[Blue Tick]

I am looking for a new all inclusive training program for a pup I will be getting after the 1st of the year. I have tried to find and read about as much as I can and decipher/read between the lines on what folks post. I believe I have narrowed it down to these 2 systems, waterdog just won't do anymore. What I am wondering, for those that have used either or both, what can you tell me? I want to go from puppy all the way through and include collar conditioning as well. I'm no expert and would say my knowledge/training level to be on the low side. Good thing for me is I have a friend who is a pro and has helped a ton as well as my retriever club. I am wanting the satisfaction of saying this dog is all me.

Thanks in advance!

 

[WPS]

I did a search for you cause I'm in a very similar boat as you but I'm trying to decide between Lardy and Hillman but I don't have a pro or club around that I know of (I just need to look harder). I would ask your friend that is the pro, especially if he will be helping you train the dog. Anyways, here's the post I found in response to someone asking about Lardy's DVD's:

This all depends on your experience and training situation. How much experience do you have, novice, experienced, train alone or with a group. IMO theLardy video is well worth $150 if you have background in training. It seems to me there are some holes if you are a novice, some things are assumed you know. If you are rather new and train alone it could be easy to get lost and frustrated. If you have some solid training experience or work with a group that can see you and your dog to answer questions it would help.

The Evan Graham videos are much more detailed and appear to be more geared for the novice.

 

[Blue Tick]

I did a search for you cause I'm in a very similar boat as you but I'm trying to decide between Lardy and Hillman but I don't have a pro or club around that I know of (I just need to look harder). I would ask your friend that is the pro, especially if he will be helping you train the dog. Anyways, here's the post I found in response to someone asking about Lardy's DVD's:

This all depends on your experience and training situation. How much experience do you have, novice, experienced, train alone or with a group. IMO theLardy video is well worth $150 if you have background in training. It seems to me there are some holes if you are a novice, some things are assumed you know. If you are rather new and train alone it could be easy to get lost and frustrated. If you have some solid training experience or work with a group that can see you and your dog to answer questions it would help.

The Evan Graham videos are much more detailed and appear to be more geared for the novice.

I actually found that same post. My buddy has the Graham DVDs and books laying around. I plan on training this one through myself, as I feel like I'm leaching off him and such. Plus I like doing things myself.

 

[Daren Galloway]

I disagree with that statement about Lardy completely. I knew absolutely nothing about training and I got TRT followed it step by step only moving on when my dog performed each task with the same competency as the demo dog. I had a pro and a very experienced am both test out how well forced my dog was. They couldn't find anything to criticize. With TRT and the help of club members my dog got a derby 4th at 13 months and hrch at 2. So unless you want to flatter me and say I'm smarter than everyone else TRT is not too complicated for a novice. Just know nothing he does is by accident every move is calculated and you need to watch intently not while you're doing other things. I watched it several times actually.

 

[BonMallari]

I am looking for a new all inclusive training program for a pup I will be getting after the 1st of the year. I have tried to find and read about as much as I can and decipher/read between the lines on what folks post. I believe I have narrowed it down to these 2 systems, waterdog just won't do anymore. What I am wondering, for those that have used either or both, what can you tell me? I want to go from puppy all the way through and include collar conditioning as well. I'm no expert and would say my knowledge/training level to be on the low side. Good thing for me is I have a friend who is a pro and has helped a ton as well as my retriever club. I am wanting the satisfaction of saying this dog is all me.

Thanks in advance!

You just answered your own question, the solutions are right in front of you

 

[DoubleHaul]

If you have a friend who is a pro, that would be the first person to ask. They two programs are quite similar, though, and both would work well for a beginner, if followed.

With Lardy, though, don't forget the article books. This is where the most detailed information is. Read them carefully. They are not hard to understand but his writing style is nicely efficient and there is a TON of information packed into each short article.

The biggest advantage of going with Smartworks is that Evan is very available if you have questions about anything and is very helpful. I follow the Lardy stuff myself but often recommend smartworks to newer folks because of this one big advantage.

 

[Wayne Nutt]

A recent poster said Smartworks is esoteric. I had to look up esoteric and about choked on my beverage. I use TRT not Smartworks but have friends that do. Based on what they have told me, nothing can be further from the truth.
To a certain degree it's a personal choice. Both are force based systems. My preference was Lardy because that was the system that the pro I was apprenticing with used.

You are right to consult with an experienced amateur or pro periodically regardless of which program you select. Much in the way Daren posted above. Of course they should use the program that you are following.

 

[P J]

The biggest advantage of going with Smartworks is that Evan is very available if you have questions about anything and is very helpful. I follow the Lardy stuff myself but often recommend smartworks to newer folks because of this one big advantage.

I trained my dog using Smartworks, she is the first dog I have ever trained or handled in any AKC or UKC event. Evan personally answered questions several times for me. That was a bonus to me.

I do wish I had used Bill Hillman's Puppy DVD as well.

I have friends that used Lardy on their first dogs with success HRCH, MH***, but also used Bill Hillman's Puppy DVD on their second dogs.

 

[FieldLab]

Loved to know what esoteric means

 

[Wayne Nutt]

designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone <a body of esoteric legal doctrine — B. N. Cardozo> b : requiring or exhibiting knowledge that is restricted to a small group <esoteric terminology> ; broadly : difficult to understand

 

[jonathon27]

Lardy!!!!!

 

[Blue Tick]

I am leaning at this point more towards smart works. Does anyone happen to know what the difference is between The Works and Total Package? Obviously the total package has more in it, but i don't know what it has that the works doesn't.

 

[TexGold]

Throw one more at you- Judy Aycock and Danny Farmer have a marvelous set of DVDs out.

 

[Blue Tick]

Throw one more at you- Judy Aycock and Danny Farmer have a marvelous set of DVDs out.

Worth a look. Do you know what they are titled?

 

[Evan]

I am leaning at this point more towards smart works. Does anyone happen to know what the difference is between The Works and Total Package? Obviously the total package has more in it, but i don't know what it has that the works doesn't.

The Total Package Special has all 3 books, plus every DVD in the entire program, including the specialty volumes on Walking Baseball, and so on. If you need more information email me at rushcreekpress@aol.com

Evan

 

[Blue Tick]

With Lardys TRT do you get all of his DVD's and books or do you still have to purchase the marking and others?

 

[freezeland]

With Lardys TRT do you get all of his DVD's and books or do you still have to purchase the marking and others?

Marking DVD is seperate but believe they have a reduced rate if ordered together with TRT. Collar conditioning DVD is seperate (and worth the 60.00 IMO). There is also 4 journals for 30.00 each, or all four for 89.00 at last check. They supplement the DVD's, but you can get by without em.

 

[Blue Tick]

Marking DVD is seperate but believe they have a reduced rate if ordered together with TRT. Collar conditioning DVD is seperate (and worth the 60.00 IMO). There is also 4 journals for 30.00 each, or all four for 89.00 at last check. They supplement the DVD's, but you can get by without em.

Thanks. I'm still up in the air between these 2 systems. All in all though, cost seems to be relatively close.

 

[Mike Peters-labguy23]

Don't let cost be the only deciding factor. I have owned both and Stawski's and Farmers and Attars. All are great but if I had to pick one it would be Lardy's with the articles too.

 

[Blue Tick]

Don't let cost be the only deciding factor. I have owned both and Stawski's and Farmers and Attars. All are great but if I had to pick one it would be Lardy's with the articles too.

Cost is definitely not the deciding factor. Since you have owned both systems I'm looking into, what did you like/not like about smartworks versus trt? I have talked wit Evan via PM and have been waiting a week now on email answers to some questions about trt!