Guns Up Dog Training

Board & Train is an intensive, in-home program lasting 6-8 weeks for upland dogs and 3-4 months for waterfowl dogs. Dogs stay in the trainers’ home, receive one-on-one daily training, and are crated when unsupervised. Hourly training is offered on weekends with homework assignments between sessions. Training includes foundational gun dog skills, e-collar conditioning, force fetch, marking, retrieving, and advanced hunt test behaviors. All dogs must meet strict behavioral requirements before boarding.

Pricing Summary

Board & Train pricing is available upon request and does not include equipment or birds; clients pay cost price for purchased items. Hourly training is $150/hour, but as of 2025, this service is exclusively available to puppies from their Waylyn x Asa litter. Evaluation fee is $150 and is credited toward boarding if enrolled.

Policies

Dogs must be housebroken, crate-trained, non-destructive, and not mark indoors. Male dogs must not mark. A 1-week grace period is provided for dogs to adjust to boarding; if behavior issues persist, the dog is sent home and payment is due for time served. No refunds are mentioned. Equipment and birds are not included in pricing and are billed at cost. Hourly training is restricted to puppies from their own litter as of 2025.

Guns Up Dog Training is a specialized bird-dog training business run by Ron and Wendy, passionate hunters and NAHRA Field Test Judges who train hunting breeds to excel in field work and hunt tests. They offer two primary services: Board & Train, where dogs live in their home and receive personalized, intensive training one at a time, and Hourly 1:1 Training, designed for owners who want to train their dogs at home with guided support. Their training focuses on developing essential gun dog skills including whistle commands, e-collar conditioning, force fetch, steadiness, marking, retrieving, and advanced hunt test behaviors like honoring and blind retrieves. They emphasize training dogs from hunting lines and require AKC registration and pedigree verification. Their approach is grounded in hands-on experience, mentorship, and ongoing participation in NAHRA and HRC hunt tests. They also provide resources for finding reputable breeders and starting puppy training.

They do not train non-bird-dog breeds, dogs with prior bird-dog training, or offer general obedience or behavior modification outside of hunting contexts. Their training environment is home-based, not a kennel, and requires dogs to be housebroken, crate-trained, and non-destructive. They provide follow-up emails with homework after hourly sessions and allow scheduled visits during boarding.

They do not offer group classes, dog walking, grooming, daycare, or pet boarding for non-training dogs. Their focus is exclusively on preparing hunting and gun dogs for field performance and competition.

Accomplishments

Ron trained his dog Reed to Grand Master Hunting Retriever status; Wendy trained her dog Waylyn to Master Hunting Retriever at age 3. Both are NAHRA Field Test Judges and active participants in NAHRA and HRC hunt tests. They have trained dogs from multiple hunting breeds and maintain high standards through continuous learning and mentorship.

How to Get Started!

Prospective clients must contact Guns Up Dog Training to schedule an evaluation, which costs $150 and is credited toward boarding if enrolled. During the evaluation, trainers assess the dog’s drive, natural abilities, and trainability to determine if they will accept the dog into their program. Owners must provide AKC registration and pedigree documentation. Boarding requires meeting strict behavioral criteria prior to enrollment.