I first met Jason through Leon Stepanian after the purchase of a puppy. I had asked Leon for advice for a young dog trainer and he highly recommended Jason. After getting to know Jason and his staff it became apparent as to why they are successful. Determination, drive and desire to be the best! After my first dog’s derby career ended, I genuinely dreaded finding an all age trainer to transition to. After discussing my options with Jason, I became aware that he was going to start training all age dogs as well. Problem solved. Jason and Staff are currently training (3) of my all age dogs and I am comfortable that I am in great hands. Jason constantly tells me to come train, offers advice and communicates very well. He always makes me feel welcome when I’m in town to train and Andrea Baker and Kathy Armstrong always make sure we are well fed! It is a family atmosphere at Baker Retrievers and one that I am glad I am a part of. If you’re new to the sport, Jason can really help you become a better handler. Thank you Jason, Andrea, Cole and Richard for everything you have done and continue to do for me. I look forward to many more years of fun with you guys!
Jason Baker provides the consummate one-two punch in young dog field trial training. The younger dogs get thoroughly indoctrinated in yard work each morning; including: obedience, force fetch, pile work, handling drills, and pattern blinds. Afternoons are spent with multiple land and water marks appropriate for their age, including how to cut corners and parallel shores.
Older dogs further hone their skills with more complex land and water set-ups liberally interspersed with blinds throughout the day. When competing dogs are away, one trainer always remains to continue training, so there is no down time for remaining dogs.
Our dogs are always treated with compassion and respect. Their health and well-being is paramount and training is through teaching, repetition and attrition.
Collar corrections are uncommon, but fair when warranted. This has been and continues to be a successful formula for us as witnessed by our multiple Derby List and Qualified All-Age dogs, including: FC Seaside’s Gorgeous George, 75 derby points, and most recently, Seaside’s Pompano Jack, 41 derby points and a QAA win while still in derby.
Since 2013, Baker Retrievers has been the top professional kennel for derby dogs 4 out of 5 years (2nd in 2015 — source: “Retriever Results”).
Jason Baker’s accomplishments demonstrate his thorough knowledge of dog behaviors and an astute awareness of what it takes to be a consistent winner.
Jason trained the last two National Derby Champions, “Clooney” and “Flex”. “Clooney” is qualified for the 2016 National Open, and my dog, Doctor Cabernet, who finished 7th on the 2016 list placed 3rd in his first Open and has an Amateur third at just 2 1⁄2 years of age; results that clearly demonstrate Jason’s skill to transition dogs to successfully compete in all-age stakes.
Competitive pride and a ferocious work ethic are the keys to Jason’s success. I know my next derby prospect will be on Jason Baker’s truck!
Our relationship with Jason Baker and Baker Retrievers began the summer of 2013 when we needed to find a pro trainer who could take our 5-month old dog, “Dagger” north to train for the summer. “Dagger” spent that summer with Jason continuing to learn and grow. He finished out his derby career with 33 points.
By the summer of 2015, “Flex” was ready to go on his summer trip. Jason Baker is a dedicated hard worker. He cares about each and every one of the dogs that are in his care. We have had the pleasure of training with Jason and have seen his work ethic first hand.
With the help of Baker Retrievers, “Dagger” and “Flex” had very successful derby careers. “Flex” finished with 95 points and was also named 2016 High Point Derby Dog. We would highly recommend Baker Retrievers to anyone looking for a young dog trainer.
Looking at records and statistics makes it easy to see that Jason Baker is a very successful dog trainer. One thing that is not simple to see is how gifted Jason Baker is at training handlers.
When I first met Jason, I had never been to a field trial and certainly had no clue how to train a field trial dog. Not to mention, I have a Golden Retriever, a “minority breed” in this competitive sport.
Jason never batted an eye, standing patiently behind me and training “Proof” through me. He told me the whys and the hows. He was honest and helped me deal with my faults and my dog’s faults. He prepared me for trials and encouraged me.
It really is an amazing accomplishment on Jason’s part, if you think about it…not handling or even touching a dog, yet training it completely through a clueless, fidgety, nervous new handler. Jason prepared me so I could run “Proof” in trials… he trained “Proof” so he could WIN trials. There are a lot of good dog trainers, and there are a lot of good teachers, but rarely are the two talents evident in one
person.
Jason Baker has built a sound foundation for “Proof”, but even more importantly, he has built a solid foundation for me, enabling me to train my future dogs.