Chalk me up as another satisfied customer of Willow Creek. Amber Sassen did a wonderful job working with my setter this past year! Owning a type of setter that is known to be “soft,” I was a little reluctant to send him off for training. Amber did a great job of staying flexible and working with him. Willow Creek says they don’t run a dog through a set program, and I can attest to that statement. My setter came home more confident, and very well trained (both obedience and hunting). I flew down from Alaska for 4 days, and tagged along with Amber as she worked with a number of other dogs. It was a great learning experience, and a fun trip. Amber is a good trainer, with the right mix of caring and control with the dogs she was training. Paxson has adjusted well to being back home, and did great in the field this past fall! What a great facility and great staff. My next setter will be heading back to Willow Creek for sure.

River Varley (Darby and T-Rex) is about five months old now, and we want to tell you folks just how much we think of her! We wanted a family dog and Ethan suggested her. She loves to snuggle on our laps in the morning. She loves to chase birds at a near by soccer field. She is also walking on a leash and a harness very well now. When it comes to training ( sit, stay etc.) she seems to learn in two or three times and remembers what she has learned. We can't Thank-You enough !!
We will send a up-dated image when we get a really good one!

Carolyn Varley

Thanks again for boarding and training Hunter this summer. Leah and I were on the North Shore this weekend, “Hiking,” or some might call it grouse hunting. Hunter’s never hunted grouse (other than a one time failed attempt in 90 degrees last year), so I didn’t know what to expect. We ended up moving 8 birds, 7 of them he pointed in only 2.5 hrs. I had two legitimate shots, of which I connected on both of them. He got scent of a bird about 30 minutes in to the hike, flushed it out for an easy shot right over the logging trail. Once he got the first bird in the bag he was a mad man, and he pointed the rest. The second bird was from a point on two birds, one I couldn’t even see the flush, the other one he flushed towards me and I landed it on the logging trail. The other ones, were classic grouse flushes and I either couldn’t get a safe shot off, or I threw up a hail mary. It was a blast, I may just become a grouse hunter yet, if you can’t tell I was pretty impressed with Hunter. It was fun to be out there with leah too!

Rich

Thought you should know.... Yeller (my Yellow Lab) & I just returned from a pheasant hunting trip in SD. Over the course of 4 days, we had up to 8 hunters and as many dogs. Simply put, Yeller set the gold standard as an exemplary field dog. While other hunters constantly barked their dogs name (pun intended) and stuggled to keep their flushing dogs within shooting range, Yeller heeded my pages, enabled a perfect shot, and retrieved every bird I hit. In fact, I received the greatest compliment - another hunter admiring your dog's performance. I'm truly indebted to you guys. Thanks for introducing Yeller into my life 5 years ago (Abby-Ranger pups) and thanks for teaching and training him skills which set him apart from the pack. He's a phenomenal dog and it's all due to your talents and efforts.

I bought a German Shorthaired Pointer named Billy a year ago, and I am extremely pleased with his hunting performance. I have been hunting wild birds in Maine and in New York. His skills and abilities in pointing, searching and retrieving exceeded my expectations.
I highly recommend purchasing a dog from Willow Creek Hunting Kennel. Thanks for giving me a dog that is first rate in both hunting, as well as, a loving family pet. -Sal Palma

Just wanted to update you on Ruger… I spent a week in Montana, chasing the running birds. Ruger had several nice points and was rock solid. He tore through the brush and covered a lot of ground. I can’t thank you enough for all the hard work you put into training him, that led to his Master Hunter Title. I have had a lot of good compliments on how Ruger hunts, which is a direct reflection on your hard work. I will highly recommend you to anyone seeking dog training.

Thank-you Again,
Mike Filas

I wanted to write to thank you for the outstanding work that you have done to prepare Homer for both the hunt and the home!
His hunting abilities were "off the charts" right from the start-he has already established a reputation for excellence and perseverance in the field, and it's a real joy watching him learn even more every time that we are out hunting.
He has a great nose, and even more impressive is his growth, both physically and emotionally. He is developing a real savvy understanding about the habits of the birds (pheasants, quail and chukar), and he is the complete package, being picture-book perfect holding steady-to-wing and shot, completing his retrieves and staying staunch on point. And, his stamina and endurance is also amazing. He can't wait to get out there and hunt, and never wants to stop...
As much as he is all business in the field, in the home, he is becoming a loyal and loving companion for both my wife and me. He has a goofy and lovable temperament and is learning the house rules well. In addition, he gets along with the other pets in the house, although he has also established himself as a vigilant watchdog, too.
I can't thank you enough for the excellent training that he has received from Willow Creek Kennels, and I do look forward to having you see him in the near future so that you can enjoy his growth and progress, too!
My best wishes,
Dr. Richard Chenoweth

Thanks!

I have nothing but good things to say about Willow Creek Kennels. After looking at their website, I am impressed by their new upgraded facility. I purchased my hunting dog from Chad & Jodi in 2005. Casey, a Labrador retriever, is more than I could have asked for in my hunting dog. Chad stands by his money back guarantee. When the first dog didn't work out, he willingly took the dog back and replaced it with my current dog. I have been hunting with Casey for 5 years and she is quite a pheasant dog. I hope to come out and tour the new facility some day soon. I would definitely come back some day to purchase another dog.
Ralph

WOW! WOW!! & WOW!!!!! Bailey totally amazes us & everyone else!
Must admit we had some concern since she appeared almost afraid of pigeons we began working her on. Then last wk took her to Tom Sweezey’s (Indian Brook Kennels where we got Ace, an Enzo son) & after the 2nd pigeon release she was ON it! Picked up scent 40 yds. out, tracked, then held her point for over 5 minutes!! We walked in front of her, kicked up grass, stroked her back, & the entire time she stayed focused, never even looked @ us, stayed in the zone until told otherwise. Tom was blown away by her control & discipline @ such an early age. This past wk was NAVHDA training & she blew the guys out of the water w/her discipline, concentration & control! Tom worked her in the afternoon & said he’s completely dumbfounded by her!!! He’s been raising/training shorthairs for 25 yrs. & has NEVER seen a 6 month old pup w/her level of discipline!!

Will forward photos so you can see how the wonder girl is looking ~ getting tall, weighs in @ 44# & has a truly beautiful, shiny coat. Needless to say, we’re completely in love w/the little shit!! Tom encouraged us to enter her in AKC Jr. Hunt test on the 24th/25th so will let you know how she does. Also entering Ace in either the Jr. or Sr. test & will be interesting to see how they both do. He has a HUGE prey drive which is great but could also be his downfall in a few areas.

Hope all is well w/you & yours. Take care!

It has been about eight weeks since I picked up Bernie and I wanted to let all of you know how good
he is doing and how thrilled I am with him. Working with Willow Creek to get this eighteen month old
GSP trained for upland and waterfowl was definitely the right choice for me.

This dog can do it all and just keeps getting better with every passing week. From retrieving geese out
of deep water to a one hundred yard duck retrieve across thick weeds, open water and up a brush cover
slope to slicing up a grassy field and slamming a point on a pheasants or pushing his way into very thick
brush in pursuit of Grouse. Bernie is truly a versatile dog.

Bernie has also been a welcome addition to our family. He will play in the back yard with my three daughters
like a puppy full of energy but let him in the house and he will go directly to his dog bed, be very quiet and
not get out until released. My father in-law called him a humble gentleman with the way he acts so gentle
around all people and other dogs. Bernie can turn his hunt drive on and off like a light switch and that is
what allows him to be a good family pet.

Bernie has been all you told me he would be and more. What A Great Dog!

Thanks Again to all of you at Willow Creek.
Chris Hogan

Fred and I want to express our sincere appreciation for the work you
did with Gus while we were on vacation. (He will be 4 in April and
started with Chad at age 6 months; annual training has helped so
much.) The time you spent with us yesterday was so valuable. The
message for us is always the same - be consistent. You and Chad have
tried to make sure we follow-up in that manner. We have always let it
slip. This time we are determined to make it work. I will take Gus
for a walk today and reinforce what you taught to me yesterday. It was
a thrill for me to see how well he worked with you and then with me
using the techniques.

When we got Gus home he wanted to immediately fall back into those old
behaviors, but the collar stayed on and our commands were consistent.
He stayed on his mat all evening, no wandering around the kitchen
looking for food or counter surfing, the process is starting. I began
to reward him occasionally for those good behaviors. And I made sure I
did not get into the habit of letting him dictate when I got up this
morning. (He responds well to the uh-uh reminders since we have always
used that with him.) I made him stay in his bed until I was ready to
let him out, even after I left the room and then came back to get him
instead of his charging down the hallway without being told ok. He
had to WAIT until I opened the back door and went outside first and
then called him to come out, give a treat and all is well. PERFECT.
I see that once he knows what is expected of him he really does obey.
There was little need to use the collar, but it was there for
reinforcement if I needed to use it. It is our behavior and
inconsistency that confuses him and causes him to do behaviors we do
not like. It is easy for us to be lax and then wonder why the dog does
things we don't like. Fred and I will continue to do our personal
behavior modification in order to have Gus behave well.

Fred would like to come up and hunt there this fall. He will call you
or Chad to make arrangements.

With gratitude for a job well done,
Anne Stechmann

Thought you should know.... Yeller (my Yellow Lab) & I just returned from a pheasant hunting trip in SD. Over the course of 4 days, we had up to 8 hunters and as many dogs. Simply put, Yeller set the gold standard as an exemplary field dog. While other hunters constantly barked their dogs name (pun intended) and stuggled to keep their flushing dogs within shooting range, Yeller heeded my pages, enabled a perfect shot, and retrieved every bird I hit. In fact, I received the greatest compliment - another hunter admiring your dog's performance. I'm truly indebted to you guys. Thanks for introducing Yeller into my life 5 years ago (Abby-Ranger pups) and thanks for teaching and training him skills which set him apart from the pack. He's a phenomenal dog and it's all due to your talents and efforts.

BACK IN MICHIGAN AT WORK WITH ROOSTER AND SNAP LAYING BY MY FEET. I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THE DOGS. THEY WERE VERY EASY TO HANDLE AND PRETTY IMPRESSIVE IN THE FIELD. THE LAST DAY I HUNTED IN KANSAS THEY HAD 12 POINTS ON BIRDS (7 COCKS AND 5 HENS) ON PUBLIC WALK IN HUNTING GROUND. THEY PINNED THE BIRDS WELL, YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THEY WERE PEN RAISED BIRDS INSTEAD OF HARD HUNTED WILD BIRDS. ROOSTER AND SNAP ARE ADJUSTING WELL TO THEIR NEW HOME. I WISH SEASON WAS JUST BEGINNING INSTEAD OF ENDING. THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND PROVIDING ME WITH 2 NEW BEST BUDDIES.

We just got back from our hunting trip to North Dakota. Hunter impressed me more and more each day! We ended up with 20 Roosters, 20 Sharptails, and 3 Huns, I’d say that’s pretty good productivity for one dog!

Hunted over Boss this weekend...he is a super star. You guys did a great job with him. He is so good now, at 10.5 months, I can only imagine what he'll be in another year or 2 WOW! Thanks so much. We are heading to S.D. next week. Will send pictures. Great breeders! Great Trainers!

We bought our puppy from Willow Creek close to a year ago and I've enjoyed watching Willow Creek grow to be one of the more respected breeders & kennels in the mid-west. It comes as no surprise to me since Chad and Jodi continually impress me with both their professionalism as well as their enthusiasm towards their craft. It is awesome to have two young, no longer up and coming, but established breeders & trainers so close to home. We just dropped off our pup at Willow Creek for his training and I'm sure we will impressed once again.

"Hope this finds you well!!! Rhode is doing great. His foot doesn't show any sign of tenderness after a large work out or after hunting. I took him to my magic spot a few weeks ago and we raised 4 birds. They were paired up and spread out across the range. All 4 were pointed, held steady to shot and all 4 shots were missed. I have it all on video to prove it.... I need to get my partner shooting lessons for his new .410. At any rate I won't be on wild birds until end of August or beginning September depending on how soon we see cooler weather. I cannot believe this dog. What a great animal!"
Thank you,
Scott

WOW! WOW!! & WOW!!!!! Bailey totally amazes us & everyone else!
Must admit we had some concern since she appeared almost afraid of pigeons we began working her on. Then last wk took her to Tom Sweezey’s (Indian Brook Kennels where we got Ace, an Enzo son) & after the 2nd pigeon release she was ON it! Picked up scent 40 yds. out, tracked, then held her point for over 5 minutes!! We walked in front of her, kicked up grass, stroked her back, & the entire time she stayed focused, never even looked @ us, stayed in the zone until told otherwise. Tom was blown away by her control & discipline @ such an early age. This past wk was NAVHDA training & she blew the guys out of the water w/her discipline, concentration & control! Tom worked her in the afternoon & said he’s completely dumbfounded by her!!! He’s been raising/training shorthairs for 25 yrs. & has NEVER seen a 6 month old pup w/her level of discipline!!

Will forward photos so you can see how the wonder girl is looking ~ getting tall, weighs in @ 44# & has a truly beautiful, shiny coat. Needless to say, we’re completely in love w/the little shit!! Tom encouraged us to enter her in AKC Jr. Hunt test on the 24th/25th so will let you know how she does. Also entering Ace in either the Jr. or Sr. test & will be interesting to see how they both do. He has a HUGE prey drive which is great but could also be his downfall in a few areas.

Hope all is well w/you & yours. Take care!

I am a very satisfied customer. You have created a calm, friendly and snugly family pet while at the same time an obedient, efficient and skilled hunting dog when in the field. Lily is exactly the kind of dog I was looking for. Thank you for taking the time to find out what I was looking for and for preparing us to work with Lily. I have hunted with several kinds of dogs throughout the years. I can see that your method of training is much more efficient and effective. I will be recommending others to you.

Jan31 last day of pheasant season. Four roosters off of three points four retrieves to hand.
Pointed probably ten to twelve other birds (hens and running birds that got up wild).
Great dog work from a great dog. As a testimonial to the trainer the dog works and handles as advertised. Retrieves great, points great, honors, handles easily!

I recently purchased a puppy from Willow Creek and he has exceeded every expectation. On top of that, Chad and Jodi have been great with follow up to see how things were and lend tips for any problems I may be having. They have a great operation out there and I am happy to give them my highest recommendation. I will definitely be bringing my pup out there for training in a few months.

I know very little about dog training so I signed up for a Puppy Kindergarten class. This was an 8 week class where we learned new stuff every week with my puppy. I saw some of Chad's videos on youtube, and found out they do consultations. My pup and I learned more in the 1 hour consultation then we were supposed to cover in the 8 week puppy class. Willow Creek is awesome!

I can't say enough about Chad & Jodi Hines at Willow Creek Kennels. I've Been doing bussiness with them for around five years. When it comes to training and trying to find the right hunting/family companion this is your kennel.

Can't say enough good things about Chad & Jodi and Willow Creek Kennels. I'm on my second dog from them and am tickled pink with what my dogs are showing me.

They run a great business and excel in matching people with the type of pup they are looking for. Thye have a great training program and are always willing to talk with you and answer any question you might have.

First class is the best way to describe them!!!