Trainer in the WA, OR, ID area for a Brit

[jetjockey]

My dad is starting to do some research and hes looking for a pointing dog trainer in the NW to train his brittany.  He currently has several options but he wants to do as much research as possible before he picks a trainer.  Do you guys have any ideas who would be good for a brit in the local area?  I know about Dunfur Kennels and Dave Walker in ID, but is there anyone else with lots of experience with pointing dogs?  Thanks in advance.

[Special T]

Long hollow Retrievers in Ellensburg.. he trains both pointers and retrievers... Worked for a guy that only did pointers for quite a while too... 

[ribka]

I know Cooke Canyon has few very experienced trainers there. In Elllensburg

[bonneylakebowman]

Long hallow. Ryan is an outstanding trainer

[pointer]

check out kempfer gun dogs in sweet home Oregon.  they run the Oregon bird dog challenge.  Kirsten trained my English pointer, I was scheduled to have her there for 4 - 6 weeks of training she called me after 3 weeks and told me she was done.  Very honest people and a great trainer.  My dog has won the OBDC high point award for 3 straight years and also won the western nationals in Nevada last year.  I won't have another dog trained any place but there from now on.  I think there is a link to the training on here www.oregonbirddogchallenge.com They will have a booth at the sportsman show as well.  or her number is 541-936-4765

[thinkingman]

In a conversation with John Greer,(Tiger Mtn Pointing Labs), he mentioned he got his start with Britts, maybe give him a call.  I have been working with Jim Cochran and like his approach, patience and calm demeanor.  I think he's done alot to help me as a dog owner.

[jetjockey]

Thanks for the updates guys. 

I just looked at Longhollow in E-Burg (forgot I had looked into him when my brother was looking for a trainer).   WOW!  I don't care how good he is, he ain't worth $900 for 4 weeks.  If you look at his costs, from start to finish would be over $5000 for a totally broke dog.  Thats absolutely rediculous for pointing dog training.  Just for comparison, I have my dog with a Pro Field Trial Brittany trainer for 6 months of the year to run the circuit.  She also goes to S.D every summer to be trained on wild pheasants, sharptail, and chickens..  I originally sent her off just to get trained, but she ended up as a field trial dog as well as my hunting buddy. She came back after her first summer at camp totally broke and winning trials, plus, she had tons of wild bird experience that you just cant get in WA state.  Total cost $1400 for a totally finished dog!    I haven't even spent $5000 on everything (training, trial entry fees, and handling fees) and my pup has been with the trainer on and off for a total of one year, ran almost 15 trials, and is now a Field Champion....  Hopefully we will find someone a little more reasonable, otherwise my dads making a trip to SD in July to drop his pup off with my trainer.

[Bluemoon]

Hi Troy
Give me a call if you want..I have changed a lot of the ways the kennels is ran down here now.  I now run two training camps in Montana, running on wild birds.. Actually looking at property back there to move on.
Only hunted birds one day in this state last season..
You know the number to reach me
Regards
Richard

[Special T]

I thought you wanted some one some what close... There is no comparision for how much or little you will spend if your willing to send your dog to SD or some place else in the midwest...  Not sure how you got to $900... I'd give him a call tho...

[Happy Gilmore]

Training, boarding and birds combined runs about $600-1,000+ a month from every pro I know.

[Happy Gilmore]

Thanks for the updates guys. 

I just looked at Longhollow in E-Burg (forgot I had looked into him when my brother was looking for a trainer).   WOW!  I don't care how good he is, he ain't worth $900 for 4 weeks.  If you look at his costs, from start to finish would be over $5000 for a totally broke dog.  Thats absolutely rediculous for pointing dog training.  Just for comparison, I have my dog with a Pro Field Trial Brittany trainer for 6 months of the year to run the circuit.  She also goes to S.D every summer to be trained on wild pheasants, sharptail, and chickens..  I originally sent her off just to get trained, but she ended up as a field trial dog as well as my hunting buddy. She came back after her first summer at camp totally broke and winning trials, plus, she had tons of wild bird experience that you just cant get in WA state.  Total cost $1400 for a totally finished dog!    I haven't even spent $5000 on everything (training, trial entry fees, and handling fees) and my pup has been with the trainer on and off for a total of one year, ran almost 15 trials, and is now a Field Champion....  Hopefully we will find someone a little more reasonable, otherwise my dads making a trip to SD in July to drop his pup off with my trainer.

Are you saying you ran 15 trials AND got training for less than $5K?     

I just spent $700 in two weeks on entry fees and a handler for a dog show. Your numbers don't pencil out from anything I've ever seen. I say if you have a guy who will take your dog for a year for $1,200 leave him there, send your dad's dog there plus about 10 more, you can make a fortune selling FC's when you get them back-

[jetjockey]

I didn't mean to offend anyone.  But $800-$900 a month for training is very, very expensive.  If your familier with NSTRA, then you know who Nolan Huffman is.  He charges $600 a month for training in Montana, and you don't need to purchase birds.. And he's expensive. Chad Holman, one of the winningest Brit handlers ever charges $500 a month for training/handling.  When you can save $400 a month on training, it begins to make it cost effective to send your dog off.  I live in the heart of pointing dog country in GA, there is no way a trainer could get the kind of prices guys seem to be able to get in WA. 

Happy.  My prices are not wrong.  I know exactly what it costs for my dogs training and handling fees. 

[bonneylakebowman]

Hey jet could you pm my some info about the guy that takes your dogs to the dakotas? I would love to do that with my pup

[wildweeds]

R.J. Marquart,Quicksilver kennels in Moses lake washington. Has put FC's on every pointing breed but weim,spinone and red and white setter. Unlike other trainers he modifies the program to fit each individual dog rather than running a bootcamp where the ones that don't conform are cast aside.Known for taking another trainers junk and putting championships and wins on them.An English setter NFC comes to mind,a famous AF handler put the screws to her to get her on track with the rest of the gang and got her blinking/bolting and pointing with a pumphandle tail.R.J. re broke her his way and won a National title with her.Been at it close to 30 years as an occupation and has over 80 championships on 8 breeds, pointer,GWP,GSP,Visla,Britt,Setter,Gordon setter,Irish setter. Akc,CKC and AF CH have been won.


   When you consider that a "Board" fee in washington is going to be at the LEAST 15 dollars a day, 600 for training,high quality feed,and roading is cheap.The retriever guys are the cause for the high prices IMO.They were charging 700+ 9 years ago,I paid 400 month for training at that time. Hunting dog training or Trial dog training were the same prices at that time too.But the pointy trainers watched what the retriever guys were getting away with and followed suit,can you blame them? The retriever guys also caused a big price jump in the training bird costs.Pigeons were 1 dollar,then the retriever guys started paying more to try to get the market cornered.Pigeons are 3 bucks now.At one point they were selling for 4 dollars,pretty good for the pigeon trappers.

   The thing to consider is how much work ethic does the trainer have? I know a couple I would NEVER EVER send a dog to.Because the dog would spend 80% of the time laying around and 20% getting worked.As to this nonsense of "Breaking" a dog on wild birds..................not buying into it.They need to be broke in a controlled enviorment then transitioned to wild birds,And I don't care where your at.Not every dog whelped is a superstar and short bus riders just ain't gonna get anywheres fast with a massive amount of unknowns that come with wild birds.You break them first to the "Green" broke stage THEN run em on wild birds.At least that way they have a good understanding of what's required.


  As far as your georgia dog goes..............if the dog wins an AF purse that money goes to the handler..........Correct?

   As far as what I typically paid for Entries/travel/training for a Season of trialing.......2500 bucks spring and fall.Total of 5K per year.Campaigned the dog 3 years and he was a good one with a place/win to times ran ratio of 50%.Last year I ran him he came home off the road with 9 ribbions in 7 trials.Thing with owning a Setter is ain't no one ever going to breed to it or get a pup out of a female that gets trialed.ALL stock is purchased from AF Kennels.So the thought train of "Bettering" the breed does not apply to AKC field dogs in the Pointer and Setter breed IMO.

  No wild birds to run on in Washington state............? Guess when I went along on a couple of training outings to sewed up private ground the chukars and huns the dogs pointed were on vacation and just visiting from Idaho or Oregon.Over 20 thousand acres of private training grounds in the chukar hills.My little guy had 4 finds one day, a covey of quail,rooster pheasant in the bottom and two coveys of chukars on top.

   How old is this dog that your looking for the training on ? if it's less than 18 months and your looking to break ?

[Bluemoon]

Hey Wildweeds
I have an FC/AFC/MH  He got his FC at 18 months.