Building monsters in the field with manners around the family.

Gun Dog Training in York County, PA

At Iron Oak Dog Company, our Companion Gun Dog Training Program is a comprehensive program built for hunters who want a driven, reliable partner in the blind and the field; that’s also calm, obedient, and polite at home and in town. You only get so many days in the field, and on the water. You've got to make the most of them. The rest of the year your dog needs to fit seamlessly into everyday life. This isn’t just traditional gun dog training. It’s a complete sporting lifestyle training program.

Our training programs for hunting companions in York County, PA utilize a flexible framework, expertly customized to the specific needs of you and your dog. We guide you every step of the way no matter what your goals are. Our Companion Gun Dog Training Programs are appropriate for all sporting breeds including retrievers, flushers, and pointers. We specialize in versatile hunting breeds.

We work with you directly to determine appropriate outcomes for your dog based on their genetics and your hunting, and competitive goals. You can have it all, in balance, and on demand, and our proprietary training system ensures we can get more done, in less time.

Your dog lives in our home alongside our own dogs. They receive daily training, socialization, and enrichment. They are included in field trips, and daily activities. Field training is completed on 300+ acres of private training grounds including fields, woods, and water. Your dog’s safety, wellbeing, and development are our top priorities.

  • Understanding

    We’ve been there, struggling to make sense of all the conflicting information out there while trying to help our dog. We’ve learned from the best in the business and distill what works down into an easy to follow training program.

  • Real Results

    We use science-backed, results-driven methods tailored to each dog. No cookie-cutter approach and no guesswork. You get a personalized roadmap that creates real results and no fallout. We get it right the first time.

  • Trusted Nationwide

    Dog owners and professional trainers from all over the county attend our seminars, seek our advice on difficult cases, and participate in our online community. Our client reviews speak for themselves.

  • Our Promise

    We guarantee our training works. We work with our clients until we achieve the standards for their training program. You pay for results instead of unfulfilled promises and no accountability.

Complete training for your hunting companion

  • Lifestyle

    House manners allows for stress free life with your dog at home and in hunting camp

    Developing tolerance to physical handling and grooming for stress free vet visits, tailgate checks, and field first aid

    Socialization and enrichment for a mentally and physically fulfilled companion who is adaptable to a wide variety of environments

  • Obedience

    A communication system that speeds the process of learning new skills and provides crystal clear feedback in training

    Reliability in all environments, solid leash manners, and responsive handling in the field

    Impulse control and emotional regulation in the face of distractions

  • Hunting

    Drive development for improved effort in the field, relentless pursuit of game, and balance between desire and control

    Yard work drills to clarify key concepts and deepen your dog’s understanding of fundamental skills

    Field work to transition all training to hunting environments, ensuring the training holds up when and where you need it most

The Iron Oak Difference

  • Real World Environments

    Your dog lives in our home like our personal dogs, not in a warehouse or commercial kennel environment. Training takes place where you need it to work: in the home, in public spaces, and on 300+ acres of private hunting grounds.

  • Objective Standards

    We utilize the objective, independent, third-party standards for obedience training. By defining clear training outcomes up front, you know exactly what results to expect before you drop your dog off or have your first lesson.

  • Bespoke Training

    Your dog is an individual and deserves a customized approach to training. Your dog’s unique genetics, and individual temperament, as well as your goals and lifestyle, are at the core of the training plan we develop for you.

  • Low Volume

    We maintain a maximum volume of 3 dogs per trainer in our Board + Train program. This ensures that every dog receives ample training, enrichment, and socialization.

  • Professional Trainers

    At Iron Oak, your dog is only ever trained and handled by Nate and Gretchen. Every moment, and every interaction, is handled to ensure your dog’s safety and proper development.

  • Results + Support

    Your investment in your dog is risk free because we guarantee your dog will meet stated training standards, or we keep working with you until they do. Plus get training support for the life of your dog.

Training Programs

  • 6 Week Board + Train

    The Foundation Program focuses on environmental acclimation and drive building in the field, while teaching all of the fundamental behaviors required of a companion gun dog in the field and at home. Dogs should be at least 6 months old.

    Obedience

    Your dog will learn our communication system, using rewards and pressure, to create clarity in expectations and a positive attitude throughout training. We complete the three action introduction (go, come, stop) on leash and with remote collar, for a dog who handles in the field and around town.

    Retrieve

    Because of our unique training system, we are able to complete the formal trained retrieve at the same time as other obedience behaviors. With good training (yes, we’re that good) even young dogs can be taught a reliable retrieve while maintaining a positive attitude.

    Fieldwork

    Environmental, game, and gunfire introductions build drive and introduce capping (impulse control) around game in a way that does not interfere with your dog’s desire. Our diverse expertise allows us to customize this process for your dog’s unique temperament.

  • 6 Week Board + Train

    The Hunter Program is designed to provide owners with a reliable “meat dog”: a good, reliable hunting dog that you can be proud of, whose behavior also impresses back at camp and in town.

    Obedience

    We build off of the Foundation program to complete full basic obedience training that meets or exceeds the UKC Socialized Pet Obedience Test standard, guaranteed. All commands are formalized and increased expectations of precision and reliability around distractions.

    Retrieve

    We build off of the formal retrieve taught in Foundation by transitioning to yard work drills that increase the reliability of your dog’s game recovery skills. Force to pile addresses no-goes, popping, and bugging. Marking drills improve your dog’s ability to accurately find downed game.

    Fieldwork

    Regular work on game produces hard flushing or staunch pointing for a companion who reliably produces game for the gun. Reliable handling in the field ensures that you and keep your dog safe and put them in the best position to use their natural talents.

  • 6 Week Board + Train

    The Finished Program achieves a level of ability and polish that few can achieve. This is the program for the discerning sportsman who requires an impeccable hunting companion or who has high level hunt test aspirations.

    Obedience

    We build off of the Hunter program to increase the reliability and precision of on and off leash obedience behaviors and meet or the UKC Companion Dog standard, guaranteed. This includes skills like off leash heeling and honoring, which have applications in daily life and high level hunt test scenarios.

    Retrieve

    We build off of the yard work in the Hunter program with the focus on retrieving tasks that require your dog to responsibly recover game out of sight. This includes marks in cover, blind retrieves, and dead game drags. These skills aid your dog in their recovery of wounded game that would otherwise be lost.

    Fieldwork

    The finished dog is steady through shot and fall. In hunting situations dogs may not always have good scenting conditions so a reliable stop to flush is also essential particularly while hunting game where staggered flushes are common. Field manners around other dogs ensure you get invited back!

Training Guarantee

  • We know many clients have already invested hundreds or thousands of dollars in training programs with little to nothing to show for it. We back everything we do with a guarantee because we’re confident in the results our services deliver.
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    We keep working with you until you and your dog are able to meet the objective standards for your training program.

    After you successfully complete your program, we’re here for the long haul. You receive one year of free membership to our in-person or online training club, and we’re available to answer questions and help you troubleshoot for the life of your dog.

    This protects your investment and recognizes that developing your dog and your relationship with them is an ongoing process.