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1. Arrival
A.) Since you have chosen to bring your dog to Soggy Bottom
Retrievers, this syllabus will help you to understand what you can
expect in a typical three to four month training course. It is worth
noting that all dogs are different. Some dogs learn faster and might
need only three months to accomplish what another dog may take four
months to achieve.
B.) The first step is to evaluate the drive level in your retriever.
This is necessary to understand your retriever's limits and evaluate
the direction I need to take in order to train your dog to be an
advanced hunting companion. Remember, a great deal of your dog's
being able to retrieve comes from his drive, motivation and breeding.
If this is your retrievers first time away from home and on their own,
they might be more concerned in where you are than retrieving. In
that case I give the retriever a period of time to get adjusted to
their new surroundings, all the time building retrieving skills with
'fun' bumper throws and regular exercise.

2. Training
A.) The very first stage of retriever training is to either teach or
verify your retriever's obedience. Basic obedience commands are
incorporated in this stage. Please note; the same single word
commands must be used at all times in order for your dog to maintain
their consistency in retrieving for you. You do not want your dog to be
non-responsive due to confusion of word commands.
B.) After obedience, I move into hold and force fetch. When your dog
has completed this stage of training he will
deliver to hand and retrieve in a more
professional fashion. During this part of the
training, your dog learns the rules of retrieving
and begins treating retrieving as a privilege as
well as his newly acquired job.
C.) Once your dog is force fetched, I begin steadying them.
Steadying is making sure your dog waits for his commands to retrieve
instead of going on his own accord.
D.) After making sure the dog is steady to retrieve, I will introduce
gunshots. This prevents gun shyness if done in the correct manner and
in an atmosphere which is readily available at my training grounds.

3. End Results
A.) After four months, your retriever will now be off leash obedient,
deliver to hand, steady, comfortable around gunshots and have the
opportunity to retrieve actual birds. To say the least, your dog will
await your command to fetch the bird and hold the bird until you
retrieve the bird from him. Most of all you will have the best hunting
companion you could ever have.

Please keep in mind that the basic retriever training is accomplished
after a three to four month period. More advanced training is
available to make your dog an even better hunting companion. Given
your dog's drive level and time considerations, your dog can learn
more beyond basic retrieving skills. There are more advanced levels
at which your dog can perform such as blind retrieves, finding hidden
falls, etc. I am eager to take your dog to the skill level that you wish
to achieve. As I have stated in my mission statement, my goal is to
work with you and your dog to develop the best hunting companion you
can have.

Eric Sutton
Soggy Bottom Retrievers