I attended one of the George Hickox School of Dog Training’s 3- day schools this past spring. I knew George Hickox primarily as a trainer of pointing dogs, which is not something I do, but decided to attend anyway as it was being offered at one of the local hunting preserves. I am a trainer of pet dogs and I do hunt tests with my labradors.
I am so glad I made the decision to go. What I got out of it was far more than I had anticipated.
Throughout the weekend I watched George solve problems with each student and their dog. It was an enormous learning experience to watch the way he handled each session. Over the course of the three days, I watched as each team achieved success in everything from basic obedience and control to field manners and hunting. A portion of the time was devoted to nutrition, which I initially didn’t think would be useful, but it has proven to be invaluable to me in getting the best out of my dogs.
George helped me with both of the dogs I brought to the school. My puppy was given an excellent introduction to birds that weekend, and he helped me prepare my adult dog for a junior hunt test title by reviving her interest in picking up live birds. His feedback about my dogs and my handling helped us to easily achieve that title this summer, and I am looking forward to continuing in hunt tests in 2020. At the end of the school George sat down with us and talked about safety and preparation for emergencies, real talk about what can go wrong and what to do when it does.
I thought it was an excellent idea to share this safety information. 90% of it I did not know. I hope to never need to use it, but it’s there should I ever need it. Thank you, George, for an incredible learning experience. I hope you make your way back to our area again every year. I highly recommend The George Hickox School to every dog owner no matter their level of experience, what their goals are for their dog, or what breed of dog they have — everyone will benefit from what George has to offer.
Our breeder recommended we check out George Hickox when we decided it was time to train our pointer. We did and I am certain without reservation, George Hickox is much more than the top professional bird dog trainer anywhere. He is passionate about training the owner and dog alike and uses a no-nonsense approach and system that produce a confident handler, trained hunting buddy, and off-season companion. He explains every step of the process to make sure both owner and dog understand how to achieve a well-mannered, stylish hunter and off -season companion. He offers private consultation sessions, which are invaluable.
Like the pro that he is, George can spot a potential issue before it develops and adjust for it. New to training a hunting dog, we and our dog started out with a 3 -day training school in Georgia ,where George taught his proven method, provided evaluation, and finished up with an individualized training program we could continue at home. We came away much more knowledgeable and confident. Some attended without a dog to learn how to train their dog at home and would then return for individualized sessions with their dog. We have genuinely enjoyed training with George, and private consultation sessions have helped us bring our dogs to their potential not only in the field but also as trusting and pleasurable companions at home. George is a real pleasure to work with. He tells you the truth and how to get to where you want to be with your valued companion. We have enjoyed training with George so much that we have now expanded to 3 pointers, all of whom are presently enjoying their summer introduction to Pheasant and Grouse with George at his North Dakota facility.
We brought my Vizsla Pieper at six months of age for one- on- one private sessions with George in Georgia. I furthered my education and Pieper’s training with George at his summer training facility in North Dakota when she was 1 1/2 years old. My goal was to become a more accomplished trainer and have more fun and success with my dog. We left Georgia with greater knowledge and understanding on training our puppy, canine behavior, and how to advance Pieper to an accomplished hunt test dog, personal companion, and hunting partner. With George’s tutelage, we were able to accomplish all our goals. George is passionate about helping owners, is extremely knowledgeable about dogs, understands how canines learn, and communicates with owners extremely effectively.
I have watched George’s videos and followed his training advice. As a result, I am a much better handler, and Pieper is a bragging- rights hunting partner and companion dog. George’s methods prevented issues from occurring, which means we did not have to go backwards and fix unwanted behaviors. Pieper’s training went smoothly as a result. Pieper’s confidence and happiness are evident.
Pieper is now a NAVHDA Utility Prize 1 and has earned the maximum score. She also has 5 legs of 6 towards her AKC Master Hunter title.
With so many people calling themselves professional dog trainers, George is at the top. He has proven his methods to be successful time and again with my Vizsla Pieper.
As an extension of our training, and Pieper’s, we went to North Dakota and hunted wild birds, which included pheasants, sharptails, and Hungarian partridge with George. He has access to beautiful private property that holds numbers of wild birds. Pieper learned how to hunt in different covers, handle wild pheasants with stellar manners, remain steady to wing and shot, and retrieve to hand. She put her training together in the real world of wild- bird hunting. I could not be more proud of my girl or happier with George’s assistance. We are newer hunters and benefited immensely from George’s expertise. Having him as our guide made for a more productive and exciting experience. George offers a a comprehensive and proven program for owners and their dogs at every level. I highly recommend George Hickox and his program for all owners. He will make you a better trainer and your dog excel.
Our mission first started with choosing a breed of dog that would not only be a great companion, but would also have the ability to become a first- class bird dog.
After a considerable amount of time and effort, we found a red setter which we named River.
Now the real work began. We had our companion, and now we needed a trainer. After much research, we were fortunate to find George Hickox.
Our first consultation included training for our pup and for us. George’s no-nonsense, step-by-step methodology and extensive knowledge was impressive and educational. George also provided us with information for the nutritional health and growth for a dog that would become an athlete. We returned home with the tools that would allow us to reinforce his training methods.
We have since returned for multiple private consultations that have been extremely successful in benefiting the development of our bird dog. We spent some time with George while he was training numerous pups of different ages and abilities. These pups were the offspring of Bolt, a champion English Pointer. We were amazed at how much George had accomplished with these pups in such a short amount of time.
River is currently 16 months old. We recently took her on her first hunt. She performed beyond our expectations and is on her way to becoming the bird dog of our dreams. The consistent improvement that we have seen in River is due to George’s proven program.
George’s passion in his profession shows through in the results of his award- winning dogs.
If you desire to become a better trainer and knowledgeable about all facets of dog training, nutrition, and canine behavior, George Hickox will not disappoint you.
Our experience with George will keep us customers for life.