I’m excited to be offering in-person bird dog training sessions in North Carolina to help you train your dog. These lessons are tailored to you and your pointing dog’s experience level, goals, and current challenges—whether you’re just getting started or preparing for the next step in testing, trialing, or hunting. These are open to anyone with a pointing dog.
Sessions can focus on skills such as: bird introductions, gunfire acclimation, steadiness training, retrieve training, backing, and more. Questions? Email me at terryann@accidentalbirddog.com or book a short free call to discuss what you are looking for.
Bird Dog Foundations Package
New to the bird dog world and want to start proper bird and gun exposure with your dog?
This 3-lesson package is designed to introduce your dog to birds, hunting, and field work in a positive, structured way while also teaching you how to work with your dog in the field. Lessons should be completed within 1–2 months. Training will include bird introductions, pigeons and electronic launchers, pointing development, beginning hunting skills, field handling, and gunfire acclimation.
The first session will be one hour in length. The following two sessions will each be two hours long.
By the end of the program, most dogs will be comfortably hunting and pointing birds with a positive association to gunfire, though additional lessons may be recommended depending on the dog. Location will be the Sandhills Pointing Breeds Club in Jackson Springs, NC but I am willing to travel if you have access to another suitable location.
Cost is $400
Group Lessons
Group lessons will be held monthly in a supportive, newbie-friendly environment. We will have a max of four dogs. Each dog will be rotated throughout the morning and worked individually. The small group format will allow you to get personalized attention and feedback and also learn from others. My goal is to build camaraderie in the group so you can meet other local owners and potentially train together at other times. If you have more than one dog, please register for one spot for each dog. These are drop-in lessons – you don’t have to come every month.
Location
Sandhills Pointing Breeds Club
3280 Jackson Springs Rd
Jackson Springs, NC 27281
We’ll start promptly at 8am so try to arrive a little early to sign in, let your dog relieve itself, etc. We’ll meet near the tractor shed/quail barn and decide where to go once everyone has arrived.
Group Lesson Dates
Sunday, July 19 (full)
Saturday, August 22
Saturday, September 12
Sunday, October 18
Cost: $75 per dog per session
The Sandhills Pointing Breeds Club is a 100-acre private bird dog training club. You may attend up to three lessons as my guest. After three visits, you will need to join the club if you’d like to continue. More information about membership can be found on their website. The club has live pigeons which can be used for many dogs. If we use quail for your dog, they will be an additional cost of $5/each, payable the day of the lesson via Venmo or cash. I should have quail beginning with the August 22nd lesson.
Individual Lessons
Each lesson is a one-hour private session for you and your dog. They are designed to give you clear guidance, hands-on support, and a plan you can continue at home. Locations will vary – I will get in touch with you and we’ll discuss what is best. Sessions with live birds will likely need to take place at the Sandhills Pointing Breeds Club in Jackson Springs, NC. I am located in Raleigh, North Carolina but willing to travel.
Cost is $85 per one-hour lesson.
Steadiness Intensive Package
Who is this for?
This package is designed for dogs ready for steadiness work around live birds. Dogs should already have bird and gun exposure and be enthusiastically hunting for birds. They may have already completed beginner-level tests or trials such as Junior Hunter, NAVHDA Natural Ability, run in juvenile field trial stakes, or had a season of hunting. Dogs must have a solid whoa or stop command away from birds.
This is ideal for handlers who want focused, accelerated progress without sending their dog away for training. If you don’t have reliable access to live birds or live far from training grounds, this is a good way to get a lot of work done in short amount of time.
Format
This Steadiness Intensive includes four private half-day sessions (4 hours each). Sessions can be scheduled on consecutive days or spaced out based on your schedule and travel needs. I would recommend no more than one month between sessions. Training is structured in multiple short working sessions with rest periods, discussion, and handler coaching built in to maximize learning without mentally overloading the dog.
Process
We will follow a step-by-step progression to ensure the dog is able to do the expected task (stand still) in situations that are more and more distracting. We will start with expecting the dog to stand through thrown pigeons, then progress to pointing birds on the ground. We will work on stop to flush, steady to shot, and quail/chukar as the dog advances. Backing will also be introduced. We will strike a balance between challenging the dog and building confidence. Handler timing and consistency will be an important part of the process and you will learn how to handle your dog – I will not be holding the check cord!
Expected Outcomes
My objective is to progress each dog as far as possible in the steadiness process over the four sessions. While every dog advances differently, most handlers will leave the intensive with a dog that is standing through wing and shot and is showing reliability around loose birds.
While this program is not intended to fully finish a dog in four sessions, it is designed to create a clear understanding of steadiness expectations and provide handlers with the tools needed to continue progressing confidently on their own.
Club Membership Requirement
Training sessions will be held on private club grounds. Per club policy, non-members are required to apply for membership after three visits in order to continue training on the property. I’m happy to walk clients through the process if needed. Membership fees are paid separately to the club and are not included in training pricing ($125/year for a single person or $160/year for a household). As a member, you can access the property as much as you like and use the grounds to continue your training.
Cost
$1,650. This includes all pigeons and quail used during the intensive.
Most dogs will benefit from continued follow-up training sessions after the intensive to reinforce steadiness in new locations and in more challenging hunting scenarios. Ongoing training or virtual coaching sessions are available for clients who wish to continue progressing after the program.
If you’d like to learn more about whether this program is right for you and your dog, please email me or set up a call to discuss.
My Training Philosophy
My approach to training has been shaped by more than a decade of hands-on experience, continuous learning, and, most importantly, my first bird dog—Zara.
Zara, my 12-year-old Vizsla, started out as a pet. Over time, she became a Master Hunter, a NAVHDA Versatile Champion, and earned multiple placements and wins in AKC field trials. That journey wasn’t straightforward. When I was getting started, I struggled to find clear, effective resources—and I made plenty of mistakes along the way. That experience is exactly why I’m so passionate about helping others navigate the process with more clarity and confidence.
At the core of my philosophy is this: dogs learn best when they understand what’s being asked of them.
I prioritize teaching and shaping behaviors using positive reinforcement first. This allows the dog to truly understand the task without confusion or unnecessary pressure. While this approach can take more time upfront, it builds a strong foundation and results in a dog that is confident, engaged, and genuinely happy to work.
Once a behavior is well understood and the dog is fluent, I may introduce appropriate pressure—such as low-level e-collar stimulation or leash pressure—to reinforce expectations and provide clarity. At that stage, pressure isn’t used to teach, but to communicate and maintain standards the dog already understands.
Much of how I train bird dogs today has been heavily influenced by the Perfection Kennel method. What I value most about this approach is its incremental nature. Skills are introduced step-by-step, ensuring the dog is never asked to make a leap in understanding that they’re not prepared for. A helpful way to think about this is through a school analogy: if a dog is at a “fifth-grade” level in their training, we shouldn’t expect them to perform “college-level” concepts like full steadiness to wing, shot, and fall. Yet this is a common mistake—taking dogs into advanced hunting scenarios before they truly understand foundational behaviors like “whoa.” I know this firsthand, because it’s exactly how I initially tried to steady Zara—and it didn’t work.
In addition to Perfection Kennel, I’ve incorporated elements from other respected methods, including aspects of the West/Gibbons/Lindley approach. More recently, I attended a seminar with Nate Czarnota of Iron Oak Dog Company, where I was introduced to the NePoPo system. This method blends reward-based training with clear, consistent pressure, and I’ve found it to be a valuable addition—especially in maintaining motivation and clarity throughout more advanced stages of training.
My philosophy isn’t about rigidly following one system—it’s about understanding the dog in front of me and applying thoughtful, fair, and effective training that sets them up for success.
If you ever have questions about how or why I train the way I do, I’m always happy to talk through it.
–Terry Ann
