog, or our kennel! We also recommend that dogs be given heartworm preventative all year in Georgia.