Your dog can take this course with no prior learning. It's ideal for baby puppies or dogs which don't yet have a reliable retrieve to hand.

However - once you've finished this course and want to progress further with this material - you will first need to have:

Usually people have taken both those courses, before First Steps in 3HC. But you can also take them at the same time as this course or afterwards. 

For sure. The course does not require a retrieve or any previous training.

This course is for anyone who wants to train their gundog to handle on retrieves. This means teaching the dog to take directions or casts. 

In the UK, this includes spaniels, retrievers and HPRs. I recommend you check out the requirements for your particular subgroup where you live, to determine if you need to be able to handle your dog.

This course covers the four basic casts:

It does not cover casts from advanced North American retriever training (angle-backs and literal casts) since this course is a basics course for dogs new to casting.

We cover the equipment which is needed in detail on the first week of the course, so full info can be found there. In brief:

I recommend white Cato boards for your platforms, but you can easily follow the material with other brands or types of platform/mats.

You have ongoing access to the course. There is no time limit. You can decide to work through the material more slowly, if you'd like.

There are many variables in dog training and a lot of them are outside my control. (For example, your own level of motivation, availability of your time to train and your ability to follow instructions!)

There are also many factors which influence how long it takes for any particular dog to achieve a reliable retrieve. For example, a dog's prior learning history, her food motivation and her experience of training.

So it is not possible to guarantee that you will have achieved a certain standard by the end of the course.

But, after 6 weeks, you will be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skill to be able to achieve great casts with your dog, in the future. It is an achievable goal for your dog! 

No problem! Just contact me within 30 days after purchase and I will give you a full refund.

The courses have been carefully designed to provide you with the right amount of information each week.

Too much information at once can be overwhelming, leading to you skipping material and picking and choosing which bits to watch. (Splitting applies to humans and not just dogs!) You will not get best results, if you approach the course in this way.

Moreover - the exercises need to be practised for at least a week before moving on. (Frequently it will require longer - it depends on the dog's progress.) The number of reps you get in, at each stage of the course, is important for future success.

Even if you are 'only' having difficulties with a later stage of training, the origins of that problem frequently can be found in shaky foundations. For this reason, you will rarely get best results by skipping ahead to where you believe the issues lies. You should first consolidate each previous stage for the requisite time - and ensure you build on solid basics.

Lastly, I care about course content, about how the courses are delivered and about doing the best job I can with what I'm teaching you. I take pride in delivering material in the way that I think is optimal for your learning. 

For all these reasons, I am extremely reluctant to unlock course content early. But, if you feel you have an exceptional circumstance, please get in touch.