Obedience training is the foundation upon which to build a great pet that is a well socialized and well mannered part of your family or a retriever preparing for hunt tests or field trials! I have seen too many great Labs end up in a rescue shelter because they did not realize how vital this initial training is to develop their pet into a puppy that can be kept under control and a joy to be around.
If your puppy is given a good obedience course as his/her foundation in life as to what is expected of them and you purchased a well bred Lab you should expect many years of fulfillment with your puppy. Along with establishing a good obedience mindset is quality nutrition and regular exercise. If you have done your research and have purchased a well-bred Lab from an established breeder, and you either train them in basic obedience yourself or have made the decision to send them to a trainer for basic obedience you should expect 12-15yrs. of one of the best family companions you will ever own.
Note: Your puppy will need an outlet for all that energy he has and regular/daily exercize will go a long way in avoiding some of the typical destructive behavior we hear about with puppies. If you are not able to do this daily or if your puppy is kept inside all day don't be surprised to have a cord, shoe or the edge of your couch chewed on! Unfortunately, we do not deal with behavioral problems such as housebreaking or aggression. There are trained behavior specialists you could consult for aggressive issues should you have any and there are a number of articles/books you can use to house break your puppy. All it really takes is some patience and consistency. We would be happy to give you direction in this area.
We want each session, with your dog, to be a fun time they look forward to each day instead of one they may dread. Work for a Lab is how they play. They were bred to work and it is "fun" for them although, all dogs have phases they go through just as our kids do as they mature and, at different rates than others.
NOTE: Vaccinations required for all training programs include: Up to date on all puppy series vaccines; you must provide proof of current DHLPP, Bordatella (series of two is desirable) and Rabies, heartworm preventative and Frontline Topspot flea/tick treatment. All dogs must be vaccinated one (1) week prior to any class.
Basic Obedience Classes
Rates for a 4 week basic obedience course are $300.00, with a $50 credit for clients who purchase their puppy from us in 2007. Birds are extra and will run about $50 per puppy. We ask for half down when you reserve your spot and the balance upon drop off.
Training will begin the next day.
Your puppy will be taught: Sit, stay, place, come, down, off, kenneling to crate or car and heel on and off leash and socialization. We will have a one hour session with you and your puppy to teach you how to deal with and continue the above commands.
Note - A young dogs attention span is not unlike that of a young child. We would rather quit that session of training on a high note than go until your puppy is too tired to care. We do not want your puppy/dog to resent training sessions because they are too long, too hot, too difficult.
Some more complex training situations may take more or less time and we will work with your dog at "his" speed rather than pigeon-hole every dog with the same training schedule with no regard to how much the dog is actually learning and retaining.
Brush Up Courses
You may wish to take advantage of our “brush up” class. You may bring your puppy back to us if you would like us to “re-condition” your puppy on his/her obedience commands. We offer a 5 day class that will include all of the commands taught in our basic obedience class and will run Monday through Friday with an hour with you on Friday evening or Saturday. The cost for brush up courses will be $100.00.
First STeps: The beginning of formal gun dog training.
This course includes: Introduction to live and dead birds. He will be exposed to birds shot over him as well as birds shot from a heel position for him to retrieve on command. This teaches your dog the beginning steps of marking, lining and retriever on command. Introduction to water & water retrieves, marking and lining on retrieves, introduction to the gun.
Any formal gun dog training will be discussed on a case by case basis and may be made available if the situation is advantagious for both parties.
- We use a choke chain and pinch collar and usually a 6 foot leash along with a check cord. The pinch collar is not used with another leash, just the collar itself to teach proper heeling and steadiness.
- For basic obedience course our sessions are 2/15 minute sessions twice daily for the first 2 weeks then we go to 3-4 sessions the last 2 weeks.
- For more advanced training the actual time spent training your dog will be 2-3 15 minute sessions daily (this does not take into consideration set up time for advanced training scenario's. This is actual dog time and we will go to 3-4 sessions a day in the second half of our time together with your dog and as your dog is able and wanting more time)
- We will also use an e-collar to emphasize commands and for reinforcement only, and not for discipline.
- We only have 3 dogs in our First Steps Training course at any one time to ensure that your dog gets the attention he needs from us.
