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| North Texas Dog Trainers. Retriever Specialties. |
| Located In Rockwall Texas 20 min East of Dallas |
| 214-317-1492 |
| What To Look For In A Kennel How Experienced Is The Staff Is It Heated In The Winter and Air-conditioned In The Summer Are The Play Groups Of A Manageable Size Are The Dogs Left Out Long Enough Or Out Too Long |
The top item in my book is sanitation. Is the kennel clean? Let your nose tell you, do you smell
urine or stools. Ask to see the medication list. If there are more than five to six dogs on this list ask
why. If you see bark collars on most of the dogs or hanging on kennels ask if this is common
practice. If you see any tazers, cattle prods or any other such devices DO NOT KEEP YOUR DOG
THERE!!! If the person in charge gets upset at barking dogs while you are there I promise you, it is
only worse when the clients are not around, DON’T LEAVE YOUR DOG THERE. Dogs bark, if the
person in charge looses there temper at barking dogs while your there, just think of what happens
behind closed doors. Make surprise visits. It’s your dog not his. If the trainer / owner gets
upset at your concern or questions PULL YOUR DOG.
EQUIPMENT
Ask to see the training equipment. If you do not see a crop ask if one is used. Ask to see one, if
you notice that they are extremely worn ask why. If there for gun dog training ask to see the props.
By this I mean decoys, boat etc. You need some kind of throwers and not the assistant or trainer
doing it. You need realistic as in remote. Most important ask to see a dog work with live ducks.
Not frozen but live ducks. Ask to see a training session with live flyers. If the trainer does not
duck hunt don’t walk RUN out the gate. You cannot train gun dogs and not know about the
situations the dogs will be in out there in the field. This is very important. Ask to see a pup that is
just starting out. One that has just one week of training. Then move up to a pup that is mid
training and one that is ready to go home. If the dog is cowed, tail tucked or hand shy DON’T
LEAVE YOUR DOG THERE.
If you hunt out of a boat put the dog in a boat and see what it does while in training. The trainer
should have the dog used to water work out of a boat.
The bottom line is, if the kennel is used to train gun dogs, there should be hunting
equipment. No boat no decoys no ducks or wild game birds equals a pup that will be lost
in the field…You will end up training more than hunting. Find another kennel
LAND
If your pup is there for gun dog the training. The land should not be manicured. Dogs need cover
in water and land. Small ponds without stick-ups is great for introduction. The dog needs to see
lots of stick-up and large water. Vegetation both surface and the unseen underwater should be
part of the training process. Having land and water is great but is it used. DO YOUR ENTIRE
VISIT TRAINING WITH LIVE BIRDS AND IN COVER. See your dog dig through cover see them not
shy away from stick-ups in water. Have the dog swim through the decoys. The dog is not trained
to hunt if you have to play with ducks at the hunt to get them to pick it up. If this happens
you know your dog has either never seen a duck or extremely limited. Most real gun dog trainers
lease land to train on that holds these great training waters or have them made on property. Two or
three small immaculate ponds just do not cut it.
TRAINING…. GUN DOG
WATCH OUT FOR THE ACCELERATED TRAINING!!!!!!
No dog is the same and if the kennel touts they can train a gun dog in lets say 9 weeks
run out the gate. That is a good way to set the not so smart dog up for failure. I have worked for
such a kennel and it just does not work. The dog can run out and bring a bird back as far as the
trainer can throw it. That is great if you hunt in your back yard. There is no time for field work. The
dog never sees cover or live flyers. Lord help you if the dog needs to find a cripple. The dog has
so much pressure put on it in such a short period of time it never shows its true
instincts. You will be told that it is up to you to teach it to hunt or it needs to grow up and mature. I
think the price of training should reflect the training put into the dog. There is more to training a
hunting dog than the basic hold and fetch. What a dog does to find or retrieve the game
is more than basic 1-2-3. It needs to be introduced to all this in training.
If the trainer cant find time for this he should lower the dog count or teach obedience .
urine or stools. Ask to see the medication list. If there are more than five to six dogs on this list ask
why. If you see bark collars on most of the dogs or hanging on kennels ask if this is common
practice. If you see any tazers, cattle prods or any other such devices DO NOT KEEP YOUR DOG
THERE!!! If the person in charge gets upset at barking dogs while you are there I promise you, it is
only worse when the clients are not around, DON’T LEAVE YOUR DOG THERE. Dogs bark, if the
person in charge looses there temper at barking dogs while your there, just think of what happens
behind closed doors. Make surprise visits. It’s your dog not his. If the trainer / owner gets
upset at your concern or questions PULL YOUR DOG.
EQUIPMENT
Ask to see the training equipment. If you do not see a crop ask if one is used. Ask to see one, if
you notice that they are extremely worn ask why. If there for gun dog training ask to see the props.
By this I mean decoys, boat etc. You need some kind of throwers and not the assistant or trainer
doing it. You need realistic as in remote. Most important ask to see a dog work with live ducks.
Not frozen but live ducks. Ask to see a training session with live flyers. If the trainer does not
duck hunt don’t walk RUN out the gate. You cannot train gun dogs and not know about the
situations the dogs will be in out there in the field. This is very important. Ask to see a pup that is
just starting out. One that has just one week of training. Then move up to a pup that is mid
training and one that is ready to go home. If the dog is cowed, tail tucked or hand shy DON’T
LEAVE YOUR DOG THERE.
If you hunt out of a boat put the dog in a boat and see what it does while in training. The trainer
should have the dog used to water work out of a boat.
The bottom line is, if the kennel is used to train gun dogs, there should be hunting
equipment. No boat no decoys no ducks or wild game birds equals a pup that will be lost
in the field…You will end up training more than hunting. Find another kennel
LAND
If your pup is there for gun dog the training. The land should not be manicured. Dogs need cover
in water and land. Small ponds without stick-ups is great for introduction. The dog needs to see
lots of stick-up and large water. Vegetation both surface and the unseen underwater should be
part of the training process. Having land and water is great but is it used. DO YOUR ENTIRE
VISIT TRAINING WITH LIVE BIRDS AND IN COVER. See your dog dig through cover see them not
shy away from stick-ups in water. Have the dog swim through the decoys. The dog is not trained
to hunt if you have to play with ducks at the hunt to get them to pick it up. If this happens
you know your dog has either never seen a duck or extremely limited. Most real gun dog trainers
lease land to train on that holds these great training waters or have them made on property. Two or
three small immaculate ponds just do not cut it.
TRAINING…. GUN DOG
WATCH OUT FOR THE ACCELERATED TRAINING!!!!!!
No dog is the same and if the kennel touts they can train a gun dog in lets say 9 weeks
run out the gate. That is a good way to set the not so smart dog up for failure. I have worked for
such a kennel and it just does not work. The dog can run out and bring a bird back as far as the
trainer can throw it. That is great if you hunt in your back yard. There is no time for field work. The
dog never sees cover or live flyers. Lord help you if the dog needs to find a cripple. The dog has
so much pressure put on it in such a short period of time it never shows its true
instincts. You will be told that it is up to you to teach it to hunt or it needs to grow up and mature. I
think the price of training should reflect the training put into the dog. There is more to training a
hunting dog than the basic hold and fetch. What a dog does to find or retrieve the game
is more than basic 1-2-3. It needs to be introduced to all this in training.
If the trainer cant find time for this he should lower the dog count or teach obedience .
| The opinions of this trainer do not reflect anyone or any one facility |
| Cattle Prod The Hot Shot If You See One...Pull Your Dog |