Mudd Creek Retrievers

At the beginning of the 2024 Hunt Test Season in the Northwest area, I realized that my 10 year old Golden Retriever, Louie, needed 12 more passes to achieve entry into the Golden Retriever Club of America’s coveted Hunt Test Hall of Fame. I had had the greatest of fortune to train with one of the best hunt test trainers in California before we’d moved to Ronan. Our first summers here, I’d also been blessed to train with a super field trial trainer; Louie was successful in both venues, but I could tell his joy was hunt tests. Luckily, that early spring of ‘24, I met Marcus Bellow and we joined his training group. I was delightfully impressed at how Marcus could read a dog, how he could be very firm but fair, and how he would set up great competitive tests and break them down to teach facto

I brought my red lab, Stihl, to Marcus when she was 9 months old, and I couldn’t be more grateful for him and his team! They kept me updated every step of the way—photos, videos, regular check-ins—and even welcomed me to visit. I truly couldn’t have asked for a better trainer. Marcus did an incredible job with her obedience, and I constantly get compliments on how well trained she is, both at home and out in the field. He had her for about four months, and it’s clear he made every minute count. I would hands down recommend trusting your dog with Marcus. My family and I have had three other labs go through gun dog training with different trainers, and Marcus blew them all out of the water. He treats every dog like his own and is an absolute pleasure to work with. Your dog will be in fantast

We were fortunate enough to get a puppy from Marcus last year and had him in training over the summer. We are extremely happy with the results! Our dog is an absolute pleasure to spend time and train with. Looking forward to getting him out on some good hunts. Marcus and Vicki are wonderful people to work with. Both are extremely kind and quick to respond. Our dog had a minor leg injury during training, and Marcus got him into the vet right away and all went well. I would absolutely recommend Mudd Creek Retrievers to anyone looking for hunting dog training. Marcus is a wealth of knowledge and very willing to share his knowledge. I've reached out to Marcus with a few questions about training, and he responds immediately with great advice.

I took my pup Lucy to Marcus when she was 5 months old. He kept her in his house for the first 2 months to work on obedience and inside manners, then turned her into a hunting machine! He kept me updated with her progress and let me come watch some training sessions. She is already doing water retrieves on ducks and flushing and retrieving pheasants at only 9 months old. I’m so happy with her performance! Can’t recommend Marcus enough.

What a great start to our hunt test and hunting journey. Thank you Marcus Bellows for all your care and attention to getting these two very different dogs started. Both JR Titles. One Senior Title working on Master and one Working on SR Title. All at just two years old. Your meticulous style and attention to detail were key to gaining momentum first and keeping them excited about retrieving. Cant wait to come back and train in August at the Ronan hunt test. Hope to have two running masters by then. I also want to give a special thanks to Vicky for her hospitality and kindness during our visit. You two are amazing.