Retriever Training Programs At Northern Plains Retrievers our goal is to bring out your dog's natural hunting and retriever instincts while at the same time instilling the obedience component that will make sure it's under control and willing to work with you as a team. We feel that control and consistency, along with plenty of birds and marks, will be the key to developing your dog into a quality retriever you will be proud to take to any duck blind, upland field, or hunt test.
Puppy Program This program will introduce your puppy to the hunting and training environment, and provide on-leash obedience training as well as collar-conditioning so you can control your pup in the field. The first three weeks we focus on the obedience part of the training. Your dog will be learning to respond to the following commands: sit, sit-to-stay, heel, here, kennel, down, and no. When your dog responds well to all the commands on the leash we will reinforce the "kennel" and "here" commands with the electronic collar, making sure you will have control for those times when it's off-leash as well. We will also work to correct any problem behavior such as jumping up on people, barking, and running away. The last three weeks we focus on the hunting aspects of the training, including:
- introduction to birds, gunfire, and water (season permitting)
- introduction to medium / heavy cover
- retrieving
- handling by a number of different people
- exposure to dogs of different ages This training is designed to get your pup off to a great start and ready for more training when it’s older. We think it is important at this age for the puppy to “learn how to learn”, making it much easier to learn advanced concepts when the pup is ready.
6 week program - $600 (food and birds included)
Started Program This program is designed to produce a basically trained hunting dog. It includes the following concepts: - obedience training
- introduction to birds, gunfire, and water
- force fetch training
- collar conditioning
- land and water marks
- steadiness training
- whistle training We will design the program to fit the type of hunting you do. The Upland Program will include quartering work and a number of planted live birds to flush and retrieve. The Waterfowl Program will include exposure to boats, blinds, and decoys. If you plan to do both types of hunting, we will work on both components in training. When this program is completed you will be able to take your dog home and go hunting! 3 month program - $600 / month (includes food and birds)
Finished Program - for dogs that have been through our Started Program. This program is for the intense waterfowler or pheasant hunter that needs a dog that can mark and retrieve multiple birds that have been shot, and can also do basic blind retrieves as it responds to whistle and hand signals. The work required includes: - pile work
- pattern blinds
- 3-handed casting
- single T drills
- advanced steadiness training
- multiple marks on land and on water This program balances drill work for the blind retrieves with marking drills for the multiple marks. It will include a high number of set ups in the field with multiple marks using dead birds and live flyers. When your dog has completed this program you will have a superior gun dog that can do it all! 3-5 month program - $600 / month (includes food and birds)
Hunt Test Program - for the dogs and owners that respond well to challenges! This program is for the dogs that possess a high level of intelligence, drive, and trainability. This program is for the dog owner that desires to see his/her dog reach the absolute top level of performance it can reach, and is willing to make the commitment to get it there. Dogs that run at the AKC Senior / Master levels, and the HRC Seasoned / Finished levels will work on the following concepts and much more: - multiple retrieves including doubles, triples, and quads
- land / water combinations - land blinds to 200+ yards
- water blinds to 150+ yards
- diversion birds
- poison birds
- eraser birds
- walk-ups Variable length program - $600 / month plus hunt test fees and bird costs ( includes food) Private Lessons - $50/Hour, give us a call. General Information - for your dog before drop-off date
- need a copy of current vaccinations for rabies and dhllp
- needs a bordetella shot, (kennel cough)
- needs to be on a heartworm preventative, and bring enough to cover stay
- needs to be on a flea and tick preventative, and bring enough to cover stay Veterinary Services - costs are the responsibility of owner Billing - we require payment for the first month when you drop your dog off, subsequent payments will be billed on a monthly basis. Bird Costs - are for live birds used in Hunt Test training
- Ducks and Pheasants $10
- Chukars $6
- Pigeons $3 | 
