Looking to purchase a pup or dog with training? 

Northwoods Training Kennel LLC offers different levels of started dogs and also offers puppies with training packages. We never know when we will have dogs to offer for sale but you can purchase a puppy from one of our litters and a training package to go with! 

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What does a shed and tracking dog cost? 

Pricing below includes puppy price, required vaccinations to be at the kennel, food and board, training, and basic care.  If the puppy in training is from one of our litters, the 26 month health guarantee is included. If it is a dog we purchased from another breeder, we don't not offer a health guarantee. Buyer is responsible at purchase for any extra veterinary care and expenses that may arise. 

Started Level

• Puppy will be in training till about 6-7 months of age. 
• $4250

Intermediate 

• Typically 8-10 months old 
• $6250

Advanced/Finished

• Typically the dog is a year old or more
• $7000

Seasoned

• Normally a dog in this category is 1 1/2 old or more that has had at least one natural season under it's belt.
  
• $7500-$10,000

What is the difference for each level for shed training? 

Started 

• Crate training
• Socialization (people, sounds, other dogs, riding, environment, water)
• Basic Obedience: sit, stay, here, place, heel, name, and no. (Heel on leash) 
• Manners (no jumping, biting, barking....) 
• Introduced to antlers and antler scent
• Retrieving bumpers, balls, rubber antler and graduate to real antlers
• Teaching the pup confidence with light cover
• Building drive and antler drive with retrieves
• Building the puppies ability to start finding sheds in light cover and in the field (field means woods or field) 

This stage gets you a well started puppy that has the very basics not only for the field of choice but as a companion. Lots of puppy behavior left. 

Intermediate

• Obedience off leash: Sit, stay, place, heel, here, name, and no. 
• Release for retrieve by name
• E collar conditioned for Obedience. 
• Force fetched (Conditioned retrieve, hold till you take it, and will pick it up if dropped) 
• Housebroken
• Continuing socialization
• Retrieving sheds in the field through intermediate finds
  • at this point we are setting sheds out in medium cover.
  • Sheds have increased in size, and difficulty to get to. 
• Water finds (introduce picking sheds out of puddles or shallow water (non submerged) 
• Increasing the dogs confidence to get away from you and hunt independently. 

At this stage, the dog has a full foundation, can handle in the field and has all the tools to develop into a successful shed dog. They can be field ready at this stage. If you look to do some training and developing yourself, purchasing a dog at this stage is a good fit. 

Advanced/Finished

• Fine tuning obedience (always always needs upkeep) 
• Does not need much correcting in the obedience department
• Whistle training (Training the dog to handle) 
• Main focus is field work
  • getting the dog to move in a forward motion efficiently
  • increasing the dogs efficiency and accuracy
  • courses are set at the highest difficulty and even into non favorable conditions 

At this stage, dogs are field ready after their initial adjustment to their new home. 

Seasoned

• Dogs that have found natural sheds in the field on their own

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Whats the difference in levels for a tracking dog? 

Started

• Crate training
• Socialization (people, sounds, other dogs, riding, environment, water)
• Basic Obedience: sit, stay, here, place, heel, name, and no. (Heel on leash) 
• Manners (no jumping, biting, barking....) 
• Getting the puppy used to a harness and using the harness only when doing tracking related work. 
• Introduced to deer hide, blood, and scents (liver) 
• Retrieving bumpers, balls, and deer hide
• Teaching the pup confidence with simple straight line drags
• Building drive towards the scents
• Straight line drags in different light covers and environments
• Introducing simple water (small puddles or crick cross)

This stage gets you a well started puppy that has the very basics not only for the field of choice but as a companion. Lots of puppy behavior left. 

Intermediate

• Obedience off leash: Sit, stay, place, heel, here, name, and no. 
• Release for retrieve by name
• E collar conditioned for Obedience 
• Housebroken
• Continuing socialization
• 90 degree tracks
• Zig zag tracks
• Tracks through water
• Restart Tracking (getting the dog to restart after either being called back or being tangled) 
• Building harness drive, getting the dog to learn to focus on the track and care less about the distractions

At this stage you have a well rounded dog that has a solid clear foundation of knowing what is expected of them. As far as field work the dog stays engaged on the track, doesn't give up or become discouraged easily. The dog can do a couple hundred yard track with high success.  This dog can be ready for finds that are confirmed dead. 

Advanced/Finished

• Fine tuning obedience (always always needs upkeep) 
• Does not need much correcting in the obedience department
• Rectangle tracks
• S style tracks
• Medium cover to thick cover
• Sponge & Drip laid tracks
• Getting away from drags
• Harness and line handling
• Cross over tracks (to simulate a deer back tracking or circling back around
• Aged tracks

At this point in training the dog can stay engaged for up to a mile track and is able to do successfully through different terrain and obstacles. The dog can restart a track and bank search.  This dog is field ready. 

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Buying a started dog is always an exciting and sometimes nerve racking experience. We like to be as black and white as possible so both parties are on the same page. We will NOT hold a dog without a deposit down on the dog. Buyer WILL be subject to sign a liability form if the dog doesn't leave right away or continues training with us as apart of the purchase agreement. When we sell a started-finished dog, the dog will be overseen by our vet of choice, Dr. Lisa Reiter, before leaving our facility. We don't offer a guarantee.  Our refund policy states that if you decide to back out of a started dog for any reason while the dog in training at our facility, we will relist, resell, and then refund you after the dog has sold. You will be refunded the full amount you had paid down on the dog. The does not include remaining unpaid balance. ​

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