From Roseville to Rio Vista: planning the drive

Roseville, in Placer County, has 155,955 residents and a median age of 40.2 (Census ACS 5-year 2024). It sits between the Sacramento Valley floor and the Sierra foothills.

Valley hunters, foothill ground

CDFW's 2024 Waterfowl Hunter Survey found 42 percent of respondents named Sacramento Valley counties for waterfowl hunting. Roseville is at the valley's eastern edge, so a duck hunter here is close to that ground.

Foothill ground matters too. Spenceville Wildlife Area, roughly 11,900 acres in Nevada and Yuba counties, offers valley quail and dove and lists dog training areas and field trials (CDFW).

A half-day plan

At about 93 minutes each way, a round trip is a little over three hours of driving. Plan the visit around Richard's Google hours (Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, 8 AM to 2 PM) and call ahead.

Clubs worth knowing

The Northern California Brittany Club and Monterey Bay English Setter Club both list events at Spenceville on the 2026 California calendar, and the California Retriever Training Association is based in Cameron Park. Look up current dates through the California calendar page and AKC Event Search.

Which program?

For a retriever, see the Basic Waterfowl Program and, on top of it, the Advanced Waterfowl Program, which is where hunt test work fits. For a pointing dog, see the Formal Gun Dog Training; for a flushing breed, ask Richard. Board-and-train is how dogs from this far stay with Richard while the work happens. Finish with handler lessons so you can handle the dog when it comes home.

Planning for a longer drive

Because the trip is longer than for Davis or Woodland, it can make sense to pair drop-off with a handler lesson so the day is not wasted. Call Richard about what is realistic on one visit.

Ask about pick-up as well. Richard sets drop-off and pick-up details by phone, so call him about the plan that fits your schedule.

Two ways to use Richard's experience

One is a full stay, where the dog lives with Richard and trains at Hastings Island. The other is a lesson-only plan, where you bring a dog you already own and learn to run it. Richard, who has trained professionally since 2002, works with both owners and dogs.

For Roseville, where a round trip is more than three hours, a stay concentrates the training in one place while visits and lessons fit around it. The owner-handler training FAQ covers the second option.