Training for Labrador Retrievers and all Retrieving breeds. Located in Murrells Inlet SC near Myrtle Beach South Carolina.

We are happy to announce our partnership with Chris Bishop of Goose Pond Kennels .... together we can create the best hunt test competitor or hunting companion your dog can become!

Dogs will be kenneled at Goose Pond Kennels in Gresham SC unless arrangements have been made to have your dog stay with Danielle in Murrells Inlet ($150 monthly extra fees apply). Depending on each dog's stage in training and which trainer personality and style matches the dogs ~ Chris and Danielle work together to achieve the most consistent goals we can.

Primarily, dogs designated as clients of Danielle's are worked by her Mon. thru Wed. and trained by Chris Thurs/Fri. We will each handle almost every dog at some point and believe this helps to keep the dogs consistent and relaxed with multiple handlers making it easier to transition back to working with the owner.

We stress a strong bonding relationship between handler and working dog.

Our obedience program is conducted at the highest standard: making sure that the dogs are precise and that they ENJOY their work. We take pride in our dog's line manners and over-all obedient and happy attitudes. From the holding blind to the line we strive to create a dog that is a pleasure to work with. Ultimately, we want your dog to be an enjoyable hunting companion or hunt test competitor you can always rely on.

Preferably obedience and drive building exercises starts at 8 weeks of age under your teaching with our guidance, then, we re-enforce with board and train starting as early as 6 months:

The Basics: Obedience

Sit/Stay
Here
Down
Kennel
Load up (in truck crate)
Quiet (no barking)
Heel (right and left sided is usually taught)
Whistle conditioning to "sit" and "here" commands

An enthusiastic retriever is not created over night. Dogs must be trained in a variety of enviornments and under all condtitions.

The Foundation: Field Work

Introduction to real birds/feathers
Introduction to gunners in the field, holding blinds, and other appropriate hunt test scenarios.
Introduction to gun-shot
Introduction to water
Appropriate marks with birds and/or bumpers.

The next step for young dogs (approx. age 6 months to 1 year) is to transfer into the board and train program and let us "fine tune" some of those puppy skills while building drive, memory, and education within your dog. Boarding and training offers the consistancy, repetition, and every day dedication to training that most owners can simply not provide in a home environment. We recommend at least 3 months to get started.

After completion of this stage of training, your dog should be ready to spend a quality day of duck hunting with you, run an AKC Junior Hunter Stake, or a HRC Started Stake. This stage of training also starts to prep the dog for learning cold blinds and the introduction to concepts needed to run Senior Hunter AKC tests:

Force Fetch
Electric collar conditioning
Proofing whistle commands
Field related obedience including steadying, line manners, holding blind manners, and movement on the line. (push/pull)
Single and multiple marks as well as starting handling skills (3 handed casting).

After a solid foundation has been established we move your dog into more complex stages of training:

Yard Work:

Pile work, 3 handed casting, single & double T, walking base ball, no drills, wagon wheel etc ... are fine tuned and made more challenging during this stage.
De-Cheating for proper water entry, re-entry, and exits.

Field Work:

More complicated single marks and multiple marks are taught and the concepts introduced are enhanced by holding each dog to an appropriate standard of accomplishment.
Taught Blinds are introduced and then transitioned to cold blinds both on land and water.

Photos of some of our Retrievers and Clients Retrievers

We offer Hunt test training/handling for young dogs to the JH/SH levels of AKC hunt testing, which skills usually provide a more than qualified hunting companion, and... At BlackFoot we want to ensure that YOU will be invited to be part of teaching your hunting or hunt test dog if you choose to be.

We also use & highly recommend the following trainer for hunt test or gun dog advanced level training:

Jill Volsche at Morningside Retrievers. Havana, FL www.morningsideretrievers.com

** Obedience is ALWAYS top priority while maintaining each dog's POSITIVE attitude about his/her work. EACH DOG WILL LEARN AT HIS/HER own speed as there is no set time table for learning. ***

Fees:

$600 for the initial 6 weeks of training

$500 per month at Goose Pond Kennels

$10 - $40 per month for flyer fees

$50 - $75 AKC hunt test or field trail handling fees*

*Hunt test handling fees (Danielle R. Pellicci ~ Please contact Chris Bishop directly about his handling fees) $50 per JH/SH stake $75 per MH stake/Derby

$600 for the 1st six weeks is required. This is an initial trial period where we will focus on both obedience and retrieving skills. If it is decided that your dog will stay in the program, we highly recommend a minimum of 3 months. Invoices are sent at the beginning of each month's (4 week period) training.