Ridgemark Retrievers Training Philosophy

My philosophy of how to train dogs began in Stuttgart, Arkansas, at 16 years of age when I was introduced to retrievers as a trainers assistant. I quickly learned that there is nothing secretive or magical about training dogs. Dog training is based on a combination of experience and a clear understanding of the way dogs think and interact.

Our training program is based on those beliefs and has been specifically developed for the duck and goose hunter and for the serious hunt test competitor. We specialize in building off of the dog's natural retrieving desire and creating a dog that can handle any hunting situation. Throughout the program we will expose the dog's weaknesses and use his strengths to our advantage to build and maintain solid retriever training concepts.

We encourage a strong and stylish retrieving desire with real birds and dummies on land and water. Our program also consists of training out of pits, blinds, and dog stands with the shotgun, and using duck calls to simulate the most realistic hunting scenarios. Once the foundation is laid for all water fowling concepts, we will then focus our attention on practicing until perfect.