our thoughts

Sitting in a duck blind waiting for your opportunity to say, “take em” or quartering an upland field waiting for your opportunity to yell “Rooster”, is an adrenaline that never dies. However a good day in the field can quickly become ruined when a dog performs under the owner’s expectations. 

Many owners feel that a dog should just naturally hunt because that is what they were bred to do. This is by far the biggest myth in gundog training. Yes, most dogs have the ability to be able to hunt, but very few, if any, are natural at all situations that can take place during a days hunt. Most dogs need training to understand their job so they can meet their owner’s expectations. How is a dog to perform to these expectations without training? 

"The bottom line is that hunters expect to be able to hunt over their dog during season without having to be a professional dog handler."

With so much knowledge in the dog training world a person can easily be steered in the wrong direction for what they truly want in a gundog. Free advice from other gundog owners comes all too often, most take the owner further away from what they got the dog for in the first place...TO HUNT!!

Our philosophy is that a dog should be trained to meet what the owner expects out of the dog. Some people mostly hunt out of duck blinds/duck boats, some people mostly field hunt geese, some purely hunt upland birds while some hunt multiple venues. It is our job as your dog trainer to train your dog to be efficient at his job for how you hunt. Simply put, you need a hunting dog that fits your needs.

Our gundog training is designed for the avid hunter. Your dog will be trained by hunters for hunters. We know what makes hunters happy with their dog in the field. Why? Because we're hunters! We, too, live on the adrenaline a good trained gundog brings to our veins during a good day's hunt. We understand that different hunters need different training tools for their dogs according to how they hunt. Therefore, it is our job to match your dog to your expectations. We do not use a “one size fits all training method.” We customize the training needs to the owner’s expectations. There are fundamental training skills that every dog needs. Beyond that, it is important that each be specially trained for the owner he belongs to. Our goal is to train your dog into a stylish hunting dog. One that goes on hunts with confidence and is ready to please his owner each day he is taken afield. 

“Training a gundog is a process not a product. A process that must be maintained.”

It takes many hours to get a dog to perform at high levels. When a dog leaves his training with us, he is ready to be taken afield according to the owner's expectations. However, dogs, like humans, will make mistakes. It is important that you recognize a mistake and take the right choice of action to correct it. Most dogs want to please; so by having the foundation we have laid for your dog, it is usually pretty easy. 

Investing in you and your dog’s relationship much like you would with other relationships in your life is very important. We want you to be involved in your dog's training once he is past a certain level. That way you will know how to operate your dog at a high level. In return, your dog will give you a 110% effort and you will have a bond with your dog that is indescribable.

Negative Brucellosis test before the breeding

Owner must provide hips, elbows, eyes (CERF), EIC and CNM clearances

Owner must provide a copy of the pedigree of their female

Progesterone a must for maximum results and time management of the
breeding. Please contact us at the sight of first blood. Have the
female to us the day she has reached a 5 on her progesterone test.

We will house and take care of the female as if she was our own. Owner
of female must provide us with enough food for the length of her stay.

If natural we will give a minimum of one tie and a maximum of two ties.

 TCI Artificial Insemination: An $150 additional fee for our time and
travel added to the stud fee. The owner of female is responsible for
all costs associated with the collection and shipping of the semen.

Artificial Frozen Insemination: The owner of female is responsible for
all costs associated with the care and shipping of the frozen semen.
There may be an additional charge to release the amount straws needed
for the breeding.

3 or less pups= $150 per pup, 4 or more pups full stud fee
Stud fee must arrive before we approve the AKC paperwork

Most breeders breed for a dog that fits their venue. Field trial people breed field trial dogs, hunt test people breed hunt test dogs, and upland competitors breed upland breed competition dogs. I have seen field trial dogs run phenomenal marks and blinds but won’t leave their owner's heels in an upland field or freak out at a shot being over their head. I have seen hunt test dogs do great marks and blinds with diversions but don’t have the conformation to make it through a pass in a high cover upland field, and I have seen upland dogs have no marking ability unless they are chasing the bird. 

I personally breed for a “Versatile Retriever”. For me, training, hunting, guiding, competing and hunt testing retrievers is a lifestyle, not just a hobby! I need a dog that can do it all! 

On the waterfowl side of my dog, I need a dog that can mark multiple birds at hunting distances while I sit in a duck blind with my friends all unloading their guns over their head. I need a dog that can run a 100 yard plus blind for a bird that sailed out of gun range or was downed without the dog seeing it. I need a dog that will mark birds while bringing another bird back. 

On the upland side, I need a dog who can quarter an upland field, find birds, flush them and get to the bird before the cripple disappears and have a trustworthy retrieve to bring that bird to hand. I need a dog that can methodically quarter into each quadrant of a shoot to retrieve tournament field to win the day. I need a dog who can find birds while staying in control and in range for clients who make business relationships by taking their clients upland hunting.

We breed top quality field trial, hunt test and tournament hunting pedigrees to get the most out of our retriever. A versatile hunting dog is a dog that an owner can be proud of. A dog that no matter what the bird hunting venue might be, he excels at. 

Keep your eyes on this site for upcoming litters that we feel will fit the above criteria. If you are a versatile type hunter, get your next pup or trained dog from THE BLAST!