Posts Tagged ‘gun dog’

Upland Gun Dog Training

 By

 Professional Trainers @ K9 Kindergarten LLC

     So you want to get a hunting dog but you are not sure how to train it or you do not have the time, space, equipment, etc..  The next thing you want to do is find a gun dog trainer.  There are a lot of gun dog trainers out there good and bad,  just like everything else. I suggest going with your gut when meeting a gun dog trainer.  We are with people every day so we have a pretty good understanding on how we feel when we meet or talk to someone.  So go with your gut.  

    In the past there has been only one way to get your dog trained by a pro. You had to send your dog away for about 4 to 6 weeks in order for your dog to be ready for the next hunting season and even then there was no guarantee.  No gun dog trainer can guarantee a good gun dog. I can not and if there is a trainer out there that does they must be God. The only thing any pro trainer can guarantee is an obedient dog when you get them back period.  No one can teach drive.  They can teach them to find birds but not to want them, teach them to use their nose but not have a good one. Some hunters think they can get a dog to go right out of the box, as they say. But if you start to ask them questions about their good out the box gundog you soon learn that the dog isn’t a good retriever.  The dog drops the live bird five feet from you and the dog has to go chase it again and again. Lets say when your dog comes out of the water and drops the live bird you winged to shake the water off their back and then have to chase after the bird again.  If you have a pointer that starts to flush the birds before you get there or the flusher that runs on a rooster and you can’t stop them from running so you run to your dog with a loaded gun yikes. 

    That is why you need a Pro Trainer to start your dog out the right way. Most of dog problems are man-made like gun shyness the only thing that is the dogs fault is they grow up so fast that we think their ready but they’re not. Their minds are still little and this should not be rushed.  Some puppies can take the pressure of gun dog training but most can not. People sometimes rush their gun dog training because they are busy and want to get the dog to a point where they can go out hunting.  In this day in age with everything going on in our lives you can’t expect to train any puppy if you are tired or rushed to get done. Just because you heard from a buddy that he took his dog to the gun range or just shot his 12 guage and had no problem doesn’t mean you should. There is a fifty fifty chance that you will ruin your dog before it is ready, so why take the chance let a pro trainer help you do it right the first time. 

Your hesitant from what you have learned so far about having to send your dog away for some time and that is not setting good with you or the wife and kids.  Your thinking it is the only way right, wrong. I have a program available where you can train with your dog at our facility or we will pick them up, train and take them home in time for dinner and loving. We work with live birds, gun break your dog the right way, learn water work, and get them ready for the current season or next season. We work with only a few dogs at a time so they can get the attention they need.  We want your dog to be the best he can be with our help.  If you want to send your dog away that is fine but like I said there are a lot of great pro trainers out there, some good and some bad use your gut. When talking to a trainer make sure to ask them a few basic questions like are they insured, is there a vet nearby,  do they have dogs to show you what your dog should be like when finished? How many pro trainers on the staff, the kennel boy doesn’t count. This is one of the best questions to ask because there is just so much time in the day no matter where you are. Let’s say they have 10 dogs in training and there is one pro trainer. They work at most 12 hrs a day. Lets say they use an hour with feeding and taking them for exercise.  Then they have to clean the kennels, they may have help but most places do not.   They need another hour or so for phone calls and lunch and other things that come up throughout the day, now they may have 8 hours left to train.  That still pretty good time if they spend 15 to 20 minutes three times a day for 10 dogs.  That leaves 45 min per dog giving us 10 minutes to spar as long as everything goes perfect and the dog picks up what he is trained to do.

     Make sure you look for a pro trainer with adequate staff on board, rule of thumb one trainer can handle four dogs a day to get optimal training in a full day. Every dog learns at their own pace if you push them too hard you will crush them. When people ask me how long it will take I always tell them we are on the dogs time not mine or yours.  If you are on a tight budget now may not be the time for you to get a gun dog to train, their are plenty of clubs you can go to and pay a guide for the day and have a great hunt. You should be able to get a ball park figure give or take a couple hundred when looking for a pro trainer.  When you call these other companies out there them ask them questions,  check out their proof of insurance, call the BBB.  Lets face it our dogs are part of our family but they can not talk and it is your job to talk for them and make sure its a safe reputable place.

 A dog has unconditional love, if you want to see for you self. Put your dog and your spouse in the trunk. Drive around for awhile, stop – open the trunk and see which one is happy to see you. OK don’t do this it will probably get you into trouble. Trust me its your dog every time.

Give us a call we are here to answer your questions.   Leave a message if we are out training we will call you back when the dogs give us a break. 586-336-9447

About The Author

David Wilkins is the owner / operator of K-9 Kindergarten LLC located in Washington Township, Michigan. With over 17 years experence IACP Pro Dog Trainer with all breeds of dogs, Gun dog training, behavior problems, National K9 Certifacation trainers on staff.  Call to make your appointment today.586-336-9447.  K9 Kindergarten Specializes in basic and advanced dog obedience , Innotek Pet Containment Systems and Online Pet Supplies . K-9 Kindergarten has clients throughout Macomb, Oakland and St. Clair Counties, Michigan.  For more information you can reach David at www.k-9kindergarten.net or by phone at:  586-336-9447