About Dreamwork Gun Dogs

Versatile hunting dogs near Polson

Dreamwork Gun Dogs is Mark Westerlund's gun dog training kennel and Pudelpointer breeding program in Polson. He writes that he has been training hunting dogs for 25 years and went from part-time to full-time professional trainer in 2008. He has trained Labs and Chessies but specializes in versatile breeds such as Pudelpointers, German Shorthairs, Wirehairs, Vizslas, Griffons, Spinone and Munsterlanders, along with the French Brittany and Braque Francais. Training is aimed at the average hunter and at NAVHDA testing.

Programs

Full-time training runs six months of the year, with dogs staying for the length of their program. Head Start, for puppies 8-16 weeks, covers socialization, introducing birds, field work, gun exposure, retrieving and water, all using positive reinforcement. Started Dog, for pups 6-12 months, teaches sit, stay, come and whoa by voice and whistle, e-collar work, search, pointing, steadiness and track/drag, and takes at least three months. Finished Dog, for dogs 1 1/2 years and up, includes force fetch, steadiness to wing, shot and fall, duck search and tracking downed game, aiming for NAVHDA Utility test level.

Prices

Training is $1,500 a month, including dog food, birds and boarding. At the end of a program, owners are invited to spend an afternoon and the next morning working the dog with the trainer.