Diamondback Kennels

Training begins with a foundational month or two of basic exercises, with pre-training homework available to expedite progress. Programs range from 3 months for a solid hunting foundation to up to 3 years for advanced hunt test titles. Training includes land and water retrieves, steady-to-wing-and-shot, doubles and triples, blinds, and upland work. All training is customized to the dog’s goals and uses real birds and controlled pressure techniques.

Pricing Summary

Monthly training fee is $850, which includes training, boarding, food, and preventative medications. Real birds used in training are billed separately at market rate. Hunt test registration fees ($100/test) and veterinary care are the owner’s responsibility.

Policies

Owners are responsible for all veterinary care and hunt test registration fees. Flea, tick, and heartworm prevention is mandatory and included in the monthly fee. Visitation is encouraged at any time. No cancellation or rescheduling policy is explicitly stated.

Diamondback Kennels is a professional dog training facility in Harrisburg, South Dakota, founded in 2019 by Tigh Leibel. They specialize in training retrievers—particularly pointing Labs—for upland and waterfowl hunting, as well as AKC and APLA hunt tests. The kennel limits its capacity to 15 dogs at a time to ensure individualized attention and high-quality training. Training focuses on building a strong foundation through reward-based methods, balancing obedience with prey drive, and using real birds for realistic field scenarios. They also offer boarding, food, and preventative care (flea, tick, heartworm) as part of their monthly fee. Visitation is encouraged, and they provide weekly updates to owners. Tigh has experience judging hunt tests and tailors programs to each dog’s goals, whether for casual hunting or national titles.

In addition to training, Diamondback Kennels breeds dogs with an emphasis on health, temperament, ability, and conformation. They offer started and finished dogs for sale and provide pre-training homework to accelerate progress. Their facility is climate-controlled with Kuranda beds and uses Ainley transport equipment for safety.

Clients praise Tigh for his passion, attention to detail, communication, and ability to produce high-performing hunting dogs that are also excellent family companions.

Accomplishments

Tigh Leibel is a Board of Directors member of the American Pointing Labrador Association (APLA), has judged national APLA events, and has successfully titled numerous dogs at the Master level. He holds three bachelor’s degrees and transitioned from a 7-year career in cybersecurity to dog training in 2018.

How to Get Started!

Prospective clients should contact Diamondback Kennels via phone or the contact page to begin the process. A consultation is required to assess the dog’s needs and determine program suitability.