Events & Seminars
| Date | Event (click on event for description) | Location |
| Dec 16 - 17, 2011 | Two-day Gundog Training Seminar with Robert Milner | Duckhill Kennels |
| Jan 23 - 25, 2012 | Counter Improvised Explosive Device Summit | Washington DC |
| Jan 6 & 7, 2012 | Two-day Gundog Training Seminar with Robert Milner | Duckhill Kennels |
| Feb 17 - 19, 2012 | Southeastern Wildlife Exposition | Charleston, SC |
| Feb 25, 2012 | Continental Pheasant Shoot | Duckhill Kennels |
| Mar 2 & 3, 2012 | Two-day Gundog Training Seminar with Robert Milner | Duckhill Kennels |
| Apr 13 - 15, 2012 | NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibits | St Louis, MO |
| Apr 20 & 21, 2012 | Two-day Gundog Training Seminar with Robert Milner | Duckhill Kennels |
| Apr 28, 2012 | Continental Pheasant Shoot | Duckhill Kennels |
| May 18 & 19, 2012 | Two-day Gundog Training Seminar with Robert Milner | Duckhill Kennels |
| Jun 8 & 9, 2012 | Two-day Gundog Training Seminar with Robert Milner | Duckhill Kennels |
| Jul 6 & 7, 2012 | Two-day Gundog Training Seminar with Robert Milner | Duckhill Kennels |
Seminars may be booked at the DuckHill Kennel store. Seminar registration will be accepted until 7 days prior to the seminar date. Seminars may also be registered for by email.
One Day Seminar
The one-day seminar consists of a half-day classroom presentation of principles of dog training and a half-day of practical application. The morning consists of a Power Point presentation of the necessary elements of positive gundog training. The emphasis is on operant conditioning as applied to retriever training. Special areas of focus are young puppies and the valuable training that can occur with puppies.
Areas covered are:
• Theory and practice of operant conditioning
• positive and negative reinforcement
• The behaviors of the excellent gundog
• 2 core behaviors
• 8 basic principles of gundog training
• Principles of learning for dogs
• Communication in dogs
• Power of Positive Reinforcement
• The training plan
• The transfer of behaviors from training to hunting
The day includes many practical field demonstrations to show you how to put the theory into practice. Hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Cost is $75.
To register call Robert Milner at (901)428-6694 or email or visit shop.duckhillkennels.com where you can sign up and pay tuition with credit card. Designate date of seminar in special instructions.
Two Day Seminar
Our 2-day seminar runs monthly on a Fri-Sat. The lesson plan is:
Friday - 9:00 am to 2:00 pm - Lecture with power point on the principles of operant conditioning. Covers general principles of operant conditioning and application to marine mammals, zoo animals, horses, and of course, gundogs.
Friday - 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm - field demonstrations and initial coaching of attendees with dogs. (attendees without dogs will handle duckhill dogs).
Saturday - 9:00 am - 10:30 am - Demonstrations of operant conditioning principles applied to the behaviors of steadiness, delivery to hand, whistle stopping, directional casting, blind retrieves
Saturday - 11:00 am - 12:00 pm -Steadness training for all attendees and dogs
1:00 pm to 1:30 - Delivery to hand training for all attendees and dogs
1:30 pm to 2:00 pm - whistle stopping training for all attendees and dogs
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm- Blind retrieve training for all attendees and dogs
Three Day Seminar
Our 3-day seminars feature Robert Milner and Robin Watson communicating to you the best of America's gentle gundog training and the best practices of successful gundog and field trial trainers in the UK. You will get lots of the theory and practical application of operant conditioning as it applies to retriever gundog training. You will get lots of hands-on practice with dogs. If you don't have one, we will furnish one from Duckhill kennels. You will also get from experts, a good education on current British gundog training theory and practice.
Robert Milner has extensive background and experience at training both American and British Labrador gundogs and is the author of Retriever Training for the Duck Hunter and Retriever Training - A Back to Basics Approach. He is a past retriever columnist for Ducks Unlimited Magazine. He is the founder of Wildrose Kennels which he sold in 1995. He currently owns Duckhill Kennels, specializing in British Labrador Gundogs.
Robin Watson owns Tibea Gundogs in England. The kennel was founded by his father in 1964 and has produced a number of Field Trial Winners and Field Trial Champions. The most widely recognized of these is probably Tibea Tosh. Robin has trained several Field Trial Winners and Field Trial Champions. He is currently campaigning Field Trial winning Brackenbird Minnow and Ducksfoot Chubb of Campdenhill.
Robin is an "A" Panel Field Trial Judge and a member of the Kennel Club.
The cost is $300, which includes lunches and a "Memphis style" barbeque dinner.
To register call Robert Milner at (901)428-6694 or email or visit shop.duckhillkennels.com where you can sign up and pay tuition with credit card. Designate date of seminar in special instructions.
Practice Field Trial
On the day prior to a scheduled AGC Field Trial we hold a practice trial so that the trial contestants can get familiar with the types of work required of the dogs, and so that they get a preview of judging criteria. All are welcome to participate and to watch at the practice trial. The purpose of the practice trial is to educate participants and all who might be interested in learning about AGC Field Trials. Participants running dogs in the practice trial will be expected to pay for any birds shot for their dog.
Sign up to participate in the practice trial by calling Robert Milner at (901)428-6694 or emailing .
AGC Dinner/Banquet at Retriever Hall of Fame - Grand Junction, TN
Sixteen miles south of Duckhill lies the town of Grand Junction TN, the home of the National Bird Dog Championship, and home of the National Bird Dog Museum, which also houses the Retriever Hall of Fame. The American Gundog Club will hold a banquet at Bird Dog Museum on Friday night, April 16 on the evening preceeding the Duckhill AGC Field Trial. This will be a great opportunity to see the pictures and memorabilia of the great dogs and memorable people of both the American retriever world and the American bird dog world. The museum is quite impressive.
AGC Field Trial
Duckhill Kennels puts on two American Gundog Club field trials each year. These events will be either a one-day, 9-dog event, or a two-day, 24-dog event. These AGC trials are run under British Kennel Club rules. Any of the retrieving breeds are eligible to run. To be eligible for points leading to a title, the dog must be registered with the AGC prior to the trial.
Entries close and the competing dogs are drawn 2 weeks prior to the trial. Enter at www.AmericanGundogClub.com.
We encourage the attendance of all who are interested in retriever gundogs.
More information on AGC Field Trials is available at www.AmericanGundogClub.com.
