Lab Training

Mike and I both have trained Retrievers for over 25 yrs. We began training Labrador Retrievers for our own use as hunting dogs. While Mike duck hunted in the rice fields of Texas, I was more interested in hunting Pheasants and needed a strong flushing and retrieving dog. I had seen labs point and acquired a yellow puppy from 2 pointing labs. He became an exceptional pheasant and duck dog, that I had the pleasure of hunting over for 5 years. That was in 1979 if I had only used my crystal ball I could have been on the ground floor of what has become a large part of our business here at K and L Kennels.

Over the years Mike and I have developed a very simple but effective system of testing for and nurturing the pointing instinct in the Labrador retriever. While we strive to produce a strong natural point in the labs we train, the thing that sets us apart from other pointing lab enthusiasts is we believe there is no shame in having a great flushing dog. We have seen strong natural point in very young dogs and we have seen puppies that loved to flush and chase, turn into some of the staunchest pointing labs to leave our kennel. It is our belief that if your dog is raised and trained to be a team player that works with you willingly, you will have an enjoyable outing, which after all is what the majority of our clients want from their animals.

With the decline in hunting opportunities in the US and the increase in popularity of the Retrieving breeds has come a surge in the Hunt Test Games. Hunt tests are a great way to spend a family weekend. Training with a goal is always a good thing and hunt tests are geared with that in mind, hunt tests also make it easy for a trainer and owner to become very familiar with each other's expectations. We train dogs at all levels of HRC work and Mike has been very successful in Junior and Senior AKC work. The APLA (American Pointing Labrador Assoc) has become a major venue for Mike and me to showcase our client's exceptional animals. If you have purchased a new lab puppy and want to give him the very best chance to reach his full potential give us a call and we will be glad to help you get started down the road to owning that hunting companion you always dreamed of.

Mike and John