Howdy - I'm looking for hunting dog trainer recommendations in Texas. I'd like an outfit that is more suited to waterfowl or dove. My dog is a Golden Retriever.

Also looking for any recommendations on training books/videos to watch. This will be my first dog. My dog was just born a few days ago, so I'm still about 8 weeks out from bringing the pup home.

Any recommendations/tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Online training

Teamdog.pet

We were very happy with Oak Creek Retrievers just north of Bryan.

We did not do the full hunt training (though my golden is an amateur hunter) but they are good people and retriever training is their specialty (as opposed to just the obedience that we did).

Same question from a few weeks ago.

https://texags.com/forums/34/topics/3191934/replies/59049373

My advise- learn how and train him yourself. It's bad to spend a bunch of time and money on a trainer and then when you get the dog back you can't handle him properly. I started with Wolters books and then began working with other handlers who had been in the game a long time. If you've got a decent dog, it's really not that hard.

I'm working on training my Vizsla, I like the two books "How to Help Gun Dogs Train Themselves" and "How to Have the Beat Trained Gun Dog". I agree with the comment above regarding training yourself vs. paying. If the dog is a young pup now (mine is at 9wks) you can have them ready by the fall.

If you are in North Texas, I have a good recommendation near Lawton, OK.

Recommend Texas Duck Dogs in Gainsville. Wade does great work for field dogs.

Goldens are not hard to train yourself, just keep things positive. They don't do well with punishment. You will find you can change your facial expression and they will understand they have messed up.

I would recommend the retriever trainer (www.theretrievertrainer.com). It is only $60/year and a very good program. you also get access to the facebook group with pro trainers as well as other DIYers who may be experiencing the same issues as you. Training the dog yourself is a great bonding experience in my opinion. I would give it a go on your own first and you can always employ the help of a trainer for specific issues you may be having trouble with.

When you get the pup, dont be so eager to jump straight into formal training. You do need to start "training" for confidence and prey drive from the moment you bring him home. Take him for rides in the car, boat, ATV, etc. Let him chase that squirrel. walk out in that knee deep water and show him there is nothing to be afraid of. Take them on hikes and let them explore, sniff things, etc. If you have a buddy with a hunting dog, or even just a dog that loves to swim and fetch and get a little rowdy, let them hang out and that confidence will translate over much faster.

Goldens can easily be shaped into a timid house dog, but they can also be shaped into an awesome hunting dog with no fear and plenty of drive. That part is on you and starts from the moment you bring them home. I've got two goldens i trained up myself, and they're certainly not perfect by any means, but they're my best buds and i wouldnt do a single thing different. As an added bonus, ive lost 40 lbs in the past 2 years just from running them around. Sorry for the unsolicited rant, but when Goldens and hunting come up in the same sentence i just cant help myself.

https://i.imgur.com/ho1jXDo.jpg
Apparently idk how to post pics
https://instagr.am/p/CN7vXuWjb6v

I liked our experience with Best Retrievers in Paige, TX.

As for books, I guess I'm old school - I still go by Richard Wolters - "Water Dog", "Family Dog", and, to a lesser extent, "Game Dog".