At Wanckets Retrievers there are no hidden costs. All dogs must have the bordetello vaccination and heart worm medication provided at the owner's expense and immunizations must be up to date for the safety and health of each dog.

• Head start for Puppies: Introduction to water, birds, and basic obedience commands. Our goal is to make each puppy as "birdy" as possible and to love the retrieving game. Introduction to basic training, obedience is the foundation of all retriever training. Obedience includes sit (stay), here and heel. At this point we also begin to condition a dog to stop on a whistle. 
• Gun Dog Basic Program: Is typically a 4 month program. This produces a dog that is obedient, collar conditioned, steady to shot, has retrieved through diverse terrain (heavy brush, cattails, and etc.) and has been force fetched. Dogs completing our 4 month program should be capable of successfully competing in Junior Hunt Tests, if the owner so desires. If the owner also wants to pursue more advanced training, the foundations are in place to move into handling, blind retrieves and other advanced concepts. 

Please note, there is no difference in the training of retrievers used for Hunt tests vs. gundogs. The methods, concepts, and training scenarios are the same. We use duck calls, shots from the line, walk-up (flushing) situations, and both land and water scenarios to simulate actual hunting for ducks, doves, pheasants, etc.

• Advanced Training Program: Follows our 6-9 month program. The owner will have the option of taking the dog home or enrolling in "college", i.e. advanced retriever training. Basics provide the foundation for this, providing a smooth transition.

Advanced work includes doubles, triple, and quadruple marks (retrieves in which the dog sees the bird fall and marks it). The dog also runs pattern drills, through which it learns to do hand and whistle signals, which ultimately leads to the ability to do "blind retrieves".

A blind retrieve simulates a hunting situation in which the dog does not see the bird fall. While many hunting dogs do not possess this skill, it represents a tremendous advantage. This includes 3 handed casting, stick fetch, force to pile, stick to pile, T, double T, and swim by. Pattern blinds, blind drills, diversion with pattern blinds, cold blinds, water blinds, multiple blinds, and lots of singles off multiple guns. Perfected handling, literal casting, casting mechanics, carry a straight line, how to fight the factors, and meeting the needs of each individual dog. Dogs with advanced training perform at the level of Senior Hunt Test, (AKC), Seasoned Test (UKC), Master Test (AKC), Finished Test (UKC). 

• For Evaluation: 1 to 2 months we determine dogs trainability, birdyness, dogs desire to retrieve, basic obedience, style, all around good companionship with family and strangers. 

All game birds are included in the price for Puppy Program, Gun Dog Program. Clients will be charged for game birds for the Advanced Program, $10.00/week.

Want a dog trained but don't have a dog, we can help with that also. Genetics can influence natural gifts such as:

• calm temperaments
• tractability
• marking
• nose
• retrieving desier
• soft mouth
• love of water
• birdiness
• intelligence
• natural delivery to hand

Avoid negative heredity traits such as:

• hyperactivity
• shyness-gun, call, man, etc.
• hard mouth
• aggressiveness
• excessive toughness
• dominance

Positive genetic traits, accompanied by soundness & health, should be the goal of your purchase, not just confirmation, color, titles or size. Inhertited gundog traits are what you are really paying for in a pup. With our years of knowledge on the different blood lines, we can find a pup that best suits your needs. Julie is picking out a pup for Brian & Chris, Minnesota, at Rock River Retrievers after working with them on what they are looking for in a gun dog.