# How much to expect to pay?



## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

If you were going to send your dog to someone else (ok, we'll make it even more specific - to stay with your TD for 3-4 weeks) to have them do the forced retrieve work on your dog, how much do you think a reasonable amount to pay them would be?


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## Jerry Lyda (Apr 4, 2006)

How much are you willing to pay?

This depends on the person wanting the service. I'm always looking for the best deal not just a deal. Will a person get what he's looking to get.

Most cases," anything cheap is not good and anything good is not cheap."


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

This is how I bill for board-and-train services (using hypothetical values on the internet though!)

$10 boarding fee per day.

Plus equipment rental based on the replacement value of the equipment. For sake of argument, let's use $2 per week for a dumbbell and $10 for treadmill.

And $25 per hour for documented training services. I present a schedule - estimate with the training proposal / contract. For sake of argument, let's say it will take 7 hours of training (15 minutes, twice per day, for 14 days).

But your dog is going to take a little to settle into the new environment and be ready to learn (the other 2 weeks).

$280 boarding fee
$60 equipment rental ($2 * 2 weeks + $10 * 4 weeks)
$175 for documented training services
$515


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

I understand that, Jerry, and believe me, if I didn't trust that it would be done correctly, there's no way in hell I'd send her to him, or any _other_ person, regardless. The only reason I'm sending her _anywhere_ for it is because I lack the mental strength to do it myself. I can't take it. That pleading look in their eyes just gets to me.  I'll let someone else (ie: my TD) be the bad guy. 

I just wondered what was an acceptable price to pay, or what one might expect to pay, to have it done. He did say that he would also do some tracking with her while he had her, and begin teaching the send away as well.


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

why can't you do it yourself or are you afraid to see what the dog has to go through?


Somebody posted a really nice clicker way to train it. 

The TD in my club mentioned he knew a guy who trained it right before and only before a trial using an e-collar. Apparently that worked well for the guy.


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## Lisa Geller (Mar 29, 2007)

around a thousand


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## Trish Campbell (Nov 28, 2006)

I'm with Chris, there's more than 1 way to train it...why not look into that and do it yourself?


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## Kyle Sprag (Jan 10, 2008)

The $500 sounds reasonable as long as you get what you are looking for but 4 weeks seems like a long time to me, I am thinking more like 2 max with an e-collar. JMO


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

I haven't seen it yet, but I heard Balabanov's video on the Retrieve is good. Maybe check it out if you're not into the forced retrieve.


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## mike suttle (Feb 19, 2008)

Does your dog need to be forced to retrieve? Are you looking for top level points, or just to earn a title? There are ways other than force to do it. And even if you have to force the dog because it lacks natural strong retrieve drives you can do it with an E collar and it is not such an ugly thing like it can be with a prong on a table.
i am just asking, not trying to start an arguement here, LOL
The first few dogs I forced to retrieve was with a prong and it was really ugly and for sure during that same time it would have been pretty stressful to teach the send out and also tracking in conjunction to the retreive as you mentioned in your post.
If it were me I would do it myself with an e collar if it has to be forced, and with motivation if force is not nescessary and max points are not your goal, especially if you plan to teach several other parts of the routine at the same time along with the retrieve.
I assume that max points are not your goal because it sounds like you may be new to training otherwise you would not have someone else do it for you. SO with that in mind, try it yourself. If you cant do it with drive and motivation you can always go back to use force later.
Just my opinion.


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## Timothy Saunders (Mar 12, 2009)

If someone is keeping your dog for 4wks around a 1000.00 sounds right. People use the forced retrieve because it makes sure bad habits( chewing and dropping ) are discouraged immediately.Some of the other methods can sometimes foster these habits. If I can offer a piece of advice don't start the retrieve on the dumbell


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

Does the 'why' really matter?

Long story short, I began teaching it with the clicker, but ended up getting stuck and was not able to move forward no matter what I tried. I want to compete with her this fall for the 1, and go for the 2 next spring, and I don't think that's going to be possible without just going ahead and doing the forced retrieve with her. Right now, I'm only after the titles so that I can breed her, but I would like to try and put up good scores with her a little later, and I figure just go ahead and do the forced retrieve for precision-sake and get it out of the way before bad habits can develop.

My TD doesn't use electric for the retrieves, and I'd rather not 'experiment' on my own with it on this dog. I paid too much for her to ruin her because I don't know what I'm doing, especially on the part of the routine that's worth so many points! She loves tracking, and the send-away is taught motivationally, so I don't think either of those would cause a problem. It's just something he mentioned that he'd probably do with her to take a little bit of the pressure off.


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## Mike Scheiber (Feb 17, 2008)

Chris Michalek said:


> I haven't seen it yet, but I heard Balabanov's video on the Retrieve is good. Maybe check it out if you're not into the forced retrieve.


Balabanovs is force just not the typical but it is force.


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## Jerry Lyda (Apr 4, 2006)

If I were to force training anything I would not train other things at the same time. keep it simple for the dog. He won't need to worry with other things.


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## Mel Cobb (Jun 2, 2009)

$1500.00 and 21 days

Steve


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

what am doing with the Mal pup is having him work for a 1" x 12 wooden dowel. I tell him Sitz/platz etc and then throw the dowel. Then I run back to he runs back to me as fast as possible. I'm not concerned with him sitting in front of me with it yet. I'll train hold/front later.

With my rottie, I would make him carry it on short walks and we would do sit in motions with the dowel in his mouth. That keeps the whole thing pretty calm. He's a retrieving MF and I trained him the same way I am doing the Mal now.


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

Just to clarify, those of you who have given prices, are you including the cost of food? Are you including the 'extra' stuff that my TD said he may also do with her (eg: the tracking & go-out)? Or are you only 'quoting' for the kennel space and the retrieve training?

Looks like prices are kind of all over the place. :-?


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Kristen Cabe said:


> Just to clarify, those of you who have given prices, are you including the cost of food? Are you including the 'extra' stuff that my TD said he may also do with her (eg: the tracking & go-out)? Or are you only 'quoting' for the kennel space and the retrieve training?
> 
> Looks like prices are kind of all over the place. :-?


Kennel space, kennel diet, and 15 minutes treadmill time include in boarding fee. When "undocumented" training - like housetraining or extras - is expected to be done, I double the boarding fee.

What I gave you is hypothetical. I have never seen a trainer charge less than $20 per hour. Going rates around here are $40 - $80 per hour.


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

What about one to one tuition sessions with you and your dog?

Also, what if the dog comes back stuffed? I don't suppose there are any guarantees are there, or are there?


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

The reason I asked is because I'm providing the food, in addition to the training, and I wasn't sure if it made a difference in what was normally charged.



> What about one to one tuition sessions with you and your dog?


Not possible for me, with this. 



> what if the dog comes back stuffed?


What does that mean?


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

Stuffed means.... maybe not quite as you would like. 

If you are confident enough in your trainer.... what does it really matter what others charge unless you are going to be guided on price. Or is your TD open to a barter?


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

I just wanted to make sure I wasn't being overcharged. Especially since he's my TD and because of all I do for him & for the club, without asking for anything in return. :wink:


I don't think he's willing to barter. I mentioned it briefly and he said he preferred cold hard cash, so we'll see.


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## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

Where were you stuck with the clicker training I managed to train the most non-retrieving dog in the world [bouv] to retrieve and love it. For awhile I swore she had it outsmarted but patience won out and I was able to work through the resistence. If trained by someone else, are you always sure the dog will work for you? I don't know. I bailed on comnpetition obedience 20 years ago over the forced retrieve. Had a GSD bitch that would retrieve anything 24/7. They insisted that I had to go through the force and ear pinching. Most of my GSDs would retrieve naturally. The bouv's idea was to take it elsewhere and chew it. We worked through her taking it away to her looking for stuff to pick up and bring to me. Maybe you should explore where you are stuck with the clicker/motivational types. I don't know. I can't imagine sending my dog off to someone else to experience unpleasantness or pain. But I'll also admit this is something I never saw fit to do.

Terrasita


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

Terrasita, I will send you a PM in a bit.


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## RICKY BARTLETTE (Jul 21, 2009)

mike suttle said:


> Does your dog need to be forced to retrieve? Are you looking for top level points, or just to earn a title? There are ways other than force to do it. And even if you have to force the dog because it lacks natural strong retrieve drives you can do it with an E collar and it is not such an ugly thing like it can be with a prong on a table.
> i am just asking, not trying to start an arguement here, LOL
> The first few dogs I forced to retrieve was with a prong and it was really ugly and for sure during that same time it would have been pretty stressful to teach the send out and also tracking in conjunction to the retreive as you mentioned in your post.
> If it were me I would do it myself with an e collar if it has to be forced, and with motivation if force is not nescessary and max points are not your goal, especially if you plan to teach several other parts of the routine at the same time along with the retrieve.
> ...


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