Retriever training

How old is the dog?

A 6 month old+ dog that can be force fetched immediately could be started and get pretty far in under 4 months.

Your level of obedience training yourself will impact how long it needs as well. If the trainer has to do multiple months of basic obedience because you brought it a shite head, then absolutely not in less than 4 months.

How old is the dog? Where are you located? You need a trainer with experience working with goldens.

It's tough to give a timeline. You train to the dog - not the timeline. Typically a basic gundog program takes several months of consistent, daily training. You could probably get a started dog back after 4-5 months with a trainer, but you will probably want more if you plan on really hunting with the dog.

If you trained the dog yourself through formal obedience and introduction to retrieving (i.e. right before force, if your training path involves force), then you could have a seasoned level dog with 4-6 months of further training. This means the dog would have the ability to run multiple marks, take basic casts, steady to shot/fall, etc.

Obedience is the foundation of all of that though, so if you don't have the ability/time to train the dog up to that point, you are talking about sending the dog to a trainer for a longer period of time.=

Go the Robert Milner approach with positive training, incorporate the family, training a dog that wants to retrieve and make you happy is not hard. Focus hard on the place training aspect and move at your dogs pace. I incorporated a shock collar into the slip collar corrections instead of traditional force fetch. A good retriever shouldnt need to be force fetched to go pick up a duck.

It’s to cover up poor hunting genetics and make a dog play a game to stroke people’s egos. It has nothing to do with making a huntjng dog. The worst hunting dogs I’ve been around were all force fetched. They could run the hell out of a straight line yelping the whole way.

I love when somebody’s lab sparky was a jam up duck dog with no force fetch and now force fetch is cruel and unnecessary.

Try to get your unforced dog to run a blind across an icy pond.

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Do you have time to work with the dog for around 30 minutes a day?

if so, train it yourself and have the kids help

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^^^^^^^this....

But it's a lot of work and must done every day.

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Try to get your unforced dog to run a blind across an icy pond

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All mine did, they loved that shite. They did as I asked because of the bond we had and their desire to please.
If you have to force fetch to get that, you have a shiteater.

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I disagree, "water dog" is still the gold standard

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Water dog is a fine resource, but it hasn’t been any type of standard for decades. The Dahls’ book isn’t either, but it is catered towards novice trainers with busy schedules. Hence the recommendation.

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Nothing about training a retriever has changed since water dog was written

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Nothing about the retriever itself has changed, but water dog was written 60 years ago. The understanding of dog psychology and the efficacy of certain training methods on dogs has grown by leaps and bounds over that time period. Like I said, great resource - but it is definitely not the gold standard.

I guess you’re entitled to your opinion.