From Los Banos to Rio Vista for gun dog training

Los Banos sits in Merced County, home to large public wetlands, and the median age here is 30.3 in a city of about 48,000 (Census Bureau). Hunters in town live next to waterfowl country, and many of them want a dog trained for it.

The drive, honestly

About 109 miles and about 2.2 hours with no traffic, according to OpenStreetMap routing. That is a long drive each way, so this page puts Los Banos in the long-drive tier rather than a short-drive tier.

Plan it as a full day. Call Richard first, and ask him about drop-off and pick-up from the San Joaquin Valley.

Wetlands outside your door

Los Banos Wildlife Area, at 18110 Henry Miller Avenue, is about 6,200 acres of wetland with over 200 bird species, and San Luis National Wildlife Refuge adds over 26,800 acres in the San Joaquin Valley (CDFW and USFWS). CDFW's 2024 Waterfowl Hunter Survey lists Merced County second among counties hunters named, at 9.20 percent of respondents.

The survey tells us where hunters go, and it does not say where they live. It does explain why a Los Banos owner may want a retriever that can handle a big marsh.

How board-and-train works at that distance

Because the dog stays with Richard during the work, you make the long drive only a few times. That is what board-and-train offers when you live a couple of hours away.

1. Call Richard to describe your dog and what you hunt.
2. Agree on the program and the number of weeks with him; lengths and weekly rates are on the board-and-train page.
3. Take the dog to Hastings Island for the stay, since the training happens there.
4. Return for a handler lesson and to bring the dog home.

Clubs on your side of the Coast Range

The Vizsla Club of Northern California lists an event at O'Neill Forebay Wildlife Area in Santa Nella, and the San Francisco Bay Weimaraner Club lists one at Little Panoche Wildlife Area in Firebaugh. Both are close to Los Banos. For retrievers, the calendar on our hunt test page points to AKC Event Search.

Before you set out

Call first. Google lists Richard's hours as 8 AM to 2 PM Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, closed Tuesday. Call first; Richard sets drop-off times by phone, and Wednesday to Saturday are the days he prefers. From Los Banos, leave early enough to arrive well inside that window, and ask Richard which day suits a drop-off. Bring your questions about the plan, and read the how to book training answer if this is your first call.