--- title: Gun Dog Training From Stockton | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/stockton/ 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/) - [San Joaquin Valley](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/san-joaquin-valley/) - Stockton # Stockton to Rio Vista: a short drive to a Delta trainer Rio Vista is about 44 minutes and 31 miles from Stockton 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. ## From Stockton to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 44 minutes 31 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** San Joaquin US Census Bureau - **Population:** 322,326 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 33.9 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. Stockton is the port city of the San Joaquin Delta, on the Stockton Deep Water Channel, with about 322,000 residents and a median age of 33.9 (Census Bureau). It is close to the training ground and sits squarely in Delta duck country. ## Short drive, real difference At about 31 miles and about 44 minutes with no traffic, a Stockton owner can drive out for a lesson with Richard and be home the same day. That makes the process feel less like sending a dog away and more like a project you share. Richard trains at Hastings Island in Rio Vista and sometimes at Denverton, near Suisun City. Both are in Solano County, across the Delta from San Joaquin County. ## Delta hunters and their dogs Stockton hunters know the Delta's channels, flooded islands and levees. The [hunting in the Delta page](https://royalgundogs.com/hunting-in-the-delta/) explains how that country shapes a retriever: marks across water, blinds on levees, dogs that wait through long mornings. CDFW's 2024 Waterfowl Hunter Survey found that 13 percent of respondents named San Joaquin Valley counties as places they hunt, and 42 percent named Sacramento Valley counties. That is where they hunt, which is separate from where they live. ## Plan by season CDFW lists the 2026-27 Balance of State duck season as Oct 24, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027. Confirm your county on the CDFW zone map; the [seasons page](https://royalgundogs.com/data/california-seasons-2026-27/) links to it. - Late summer: call Richard if you want a dog ready for opening weekend. Training takes time: the Basic Waterfowl Program runs 10 to 16 weeks depending on the dog. - Season: hunt the dog you trained. Handler lessons help you keep the habits going. - Off-season: use the quiet months for new skills. See the [off-season training calendar](https://royalgundogs.com/guides/off-season-training-calendar/). ## Upland dogs too Richard expanded to pointers and other upland breeds in 2013 under Steve Klassen at Blue Ridge Kennels. A Stockton owner with a German Shorthaired Pointer or a Brittany should look at the [Formal Gun Dog Training](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/formal-gun-dog-training/). ## Neighbors and nearby pages Stockton owners sit close to several other cities on this site. Lodi is just north, and Sacramento and Antioch are other short drives to the preserve. If a friend from one of those cities already has a dog in training, ask them about the experience, then call Richard about yours. The [Delta, Solano and Contra Costa region](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/delta-and-solano/) page covers the ground around Rio Vista in more detail. ## Hours and what to bring 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. Bring your questions about the plan; the [what to bring](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/what-to-bring/) answer covers the rest. ### Sources (4) - U.S. Census Bureau : [data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0675000](https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0675000) (checked October 27, 2026) - California Department of Fish and Wildlife : [nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=233037&inline](https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=233037&inline) (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) - 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 - [San Joaquin Valley](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/san-joaquin-valley/) - [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) - [Private and group lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) - [Hunting dogs and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta](https://royalgundogs.com/hunting-in-the-delta/) - [From Lodi to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/lodi/) ## Other drive times [Vacaville](https://royalgundogs.com/from/vacaville/)[Concord](https://royalgundogs.com/from/concord/)[Lodi](https://royalgundogs.com/from/lodi/)[Vallejo](https://royalgundogs.com/from/vallejo/)[Fairfield](https://royalgundogs.com/from/fairfield/)[Davis](https://royalgundogs.com/from/davis/)[Napa](https://royalgundogs.com/from/napa/)[Walnut Creek](https://royalgundogs.com/from/walnut-creek/) ## Questions from Stockton owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Rio Vista from Stockton? About 44 minutes and 31 miles by road, with no traffic (OpenStreetMap routing). ### Is Stockton in the same region as Lodi? Yes. Both are in the San Joaquin Valley region on this site; see [that page](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/san-joaquin-valley/). ### Can I stay involved while my dog trains? Yes. Stockton is about 44 minutes from Rio Vista, and Richard trains handlers too, one-on-one or in group lessons. Call Richard about visits and lessons.