WHACK A QUACK RETRIEVER TRAINING

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The most important step in the process of having your Best Hunt'n Buddy trained to properly do his Job is selecting the Trainer. This is easier said than done especially nowdays as it seems everyone thinks they can Train a Duck Dog! Thing is, nothing has really changed in that you still get what you pay for, IF your interested in the BEST for you and yours then you belong in the Whack-A-Quack Retriever Training Program.

Whack-A-Quack Retriever Kennels is owned and operated by Brad Smith. Brad has been training Retrievers Professionally for over 40 years. He started out in Iowa while in his teens and a High School student. Seems someone at the local Duck Club noticed how well a Lab that Brad trained on his own performed and the Club ended up not only purchasing that dog but also several others that followed.

The combination of an enlistment with the Army Airborne Rangers, a tour in Viet Nam and a return home to Iowa and buidling tires all day in a tire plant worked to convince Brad that training Retrievers Professionally was what he wanted to dedicate his life's work to.

In those days not too many got into the business by simply read'n a book , attending a few seminars and then hang'n out a Shingle! The path into the business was one that was like anything pursuing and doing well one that had to be earned. Earned by working for the few top trainers and kennels for next to nothing. It took a few years but before too long Brad was Training and Competing in Field Trials against the top names of the times.

Slowly but surely the experience level grew as did the success in the FT Game! With this came better opporunitites to not only train some of the best dogs in the country but also to study the breeding and the start of his own lines. Access to top FC's and NFC's was utilized to begin the formation of his own line of dogs. Dogs that were capable of being Trained as Gun Dogs, Competition Dogs and Companion Dogs. A line of dog that is as comfortable in the Duck Blind as it is at a Hunt Test or Field Trial or in the house! A dog you can take anywhere.

It was time to go out on his own. Time to make the dream a reality. One thing for sure was that this kennel was going to have the best of everything. From the Barn and Dog Truck to the housing area to the Training Grounds and Water! Brad found that place just south of Blanchard , Oklahoma and right in the middle of cattle ranching country. An area where rolling hills , grass lands and water were a MUST!


Training Grounds and The Barn:

Upon purchasing the land and building his home Brad lined up access to THOUSANDS of acres of Training Ground and Water. Then he built from the ground up a 20,000 sq. ft. Barn that would house his students. House them safely inside an area where the climate can be controled depending on the weather outside. For the hot parts of the summer large fans and open areas at each end circulated mist out of a fully automatic Misting System. In the winter, ceiling Heaters helped keep the temperatures inside just right. Even the runs were designed and sized to keep any possible injuries from taking place. The Barn also has enough space that Training can be carried out INSIDE!

Immediately outside The Barn is The Drill Field. Sitting next to The Barn and The Drill Field is a small man made Technical Pond that Brad designed himself. Sitting front and center is The Live Bird Coop where live Ducks and Pigeons for training purposes are housed. Nothing like Drills and Live Birds to get them ready for The Dog Truck! At Whack-A-Quack Graduating to The Big Dog Truck is viewed as an important milestone.

When a dog is ready to graduate from the Drill Field he earns himself his own Dog Box on the big Dog Truck that takes them all to the Training Grounds each morning. Hooked up to The Dog Truck is a Trailer holding a Kawasaki Mule loaded with the necessary Flingers needed to do the job. The use of the Kawasaki to transport Bird Throwers to and from spots saves immeasureable time and in this game TIME IS MONEY! The concepts are learned on The Drill Field and taken to the Field to hone the skills necessary to make the best Gun Dog possible.

When necessary Whack-A-Quack Kennels has access to Training Ground/Water and housing facilities in both South Texas and Northern North Dakota. The day after Duck Season Brad can have all his students in a warmer climate where training continues unabated until early April. Then if the heat gets too a point where it is affecting training he can pack'em up and head for cooler areas in North Dakota. WHATEVER IT TAKES as TRAINING DAILY is what it's all about.

Regardless of the conditions YOUR DOG GET'S WORKED!

Why choose Whack-A-Quack Retriever Training and Kennels? The answer is simple. EXPERIENCE , FACILITIES and DEDICATION! The experinece that has come from many years and THOUSANDS OF DOGS! The dedication to make Training Retrievers your life's work and not just a Part Time Job or way to make a bit of supplemental income. The ability to put all that under one roof in order to turn out the best Working, Competition and Companion Dog possible. To be able to turn out THE COMPLETE DOG! One that is TRAINED FOR LIFE!

Give Brad a call and visit a bit about Whack-A-Quack Retriever Training!