I had my old lab put down yesterday evening. I'm planning to get another some time this year.

I'd like to find a retriever trainer to send him/her to when it is old enough. I want it to be a solid hunting dog and maybe run a few hunt tests.

I live in Ennis so if someone is close, that's great. If I need to drive, I'm willing for the right trainer.

Thanks guys,

Doc.

http://northtexasdogtrainers.com

I've met Richard quite awhile back at a banquet and he seemed like a straightforward honest guy. One of my friends had him train his yellow female and the few times I was around her she was impressive. Only one catch....professional dog trainers ain't cheap.

I thought he was on the THF at one point but I could be wrong.

Sorry to hear about your dog. I had to put mine down a few months ago. Not easy.Eddie Hicks is another good trainer.
http://jordanvalleyretrievers.com/

Second Eddie Hicks...do some bird work occasionally at Jordan Valley....Eddie has a nice setup and knows his stuff.

Eddie Hicks would be a really good choice. He's a very good fit for what you're looking for.

Also, check out Travis Wright at http://retrieverresource.com
I've know Travis for a very long time and he is one of my best friends. He's VERY good with young dogs and trains a lot of dogs that are great hunters and can run lower to mid level hunt tests.

All of that being said, make sure you spend some time researching to get a dog with a solid pedigree. I little investment of time and money doing the research can pay dividends in the long term future for you and your dog.

Call Mad River Kennels in Ferris. Frank is a very good trainer. Great setup.

I don't mean to hi-jack this thread but I'm somewhat in the same place. My lab, Cooper, is getting up there in years and I started thinking about getting another yellow lab at some point. My preference would be to rescue a lab and then spend my money on a good trainer. I understand there is some risk to not knowing the dog's pedigree but all I really want is a good pet that also enjoys retrieving birds in the field. I'm not concerned about hunt tests or competitions. My question is whether this is realistic or just a bad idea. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

I'm a beginner in bird dog training but our 14 month yellow lab Remington is currently in advance gun dog training. IMO, the cost of a dog is a fraction of the training expenses. A pedigree dog might increase your chances of obtaining the value of the expensive training.

AKC field trials generally run between March - November. Time your purchase and training with that in mind so your dog can go right into trails when he completes his training.

Remington is a house family member but we must work retrieves and commands regularly - it's what he loves!

Feel free to PM me if you'd like more details.

I strongly recommend against Travis Wright at the retriever resource. I haven't written anything on this previously as I didn't see him getting much business on here or on the forums in general, and kinda went with the if you dont have anything nice to say, don't say anything way of thinking. But seeing his name suggested here I do want to share my experience.

He had my dog for 4 months and did a okay job of obedience training but really didn't make any progress towards her being a started dog. When we talked before I dropped her off he described his program and stated that would be able to do all the things listed on his website for the basic gun dog program. It was also stated that if he needed her to stay longer to accomplish that, then he would keep her longer in order to ensure she was ready. When I went to pick her up she was not force fetched, wouldn't heel on lead, was breaking, and would go nuts at the line (whining, barking, etc). Most of this was evident when I picked my dog up but I didn't really know any better at the time.

My dog was also overweight when I picked her up and he had moved another dog into her kennel with her. I could understand if that were just for a few days before I picked her up but most of his kennels had become double occupancy at that point.

In hindsight I should have asked for most of my $ back but it's probably too late now...

I know that I didn't go up and work with her enough as I was about 4 hours away but I also should not have had to go completely through force fetch with her again after getting her back. I still struggle with line manners to this day (almost 2 years later).

Just my experience and you may get different results but with how much $ training costs I'd find someone else personally. Even Travis's friend Mud Shark writes that Travis "trains a lot of dogs that are great hunters and can run lower to mid level hunt tests" which should tell you what you need to know... Go find someone that trains all levels of dogs and can take your dog further if it is ready for it.

I appreciate the reply. I'm not so concerned about the cost of the dog but I really like the idea of rescuing a dog. Can you give me a ballpark on what training costs for basic obedience and retrieving?

Legend Working Dogs

When my daughter and I researched this a year ago, we focused in central Texas. Our research may be slightly outdated but here's what we found.

Generally, there is gun dog training that includes core commands such as here, place, heel, sit, down, hold, and drop. These are critical for retrieving. Cost vary from $600 - $800 monthly depending on boarding, food, vet check ups and in some cases there may be a live bird fee. Length of training depends on how fast your dog learns. Mine took 20 weeks and was ready for AKC junior trials. Your dog should be able to do single bird retrieves.

Advance gun dog training costs run about the same. I understand when this 4-5 month training is complete, your dog should be ready for Seniors AKC. If you want to try Masters, it may require another 2 months. This training results in multiple blind retrieves. I worked with 3 master dogs and I led them to bumpers over 200 yards away. You'll surely be the envy of all your hunting buds.

I want to state again that I'm by no means an expert. My input is simply my research and observations training our dog 6 of the last 9 months. I'm very happy with his progress and so excited for him to complete advance gun dog training.

I highly recommend attending AKC field trials in your area to become familiar with what proper trained dogs can achieve.

The experience has been memorable and we've truly enjoyed every minute of it except for writing the checks lol.

Thank you so much for the great information.

Most are in the $600-$800/month but if you look around you can find some that are cheaper or more expensive. Be wary of anything cheaper though and do solid research, get references, etc.

Some trainers charge a handling fee to enter tests, some charge a fee for live birds (some include it in pricing), some want you to provide the food (some include it in their pricing). For obedience and basic gundog training, I'd expect 3-4 months depending on your puppy. A great pup will probably get it in 3 no problem, a slow pup may take a little longer. The above is based on averages though, I've seen some dogs that are doing doubles and handling after 3 months, and some dogs that are just finishing force fetch at that point because it just won't click for them.

Go to a local HRC (hunting retriever club) meeting and the local members can probably tell you who the best trainers in the area are.

Definitely look into joining a local HRC chapter after you get your puppy anyways and you will get a ton of great help for cheap from members (not a replacement for a professional trainer, rather just a great resource for help).

You keep saying "AKC Field Trials." Do you mean "AKC Hunt Tests?" While very similar, these events are also very different. They aren't the same for a variety of reasons that could be debated on here for days. But an "advanced gun dog" is not the same as a dog ready to run Field Trials.

See what I mean about being a beginner? Yes AKC Hunt Tests is what I meant. Thanks for the correction.