Trainin' In The Timber

When professional retriever trainer Angie Becker of Tioga Retrievers applied for a spot at Trainin' in the Timber great food and hospitality weren't on her list of reasons. But great food and hospitality were two things she and other successful applicants found in abundance when they got to Stuttgart, Arkansas. What everyone expected was a place to train their dogs and some help from some of the top trainers in the country. Both were there in abundance.

"Al Arthur was great. He asked where we needed help, and the response from all was 'water'. With awesome grounds and a small number of people in each group we were able to run tons of setups, and each setup built for the next. Al offered an objective view of problems I encountered that will pay off in my training. Whether you are a seasoned pro or a rank amateur we all have something to learn, and I would recommend Trainin' in the Timber to anyone wishing to better their training." Angie said in a recent interview.

Trainin' in the Timber was sponsored by Avery and Mack's Prairie Wings. Its unique format brought together retriever owners and retrievers from every level together. Each application was complete with information regarding the stage of training needed and this allowed the twelve successful applicants to be broken into three groups to focus on their level.

Upon arriving at Mack's each applicant was presented with an Avery cap and Mack's t-shirt color coded for their level. Before heading to the training grounds for an afternoon session they were introduced to Team WaterDog members Al Arthur and Chris Akin, and Avery Sporting Dog Specialist Mark Wardlaw; then everyone got a moment to talk about themselves and their dog.

At 6:00 pm everyone met at camp to discuss the afternoon session and get an evaluation of their dog. When all questions were asked and answered everyone received an Avery Pro-Trainer's Bag full of Avery Sporting Dog accessories before settling in for dinner and a chance to view the new Farmer/Aycock DVD Problems and Solutions.

After a 6:30 am breakfast on Saturday, the groups again divided to work their dogs. Late morning storms interrupted the day just in time to head over to Mack's for a special lunch. The young dog group was able to use the downtime to discuss training in Mack's conference room and then work the dogs in the warehouse, and left the transition and advanced groups to wait out the storm. It soon let up and it was back to the field.

Dinner Saturday night was similar to Friday, but the advanced group surprised everyone with a twist. While training they decided to judge each other in a blind competition, and the loser had to serve drinks and dinner to the other members of their group. The bet brought plenty of humor to the dinner table, but the good natured rivalry also showed how quickly everyone had become friends.

Sunday morning started with another great breakfast, and a new twist followed as everyone watched while the pros set up a series of marks and blinds that could be broken down so that all three groups could train together. At the end of the day it was obvious everyone, including the dogs, had made progress over the weekend, but it wasn't quite over yet.

With the competitive group on hand, one more competition just had to be held. The three pros drew straws to see which dog from the advanced group he would run on a 300+ yard blind retrieve while the four members of that group judged. In the end Gwen Jones' dog Raven with Chris Akin handling did a wonderful job and they claimed the win.

The weekend promised education and a chance to run your dog, but everyone came away with far more. They had found great food, good times and incredible camaraderie, but most talked about the humor. There's just something special about watching a dog drag a professional trainer twenty yards across the ground after breaking on a mark!