--- title: Gun Dog Training From San Diego | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/san-diego/ business: Royal Gun Dogs trainer: Richard Gebhart (professional gun dog trainer since 2002) phone: (530) 341-4496 email: royalgundogs@yahoo.com trains_at: Hastings Island Hunting Preserve, 7758 Hastings Island Rd, Rio Vista, CA 94571 (Solano County) booking: call or text Richard directly --- - [Home](https://royalgundogs.com/) - [All of California](https://royalgundogs.com/from/) - [Southern California](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/southern-california/) - San Diego # San Diego to Rio Vista: board-and-train from the far south Rio Vista is about 9.1 hours and 482 miles from San Diego by road. Richard Gebhart trains at Hastings Island Hunting Preserve there, and owners bring dogs to him from all over California for board-and-train. Richard says he is training dogs from as far as San Diego right now. ## From San Diego to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 9.1 hours 482 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** San Diego US Census Bureau - **Population:** 1,389,526 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 36.2 ACS 5-year 2024 Drive estimate from road routing between town centers (no traffic), pulled October 2026. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates. San Diego has about 1.39 million residents and a median age of 36.2 (Census Bureau), and the county has its own active retriever community. The drive north is one of the longest in this set, so it helps to understand what you are signing up for. ## The numbers Drive times are OpenStreetMap routing with no traffic, measured to Rio Vista. Add time for Los Angeles traffic and rest stops. The numbers Measure From San Diego Road distance about 482 miles Drive time, no traffic about 9.1 hours Tier overnight Region Southern California ## Why you may still choose Richard Mesa Grande Retriever Club holds AKC hunt tests at Raney Ranch in Santa Ysabel, on the 2026 California calendar. Owners choose a trainer for many reasons: the breed, the style, the grounds, the mentor. Richard's work came from Billy Sargenti's field trial retrievers and the Rex Carr method, and, since 2013, Steve Klassen's upland program at Blue Ridge Kennels. He describes the work as bird dogs for the hunt, and he trains waterfowl and upland dogs from a base that sits between Sacramento and the Bay Area. ## Clubs around San Diego The Mesa Grande Retriever Club, established in 2022 around Santa Ysabel, hosts several AKC hunt tests a year, the San Diego Retriever Field Trial Club runs field trials near Niland, and the German Shorthaired Pointer Club of San Diego lists events at Camp H in California City (2026 California calendar). If your dog is a retriever, a test is a good measure of progress, and our [California calendar page](https://royalgundogs.com/hunt-tests/california-calendar/) links to AKC Event Search. Dates change; always confirm with the club. ## Planning a trip this long Some owners may prefer to plan each trip around a weekend. Ask Richard what timing suits his schedule and the dog's. - Call Richard and talk through your dog, your goals and the schedule. - Ask about drop-off and pick-up from San Diego before you book any travel. - Plan the drop-off as a travel trip and the pick-up as a second one, with a lesson on the same visit. - Use the [handler lesson](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) to learn the dog's work before you drive home. ## Hours and arrival Google lists Richard's hours as 8 AM to 2 PM Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, closed Tuesday. Call first, and plan drop-off for Wednesday to Saturday if you can, since those are his preferred days. After a nine-hour drive you will want a confirmed arrival time, so call ahead. ### Sources (3) - Bird Dog & Retriever News : [bdarn.com/ca/trialtests/](https://www.bdarn.com/ca/trialtests/) (checked October 27, 2026) - U.S. Census Bureau : [data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0666000](https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0666000) (checked October 27, 2026) - Hastings Island Hunting Preserve : [hihp.com/royal-gun-dogs-dog-training/](https://hihp.com/royal-gun-dogs-dog-training/) (checked October 27, 2026) ### Where Richard trains Hastings Island Hunting Preserve, 7758 Hastings Island Rd, near Rio Vista in Solano County. Call before you drive out. [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Hastings+Island+Hunting+Preserve+Rio+Vista+CA&destination_place_id=ChIJA_E9R8AphYAR_4YnvcqbaAU) ### Start here - [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) - [Private and group lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) - [Free training consult](https://royalgundogs.com/free-consult/) ### Your trainer Richard Gebhart has trained dogs professionally since 2002, learned the Rex Carr method for Retriever Basics under Billy Sargenti, and has run and qualified at an AKC Master National. [Meet Richard](https://royalgundogs.com/richard-gebhart/) ### Related - [Southern California](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/southern-california/) - [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) - [Private and group lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) - [California hunt test calendar](https://royalgundogs.com/hunt-tests/california-calendar/) - [From Riverside to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/riverside/) ## Other drive times [Escondido](https://royalgundogs.com/from/escondido/)[Temecula](https://royalgundogs.com/from/temecula/)[Riverside](https://royalgundogs.com/from/riverside/)[Irvine](https://royalgundogs.com/from/irvine/)[El Centro](https://royalgundogs.com/from/el-centro/)[Santa Barbara](https://royalgundogs.com/from/santa-barbara/)[Ventura](https://royalgundogs.com/from/ventura/)[Los Angeles](https://royalgundogs.com/from/los-angeles/) ## Questions from San Diego owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Rio Vista from San Diego? About 9.1 hours and 482 miles by road, with no traffic (OpenStreetMap routing). ### Can I do it as a same-day round trip? No. It is an overnight-tier trip each way. Call Richard about drop-off and pick-up from San Diego. ### What does board-and-train include? Richard picks the program for your dog, and lengths and weekly rates are published. See the [board-and-train page](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/).