About Big Sky Kennels

What they offer

Big Sky Kennels is a hunting dog training group based in Grand Forks, with a training ranch in Rye Township outside town. Master trainer John Staley has been producing started gun dogs since 1989, working mainly with flushing spaniels and retrievers.

Training programs

Puppy conditioning socializes young pups, teaches them to walk calmly on a lead and ride in a crate, and builds retrieving and recall. Started gun dog training teaches quartering within gun range, upland and field waterfowl sets, retrieving on land and water and basic obedience such as heel, sit, stay and come, with weekly written progress reports to the owner. Intermediate, finished and advanced programs add steadiness to wing and flush, blind retrieves and handling on hand signals.

Facility and method

The ranch covers 150 acres of grassland and cattail sloughs, and the kennel raises its own birds for training. The kennel says it uses positive reinforcement backed by repetition and does not use electric collars. Boarding is also offered.