Obedience commands
Sit, heel, here, kennel, and whoa — solid in low-distraction settings, building under distraction
Ranger came to us as a started dog at ten months — Sarah had him through Headstart and the gun-dog program. He was steady to shot before he ever rode home with me. First season we ran him on greenwings, second season he passed his Senior Hunter. Money I'll never regret spending.
What a Started Dog Knows
Every started dog leaves the farm with the same foundation. Some are further along than others — we'll tell you exactly where each dog sits.
Crate trained
Calm in the crate, quiet at home, settled in the truck
Bird introduction
Positive exposure to feathers, training dummies, and live birds — birdy without being out of control
Water introduction
Confident swimmer, steady entries, comfortable in cold water
Gunfire conditioning
Steady to gunfire from a distance through close range — no flinch, no run-off
Single marks
Marking and retrieving short single falls on land and water
About Sarah's Training
Sarah Caldwell runs the training side of the program. She came home after college and built a small string of dogs in a converted barn off the main farmhouse — the same farm where she grew up watching her dad train Duke. She trains for outside clients too, but every started and finished dog we sell comes through her hands first.
- Grew up in the program — she handled her first hunt-test dog at 14
- Trained under several Master Hunter handlers in Kansas and Missouri
- Runs a small string by design — no more than six dogs in training at a time
- Force-fetch is introduced selectively, with care, only when the dog is ready
- Every dog is evaluated weekly — Sarah will tell you honestly where it sits
Who a Started Dog Suits
Started dogs are a sweet spot — past the chewing stage, into the working stage, but still young enough to bond hard to a new home.
Hunters short on time
You want to hunt this season, not next. A started dog gets you in the blind in months, not years.
Past the puppy phase
You love retrievers but don't want the 8-week chaos again. A started dog is settled, housetrained, and ready to live with.
Continuing the training
You want to take it the rest of the way to a finished hunting dog or hunt-test campaign — and you want a dog with the foundation already laid clean.
First-time gun-dog owner
You're new to retrievers and want a dog that already knows the basics — so the first season together feels like a win, not a project.
Process
How a Started-Dog Placement Works
FAQ
Common Questions about Started Dogs
Usually six to twelve months. The program takes about that long to lay the full foundation. Occasionally we'll have an older dog that's been through the program — those go on the contact page when available.
No — that's the difference between a started dog and a finished retriever. A started dog has the foundation; a finished dog has the polish. Many people take a started dog and finish it themselves over a season or two, and that's exactly what these dogs are built for.
Sometimes, sometimes not — depends on the individual dog and where they are in the program. Sarah introduces force-fetch carefully and only when the dog is ready. We'll be straight with you about exactly where each dog sits when you ask.
Yes. Every started dog has been raised inside or in/out of the house with us. They're crate-trained and house-clean, and they slot into a family home without trouble.
Custom on inquiry. Pricing depends on age, breed, and how far through the program the dog is. Get in touch and Sarah will tell you exactly what's available and at what level.
Looking for a dog you can hunt this season?
Tell us what you'd like in a started dog — breed, age, hunting goals — and Sarah will let you know what's coming through the program.