I think sending your dog away to be trained is cheating in a sense. It doesn't sound like it would create as strong of a bond between the owner and the dog. Just my 2 cents. What do you do with your dog when your away at work? Put it in your kennel or let it free?

Training your own dog is very satisfying.

Make sure you have some strong mentors to keep you on the right path and you and Pritch can go far!

i don't really consider it cheating to send your pup to a trainer, but i don't think i could handle being away from her for an extended period of time!

Dave-

If training is the goal and focus and is of essence,by all means introduce an outside trainer to your pup.

You didn't mention how long training camp was, but sometimes I believe that a trainer can be more objective and can be completely goal oriented, and more importantly a greater degree of focus,in administrating the skills of instuction and the discipline response.

With this in mind,the new pup trainee,may not have to face the obstacles he/she may have at home,and may actually be the benificiary of good quality teaching/time that even the owner may not be able to dispense at home,due to various reasons and distractions.

For example-
I coach a highly competitive AAU girls basketball team.
I can only get my talented daughter to respond only so much,when she begins to hit a glass ceiling.
But another coach, can generate an enthusiasm (Greek meaning for God inspired)and desire in her that I can't for whatever reason,which in turn, allows her to advance to the next level of skills and discipline/teaching.

I think if money is of no object, a trainer outside of the home may be just what the doctor ordered,especially on certain pups.

After all,the 'ol addage is still true for most pups,"absence makes the heart grow fonder!"

I can STILL see the look on my pups face now, as he runs towards home ... slobber and all!

Force fetching is the toughest thing I trained.It can be done at home but I think is harder on the owner trainer than the dog.I am very glad I did it though he brings back everything but not every dog needs force fetch as mine did.Again Im with OTM do it yourself with mentors there is always the option to sit in with a pro once in a while to get the best of both worlds.

To have a great dog, put him with a dog trainer. Then spend as much time with that trainer, so you both can be trained. This trainer's object is to train you a great hunting dog who is under control. You will learn how to keep your dog in the trained mode that your trainer taught him, so he will be a great hunting companion. The training is an on going thing, which you will do after you get him back and you will now how to do it right. You will have to keep him in shape for the hunting season. As far as being a house dog, your dog will learn how to do that quickly.

yep I'm also a DIY dog trainer I couldn't handle not having that day of sitting in the yard or walking to get the mail without that little follower watching you hoping you don't go to far out of eyesight or that every time you leave for the grocery store they fear you've left them forever (until they fall asleep that is). so yeah i'm a do-it-yourselfer and wouldn't want it any other way.

If you train him yourself, you are going to spend a lot of money on tapes, and books. Most tell you how to do it, but not how to solve the problems if the dog doesn't. Then there is the famous e-collar, a punishment training tool, that can be a great training tool or in most cases when handled by someone that doesn't know what he is doing - a dog ruiner. If you are going to do it yourself, you best bet is join a working dog breed club, and meet people who training their own dogs. Watch what you hear and see, and determine what fits your style of training, but be careful as there those there who do not know what they are doing. When you take your dog out hunting for pheasant or grouse, and he is not staying close. He is kicking up game out in front of you at range of twice as far as you can shoot - think about that dog trainer. Picking up mail at the mail box is different than hunting.

I'd rather train the dog myself. It's a learning experince for both my pup and me. I'm learning as we go as to what to do and not to do. With someone else training your dog you dont know really learn anything.

I am pretty much a DIY guy with one exception, and that's force-fetch.

I did force-fetch both my dogs, but under the careful tutelage of a local retired pro. Not having had that guidance I would not have attempted it by myself.

Some may disagree, but I think most any guy of average patience and understanding (and time) can train a dog to say, the AKC senior hunter level. Beyond that and you start getting into some pretty advanced training that may be better left to pros.

You get to that AKC master hunter level and you're talking some pretty serious performance requirements.

It's certainly doable by non-pros, and many do, but I do think that level of training starts getting beyond the casual gundog level.

There are also a ton of amateurs that compete successfully in the field trial game, but that's a whole other ball of wax...

Really great stuff on both sides of the argument here. Appreciate the insightful responses, proving once again there are two sides to every story. -D

On top of all else, Heidi is training for therapy dog certification. I'm involved with that, however.

I couldn't stand that long away from her. As a rescue, and a member of the family, I don't think she would understand it either. She goes to class with the same enthusiasm she goes to the woods.