Est. 2003
Welcome to Long Hollow Bird Dogs and Retrievers
Early development is the Key!!!
Welcome!
We train all breeds of Retrievers to reach their potential.
Blake Gibson is an Ellensburg Washington native, a former athlete and an avid outdoorsman. His passion for dogs, the sport of Retrievers and waterfowl hunting is unmatched. Blake has taken the reins of our always evolving Retriever Training Program and is raising the bar for the future.
We offer a free evaluation of you and your dog to help set goals and better understand how the Retriever Training process works. Please feel free to contact us to schedule a visit or join us for a training day anytime.
From weekend Gun Dogs and Junior Hunters, to Senior Hunters and Master National Qualifiers. You are all welcome and the process is the same.
We promise a friendly environment for learning, free of ego, so that everybody can have fun and enjoy the process. We fully understand that training dogs is only half our job and we are dedicated to making each owner and their dog a successful team.
Contact: LHRETRIEVERS@GMAIL.COM 509-899-7465
Retriever Training Program
Basic Training
Transition Training
Advanced Training
We like to start youngsters in our Basic Training program when their adult teeth have grown in. That is generally at about 6 months of age. Basic Training takes a minimum of 4 months to build the foundation in your dog necessary to move onto the next phase of training and/or be ready for their 1st enjoyable trip to the duck blind. After completion of the Basic's your dog will also be ready to enter an AKC Junior Hunt Tests.
During this 1st phase of Retriever Training we will introduce your dog to birds, bumpers, land, water, gun fire, blinds, crates, dog trailer, kennel, e-collar conditioning, marking, lead steadiness, basic obedience, hold training, force fetch and walking fetch
When your dog has completed the Basic's it can begin the important 'Transition" moving toward Advanced Retriever Training. In this transition we will begin much more Formal Obedience, Steadiness and Marking Concepts.
This is the time that we also start teaching the necessary drills in yard training to begin teaching Blind Retrievers. In the Yard we will begin teaching Force to Pile, 3 Hand Casting, Double T, No-No Drills and Pattern Blinds.
In the Field we will also begin advancing your dogs marking ability utilizing marking drills such as advanced singles, bird in mouth singles, taught doubles, cold doubles and simple delayed, taught and therapy triples.
This is the time that your dog is nearing close to Advanced Training.
Advanced Retriever Training is generally for those dogs that are capable of competing in an AKC Field Trial and/or entering an AKC Master Hunt Test.
Advanced Training is a relatively long term commitment. These amazing animals are capable of learning through out the duration of their life and the sky is the limit for what they can achieve.
In Advanced Training the focus will turn to preparing them for the many challenges they will face in the duck blind and the different environments and concepts that will be thrown at them by the creative judges at every Field Trial or Hunt Test they attend. With our years of experience we will show them as many different pictures as possible in order for your Retriever to have the wisdom and experience necessary to handle whatever is thrown at them.