I have a 4 month old that is running through the basics. I am looking for an experianced Force Fetch Trainer that has good results that could handle this. I have had two different dogs that I worked with and either ruined at this or just failed miserably. I have trained several dogs for hunting w/o force fetch and had good luck but I want the "complete" retriever. Any suggestions

Hi Jason. Your profile doesn't say where you are located. It would be helpful information so someone can recommend a good pro close to you. From your avatar, I know one place you aren't, S. Lousiana!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bcrane,

Home area is actually S.E. Texas, but I also spend a lot of time traveling which gives myself and my future hunting partner quite a bit of windshield time and tons of different conditions to work with. In the past past two months we have been on the Texas Gulf Coast, the hills of Kentucky and now I will be in Phoenix area for the next 6 months.

You might want to contact Mike Hafley. He is around Ft. Worth (Crooked Oak Kennels). He is known for doing good with chessies and is a chessie man himself. I sent one of my dogs to him for basics when I was working too much overtime after Katrina and he did a great job.

His website is crookedoakskennels.net

Thanks alot, I will check it out

Or, while you are in Arizona, you might contact Patty Kiernan a pro who spends her winters in Niland, Calif., just across the Colorado River (actually, she is one of the pillars of the Southern Arizona Retriever Club). Her interests are mostly trial dogs, so she might not want to take you on, but she is good if she would.