What People Are Saying

Bill and Mary,

I just wanted to write to say a quick thank you for the blog (looks great!) and for getting your training methods out to the public. I am currently training a very high drive but very sensitive little (37 lbs at 9 mo) blf that has done great through your methods. I'm not so sure she would be doing as well with other more traditional training methods for starting retrievers.

Bill, I think you have really changed the way the retriever community trains. I always knew there was a better way to start dogs than what we have done in the past. Your accomplishments and standing in the field trial world have opened a lot of people's eyes to what is in my opinion a better training method. Thank you both for the great work you've done in the DVDs and the blog. Keep up the great work with the dogs and I'll try to do the same on my end.

Sincerely,
Dustin Pate

I first purchased your puppy DVD and thought it was a little costly until I watched it! Mr. Hillmann offers so much more than just dog training. He makes dog training fun again. I'm 69 this year and been training dogs; either Labs or Spanials most of them. "I", like "You", was told there always had to be some pain and a rushed timetable in training. And that would take all the fun out of dog training for me and the dog.

Now I Just received the Fetch DVD and have watched it. And back to the price once again. You can't put a price on quality. Wonderful thoughts and great ideas. The only regret I have is I didn't have your product earlier in my life. I think your products are fresh and great and I would buy more of them. It's so nice to see a different way to peel an apple and you are very very good at it.

Thanks Richard Poulsen

Mary & Bill, A few sentences could not cover what a difference your video has made in my training. Since buying your video my young dog training program has changed for good. We bought an 8 wk old pup named Spirit that I used your program with and the results are unbelievable. She is now 17 months old., and has qualified in 14 straight hunt tests she has titled at the AKC Jr and Sr levels and has a NAHRA started title and also 2 Intermediate passes. All this being accomplished by being 100% steady as a running dog and at the honor position. She has been steady since the age of 15 weeks old. She runs with reckless abandonment but yet is stone steady at the line. I also shot over her in the duck blind at 14months old and used her as a pheasant guide dog for a youth hunt where she was 100% steady to running pheasants and chukar multiple birds being shot and she was perfect in the field. She is uncanny and we hope someday to cross paths and show you what this dog is capable of. I have fully endorsed your program and as a full time professional retriever trainer I tell every client and potential client if you want a head start and make your dog all it can be to get your program. It is by far the best money spent for any retriever owner. I use your method with every retriever that I have the privilege to work with in one facet or another. Take care and as I said in the beginning - - - Thank you, Bill & Judy St.Clair

6 months later Bill writes:

Just wanted to let you know Our Spirit has accomplished some amazing feats over the last few weeks I ran her in 6 hunt tests over a span of 3 weeks well she passed 5 including 3 NAHRA seniors "master level" and 1 intermediate "AKC senior level" and her first AKC master pass she is now 24-25 hunt tests and had gone 23 straight with out a failure....... now here's the kicker in her first Master she was dog three., #1 and #2 broke actually never saw the third bird go down after a flyer #2 diversion bird at about 35 yards away.... Spirit never moved!!!! Bill what can I say your program works and I continue to build upon it as my training foundation.... I have a new pup and was told good luck steadying him Spirit must have been a Fluke well he is six months and is steady too.... it took a little longer but he does not move at the line so much for being a Fluke I just wanted to give you the update and say Thank you I emphasize your teachings to all my clients and to prospective ones as well.... Some day our paths will cross I am sure of this, and I will shake your hand take care and Have a great day.... Bill St.Clair
Blue Collar Retrievers

I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciated and enjoyed your DVD- Training A Retriever Puppy

I'm not new to the Retriever game having trained and handled 4 Master Hunters and with some success in the field Trial Game as a pure amateur.

I picked up my new puppy from Mary Howley-Candlewood Kennels- on September 19, 2009 and followed your DVD Program religiously.

Several times on the DVD you made the comment that the pup is learning all of these things and "he doesn't even know it". How true that statement is. My pup is now a little over 4 months old ad I am extremely happy with our progress. I would never have dreamed of introducing so many things at such a young age in the past. From my early perspective YOUR PROGRAM WORKS.

Dick Andrews,

LeLand, IL

Jennifer Broome at Quinebaug Kennels in CT wrote:

"Bill Hillmann's Puppy Training Video is fantastic! Two winters ago in Florida I trained Treat, my 3 month old field trial bred puppy through his step by step easy to follow training sessions. I had never before in 15 years of training taught a puppy this young to be steady. I watched Bill's video segments each day before our sessions, and I was able to teach my own pup the same lessons through his wonderful techniques. To my surprise, within weeks, my puppy was completely steady and I was able to do stand alone throws from over 40 yards away. Treat excelled in her early training, marking, confidence, patience and control. I now recommend Bill's "Training a Retriever Puppy" to all of my clients as I am confident that it teaches owners how to get the best start for their retrievers."

Bill, I think your legacy in the field trial world and certainly the training and helping of us who may never reach the threshold of talent you possess, can only but surely be enhanced by teaching us what you have indeed experienced in a lifetime journey. The puppy DVD with Nick was and will always be a true asset that will stand the test of time. So, yes, please help us to learn all that we can. You know in the end, the dogs will be the better for it because you have shown us how to treat them and train them in a kind manner.

Thanks for your concern, interest, and kindness,

Scott Miles

Hi Mary,

Found the DVD in my mailbox this evening and just finished watching it. In a word: Revolutionary. In reviewing the credits, with FT awards, were those dogs trained following the basic training featured in your video series? Btw I'm in love with your Senior Advisor! Wonderful to see Him getting the credit due!

Spring 2010, I started Wilma at 10 weeks of age on Bill's first DVD. When she went to break out school as a 6 mos I was told she was the best prepared/obedient pup they (Carol Kachelmeyer and Ann Siemen) have ever gotten in.

Praise I attribute to her great start thru following DVD 1.

3 weeks ago puppy Fred joined the family and he and I are just beginning DVD 1 and I look forward to August or September to progress into the Fetch Command. I thank God for the gifts he has given me for the last 25 yrs of being involved in labrador games, and I am very thankful that He has passed these insights to Bill and you on respectful training methods.

I will let you know how the fetch command goes with Fred. I can't hardly wait to see marking training with a soft collar video!!

Once again thank you very much for taking this stand and producing these and more videos.

To God be the Glory

Sincerely,

Kit McClurg

Modesto CA

Wow! Right from the opening I liked everything that Bill said and everything that Bill did. It was as if his program was tailor made to fit my personality and my learning and training attributes. It is about fun and excitement. It is about building a deep relationship with your dog. As Bill says:

"The most important part to the beginning stages of training is to develop a relationship with the puppy that will create a bond and a partnership. This will be based on respect and kindness. This will create a partnership that will last forever."

The DVD is packed with general philosophy such as this that applies to the time you spend with your pup beginning on your first day together, whether you are playing, walking, feeding, crate training, house-breaking, etc. The specific mechanics that Bill begins demonstrating in Day 1 can easily be adapted to indoor play/training in the early days before the pup is ready for formal outdoor sessions. Bill teaches that advancement in skills and concepts should be presented in small increments - - so small that the pup may not realize that he is learning something new.

Bill also shows us how to develop our instincts to read and manage our dog's energy. His method is free flowing and allows room for creativity from the trainer. Bill has organized a format for all the things that I enjoy about training my dog. And it includes some very important elements that had been sorely lacking from my capabilities. Namely, a method for force fetch and a method for learning to use the e-collar that are 100% compatible with the relationship that I want to have with my dogs.

Colleen and I, and our 5 Goldens, are a work in progress. We feel really good about the kind of progress we are making using Bill's philosophy and methods.

Thanks,
Jim Wegner

I am convinced after watching Bill's video that there would be far fewer washouts in the retriever world if people followed Bills DVD to the letter.

Sounds like a perfect solution for starting a lifetime of success with your pup. I have a new pup coming and I can't wait to train him with the Hillmann's methods.

Keep it fun but maintain the standards and build the decide to retrieve A N D the desire to please.

Tim West

Arcadia Retrievers

Dear Bill -

BIG NEWS -- your method works. Thank you!

My wife and I watched your video multiple times before our puppy was born. Having trained my own retrievers for 40 years and apprenticed with some of the best out there (Bert Carlson, Paul Shoemaker (briefly), Doug Orr and Roy & Jim Gonia), it was hard to change my ways. My wife was persistent and won out.

Now @ 5 months Maat, out female lab puppy: 1) Automatically sits when we get to a door, gate or fence. 2) Sits while I go out 50 -60 yards and throw a wide double and come back and send her. 3) Sits with her parents while i go out 80-90 yards and throw a duck to a salted area to ensure success. 4) Does the retrieve when I call her and delivers to me in the remote position. 5) She'll sit by my side and honor her parents when it's their turn. 6) Retrieving and honoring her parents while my wife shoots and throws ducks. 7) She sits and does puppy overs and backs. 8) She sits while I walk over the chip pile, log or turned over picnic bench. Then she comes on a line after I've called her. Then she does the subsequent retrieve over the obstacle. 8) She sits and will grab the bumper when I say fetch....

Maat still has one puppy incisor left to lose, so it will be another 3 or 4 weeks before we start force breaking. She should sail through this quite well.

The point to all this is that she is a very happy puppy whose never had a bad day in her life. She is a very aggressive retriever whose first move, when I let her out of the kennel, is to run around into the kennel room. She sits in front of the shelf where her bucket of puppy bumpers are and barks at it. She sits and stretches her neck out to put on the collar because it's a preface to getting to retrieve.

She is farther ahead at this stage than any other puppy I have trained. Over the years I've trained 3 field champions, including her great-grandmother (Magic's Black Pearl and her great aunt (Timshal).

Gently and persistently making SIT a way of life for the puppy advances them faster and more easily than what I was doing before.

A possible name for your method of training would be Tao. It's pronounced (D-eow) with a 'd' and the last syllable like meow. Grandmaster Jim Garrison, 9th degree black belt in Hapkido Karate, trains retrievers. He gave me this word when I asked him. It means 'the gentle way' and seems to fit.

Sorry to run on this long, but your method works really well with aggressive, hard going dogs. Maat and I really appreciate your insight.

Thanks again,

John Ball

P.S. We recommended your DVD to all of the people who got our
puppies.

I am such a Fan of the Bill Hillman methodology of training puppies....

I am on my ninth pup now...that I have trained using methods and sequencing on your DVD.

As a Breeder I only want the best for my pups and my puppy customers and that means SUCCESS.

SUCCESS starts with a Solid Foundation of Training...and that equates to using your DVD.

The Bill Hillmann DVDs are a fantastic step by step method that walks you toward gaining that training success. I recommend your DVD to all my puppy Customers.

Blessings,

Karen Gilbert

Redstar Kennels

Hemlock, MI.

Dear Mr. Hillman,

Training a Retriever Puppy video was, and still is, my Labrador Bible for guidance.

September 9th we came into possession of a beautiful 7 week old black lab whom we named Gunner.

Your knowledge shared through easy to understand step by step training techniques opened a door into a world previously considered most intimidating to me. Your soft spoken plain talk allowed me to think I too could succeed in guiding Gunner into becoming a great retriever companion.

Long before September 9th your video was listened to over and over while writing page after page of notes outlining

important points you stressed. My loving wife Cyndy listened for hours from the kitchen somewhat a doubting Thomas I could muster the loving patience you profess throughout your video.

I will not lie I was afraid of failing my new pup in his training.

With a doubt filled mind and fear tugging at the heart I placed faith in God first with your video running a very close second, it was at that point we began training.

Well, I'm here to say your words rang true as to what would happen if followed. The training your video taught me won those following days, months and year.

Mr. Hillman, please know Gunner is now a joy to watch and work in concert with in the field. Thank you from the bottom of both our hearts.

All the compliments he and I get belong to you sir. If not for Training a Retriever Puppy video none of that would be happening today.

I owe it all to your willingness to share years of professional training producing world champion dogs and a much deserved reputation as the best of the best.

May God richly bless you and your family with health and happiness now and in the days to come.

Sincerely and respectfully yours, Steven R. Higgins

Jennifer Broome at Quinebaug Kennel in Connecticut wrote:

Bill Hillmann's video "Training your Pet with the Electronic Collar" is a wonderful video. Many dog owners are intimidated by remote electronic training collars simply because they do not know how to properly use them, or they have seen them misused. Bill's "soft collar" method uniquely combines play time, teaching, and reinforcing in a clear step by step program that all dogs can not only grasp quickly, but most importantly they readily and happily enjoy the methods. A dog that has been trained fairly and properly to the remote electronic training collar not only enjoys more free off leash time, their owners equally feel at ease knowing that they can safely control their pets and reinforce the all important recall command. Another great video Bill!

Dear Bill and Mary,

Just a short note to tell you how much I appreciate your work. I have three of the four videos you have produced.

They have been very educational and frankly, I believe they have opened my eyes and a lot of others to a new, better way of training our beloved retrievers.

One of the biggest changes to the more traditional ways of training that I see in your work is looking for and teaching "Contrasts in behavior". That is, rewarding the good behavior, and extinguishing the bad behavior by removing the reward. A far cry from punishment training! Far too often, we as trainers can let emotion dictate the lesson, and you do a remarkable job of not letting emotion enter into the picture. As they say, "Teach the lesson, don't lessen the teach!"

One of my favorite quotes.."The fidelity of a dog is a precious gift demanding no less binding moral responsibilities than the friendship of a human being. The bond with a dog is as lasting as the ties of this earth can ever be" --Konrad Lorenz, 1903-1989.

Keep up the great work, you and Mary are influential in the way we approach training our beloved animals.

With Kind Regards,

Don Wildes

Tim Harris at Rugged Retrievers in CO wrote:

I feel personally this is the best retriever training video I've ever seen. Most videos show either the finished product being run on a set-up, which, don't get me wrong, is good. They show the trainer's finished product. Others show the start of training and then 3 weeks later here is where the dog is etc, etc. What I like about your video is the fact there is no off camera training. Absolutely perfect! This is what so many people need, but haven't been able to find.

Over the years, I've had several clients tell me they wish there was a video that showed each day of training vs just showing the beginning and the end. Well now they have it. Your DVD is head & heels above the rest. You and Bill have done a great job! I encourage my clients with puppies and older dogs to buy a copy. There is such a wealth of information in this video.

Hi Mary-

The DVD was absolutely terrific, just the tool we needed to get our new pup off to a good start. My husband and I have had Flat-Coats for over 25 years and run primarily in hunt tests (very occasionally Qualifying if we have one that's good enough.) We've just started a 16 week old male and are following your DVD "by the book." We're thrilled with the results. Our little guy comes out happy, wanting to chase and find his bumpers and birds. He's getting steadier every session and is showing excellent focus all of which I attribute to Bill's wisdom and good daily lessons.

This definitely will make training progressions so much easier for all of us.

I also want to compliment you on both the quality and the format of the DVD. It's easy to watch and very listener friendly-the voice over was a great idea. The pace and the daily repetitions are wonderful examples in and of themselves, making it really easy to understand how puppies learn and why they can't be rushed or pushed. (I'm an obedience trainer by profession-wish I'd had a dime for every time I've said "slow down, take it easy, do it again and again" to the puppy classes!)

Sorry to be so long-winded, but I just wanted to let you know how much we liked it. Any more in the future??

Good luck with your dogs, although I'm pretty sure that luck has nothing to do with all the success you've had.

Your DVD definitely proves that!

Thanks again, take care, Martha McCluskey

Hi Bill & Mary,

I just finished watching the video entirely. I appreciated Bill's thorough explanations & demonstrations. This is the best video I've seen for training basic obedience commands. It allows you to see the dog make mistakes then learn from them. Bill demonstrates in detail from day one (placing the dog in position & teaching the commands) to increasing distance and reinforcement with the soft collar. I feel good for the dogs whose owners use this video. Bill obviously understands dogs, training & how to use the electronic collar properly. It's a video that not only dog owners will appreciate but also the dogs! I highly recommend this video to anyone that wants to train their own dog. I didn't intend for the above paragraph to be a review but it could be (smile). I was just putting my feelings in writing to you.

Susan Pilkerton

Waller, TX

Owner: Sunsplash Competition Obedience ( currently in Waller, TX ) & A Better Companion Dog Training (previously in Houston, TX) 30 years experience teaching puppy, basic & competition obedience along with teaching advanced tracking. Breeder of Obedience and Agility Champion Golden Retrievers.

Trained 9 Golden Retrievers to the highest level in obedience competition. All are in the Obedience Hall of Fame and were/are nationally ranked, (5-OTCH, 5-TDX, 5-Perfect Scores, numerous agility, hunting titles and more).