Some of the many obstacles that amateur trainers may face are access to property necessary for the various stages of training and the tools & equipment needed to advance their dogs.

While backyard training has its merits and a place in almost all training regimens, if we want a reliable working dog, they must be exposed and trained in different environments, particularly those that they would expect to work in down the road.

Open Fields

Open fields, rolling hills, corn sloughs are suited for many training drills on land and are essential for extending the range of the typical hunting dog.  For retrievers aspiring to compete in trials, vast tracts are required for training out to distances beyond 400 yards.

Water

You can't train a water dog without access to water.  Whether big open water or a small pond, there is great value in having access to these bodies of water to incorporate into your training regimen.

Back Water

If you're a waterfowler in the Northeast, you're bound to work your dog in coastal waters or back water swamps and flooded timber, likely all of the above.  The amount of diversity you can add to your training regimen, never mind the value it adds to your dog, is priceless.