About Ryckman Kennels

Ryckman Kennels in Boerne

Ryckman Kennels is a rural training kennel in Boerne offering board-to-train obedience and retriever programs, along with guided hunts, snake training and Labrador Retrievers. The trainers say they have over 55 years of experience between them.

Obedience Board to Train

The obedience program prefers dogs at 6-7 months old at drop-off and covers on- and off-leash work with distractions, including cats, other dogs, chickens and children. Dogs learn Come, Heel, Sit, Stay and Down, practice Leave It, and work on manners such as jumping, nuisance barking and nibbling. Commands are taught by positioning, conditioning and praise. Around seven weeks in, the family attends a first training session of about 1.5-2 hours, and the dog stays another 7-14 days to finish the off-leash portion. Pricing starts from $3,000.00, and dogs over 1 year may incur an additional charge.

Retriever Training

The retriever program includes the full obedience program, then builds the retrieve on the dog's natural desire, with Hold and Fetch it Up taught through praise instead of force fetch. Dogs are conditioned to gunfire with a blank pistol and dummy launcher before moving to live and dead birds.

What to ask

Ask about retriever program pricing and what snake training covers.