--- title: Gun Dog Training From Santa Rosa | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/santa-rosa/ 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/) - [Bay Area](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/bay-area/) - Santa Rosa # Gun dog training from Santa Rosa: the Rio Vista drive Rio Vista is about 103 minutes and 69 miles from Santa Rosa by road. Richard Gebhart trains at Hastings Island Hunting Preserve in Rio Vista, and dogs come to him from all over California for board-and-train. ## From Santa Rosa to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 103 minutes 69 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** Sonoma US Census Bureau - **Population:** 177,090 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 41.2 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. Santa Rosa is the seat of Sonoma County, with a median age of 41.2 and about 177,000 residents in the Census Bureau's estimate. For a Sonoma County bird hunter, the Delta is the closest large block of waterfowl country, and Rio Vista sits at its western end. ## A hunt test close to the route The Sagehen's Retriever Club's AKC retriever hunt test is listed for the Denverton CRTA Training Grounds in Suisun City on the 2026 California calendar. That is the Solano County area where Richard sometimes trains retrievers. If you have a retriever, a visit to a test at Denverton shows you the same ground your dog could train on. Use AKC Event Search to confirm any date. Calendars change, and clubs post updates there first. ## The honest drive About 69 miles and about 103 minutes with no traffic, according to OpenStreetMap routing. The trip crosses the North Bay and runs east into Solano County, so weekday congestion can stretch it. It fits the day-trip tier. Call Richard before you go so he can tell you when he will be at the preserve. ## Board-and-train from Sonoma County Your dog stays at Hastings Island while Richard trains it. You are free to work your regular week, and you come out for a lesson when it makes sense. Two pages are worth a look before you call. [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) explains how the stay works, and [handler lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) covers what you learn alongside your dog. Richard's philosophy is balance: "encouraging the hunting drive and desire in the dog, coupled with the necessary 'team player' attitude." ## Waterfowl and upland, both Richard describes the work as bird dogs for the hunt, which covers upland and waterfowl. A Sonoma County owner might chase ducks on the Delta in the fall and quail on a ranch in the foothills, and one dog can learn both. CDFW sets waterfowl seasons by zone and county, so confirm your county on the CDFW zone map before planning around an opener. Our [2026-27 seasons page](https://royalgundogs.com/data/california-seasons-2026-27/) has the statewide summary and a link. ## A note on the long way home Sonoma County owners sometimes ask whether a dog will settle back into a house after weeks at a preserve. The handler lesson answers that. You work the dog yourself while Richard watches, and he can show you how to keep the routine going at home: where the dog waits, how it takes a command, when it gets to run. That handoff is the part of board-and-train that lasts. A trained dog that returns to old habits at home has lost some of the work, and a dog whose owner knows the commands keeps it. ### Sources (4) - 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=160XX00US0670098](https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0670098) (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) - California Department of Fish and Wildlife : [wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Waterfowl](https://wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Waterfowl) (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 - [Bay Area](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/bay-area/) - [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 Napa to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/napa/) ## Other drive times [Williams](https://royalgundogs.com/from/williams/)[Auburn](https://royalgundogs.com/from/auburn/)[Yuba City](https://royalgundogs.com/from/yuba-city/)[San Jose](https://royalgundogs.com/from/san-jose/)[Turlock](https://royalgundogs.com/from/turlock/)[Folsom](https://royalgundogs.com/from/folsom/)[Fremont](https://royalgundogs.com/from/fremont/)[Marysville](https://royalgundogs.com/from/marysville/) ## Questions from Santa Rosa owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Santa Rosa from Rio Vista? About 103 minutes and 69 miles, with no traffic (OpenStreetMap routing). ### Where does the Sagehen's Retriever Club test? Its AKC hunt test is listed at Denverton CRTA Training Grounds, Suisun City, on the 2026 California calendar. Check AKC Event Search for current dates. ### Can I ask about pick-up from Sonoma County? Yes. Rio Vista is about 103 minutes from Santa Rosa, and with board-and-train the trip is one drop-off and one pick-up. Call Richard about both.