Robert Milner was the visionary leader and founder of both Wildrose Kennels and Duckhill Kennels. He established Duckhill Kennels with the goal of breeding dogs to excel in gundog work, scent detection, and disaster search and with the goal of removing as much force as possible from the training process and replacing it with operant conditioning and positive reinforcement training techniques.

Embodying the spirit of a true trailblazer throughout his life, Mr. Milner fearlessly charted unknown territory, dared to challenge the status quo and pushed boundaries in every endeavor he undertook. Mr. Miner’s achievements have included serving in the USAFR active and reserve for 26 years in disaster response, designing and implementing a disaster relief program for FEMA’s Tennessee Task Force One, training Labradors for field trial and gundog work, and training dogs for explosive detection and disaster search.

We are grateful to Mr. Milner for all he built and taught us along the way and for all of the support and guidance he provided. We are confident that the journey ahead of us will be one marked by unprecedented achievements and continued excellence that will make him proud!

Lt. Col. Robert Milner Jr. 1945-2024