Ryan Hendrickson

I received my first dog at the age of 15, a $200 yellow lab I named Maddie. Growing up as an avid outdoorsman in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Maddie joined me on most of my outdoor adventures. With very little knowledge and a pocket full of milk bones; Maddie turned out to be a very obedient and serviceable gun dog. It wasn’t until I met a field trial pro, who spent his summers in my hometown, that I saw a retriever’s full potential. Spending time around a professional, I soaked up every bit of knowledge I could. My next step in the retriever world would take me 992 miles away from home, training with a hunt test kennel in Shelby NC. I learned valuable lessons about a kennel setting and also trained multiple competition, obedience and gun dogs daily.

I currently own three Labrador retrievers. Maddie, now 11, spent five years in the field with me. A leg injury forced her into an early retirement. She now enjoys her days relaxing on the couch. Miss Ava Mae, currently 5, took over for Maddie in 2015. She has picked up around 1200 ducks and geese through 3 seasons of waterfowl hunting. She loves her job as a retriever and has many more good seasons ahead of her. Lucy, a 5 month old black lab is the newest addition. She's currently enjoying her time as a playful puppy before her formal training starts shortly. 

Through all my endeavors, I have picked up many pieces of knowledge that aid me in training. I truly believe these animals are our loving companions and not merely utilities. My training methods are fully built around each individual dog. Building a relationship, reading and understanding them are all important parts of working toward our goals as handler and dog.