Customized Gun Dog
Training
Flatwater GunDogs offers customized training designed to give you, the hunter, and your dog, all the tools necessary to successfully find and retrieve your game in the field. We practice a firm but fair approach with our foundation starting off with sound obedience. We believe success breeds success so we always end each day with the dogs on a positive note no matter what phase of training they are in. We encourage dogs to become enthusiastic hard workers. If your dog will be flushing/pointing roosters in the heart of pheasant country or retrieving mallards in your favorite slough, our gun dog training will have your dog ready to help make your hunt a successful one. Our main focus is training hunting dogs but we do run a few AKC retriever hunting tests and APLA tests every year. All dogs are fed Purina Pro Plan Sport while they are here in training unless other food is provided by the owner. For puppies bought here at Flatwater GunDogs we offer $50 off your first month of training.
Beginner level
We start with obedience both on and off leash and then move on to collar conditioning and Force Fetch. Once force to pile has been completed, we will begin working with both live and dead birds. For the upland hunter we will begin teaching your dog to hunt and flush/point pheasants and chukars in heavy cover. Pointers will be "whoa" broke. We will also begin training steady to shot and marking birds falling into heavy cover. For waterfowl hunters we will be training steady to shot, simple "T" and less challenging double marked retrieves in both land and water. We will also be doing retrieves from both land and out of a boat and into decoys. Basically your dog will be at a Junior Hunter level and ready to start a long life of being your hunting companion. Generally starting from 9-12 months of age and after a good obedience program has been completed.
*Cost is $600.00 per month
*Cost is $600.00 per month
Advanced level
We build off the foundation from the started level and begin applying it to real life hunting scenarios and more challenging hunt test style set ups. We will also teach blind work and casting. At this stage your upland hunter will be tightening up flushing the tight holding pheasants and tracking the runners in thick heavy cover, stay in range of your gun, and track both downed and crippled birds. Pointers will be expected to hold point on birds and back other pointing dogs. The seasoned waterfowler will be marking multiple retrieves at longer distances (beyond 100 yards) on both land and water and running cold blinds and handling to birds. This level of training will give you a dog fully capable of making any retrieve in a realistic hunting situation. This would work out to being in the area of a Senior Hunter level dog. This will begin once obedience, collar conditioning, force fetch, T work and double marking concepts have been taught and applied.
*Cost is $650.00 per month |
Tune-ups
Before the start of each season it is important to prepare your dog for the conditions ahead. Your dog needs to be in shape and refreshed on the wealth of knowledge it has gained over it's life. Therefore we offer tune ups.
*Cost varies based on each case. (Plus cost of birds)
*Cost varies based on each case. (Plus cost of birds)
Collar conditioning/Force Fetch program
For this program, your dog must have completed a good obedience program. We practice a less aggressive means of collar conditioning and force fetch. We concentrate more time on teaching the command so when it comes time to apply force, it is completed in a more swift manner, with a higher success rate and dogs complete it with a positive attitude. This is a start to finish program and we train to standard and not time. Some dogs may complete the entire sequence in just 4 weeks while others may take 6-8 weeks. Once this is completed, you will have a solid foundation to build the dog of a lifetime. This is a great program for someone wanting to train there own dog but are not comfortable with force fetch. Start to finish cost is $950
Requirements for Training
-Current on all vaccines
-including Rabies, Lyme and Bordetella
-Bordetella within the last 6 months
-Heartworm, Flea and Tick prevention
-we can provide them at an additional cost
-Fecal exam(not required but highly recommended)
-including Rabies, Lyme and Bordetella
-Bordetella within the last 6 months
-Heartworm, Flea and Tick prevention
-we can provide them at an additional cost
-Fecal exam(not required but highly recommended)
Contact us for availability for training.
Thank you for visiting Flatwater GunDogs!!!