Southern Magnolia Retrievers

Formal Obedience is an 8 week board and train program covering on-leash and off-leash e-collar conditioning, teaching heel, sit, remote sit, recall, place, and kennel commands.

Basic Gun Dog training builds on Formal Obedience with force fetch, introduction to land and water retrieves, gunfire introduction, and steady-to-shot work, preparing a dog for an AKC Junior level hunt test in about 4 to 6 months.

Advanced Gun Dog training builds on both prior programs, adding directional hand signals for blind retrieves, memory retrieves, and honor work so a dog can hunt alongside another working dog, preparing it for an AKC Senior level hunt test in about 6 to 10 months.

Southern Magnolia Retrievers trains retrievers and family dogs from its kennel in Autryville, North Carolina. Owner and head trainer Justin Matthews built the business around a lifelong background in duck hunting and AKC competitive retriever trials and hunt tests.

For families who want a well-mannered dog rather than a competitive gun dog, they run an 8 week formal obedience board and train program. It covers on-leash and off-leash work with e-collar conditioning, teaching heel, sit, remote sit, recall, place, and kennel commands.

For hunters, the Basic Gun Dog program builds on formal obedience with force fetch, introduction to retrieves on land and water, gunfire introduction, and steady-to-shot work, preparing a dog for an AKC Junior level test over roughly 4 to 6 months. The Advanced Gun Dog program adds directional hand signals for blind retrieves, memory retrieves, and honoring another working dog, aiming for an AKC Senior level hunt test over 6 to 10 months.

Justin has personally trained and titled dogs from the Junior through Master National hunt test levels. His wife Morgan works alongside him handling scheduling and billing, and the business is run as a family operation focused on producing dogs that perform reliably in the field or at home.

Accomplishments

Justin Matthews has trained and titled dogs through AKC hunt tests at the Junior, Senior, Master, and Master National levels, and has run AKC competitive retriever trials and hunt tests since 2017.

How to Get Started!

New clients get started by calling Southern Magnolia Retrievers to discuss their dog and the right program.