Retriever Coaching

NOW OFFERING SEMI-PRIVATE SMALL GROUP TRAINING FOR RETRIEVER ENTHUSIASTS!

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From Puppy development to Master Hunter. Danielle Pellicci will help you create a personalized retriever training program and coach you each step of the way. From foundation to drills. Marks and learning how to run blinds.

You can learn the skills needed to develop your own hunt test retriever. 

Danielle's approach to training retrievers is tailored to fit the needs of an everyday companion in the style of a true competition dog.

We will groom your retriever to become an obedient, confident, & socially stable companion with a strong foundation for retriever work. Danielle's focus is to always lay strong groundwork for your future titled Master Hunter and/or your best friend in the duck blind. At BlackFoot is is our philosophy that; "the house will fall" without a sound foundation, so we start with a very detailed and planned approach to teaching the basics. Gradually building toward the most complicated training methodology and behaviors over time. 

Private and semi-private coaching sessions are designed to teach you how to build and maintain a working retriever's drive while still teaching impulse control. No matter the age, our goal is to develop a dog that will enjoy working with you as the handler / trainer. 

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Some of skills, commands and drills we will cover in our sessions: ​

• Place training (& casting to place).

• leash walking.

• Basic positions and commands including:

  • Here

  • Heel

  • Place

  • Sit

  • Down

  • Kennel

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All-level and advancing skills and practices trained: 

• Age and maturity appropriate Introduction to:  ​

  • Marks (singles and graduating to doubles and triples).

  • Remote sends and platform casting.

  • Handling (running taught and cold blinds with gradual increase of difficulty).

  • working alongside other dogs & honoring. 

• As a dog's maturity and education develops, we introduce fair/consistent pressures (leash, collar & proximity pressures as well as e collar conditioning) so that understands both reward and consequence.

• Our goal is to develop dogs that will be eager to learn and prepared emotionally and mentally for his/her future no matter if for sport or pet & hunting partner!

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More Retriever Fundimentals: 

• Intro to and exposure to shot ducks, crippled birds, frozen and live birds.

• Gunfire intro. 

• Water retrieves.

• Force fetch program & collar conditioning education. 

• Holding blind etiquette, ritual & practice

• Simulated hunt test setups.  

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Because every retriever is a unique individual, each will learn / develop and mature at varying rates we can not guarantee a dog's projected rate of advancement. 

However, if a dog has good drive and solid nerve, it is not uncommon for a young dog who has been in training with us for 7 - 12 months (depending on age at start date) of our foundation program to be ready to run an AKC Junior Hunter test.