1. Every dog deserves a forever home where it can grow old and retire gracefully.
  2. Cookie cutter training programs often weed out those who don’t perform to standard in the short run. Persistence and determination can succeed when you’re willing to go the distance.
  3. Training retrievers is a labor intensive sport. There are no shortcuts to success.
  4. Retriever Fever is a compulsive disorder brought on by wagging tails and genuine companionship with a dog.
  5. Training, testing and trialing will drain your piggy bank.
  6. Retriever Fever will cause you to dream of setting everything and buying 50 acres with tech water in the middle of nowhere.
  7. Don’t go looking at puppies unless you are prepared to come home with one.
  8. The IRS will not let you claim your retriever as a dependent.
  9. Buy pet insurance or establish an emergency fund. You will need on or the other.
  10. There’s a big difference between “handling” a dog in an event and actually training one.
  11. Scouting for new training spots while driving isn’t reckless driving, so I tried to tell the officer. 
  12. Gift giving becomes easier for your family & friends. There’s an endless “need” for retriever equipment, clothes, training devices etc etc.