About Strickland's Kennels

Ryan Strickland and Reload

In 1990, I started training retrievers. First I used books and videos to train my own dogs. Then in 1994, I became a bird boy for Mr. Bob Reckart of Amberwood Kennels in OH. I worked as an associate trainer and bird boy for Mr. Reckart until he was in an unfortunate vehicle accident in October of 2008.

Mr. Reckart maintains a web site at www.amberwoodkennels.net.

After 5 years of throwing birds and bumpers for Mr. Reckart, he let me run his older, more experienced dogs to teach me how to properly run a finished retriever. After a couple of years of this type of training, I learned the art of Force Fetching and other retriever handling skills which I still use today as a professional trainer. Over the years I became skilled in new techniques of training for different types of behaviors that a retriever needs to be a good companion and hunting partner. Since 2004, I have devoted all my training to my own clients. You can visit my Referral page and call any of our listed clientel. All have agreed to have their name and number shown.

I am an avid outdoorsman, and I enjoy all types of hunting. Most of my hunting excursions involve chasing after waterfowl with a retriever. My personal hunting dogs are Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. I do enjoy hunting for deer, doves, and turkeys as well. I am also an AKC Judge for Retriever Hunt Test. I work as a full time police Captain with the Kenansville Police Department and a part time reserve Captain with the Beulaville Police Department.

Josh Batchelor and Tar

Josh Batchelor began working for Strickland's Kennels in 2005. Initially, he came looking for help training his older hunting dog and looking for a puppy which we all know now as Tar.

Josh helps out with the basic obedience training, collar conditioning, and force fetching for Strickland's Kennels. He has also trained dogs to an AKC Senior level.. I taught Josh everything I know about retriever training from being a bird boy to running a finished Master Hunter. Josh is also an AKC Hunt Test Judge. He has run and passed dogs at all levels of the AKC hunt test program, including Junior, Senior, and Master levels. Josh has also worked with Danny & Peggy Ramsey of Steelshot Retrievers.

About Steelshot Retrievers

Josh and I have teamed up with Peggy Ramsey of Steelshot Retrievers to offer our clients the full range of retriever training work. Ryan and Josh specialize in working young and old dogs on obedience training. We also get young retrievers started in force fetching, swimming, decoys, gun shots, and all the other things that a working retriever has to learn. Peggy Ramsey, of Steelshot Retrievers, works with all the older more advanced dogs. She runs them in hunt test from the AKC Junior Hunter level all the way up to the AKC Master Hunter level.

Steelshot Retriever's is a training and competing kennel specializing in Labrador retrievers for AKC Hunt Tests. The dogs at Steelshot are personally trained and Handled by Peggy Ramsey. Peggy has 18 years experience training hunting retrievers & became a Pro in 2003. Peggy has trained many of her personal labs, to the Master Level. Our program uses high praise and the use of attrition. Steelshot's Training program is designed to fit you and your dogs needs, from puppy hood to finished retriever. Steelshot only takes 6 to 8 retrievers, so the dogs can get one on one attention to their training needs. You will be asked to join in on your retriever’s lessons and learn how to communicate to your dog, the lessons he has already learned. Three reasons to have your gun dog trained # 1 Obedience: an obedient dog is a pleasure to hunt and live with. #2 Saftey: An obedient and handling dog is controllable at a distance. #3 Conservation: An obedient and handling dog will assist in conservation of down birds, which could have been lost.