Oddly, $8k can be cheap. A good gun dog costs $600/mo to train and can take about two years to fully train. I’m going to send my next one for forced retrieve training because I might not do it right and ruin the dog.
Exactly right. I have sent both my younger dogs to a pro for force fetch. I did my oldest dog myself and it didn’t “take” very well. On the other hand, she was 5 y.o. when she started retrieving, so we started late.
Pound pups are fine for a pet (although there are very real risks with temperament problems and disease). But if you are going to be working your dog, you’re better off with a well bred purebred from a reputable breeder.
If you can do it, try a George Hickox class. I did a 3 day private lesson with him earlier this year and a 4 day group class with him the previous year with my GSP and he is fantastic.