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I'm looking for a dog trainer to train a German Shorthair. I'd like names and recommendations, please. Thanks.

I'm not trying to be a smart-ass but do it yourself. You and the puppy/dog need to bond as a team first and foremost, even if you mess up some of the finer training details. Good luck!

To expound on the above post, if you think you can send your dog off to be "trained" and it will function at that level the rest of the dog's life without fail you will be sadly mistaken. A dog can be trained but it will need refresher courses throughout its life as it will forget it's training if not regularly reminded. Consider the dog as being a 5 year old child- they will remember some things longer than others but you will need to go over the lesson regularly until it sinks in. You, as the handler, will also need to know how to handle the dog as it is not a robot that you take out of the box, turn it on, and command "hunt" and it does.

As the above post alludes to, both you and the dog will need training to be an effective team. That is the bad news. The good news is you can do a lot of it yourself and it will go even quicker if you join a training group as you will be able to tap into the other members for their knowledge, experience, and even equipment. That you will be able to observe and learn from others as they train and. also be expected to assist others with their training means you learn from their dogs as well as yours.

With as little as one night a week with the group plus daily obedience work at home you will have a respectable gun dog in a few months. Even better, you will know how to properly handle the dog and will gain the knowledge and confidence to train future dogs. The basic framework for this can be learned from training books but working with others will flesh out the frame. There is no single book that is best though you will grasp concepts better from some books than others as some writers/teachers will connect better with you than others. That is why any serious dog trainer has numerous books to reference rather than just one.

There are a number of training groups out there but the one I am most familiar with and which is pretty widespread is the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association ( NAVHDA). Whether you wish to participate in testing or just want a decent gun dog they will help you out. Some of the AKC groups have similar operations but I am not as familiar with them. There are also many informal groups which meet at a preserve or other such place on a weekly basis to train. I participate with NAVHDA and an informal group as well as having my own place to train. After nearly 40 years of training bird dogs I still keep these contacts as I have not seen everything and additional sets of eyes and minds often see and solve problems I have not noticed or have me stumped. There are also some training situations one cannot do alone and the extra help is appreciated. No less important, the cameraderie of the group cannot be measured and often we do a BBQ during the session as many skip dinner to get to the training site. Some of these meals are fantastic.

So, find a training group and do it yourself. Both you and the dog will need training to be an effective team. That is a given and if you do not get trained too, any money you put toward training will soon be lost as the dog forgets what it was taught. Then both become very frustrated.

I have had several self trained hunting dogs over my years and I am not a pro, the dogs were ok. Six years ago my wife bought me a Wire-haired Pointing Griffon for my birthday. I was going to go down the same self-trained route when I got him. For some reason I called the trainer, Ben Garcia, at Rocky Mountain Roosters, Calhan CO, just to get some info.

Long story short I wound up putting my Griffon in training. My personal opinion, this is the best thing I ever did. This dog is the best bird dog I have ever had, hands down! Yes, not cheap, and I had to learn from the trainer also. I probably have $2K in training. The first year Griff spent 3 months (November - January) at the kennel. Then I hunted him from Feb-Apr. Back in training at the kennel from Jun-Sep. According to Ben, for my use, he was done. Mind you I am a hunter and do not do field stuff even though I would not mind trying it. Again, I had to be trained along with the dog.

I am sure a lot has to do with the breed but Griff is awesome, every year (like most dogs) he and I get better with each other. I use the Garmin Alpha for a collar as Griff also goes with me on horseback. We walk morning and night, about 5 miles a day. Griff probably does twice that.

We were out pheasant hunting yesterday, awesome points, flushes and retrieves, 7 birds. We went to Kansas in January with a cousin, 24 birds in 3 days between the two of us. My cousin's lab, a duck dog, had a very hard time keeping up. Griff was a machine.

Just my 2 cents, but I would do it again.

Ben Garcia, Hideaway Kennels, http://www.hideawaykennels.com

I can highly recommend Dave Bruns, Minndakota Kennels. I’ve been hunting with dogs Dave has trained for myself and my friends for the last 12 years and currently own one of his dogs. Dave trained with Ronnie Smith in Big Cabin, Oklahoma and is frequently down there if you wanted to meet him.

It’s for my son and not me. He’s active duty and is gone frequently in his work. Thanks for the suggested ideas. I’ll get in touch with them.

I would give John Prince in Pittsburg, Kansas a call. I was at his kennel last week and does a great job of both breeding and training GSP's.

http://princesqualitygundogs.com/

Thank you.

I can second Ben Garcia as a high quality trainer and all around good dude. He did a great job with my English Setter. He is quite knowledgeable regarding GSPs as well.