Marked retrieves
Singles, doubles, and triples — solid on land and water, in cover and across hazards
I drove from Bozeman to pick up our pup. Twelve hours each way. Worth every mile. Tom sat me down on the porch for half a day and walked me through the first month — crate, feeding, the early retrieving stuff. I've had three Labs in my life and that briefing told me more than the other two breeders combined.
What a Finished Dog Knows
Every finished retriever leaves the farm with the full skill set. Below is the standard — Sarah will walk you through exactly where each individual dog sits before you commit.
Blind retrieves & handling
Casts on whistle and hand signals — over, back, and angle backs — at distance
Steady to shot
Sits at the line through the flush and the shot — releases on name, not on instinct
Force-fetch & polish
Reliable delivery to hand, no mouthing, no dropping the bird
Obedience under fire
Heel, here, kennel, and whoa — solid through real hunt distractions, including other dogs working
Blind manners
Quiet in the blind, calm in the boat, settled in the truck for the drive home
How a Finished Dog Gets Built
We start with our own pups — health-cleared parents, raised underfoot, drive and birdiness verified early. From there, Sarah carries the dog through the foundation, the started program, and finally the finishing work over 18 to 24 months. Every step is evaluated. If a dog isn't finishing-track material, it gets placed earlier as a started dog or a hunting companion — never pushed past where it should be.
- Our own bloodlines — drive, birdiness, and a calm off-switch verified at 8 weeks
- 18 to 24 months in Sarah's program — no shortcuts on time
- Worked at Cheyenne Bottoms and on real Kansas waterfowl, not just the training field
- Every dog evaluated weekly — and only finished when Sarah will sign off
- We sell a small handful per year — quality is the bottleneck, on purpose
Who a Finished Dog Suits
A finished retriever is for the hunter who values a dog that's truly ready — and who'd rather pay for the years already put in than spend them himself.
Serious waterfowlers
You hunt hard — divers in the cold, timber for woodies, public-land pressure. You want a dog who can carry the weight on day one.
Time-poor hunters
You don't have 18 months of evenings to build a dog yourself. You'd rather pay for the years already put in.
Hunt-test campaigners
You want a dog already trained to a Senior or Master level foundation — ready to title with continued work.
Guide & outfitter use
You guide hunts, run a club, or hunt with new people every weekend. You need a dog that's bombproof in front of strangers and hot guns.
Process
How a Finished-Retriever Placement Works
FAQ
Common Questions about Finished Retrievers
It varies by dog, breed, and titling progress. These are 18 to 24-month projects, so the price reflects that. Get in touch and Sarah will quote each dog directly — no list prices, no hidden fees.
A small handful — usually three to five. We could do more by cutting corners. We don't.
Yes — and we'd insist on it. Come to the farm, run the dog yourself, watch Sarah work it on land and water. We'd rather the dog and the hunter pick each other than push a sale.
Some are, some aren't — depends on what Sarah ran them in during their build. Every finished dog has the skill set for at least Senior Hunter; titles are dog-by-dog.
Sarah includes a handover — usually a couple of training sessions on the farm, plus follow-up calls through your first season. The dog learns you. You learn the dog. We stay on the line for life.
Looking for a dog ready opening day?
Tell us what kind of hunting you do, what breed and color you'd prefer, and Sarah will let you know what's coming up the pipeline.