Stevenson Gun Dog and Obedience

My partner and I strongly recommend Stevensons Gun Dog and Obedience! Our pointer lab mix Maverick was here for 3 months for both obedience and hunting and his progress from start to finish was amazing to watch. Both Jeff and Kade took in Maverick as if he was their own dog. We had weekly visits to see his progress, and week after week you could see improvement. We felt like Maverick was 100% safe and healthy in Jeff and Kades care and we will be taking our future dogs to get trained here. We can’t wait to take Maverick hunting to show off his skills this fall!!

Thank you again for everything Jeff and Kade!

-Allie and Jonathan

I will forever recommend Jeff and Kade till the end of time. I (along with an ex-husband) have brought two dogs to their facility. One, a young male black lab for both the gun dog & obedience training. The second, a spicey little female german shepard mix, for his advanced obedience course. Both very different temperaments, both very different styles of energy. And both turned into a joy to live life along with.

The lab, Duke, I'm told is a wonderful buddy to have out hunting. He was an absolute joy to share a home with, and he behaved SO GOOD for myself on leashed walks, unleashed play time. Its insane to see a stumbly little lab turn into a well behaved and mannered life partner both in home and in the feild. Jeff did great with that little string bean of a dopey lab 🥰

The shepard mix, Kia, was not the friendliest of puppys. Play meant teeth, 24/7. She was horrible on leashed walks. She had SO MUCH ENERGY and would let it out in the most unfavorable ways. I'd always owned labs, and lab mixes, and only males. So a female german shepard spicey land shark was a whole new experience for me. And I was definitely in a bit over my head with her. As soon as she was old enough, I sent her to Jeff & Kade. At first I thought she might miss me. On my first visit, I relized she was having a great time. You can just see it in their expression and body language. She loved the guys. And durring every visit, I almost guarantee I said something along the lines of "Thats insane".

Never did I think she would get to a point where she could be placed and stay there until released. That was insane. I whole heartedly didnt think I'd get to experience the off leashe luxury with Kia.

Today I picked her up from daycare, and it was the first time we could fetch further that 5 feet in the yard, as she wasnt on leashe. She was LOVING IT. We practiced heeling while walking along the perimeter of the yard, sitting and staying until released, and placing. We had people walk by, and she didnt bat an eye.

Not everyone is lucky enough to find such trainers like Jeff & Kade. Theyve done incredible work with Kia. I'm so proud of her I could litterally cry.

Forever thankful to have found them.

Cannot say enough good things about this place! Jeff and Kade are fantastic at what they do. I left them with my 10 month old pointer for obedience and hunt training for 3 months. I was worried about leaving her for so long in the hands of someone else, but after visiting for the first time (and many more) it was clear how much they care for the dogs. My dog is a skittish creature but she warmed up to them quicker than any "strangers" she's ever met and loved them from then on. I struggled with some of the training on my own, because my pup is a bit of a wild child, but the rapid progress they made with her was mind blowing. From being timid of water when I dropped her off, to plunging into the water and swimming through decoys to fetch birds, it was a crazy transformation. They also trained her to work upland birds and her drive is still there, but with patience and recall for the field plus delivering birds to hand, they turned her into exactly what I wanted! She came back after three months with the her same lovely personality traits, but so well trained and obedient + ready to hit the field. She clearly loved her time there and all she wants to do is work now, until she hits the couch and is back to being a cuddle bug. What an awesome experience and I can't wait to get her out this year. Put your trust in Stevenson Gun Dog and Obedience and you won't be disappointed. Thank you Jeff and Kade!!

Jeff and Kade took our 7 month old GSP and taught him obedience, manners and field skills in an unbelievable 3 months! Lincoln is now a great dog that is a joy to have in the house and a companion. I am so blessed to have found Jeff and Kade. I will recommend anyone to have them as trainers. Lincoln was treated with love and affection. It was so apparent at our weekly visit’s that he was happy and very well taken care of. Jeff and Kade will always be here for you even after the training is done. I can not express enough the gift they have as trainers. We will be forever grateful for all the work they have done. Thank you so much.

My dad has sent all of his dogs to Jeff for hunting, and as his lab is retiring we thought we would put mine in training. I was initially really nervous to be away from my Golden Retriever Rider, and nervous because Rider was timid and jumpy. I thought he might be gun shy or hunting may not be fun for him, but wanted to try it and see! After my first visit it was clear that Rider was enjoying his time there. Jeff was really patient and you can tell how much he genuinely cares about each dog. There was a ton of time and energy spent on Rider and he came back from training better than I ever expected. It was awesome going to visits and seeing how much improvement Rider had and how much he liked Jeff. I highly recommend if you’re looking for a driven bird dog to send him/her Jeff’s way!

We dropped our 7 1/2 month chocolate lab off at Stevenson Gun Dog in March and picked him up this past week. All I can say is I am not sure if this is the same dog I dropped off 3 months ago.

The dog we dropped off was a rambunctious, leash pulling, counter surfing, food begging, lovable, but difficult lab, who had no real interest in keeping his attention focused on any one thing for more than about 10 seconds (unless it was our dinner plates). The dog we got back was a cool, collected, very focused dog, who no longer leash pulled, jumped, or begged for food.

Don't get me wrong the bird training was fantastic and he got our lab to not only love finding birds, but also got him to love going into the water (which for some reason this lab had no interest in before). However, the day to day obedience and calm demeanor we now have with our lab has gone volumes with reducing the stress in our home.

As far as the bird training goes Jeff knows how to develop a dog's nose and to get him to understand what his job is once he is in the field. Jeff starts at a very basic level with the forced fetch (which is done in a very humane way), and by the time the dog has that down, the retrieving, introduction to the shotgun, and tracking down birds all fall into place. The first 8 weeks is so important in developing the dog, and I now realize there is so much more to a trained hunting dog then just throwing him out in the field and hoping he finds some birds for you. There is a skill to it, and it can be developed, and that's what Jeff excels at so well.

A couple other things we found to be very unique with Stevenson Gun Dog compared to other trainers we looked at was Jeff's facility is impeccably clean. There is no smell, no dog poop on the ground, no barking from the kennel, nothing to indicate this was a dog training facility. In addition, Jeff allows you to come out once a week to visit your dog, so you can not only "love him up", as Jeff says, but to see the progress he is making, and it is amazing to see from week to week. Jeff keeps very few dogs in his facility at one time so they all get plenty of time and attention.

If you are considering having your dog started and are looking at trainers, I will save you some time, and tell you to go see Jeff. You will not be disappointed, and when you pick your dog up you will wonder like I did, "is this the same dog I dropped off."

I have had two Labradors go through training with Jeff. Both dogs did the 8 week program. When asked what I think of Stevenson Gun Dog my reply is very simple - Jeff Stevenson is the only dog trainer I will take my dogs to, period. Here are just a few reasons why - He loves what he does and he loves dogs and training. Jeff is a student of dog training and has quietly become an elder statesman of dog obedience and gun dog training. When I come to visit my dogs they are so fired up and don't even want to come home. Jeff takes pride in how clean and orderly his kennel is. Lastly, Jeff does the training and no one else other than his son who is learning the Jeff Stevenson way works with the dogs. Jeff is honest and trustworthy and will tell you the way it is with your pooch. Lastly and most important to you hunters - he delivers. My dogs go in with a blank slate and they come out obedient hunting machines but still your best friend.

Amazing! Jeff had our border collie walking perfectly on a leash within just a few minutes. He also gave us some very helpful insight on how a dog thinks and how we can work towards having the perfect dog. Definitely recommend him for anyone who needs a dog trained.

I sent my German Shorthair here and he was returned back a new dog. His obedience is top notch. The behavior issues we had with him are no longer there. He listens so well. I can’t wait to get him out pheasant hunting this year.

We dropped our golden retriever off at 7 months with barely any training before hand. We gave him to Jeff for 4 months and let him work his magic. He is a completely different dog now. He has all the playful energy a puppy should have but can now control it. He listens to all of our commands and is amazing in the fiel. Jeff let us work with him every weekend we had him at training not only to show us the progress but to help us as well. Truly an amazing guy to work with thanks Jeff

I cannot express enough how much I love the training provided by Jeff. I brought my dog Duke to Jeff at 8 months old. I did both Trained Retrieve and Waterfowl training. I was very nervous, as Duke is my first gun dog. Jeff put me at ease on drop off. I was able to see the kennels and training facilities that I would be leaving Duke at. The training that Jeff provided is second to none, without any hidden fees like much other gun dog trainers. Duke now knows casting, sit to whistle, steady to gun fire, collar trained, steady in the blind, trained Retrieve, heel, and off leash obedience. Another thing that other trainers dont offer is coming to train with jeff and your dog. No other trainer wants you to come visit and work with your dog one on one with trainer guidance. That was a driving factor to get me to Stevenson Gun Dog. This will be Dukes first hunt, and I dont have a doubt in my mind about how well his training will work. Thank you Jeff, and keep up the amazing training. I cannot wait to bring Duke back for any other specialized training, or future dogs.

Jeff is the best! He did obedience training with Rosie, our labradoodle who is a little over a year old, and she is a different dog (in a good way) coming home! When she went to Jeff she was a barker, jumper, excited pee-er, pulled heavily on walks, chewed and did ALL the puppy things. After 4 weeks with Jeff, she has so much more self control and is overall a much calmer dog. She no longer jumps on us/visitors and my 4 year old daughter can even walk her (which would have never happened before)! It was worth every penny and I would recommend Jeff over and over again.

I sent our Boykin Spaniel to Jeff because he was one of the few trainers in the area that had experience with the breed and their “soft” temperament. I did the 8 week trained retrieve program and a month of field training. The experience overall was amazing! He not only trains your 4-legged hunting partner but also the 2-legged owners and informs you every step of the way to get the most out of the training. Our dog came back super obedient, bird crazy! And most importantly like they just came back from a vacation. I highly recommend Jeff and his services, especially if you want as much potential out of your hunting companion as possible. Thanks Jeff!

Just had my first 'enjoyable' walk with Saber since he's been home from training with Jeff Stevenson.
Saber is a driven hunting dog and we sent him for obedience training once before (shall not be named) and they said he'd have to he on the prong / pinch collar for years until 'he figured it out."
We signed up for Gun Dog Training with Jeff and with in 2 weeks, Saber was heeling at our side OFF leash. We completed training and I was nervous that back home, in suburbia, different environment from Jeff's - he'd still be a nightmare to walk.
He did GREAT. What a difference! Saber was at my side the entire walk of 3 miles.
Besides the outstanding hunting training (what my husband cares about), Jeff's advanced obedience training is amazing (what I care about 😀). Saber is our family companion and my husband's hunting companion... having a great dog in both areas is so great
Thank you so much!!

Jeff is incredible. We both have nothing but positive things to say about him, his training styles, or the outcome. He is happy to answer any questions and explain why he does what he does.

It is approaching a year since our yellow lab was with Jeff and the training still sticks. The obedience and gun training have been a major positive in our dogs development.

We would recommend Jeff to anyone looking for dog obedience and/or gun training.

I'm sending my second retriever to Jeff next spring. He is a joy to work with, always more than willing to share his knowledge and we refer to him as "The Dog Whisperer". He runs an outstanding program and your dogs are in great hands.

We are so grateful for the obedience training, our dog received. Jeff went beyond our expectations and treated our dog and us like family. He always took the time to answer our questions and share his knowledge. We know our dog was in the best hands possible. Jeff called the very next day we took our dog home. To make sure all was well you can’t go wrong bringing your dog to Jeff.
Julie M

I am one of those people Jeff mentioned. I had taken my chocolate lab to a trainer before Jeff(wish I would have found Jeff in the begining). Got my dog back from the first trainer in time to go to South Dakota. Remey did nothing he walked behind us the whole time. I called the trainer and he was like try this and that still didn't work. Came home from South Dakota disappointed. Found Jeff and all I can say is wow. I think he gave me a different dog. We took a tour of the facility and we were in awwww. Jeff was so personable and really cares for the dogs like they are his own. That made us feel so comfortable leaving Remey. He even got spoiled and will only drink out of the hose ( thanks Jeff lol). Remey is a hunting machine like I said I think he gave me a different dog. Can't say enough great things about Jeff. When we get another puppy I know where he is going right away. Thanks Jeff you are top notch and thank you for caring for our family members like they are your own. Remington(Remey) and family

Jeff is an excellent trainer. Training is customized between what you require/want out of a hunting companion and the demeanor/personality of the dog. Some dogs require more training in one area than others. Jeff keeps you constantly updated on progress and what he feels are next steps in progress towards what you have mutually agreed upon. We couldn’t be happier with the work he did with Booker (German Wirehair). We have scheduled his next student, Jax. (Another Wirehair).

Jeff did a fantastic job with the care and training of our dog Dakota. As a dog owner, I feel, there is always a little apprehension in leaving your dog in someone else’s care. Especially today, when everything is put under a microscope and horror stories are a click away on social media outlets. My weekly visits put my mind at ease. Her training progressed as I had hoped. Dakota appeared healthy, happy, and her demeanor was unwavering. Thanks Jeff for a fantastic experience.
Patrick Lynch