Training cost

[Hotchkiss]

How much does a good trainer cost on average? When do they normally take a pup/dog to start training him or her to be a hunting dog? How long does it normally take?

I will tell you up front that I have my own answers to these questions, but would like to hear yours. I am generally referring to pointing breeds for upland hunting.

I will also add that a good dedicated and honest trainer never makes as much as he or she is worth.

[4dabirds]

400 -800 a month depending on the dog is what a local pro told me recently. He said he can turn a dog around in 3 months steady to wing and shot and retrieve. personally I do not see how this is possible without puttting a lot of pressure on the dog. I prefer the idea of spending the money on pro seminars like Hickox, Teach a man to fish so to speak. And your right it is not enough money for what a good pro does. Thats why Hickox does seminars there is no money in training dogs.

[ezzy333]

400 -800 a month depending on the dog is what a local pro told me recently. He said he can turn a dog around in 3 months steady to wing and shot and retrieve. personally I do not see how this is possible without puttting a lot of pressure on the dog. I prefer the idea of spending the money on pro seminars like Hickox, Teach a man to fish so to speak. And your right it is not enough money for what a good pro does. Thats why Hickox does seminars there is no money in training dogs.

Trainers I have talked to in recent times are charging inthe neighborhood of $400/mo. If they are doing it full time they maybe working with 10 or 12 dogs a month so their income may run around 4 to 5 thousand a month. Of course then their costsd have to come out of that so you can see you probably can make a living but it isn't a get rich quick scheme. The seminars are great for the people putting them on as it is a whole lot easier than training. The real successful ones that are going that route are some of our great trainers of the past that are now doing the seminars as part of their retirement from the rigors of training. And we have a few who are trying to market them selves as having some special unique ability to teach everyone but I don't think I have ever seen any great results from any of them.

There are different ways to try and make a living in our dog world and we continue tosee them come and go. It might be good to go to one sometime if you are completely lost and can't find any one to help you. But in my mind that has always been the best way to learn and is well worth your effort to find that mentor if you really want to succeed. A one time semianr just doesn't work over the time and different experiences you are going to run into with your dog.

Ezzy

[birddogger]

A mentor is absolutely the way to go if you can find one.

Charlie

[4dabirds]

here are different ways to try and make a living in our dog world and we continue tosee them come and go. It might be good to go to one sometime if you are completely lost and can't find any one to help you. But in my mind that has always been the best way to learn and is well worth your effort to find that mentor if you really want to succeed. A one time semianr just doesn't work over the time and different experiences you are going to run into with your dog.

Who said anything about "one" seminar. This is why they can make a living doing them. Last time I checked I dont have a Smith or Hickox in my family to mentor me so I have to pay. The beauty of this arrangement is that these guys are available for some one like me. If I run into a problem I can E- Mail George and he will Help me out . Just curious ezzy Have you gone to these seminars you have not seen great results from . Personally I have gotten great results from the ones I have gone to and would not change a thing.

[ezzy333]

here are different ways to try and make a living in our dog world and we continue tosee them come and go. It might be good to go to one sometime if you are completely lost and can't find any one to help you. But in my mind that has always been the best way to learn and is well worth your effort to find that mentor if you really want to succeed. A one time semianr just doesn't work over the time and different experiences you are going to run into with your dog.

Who said anything about "one" seminar. This is why they can make a living doing them. Last time I checked I dont have a Smith or Hickox in my family to mentor me so I have to pay. The beauty of this arrangement is that these guys are available for some one like me. If I run into a problem I can E- Mail George and he will Help me out . Just curious ezzy Have you gone to these seminars you have not seen great results from . Personally I have gotten great results from the ones I have gone to and would not change a thing.

Glad to hear that. It is great when you find something that help you with your dog.

Ezzy

[ultracarry]

I don't think you can put a price on a trainer that works for your dogs.

Seeing as the OP made a post about a specific trainer his mind is already made up. Now if you think the trainer might not charge a fair price then take it up with him and don't send your dog.

Are there better trainers... always

Is there someone who is bigger, trains better, knows a dogs personality and matches it so they can learn... depends on who you ask.

Is hands on with a pro every day better than sending them with a trainer. YES

Is sending your dog with a trainer better than going to a seminar and asking questions through e-mail... depends on if you have a video to send in the email. Some people blow things way out of proportion and will end up fixing what should not be fixed and take something away from a dog because they don't know how to read them.

[Cajun Casey]

$500 - $700 per month.
9 - 12 months old, assuming a good puppy intro.
3 - 4 months, depending on degree of steadiness desired, weather and the individual dog.

[Ryman Gun Dog]

Gentlemen,
All this depends on the level of training the client wants for his dog, there is a great deal of difference between a started dog and a completley finished dog.
Price is usually dependent on training hours and each individual dog progresses at his own rate. Housing and feed are also part of the cost.
The one true statement that was made is that there is no money in training dogs, that is absolutely true.
The people in the dog world who are making the money, are the people who board and groom dogs, and the Vets.
RGD/Dave

[nikegundog]

The one true statement that was made is that there is no money in training dogs, that is absolutely true.
The people in the dog world who are making the money, are the people who board and groom dogs, and the Vets.

I believe some do very well.

[birddogger]

A buddy of mine who is a trainer was telling me that he makes more money boarding than he does training, especially when you figure the time and work involved.

Charlie

[Chukar12]

"Doing very well" is a relative term, is it not? I would venture that most trainers would struggle paying for their own services for a couple of dogs. If you make a 100k a year and have a wife, a couple of kids to put through college, etc... Fitting a dog or two into a trainer is tough, paying for a trial handler is tougher. I never think of the cost of somebody's service as something to begrudge, maybe it isn't affordable, but that's about me not them.

[nikegundog]

"Doing very well" is a relative term, is it not? I would venture that most trainers would struggle paying for their own services for a couple of dogs

Yes it is a relative term and I wasn't trying to be disrespectful. I know that if someone was trying to get rich it wouldn't be the job to jump into. I was just giving a response to the barely scraping by comment. I believe some are pulling in more than the average guy and some are making less, in my area.

[Chukar12]

I think that is the way it is everywhere Nike...I see the same thing out west. I think the top guys are comfortable as they are skilled with dogs and have the temperment to be business and people/people as well. I know of a local trainer here that does very well also, he charges hourly and stays pretty well booked working out of two hunt clubs...but OH MY the dogs and people he gets to work with. 5-6 year old show dogs and rescues I would scrounge up live rounds for my starter pistol and use it on myself...

[ultracarry]

The above comment is great. There is a lot of truth in that.

[Vonzeppelinkennels]

Training & Trialing dogs is not a 9 to 5 job & some might make more then just scraping by but they put in more Hrs for what they do make.I doubt there are too many out there that would be happy with a Trialing Trainers Hourly wage.

[nikegundog]

The South Dakota Department of government offices claimed a small Rapid City dog trainer was not paying proper wages to his help and sent an agent out to investigate him.

South Dakota Government employee: I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them.

Dog Trainer: Well, there's my kennel boy/bird thrower who's been with me for 3 years. I pay him $200 a week plus free room and board.

Then there's the mentally challenged worker. He works about 18 hours every day and does about 90% of all the work around here. He makes about $10 per week, pays his own room and board, and I buy him a bottle of bourbon every Saturday night so he can cope with life. He also sleeps with my wife occasionally.

South Dakota Government employee: That's the guy I want to talk to... the mentally challenged one.

Dog trainer: That would be me.

[KFhunter]

$800 per month around here

thats gets you about 30 minutes per day, sometimes up to an hour - 5 times a week

180 minutes a week at 45 minutes average daily (and I think I'm being optimistic here)
720 minutes a month

works out to about 12 hours per month

or 67 dollars per hour of auctual hands on training time

[GUNDOGS]

The South Dakota Department of government offices claimed a small Rapid City dog trainer was not paying proper wages to his help and sent an agent out to investigate him.

South Dakota Government employee: I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them.

Dog Trainer: Well, there's my kennel boy/bird thrower who's been with me for 3 years. I pay him $200 a week plus free room and board.

Then there's the mentally challenged worker. He works about 18 hours every day and does about 90% of all the work around here. He makes about $10 per week, pays his own room and board, and I buy him a bottle of bourbon every Saturday night so he can cope with life. He also sleeps with my wife occasionally.

South Dakota Government employee: That's the guy I want to talk to... the mentally challenged one.

Dog trainer: That would be me.

....ruth

[Ruffshooter]

The South Dakota Department of government offices claimed a small Rapid City dog trainer was not paying proper wages to his help and sent an agent out to investigate him.

South Dakota Government employee: I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them.

Dog Trainer: Well, there's my kennel boy/bird thrower who's been with me for 3 years. I pay him $200 a week plus free room and board.

Then there's the mentally challenged worker. He works about 18 hours every day and does about 90% of all the work around here. He makes about $10 per week, pays his own room and board, and I buy him a bottle of bourbon every Saturday night so he can cope with life. He also sleeps with my wife occasionally.

South Dakota Government employee: That's the guy I want to talk to... the mentally challenged one.

Dog trainer: That would be me.

Now that is funny right there.

[kylemac]

$800 per month around here . . . works out to about 12 hours per month

or 67 dollars per hour of auctual hands on training time

I think this is missing the boarding itself -- not cheap in and of itself. Boarding around here is $15-20 per day - OR - $450-600 per month WITH NO TRAINING. So I see anything in the $400-700 range for professional dog training per month as a steal. I'd guess -- because I do not know -- trainers are averaging far less per hour than you suggest when they are actually training.

And that is very funny, Ruth!

My 2 cents --