Platte Valley Retrievers

Platte Valley Retrievers offers two main training tracks: General Obedience (2 months, $1,500) with or without E-collar conditioning, and Gundog Training (4–6 months, $750/month). Obedience programs teach commands like Come, Heel, Sit, Place, and No, while correcting jumping, barking, and biting. Gundog training progresses from beginner (4 months) to intermediate (6 months), covering force fetch, steadiness, gun introduction, and blind retrieves up to 200 yards. Owners participate in final hands-on sessions to learn handling techniques. All programs include daily exercise, climate-controlled housing, and access to 13 acres of varied terrain.

Pricing Summary

General obedience training: $1,500 for 2 months; General obedience with E-collar: $1,500 for 2 months; One-on-one owner lessons: $200 per lesson; Beginner gundog training: $750/month for 4 months; Intermediate gundog training: $750/month for 6 months; Boarding: $30/dog/night. All programs include facility use, daily care, and owner follow-up sessions.

Policies

Flexible pickup and drop-off times are offered due to the facility being located at the trainer’s home. Clients are allowed to visit their dogs during training and may bring them home on weekends. No explicit cancellation or rescheduling policy is stated, but communication is encouraged via phone or text.

Platte Valley Retrievers is a family-owned dog training and boarding kennel located on a 13-acre property in Nebraska, specializing in obedience training and gun dog training for hunting breeds. They offer both general obedience programs and advanced retriever/gundog training, with options for board-and-train programs lasting 2 to 6 months. Their training methods combine repetition, reward, and light pressure-based techniques, including E-collar conditioning used as a mild reinforcement tool—not punishment. They limit boarding to only 10 dogs at a time to ensure personalized care, and their facility is climate-controlled, sanitized daily, and certified by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Owners can visit their dogs during training and are invited for one-on-one sessions to learn how to maintain their dog’s skills at home. They also offer one-on-one owner lessons for those who want to train their own dogs with professional guidance.

In addition to training, they provide premium boarding services at $30 per night, include high-quality Inukshuk dog food and Kuranda beds, and offer flexible drop-off and pickup times. They also run a selective breeding program focused on health, temperament, and hunting performance, with all breeding dogs certified for OFA hips, eyes, elbows, and genetic conditions like EIC and CNM, and required to hold Hunting Retriever Champion titles. Their training grounds include ponds, timber, prairie, and access to hundreds of acres along the Platte River for realistic field training.

Clients praise the transformation of unruly dogs into obedient companions, the cleanliness of the facility, and Mark’s hands-on approach, including weekend visits and regular progress updates.

Accomplishments

Trainer has been active since the 1990s, learning from his father’s breeding kennel. Founded his own training business in 2015. Breeding program requires dogs to achieve Hunting Retriever Champion (HRCH) status and pass rigorous health and temperament screenings. Facility is certified by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.

How to Get Started!

Prospective clients are encouraged to contact Platte Valley Retrievers by phone or email to discuss training goals. A consultation is not free, but the trainer provides detailed program information and invites owners to schedule training based on their dog’s needs and the availability of the limited 10-dog capacity.