Gun Dog Training
Let us develop your dog into a well-rounded pointer who is driven and able to find and point birds.
We accept all Gundog breeds!
Intro to hunting:
This intro course prepares your dog for formal bird training
✔Recommended your dog is at least 4-6 months old
✔Bird introduction: Getting the puppy to bump/chase and pick up flightless birds. Building the natural prey drive.
✔ Gun intro: Introducing the puppy to the starter pistol and prepping them for shotgun intro in the next course.
✔ Recall: Building a solid recall with positive reinforcement
✔ Obedience: Building a solid sit/stay/heel on young puppies before we begin fieldwork
✔ Water intro: weather permitted getting the puppy adjusted to water and beginning to enter it on their own
✔ Check cord Intro
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If your dog has no prior field experience with game birds, the Intro Class is required before a dog can begin Formal Training even adult dogs must complete this course if they have had no bird intro prior.
This is a 2-4 week course dependent on age/level of training and your dog's natural abilities.
This class focuses on building prey drive and preparing dogs for formal training dogs can generally start the first level class as soon as they finish the intro.
$375/week (This class goes by week so that the dogs that don't need a full month can quickly progress on to the first level gundog course)
(Owner pays for feed & medical expenses (heartworm preventives etc.)
This course is only offered from August to March
First Level Gundog Course:
Your dogs Formal bird training starts here!
Requirements for this program:
✔ Must complete and pass an evaluation
✔Completed intro to hunting & basic obedience
✔mentally, socially and physically ready to begin formal gun dog training.
Our program includes:
✔E-collar Conditioning
✔Off-Leash Field Work With the check cord skills taught and mastered,
pups are confident and happy to handle off leash in the field
✔Handling well in the field (recall, working the field well, quartering,
hunting with the handler, responding to the whistle)
✔Finding and pointing birds
✔ Shooting birds over your dog if and when they are ready
✔ If your dog has a natural retrieve we will touch on intro to retrieving after the shot
✔ beginning to retrieve in the water if your dog has a natural retrieve
✔Tracking: Pheasant track if so desired for NAVHDA
Trained retrieval is not a part of this class.
Dogs in the course will be considered "started" and ready to begin hunting!
If your dog has not had any prior bird and field exposure, the Field Introduction Class is REQUIRED!
This course is only offered from August through March!
Any dogs booked after December each year must have prepaid birds by January!
This time frame is due to the availability of game birds.
After the January game birds are hard to get again until new birds are hatched and flight conditioned.
Most birds lay in the spring and the chicks aren't flight-ready until July/August.
Second Level Gun Dog
Requirements for this program:
✔Completed Obedience & First Level Gun Dog
✔mentally, socially, and physically ready to begin formal gun dog training.
Our Program Includes
✔ Well-conditioned point allowing the hunter to walk in and flush game
✔Steady To Wing and Shot/Fall (Woah training)
✔ Backing and Honoring other dogs
✔Duck search (if desired)
(Owner covers feed/medical expenses such as heartworm/flea tick prevention)
Trained Retrieved Program
Requirements for this program:
✔Completed Obedience & First Level Gun Dog
✔mentally, socially, and physically ready to begin formal gun dog training.
6 to 8 -week trained retrieve program. Creating a 100% reliable retriever
We recommend this class be completed separately from other courses.
Private Instruction
Want to train your own dog with the help of a professional?
Private on site instruction is starts at $100 an hour, and is $50 per every half hour after that. 1 hr. minimum required.
If live game birds are used its $10/live bird used.
Rates
Hunt Training
Intro to hunting:- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $375/week
First Level gun dog:- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $1,000/month
Second level gundog- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $1,200/month
Trained Retrieve- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -$200/week (6-8 Weeks)
Private insruction- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -$50/hr
hunting assessment- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $35/day
The above rates do not include bird costs
Intro to hunting is required for ALL dogs who have not had any prior field experience.
Dogs who have field experience but were not trained by Nosam will require a 2-week hunting assessment prior to training to make sure they are ready for the level you are entering them in.
Birds:
Pigeons - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $5.00 each
Chucker - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $12.00 each
Pheasants - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $18.00 each
Handling
Hunt test handling:- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $200/day (owner covers test fees)
Gas to test- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 50 cents a mile split between the dogs on the trip
Hotel:- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Split between each dog going