Our Training Program ... where retrievers build a lasting foundation.

Brian provides a rich environment for the the raising of puppies from 8- weeks old preparing them for the rigors of formal training.

Regardless of your retriever's natural skill or genetics, its' full potential in advanced work cannot be realized without a strong foundation of basic concepts. Whether your goals are to win field trials, excel in hunt tests or have a polished, reliable gun dog, the Right Start Kennel training program is designed to provide a solid foundation on which advanced work can be built. Starting with puppies as young as six-months old, we begin with basic obedience and progress to complicated marking situations and cold blinds. A balance of yard work and field work, land work and water work, promotes a healthy attitude and high quality learning experience. We actively train five-days per week giving our students ample time on the weekends to recover from the rigors of training which further promotes a healthy training attitude. The ideal candidate for our program is between six-months and one-year old and has been properly socialized. Some obedience training and experience on simple, single marks at a very early age is also recommended. We encourage our clients to teach their dogs simple obedience, such as "sit" and "come" on command, at an early age so there is some bond created with the owner. This early work is also important as it helps to teach the dog how to learn. Upon arrival the new student will be given several days to socialize among the other dogs while it adjusts to kennel life. It is in these first few days that your dog is evaluated on basic obedience and simple, single marks so a customized training program can be developed. While all of our students progress through all the same steps of our program, it is important in this early evaluation to understand the abilities of your dog so any adjustments in the begining work can be made. Because our program puts an emphasis on calm, controlled line manners, obedience is a lynch pin of our program. The typical training day starts off with yard work that starts the new student off with a review and further reinforcement of basic obedience including double-sided heeling. As the student progresses, this yard work advances through various training drills in preparation of handling on blind retrieves. After yard work is completed each morning field work begins. Starting with simple single marks, the new student progresses through more complicated marking concepts, is introduced to double retrieves, triple marks and retired guns. Throughout the training program yard work is balanced with field work to maintain that all important positive learning attitude. When not training, our dogs are housed in comfortable kennels with ample room for exercise. Dogs in training must be healthy and in top physical shape. Because nutrition is an important component of this equation, we feed only Purina Pro Plan dog food. Training at Right Start Kennels is a disiplined, step-by-step program designed to provide a progressively challenging educational environment. Consistency, high standards and progressive steps ensures that each step of the program builds on a subsequent step. The combination of our proven training program, our trainers intuitive understanding of dogs and excellent training grounds provides a launching pad for further advanced work. A look at our accomplishments clearly shows how well this program works. Other services available from Right Start Kennels includes puppy raising on a limited basis. We can accommodate a limited number of puppies as young as eight-weeks old to be raised and socialized in a home environment and properly prepared for the rigors of training. High quality training demands individual attention which can only be accommodated by limiting the number of students in our care at any given time. There is usually a waiting list for available openings. If you are interested in enrolling your retriever at Right Start Kennel, please contact us to discuss your individual needs and availability. Please visit our FAQ page for answers to frequently asked questions.