Pro Trainers....

[rocko]

I keep hearing people talking about bringing their dogs to a pro trainer and getting them to train them.
Just curious if anyone on here has brought their dog to a pro to touch up on a few things and how much they paid them?

[chocdog]

I have had my dog with a pro and it is a bit pricey costs any thing from 500 and more dollars a month some also charge for birds

[AD18]

Depends on your "touch" up a few things. Some of the pros will let you train with them for the day. You work most of the day and your dog gets 20-30 minutes one on one with the pro. If you have a specific fix you need you can go that way sometimes. Other than that previous post is pretty accurate to what I've been told.

[Anna Scott]

We use a pro for the conditioned retrieve. I just don't have the time or the expertise to do it. It is the one thing that needs to be done properly or all your other training is for naught. Using the pro also gives us access to training with them and the ability to give a call when a problem arises. My young female is with the pro now and I expect the bill to be around $700.00 a month as she will need shots and heartworm treatment while she is there.

[LET'M RUN]

Money well spent if you are as green as I am @ the trial game. I do train with my pro every week, but he takes my dog to the line. I look @ it this way, I believe I have a great dog, but my inexperience will do no good for my dog. Learning and picking up training tricks from others is great way to learn the ropes.

best of luck Tony

[graftongal]

Rocko, another option for you might be to join a club if you haven't already. There are a few really good ones out your way. The members of these clubs are really friendly and helpful, I can't begin to tell you how much I've learned since I joined the LOHRC. A lot of our members are really experienced and are willing to share experiences and give assistance. They truly offer a wealth of knowledge and are more than willing to help out. Not only that, but I've been able to borrow books, dvd's, etc from other members which has really helped me as well. Whatever problems you are having with your pup, you can pretty well be guaranteed that someone else has been there and dealt with it. Something to look into anyways!

www.mvrtc.ca -> Mountain Valley Retriever Training Club

www.horseshoehrc.com -> Horseshoe Hunting Retriever Club

[ducksoup]

A pro trainer is not the answer for everybody or every dog. For myself, I wanted to get back into FTs after nearly 15 years away. I bought a pup out of the best breeding I could find -- CFC CAFC X CFC -- and took home a BLM pup. The pup I chose was a high flyer -- high powered and a lot of dog -- very smart with lots of go and drive -- I knew I would need the service of a pro. I did the basic obedience and simple field work up until Maxx was about 6 months old -- then I sent him down to Dan and Gloria DeVos for Basics, Force Work, Collar Conditioning and Transition Work (Gloria worked with him all last summer). Maxx came home for most of a month but went back to Dan and Gloria when they went down south to Alabama for the winter. Maxx is with Dan and ran the Junior at Niagara last week and SWORTC FT this coming weekend, before taking a break for a few weeks (while training continues as usual) and then returns to competition, probably at Long Point. The plan is to keep Maxx with Dan all summer -- my committments at work and getting a house ready to move into don't permit me enough time to properly train Maxx (besides while the house is being renovated, we're living in Toronto in an apartment -- no place for a dog like Maxx)-- as well, the owner needs as much or more training than the dog does. I'll get down to Long Point as much as possible over the summer -- for me FTs are the game I choose to play in and without the expertise of pros like Dan and Gloria I wouldn't have as good a chance as I may have now with their help; Maxx may have the breeding, the ability, etc. but if it wasn't properly brought out, it wouldn't matter -- and Maxx has the best of handlers for the FTs he runs in (and Maxx can be a handful if you don't know what you're doing, so having Dan handle him is important too); and it's actually less expensive to have Dan run him than if I went to FT (once I add in gas, accomodation, food, etc.) -- however I'll go out to watch Maxx run as much as possible (like last week) -- so right now, this is the best arrangement for me and for my dog -- Dan and Gloria are very honest about the dogs -- Dan won't run a dog that's not ready (or over-run a young dog in case of creating problems such as getting trial-wise) -- Maxx is well cared for and well trained; I couldn't be happier about my experience with Baypoint Kennels -- Maxx loves the game -- and he's doing what he was bred for -- so my dog is happy -- it might not be cheap but it's worth it to me -- cost is $650+ per month while in Canada, and $800+ while down south -- Maxx is going south again this coming winter (and so am I for a few weeks) -- so for me a pro was the best and in many ways the only alternative

[rocko]

Ducksoup,

Aren't you worried that your pup will bond more with the pro than he will with you?

[ducksoup]

No I'm not -- Maxx certainly remembers me -- when I saw him for the first time in April after he got back from down south all I had to do was speak his name -- once he heard my voice there was no doubt he'd remembered me -- and for a dog to perform well in training or competition there has to be some sort of a bond between dog and handler -- so I would hope that Maxx has a bond with Dan (and Gloria)

[Anna Scott]

It is amazing how they remember you. When I go to pick my dog up from the pro he makes me stay well back and remain real quiet until he demonstrates what the dog has learned. Once the dog hears your voice they vocus right back on you.

[ducksoup]

Anna is so right -- I had to even stay upwind of him while he was running last weekend -- so he wouldn't scent me