Lodi bird dog owners and the road to Rio Vista

Lodi is on the eastern edge of the Delta in San Joaquin County, with the Mokelumne River just north of town. About 68,000 people live here and the median age is 36.4 (Census Bureau). It is among the shortest drives on this site.

Closer than most

About 25 miles and about 38 minutes with no traffic. For a Lodi owner, the question is rarely whether the drive is worth it; it is how to fit the lessons around work.

Because the drive is short, a Lodi owner can plan on seeing the work firsthand. Ask Richard when a visit would suit the dog.

What the Mokelumne and the Delta mean for your dog

A dog raised near the river and the Delta meets water young. Moving water, cover and decoys are everyday sights, and that helps a retriever, though it also brings distractions. Training teaches the dog what to do when it is excited.

If you hunt waterfowl, the key retriever skills are marks, blinds and calm in the blind. Our marks and blind retrieves guide explains the first two in plain terms.

Pointing and flushing breeds

Lodi owners also hunt pheasant and quail with pointing breeds and spaniels. The Northern California Brittany Club lists a field trial at Camanche Hills Hunting Preserve in Ione, and the Vizsla Club of Northern California lists an event at O'Neill Forebay Wildlife Area.

Event dates move each year, so use AKC Event Search for current listings rather than a date from a web page. Read about Brittanys and Vizslas before you decide where to start.

Season notes

CDFW lists pheasant season for Nov 14 to Dec 27, 2026, and chukar for Oct 17 to Jan 31. Hastings Island and other licensed game bird clubs run on their own season, which the preserve gives as mid-September to mid-March. The 2026-27 seasons page has sources and the zone-map link.

If you hunt with a partner

Many Lodi hunters share a blind with a friend and two dogs. Honoring, the skill where one dog sits quietly while another works, is worth learning together; the honoring, delivery and line manners guide explains it. Richard trains handlers one-on-one or in group lessons, and a shared lesson can suit two owners who hunt together.

What a visit looks like

Call first, then plan to arrive when Richard is at the preserve. Google lists his hours as Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, 8 AM to 2 PM, closed Tuesday. Call first; he arranges drop-off by phone and likes a dog booked a month out, with six weeks ahead better still. A Lodi owner can reach Rio Vista well inside that window. Bring your dog on a leash, water for it, and any questions about the plan you have been given.