Need to go on a weeks vacation or maybe even two and you need to find a trusted place to board your puppy?  Grand River Kennel now offers a 2 week puppy course designed specifically for your furry little friend. We introduce them to water, primer pistols, dead and wing clipped pigeons, and a small amount of leash training.  For those looking for gun dog training in the future the two weeks of puppy training can tell us if your dog likes to swim, likes to retrieve, likes birds, and doesn’t have a problem with a primer pistol. Most folks like to schedule this around a vacation where your pup would not just be boarded, but would have a lot of activity – hopefully, a vacation for them too. 

Basic obedience includes the introduction to plenty of birds, both dead and wing clipped.  Weather permitting, pups will swim several times a week.  Young dogs will need to be introduced to water during warm temperatures to help create a strong water attitude. We will also introduce clipped pigeon wings to get your future gun dog used to birds.

Basic obedience, both on and off leash, with collar conditioning and force fetch (delivering to hand) are the two major components in the started program.  Time is also spent on swims, land retrieves (land- water- land retrieves), and introduction to birds, guns, decoys, and steady drills (waiting to be sent for a retrieve)  The program is approximately three months duration, depending on the individual dog.t

In advanced work the dog and his handler form a team.  There are a number of casting and lining drills that will teach your dog to turn on a whistle, sit and look to his partner for a hand signal to retrieve a bird he didn’t see fall.  He will mark multiple birds in the field or in water, and will retrieve them from memory, and will honor another dog’s retrieve (sit quietly and not interfere with the working dog)  Expectations for a finished dog vary greatly among dog owners and handlers.  Time frames for this phase of training also vary.  Dedication of the handler and willingness to learn their role in the partnership speeds the process tremendously.

In advanced work the dog and his handler form a team. There are a number of casting and lining drills that will teach your dog to turn on a whistle, sit and look to his partner for a hand signal to retrieve a bird he didn’t see fall. He will mark multiple birds in the field or in water, and will retrieve them from memory, and will honor another dog’s retrieve (sit quietly and not interfere with the working dog) Expectations for a finished dog vary greatly among dog owners and handlers. Time frames for this phase of training also vary. Dedication of the handler and willingness to learn their role in the partnership speeds the process tremendously. The training process of teaching a dog to deliver to hand. Actually, it is that and so much more. It not only teaches delivery to hand with respect for the bird, but it also is the foundation of advanced training and teaches the dog that retrieving is not only fun, but also a responsibility. We often hear, “My dog comes to me and drops his retrieve almost at my feet. I don’t mind picking it up of f the ground, so do we really need force fetch?” Think about this scenario: You and a few buddies on a great duck hunt. Here comes a flock and in just a few moments there are three dead birds and a couple of cripples, all within 30 yards of you on the water, but the wind is blowing and the birds are floating with the waves. Your dog chooses an exciting retrieve, one of the cripples who dives, lies low, and tries everything possible to escape the retrieve. Your awesome dog just will not give up- his desire compels him to stick with the hunt, and finally snags his bird. Everyone cheers, but someone should be keeping an eye on those floating birds. A funny thing happens on the way back from the retrieve. The exciting game is over for your dog. He gets to the bank and drops his cripple to shake, only to have the bird escape into the water, and the chase starts all over again. Where are the other birds by now? Twenty minutes later your face is red and your buddies are frustrated. This cat and mouse game is going on and on. Hopefully you are hunting a fairly small pond – not a river or lake. You guys will be walking the banks for awhile looking for those missing birds. Force fetch would have taught your talented retriever that besides enjoying the game, he also has a job to do…efficiently!!! A sound obedience and force fetch program will have your dog putting things together. Obedience lessons – coming quickly when called from a retrieve, swing to your side, heel and sit. Force fetch – holding (not crunching) securely, then placing the bird into your hand. With that done : NOW – take your dog on that big hunt!