Breed and genetics contribute to the natural ability of a bird dog. Purchasing your dog from a reputable kennel who has ethical breeding practices aimed at the betterment of the breed gives you an advantage and a better chance of successful training outcomes.
Our bird dog training program starts with a practical assessment to determine the current abilities of your dog. The dogs current abilities, your goals, and your allotted timeline define the individualized training plan created for you. We offer various basic and advanced upland and waterfowl hunting training concepts such as:
Our dogs are proficient in these training programs which means we can show you the end result of our tailored training programs. Our training program has been tested against the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) testing system, where we have received the highest possible scores in the Natural Ability (NA) and Utility (UT) tests. If you are interested in training for the NAVHDA tests, please visit our NAVHDA test prep page.
Scheduling an initial telephone consult is a great first step that allows us to learn about you, your dog, and your training goals. You can then hear our initial recommendations, learn more about our training services, more about our processes, and ask any questions you may have. You can then determine if scheduling a face to face assessment of your dog, scheduling a one on one training session, or scheduling training with boarding is right for you.
After completing the initial telephone consult, you may be ready for your dog to be assessed in person. During this appointment, we will assess your dogs current level of obedience and natural or previously trained bird dog skills/ abilities. Based on your dogs status and the goals outlined during our telephone conversation, we will then create a training plan to guide you in reaching your goals. During the 1:1 sessions, you will complete hands on learning and work through various steps to meet the goals that you and Steven outlined in your individualized training plan. Those eager to learn with their dog and complete their assigned homework outside of the scheduled sessions would be well-suited for our one on one training sessions.
After our initial phone conversation, you may decide the board and train program may be the best option for you. The boarding and training program works well for those individuals needing short-term boarding services and decide to opt in for a training "tune up." It also works well for those individuals looking to place their dog in a structured environment long term to receive consistent and intensified daily training to reach specific goals on their training plan.