Simply the best facility, Simply the best training

Training

| Close | Rick and a newly titled clients' dog with their hunt test ribbons.

Rick and a newly titled clients' dog
with their hunt test ribbons.

Dogs at Old Oak Kennels are trained as individuals which means that we do not train them in an identical manner. ALL training is individualized to each dog to fit their needs and temperament. It is important to us at Old Oak Kennels to return to you the same dog you brought in, except they now have manners.

EVERY dog starts its training with basic obedience. This is the foundation upon which everything else is built. If an owners dog sits when told, comes when called and heels when requested it opens a whole world of potentials for dog and owner.

We train all dogs "manually" until the dogs knows and completely understands the commands, once that is accomplished the electronic collar can be added as a tool to reinforce and tighten the already learned commands. Collar work reinforces the commands into the dog much tighter and more quickly, however training can be completed without the collar if the owner wishes. This ability to do more teaching and getting the feel of each dog has allowed Rick to become the "go to guy" for training British dogs in the Midwest.

Note: All time frames are for reference only. Each dog will determine the time necessary to master the skills requested by the owner.

Obedience: (4-6 weeks) The basics and foundation of any future training. The skills learned are: heeling - on and off leash, sit, come/here, swing into heel and collar conditioning.

Started dogs: (an additional 2-3 weeks after obedience) The skills learned here will be used by all retrievers for retrieving, holding and giving up their bird. The skills taught here are: hold and deliver to hand. Force fetch is introduced here if needed. Gun dogs are introduced to guns and upland hunting. Marking skills taught here are singles.

Finished dogs: Time varies (approximately 4-5 months) depending on the skills desired by the owner. At this level of training the dogs get more intense bird work and gun training. All commands are reinforced in the field. More force fetch work is done getting the dog to the point of simple handling on land and water. Single and double marked retrieves with steadiness to shot in the duck blind.

Hunt Test/Competition dogs: (6-12 months depending on level of competition) This takes the dog all the way from basic obedience through force fetch and to multiple marks and complex handling situations on both land and water. A dog should have the ability to run Senior hunt tests and on their way to Master.

Puppy Program: (2 weeks) Introduction to guns and birds. Introduction to water as weather or season permits. An option here is private puppy starter lessons for the owner who wants to do more hands on early puppy training.

Private Lessons: 5-6 weeks Dog and owner come in for private lessons once a week. This would cover basic obedience and introduction to the electronic collar and birds if desired.

For those that desire to have their dog run in hunt tests, Rick is very successful with an extremely high pass rate on the dogs he has trained. This service is offered to owners of dogs he has trained or had in training long enough to know the dog.

Rick

| Close | Rick (R) and his mentor Jimmy Benson of Fairhill Kennels (L).

Rick (R) and his mentor
Jimmy Benson of Fairhill Kennels (L).

Rick is the trainer at Old Oak Kennels. He has been training dogs for 22 years. He has been a serious hunter all his life and knows the skills demanded by the hunter for his dog. He has also been competing in hunt tests for nearly as long as he has been training dogs so he knows the demands put on the dog in these types of competition. He has put Master Hunter titles on numerous dogs, one as young as 2 years old, along with numerous Senior Hunter and Junior Hunter titles.

He has apprenticed under a number of different professional trainers for many years in order to see and experience different manners and methods of training dogs. Through this approach he was able to develop the system he uses today. It also allowed him to have assorted methods and techniques at his fingertips to use as needed for each individual dog. This knowledge gives him the ability to train the softest dog to the hardest going overly energetic dog.

Accomodations for Dogs

This kennel is newly constructed.

| Close | Kennel interior.

Kennel interior.

• The kennel was designed with dogs' comfort and well being in mind.
• It is the most comfortable and cleanest facility around for dogs in training
• One of the finest training facilities in the Upper Midwest
• 200 acres of training land and multiple ponds

Fees

The fees are divided into training, boarding and birds.

Training

$600/month

Boarding

$30/month plus tax

Birds

Cost is per bird and differs with each type

The training fee is for the training. The boarding fee is for "room and board" which includes food.

Hours

The following table shows our "Office Hours" when you can drop off or pick up your pet, or reach us in the office. On most days office hours are 8-10 am and 4-6 pm. Other times of the day you will get the answering machine as we will be busy taking care of the animals.

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