The Northwest Pointing Lab Club provides this page as a resource only.  As these are private individuals and/or businesses, the NWPLC cannot endorse, recommend or promote them; nor can we accept responsibility for client-business contracts or relationships.

This page contains tips from gun dog trainers who have worked with Pointing Labs and/or other upland pointers/retrievers.  Glean what you will from what is shared, recognizing that every trainer has his or her own method that you may or may not find helpful; owners should use discretion in applying any particular technique(s) when training their dog, understanding that every dog and situation varies.

JULIE BATES (formerly Knutson)

Here is a link to Julie Bates’ website and her private Facebook page, where she chronicles her thoughts on dog training.  Julie has written a very well-respected book  that focuses specifically on training Pointing Labrador Retrievers, the only book of its kind dedicated to our particular type of Lab.  She has a series of podcasts on training the pointing Labrador retriever.

MIKE LARDY

Mike is considered my many to be the industry standard when it comes to training retrievers.  His webpage has several helpful links on it.

JOHN GREER

Here is a link to an article written by John Greer from Tiger Mountain Pointing Labs on developing good “dead-bird” dog skills on wild birds.

WEST/GIBBONS/LINDLEY METHOD

An approach to training pointing dogs utilizing a low pressure, quiet method developed by Bill West and refined by Bill Gibbons and Maurice “Mo” Lindley is discussed on the Facebook group (private) Steady With Style.  Here is an article summarizing the Gibbons-West method:  Steady_With_Style.

Here is a link to a series of videos Lily made with Carol Ptak, a hunt test judge and amateur trainer who uses the Gibbons-West method.  The videos address the basics of starting a pointing dog out on birds using this particular method, force fetch training, and also address some specific problems or issues handlers may encounter when training their own bird dog.  Carol also wrote a very comprehensive article about how to use the Gibbons-West method: Training articles Carol Ptak