Life at Oak Hill

Trainees stay in our new kennel, in individual runs each with a comfortable, insulated doghouse. The kennel is enclosed in a pole barn that shelters dogs from summer sun and winter wind, but is otherwise not climate-controlled, allowing dogs to acclimate to conditions. It is extremely well-built, with 9-gauge wire and dual latches on the gates, and wire tops on the runs so no dog can climb out.

Monday through Saturday, dogs get at least two training sessions per day. Depending on the stage of training, these will be the appropriate combination of "puppy marks," obedience, force fetch sessions, marks in the field, yard work (drills), and blind retrieves. Sessions typically involve a few minutes to air, about ten minutes of training, and a few minutes to unwind afterwards. Dogs that are doing field work stay on the truck or trailer (in individual compartments) while other dogs work, and go back into their runs when the session is finished. The dogs have Sundays off.

Because we have excellent grounds on site, most days we do not take the dogs out on the road. This allows more time for training, and less time confined on the truck and trailer. As dogs advance and need exposure to a greater variety of sites, we take them to some of the diverse grounds to which we have access.

We clean the kennel morning and evening. Puppies get breakfast as well as dinner, while most adult dogs have just one meal in the evening. We feed a high-quality performance food, but if you wish your dog to have a special diet, we will follow your instructions. There may be a charge if the food you specify is more expensive than ours.

Please email us or call (910) 245-2603 to discuss your training needs.