Bridging the Gap: Real-World Retriever Steadiness with Aaron Joos (Red Cedar Retrievers)

This duck hunting podcast episode dives into a real, in-the-field case study on retriever steadiness, breaking, and handler discipline. Host Tyler goes “Mattless and Jeff-less” and brings back Aaron Joos of Red Cedar Retrievers (Western Wisconsin) to unpack a quick early-season goose hunt with Nala, his 4.5-year-old Labrador with a Senior Hunter title. We walk through what triggered a break on geese, what corrections worked, why geese are “kryptonite” for some dogs, and how to build steadiness in real hunting conditions—dog blinds vs. stands, using a “sit” shot call, running one shell to force control, and choosing handler-first decisions over pulling the trigger. If you run labs for ducks or geese, train for hunt tests, or just want a steady, family-friendly gun dog that turns it on in the field, this conversation is packed with practical, hunt-day fixes you can use on opening morning. We also touch on balancing field performance with off-season training, troubleshooting with other dogs in the spread, and setting up controlled reps that translate to live birds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices