What can I expect to pay to have my setter trained to hunt birds? I got a quote from a respectable kennel in northeast PA for $25 per day (6-8 weeks) plus birds. Does this seem like a reasonable price? Also, anyone have any recommendations for trainers in southeastern PA?

I'd like to know also...............Thanks in advance.

That sounds a little steep to me but, I am not sure on that as I have trianed my own. HoweverI did have a guy willing to do it for around $250 a month up here, plus any birds used for it as well as some dog food.. So myself I would check around some more. Good Luck on that..

cjp161, and CabosDaddy, were are you guys from. I am from Missouri and I train bird dogs and the price that they gave you are a little steep, I only charge $300 a month and that includes birds, food and board. Unless you want the dogs closer to you. But if you don't mind I would love to speak with you two about training your dogs. Please feel free to contact me via e-mail.

Going rate in Wisc for this type of thing is about $400/month plus bird cost.

FYI

JW

~$400 a month + cost of birds. Is the norm. So your talking several thousand, 3-5, prolly to get your dog "finished"and then they might want to do a "polishing up" which may run a couple hundred bucks.

I always recommend people just buy a started or finished dog for a couple grand and you know that the dog is a hunter and that its had thousands of birds shot over it. With a puppy, you really dont know how the dog will turn out...Then you figure spending a few thousand anyway on a dog to get it trained or to train it youself, your still gonna spend a lot of money on a dog that your not sure how its going to turn out.

Good luck.

That seems reasonable if he's charging you on a daily basis and it includes boarding the dog. I would venture to say that you could get a better daily rate if you negotiate on a weekly or monthly basis.

I think what's more important than the rate is making sure you and the trainer are on the same page regarding what the goal is and what the deliverables are. It is very unpleasant on both sides when the trainer is working on force fetching your dog, and you are looking for the dog to be steady to wing and shot. Anytime I take on a dog from either a new or existing client, we always sit down and make sure everybody is on the same page regarding deliverables.

Good luck

Around me it cost $250 a month, and thats for everything. I have had one dog trained by someone else, but the others i have tained. I have found thatif i train them i tened to enjoy them more.

Mine cost $400.00 a month in addition to birds. Likely they will want you to send your dog back for further training after you have hunted with it for a season. It is worth the money.

Take into account what you want your dog to do when picking a trainer. Dog trainers tend to be more expensive when training for competition due to the time involved. Dogs trained for field competition will cost a lot more than a dog trained for the hunter. In other words how polished do you want your dog to be and how willing are you to keep up the regiment established by the trainer. A dog can come back from the trainer and perform outstanding but after a season of hunting with little reinforcment the dog likely will lose its polishing and behave like an average hunting dog who has not had that much trainning.

I do all breed bird dogs, and retrievers, I charge $350 a mo, all expenses paid, birds, feed, heartworm preventative....ect. Dont matter where at in training, or fixing the dogis at, puppy stage, or getting broke. Thanks Jonesy