Hello all, new to posting here but have been reading for awhile now. I will be picking up a chocolate lab female pup in a couple of weeks and am looking for trainers in my area to take her to once she is old enough. I have done a lot of research, and have had other dogs before, but never done any formal hunting or obedience training with them. I'm not looking to run her in field trials or hunt tests, but I will use her for dove hunting and as a family dog, and maybe some duck hunting in the future. She will be an inside dog so house manners are a must. We also have an RV and go camping quite a bit so she'll be along for that. I live on over 100 acres with a couple of tanks and a creek and plan on having her down there quite a bit as well. I would like to find a trainer that will allow me to stay involved, even if only once a week, so finding one fairly close will help. I have searched the internet and have found a few, but I know there are more around that don't have websites. If you know of any or have any recommendations of some between San Antonio and Austin area that would much appreciated. My plan is to talk to as many of them as I can, and even go and watch them work with the dogs they are training.
So far I have talked to the following:
Rave Retrievers
Cibilo Creek Kennels
Ryckman Kennels.
My breeder had recommended Best retrievers and Stellar retrievers for training, but they are quite a ways from me, so I'd like to find someone closer if possible.
Hi Jeff, I live in eagle pass Texas and have heard good things about best retrievers on other Internet forums. I personally don't know of anyone.
I have been doing my own training so I wouldn't be of much help.
I'm assuming that this Spring Branch is the one about 35 miles north of San Antonio on SH 281. Not the inner-Houston village as we both originally thought.
That's correct, I'm about 30 miles north of San Antonio right near Canyon Lake. San Antonio, New Braunfels, Boerne are all close, and south Austin is only an hour or so away.
Jeff, you can also contact the ARC ( Alamo Retriever Club) in San Antonio here, if you are interested in working /training your dog yourself. We ahve a good core group of trainers that get together for training days. Give a call if you want to or email a PM. Jay Brown
Jay, thanks for your reply to my post. I have looked at the website for the Alamo Retriever Club but wasn't sure if the club was still active. I'm not able to view the calendar(maybe because I'm not a member), and the date for the next listed meeting didn't coincide with the correct day of the week so I figured it was not up to date. Is there a training day coming soon or an event I may be able to attend, even though I don't have my pup yet? I would really like to get a look at what the club has going on if possible, and would like to stay as involved as possible with my pups training when I do get her and she's ready.
I'm not able to send pm's yet as I don't have enough posts.
Try Darrell Layman hour south of San Antonio. Darrell has done several demonstrations at the stockmens show in March. PM me if you would like his phone number.
Warren Price
Depending on what you are looking for and how often you want to participate, thee is Tioga Retrievers in Aubrey, TX that looks to be 4 hours from you. I have trained with Angie Becker in Michigan during last summer and I highly recommend her.
You might reconsider the recommendation that your breeder gave you. The little extra drive over to Best Retrievers is worth the time and effort. Rody & Kristin have excellent facilities, grounds and help, and they have an excellent, well structured program. More importantly, their dogs are happy and eager to work. Rody is a very good handler's coach as well. They are true professionals and class act people. If you go to a hunt test in the area, take notice of the dogs as a whole handled by each pro. All Rody's dogs are POLISHED, team players and obviously very well trained. I have had four personal friends use them. All sing their praise. All have very well behaved, trained dogs. I personally have used them and drive 2.5 hours to train with them on occasion.
Matthew, I have been thinking seriously about Best Retrievers, with the only drawback getting my wife to agree to let me leave our pup with someone for 3 months. The more I read and research, the more Rody's name comes up.
Jeffries- I know both Clayton Taylor and Rody Best I have referred friends to them both and they were happy.
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