Old Cypress Retriever’s

Old Cypress Retriever’s Full service retriever training facility offering, basic obedience, waterfowl training, and hunt test training and handling

06/05/2026

Introducing our first-ever Dog of the Month: Cash! 🐾

We are starting this new tradition to highlight dogs who have shown an incredible attitude and amazing improvement during their time here at Old Cypress Retrievers.

Cash came to us with a lot of drive and desire—so much, in fact, that it was hard for him to contain himself! During his hunts last season, he began getting very vocal, whining and barking when he heard calls or saw birds, which unfortunately disturbed the hunt.

John Schultz brought Cash to us to work on this issue, and we’ve been using our "steadying drill" to help him learn patience. By denying him the retrieve whenever he made unwanted noise, he’s learned that being quiet and relaxed is the only way to earn his reward.

It has been a few months of hard work, and it’s paying off beautifully!

Stay until the end of the video to watch his speedy and flawless retrieve! 🦆💨

06/04/2026

Training Tip: The First Look Drill
Mastering the first look is essential for helping your dog find their memory bird successfully. Here is a breakdown of why this technique matters:

🐕 A first look provides your dog with the necessary orientation to find their memory bird effectively.

📍 Always line up and face the location of the memory bird so that when your dog returns to heel, they are already facing the direction they need to run.

✋ Before taking the bird or bumper, move the dog over to ensure they understand they are going to be sent for a memory bird.

💡 Stay composed; rushing or getting nervous can cause handlers to pull the bird too early or send the dog prematurely, which negatively impacts success.

🎯 Providing a proper first look helps ensure your dog is set up for success and ready to retrieve the memory bird.

06/03/2026

🐾 Mastering the Step Back Drill 🐾

Last week, we introduced the Step Back Drill, and today Cory is breaking down exactly why this drill is a game-changer for your hunting companion.

If you have an older dog that is creeping, breaking, or getting a little loose at the line, this is for you!

🎯 The Core Goal
At its core, this drill is about putting the responsibility on the dog. We want them to be completely aware of their position in relation to us. When it’s time for a hunt test, they need to understand that they must be right by your side before they can go retrieve their birds.

🚶‍♂️ What to Expect: The Progression

❓ The Starting Phase: Don't worry if your dog doesn't get it right away! When you first start backing up, they might spin around to come back into a heel or seem a bit confused. That's completely normal.

🚀 The Breakthrough: As you consistently work on this drill, they will start to understand the rhythm. Eventually, as you begin to move backward, they will smoothly back up with you while staying locked in and focused on their bird.

Ultimately, we are teaching them to be situationally aware and stay at our side until given the signal.

💬 Got questions? We’re here to help! Drop a comment below or send us a message if you want to dive deeper into this training technique. Happy training!

06/02/2026

Serious Drills, Serious Splashes🐾💦

It looks like all business, but we always find time for a little swim party! Today we put the dogs to work running a staged blind and testing them with various precision drills. They absolutely crushed it, showing off that incredible drive and focus.

But hard work deserves a reward, so we wrapped up the session with a chaotic, high-energy fun swim to let everyone cool off and just be dogs! From laser-focused retrievals to epic water shakes, these pups know how to work hard and play harder🐕💥

🐾 Meet the Team 🐾Meet Jodie L Baudoin from Delcambre, Louisiana — our amazing office manager, whelping coordinator, and ...
06/02/2026

🐾 Meet the Team 🐾
Meet Jodie L Baudoin from Delcambre, Louisiana — our amazing office manager, whelping coordinator, and (most importantly) Cory’s #1 Cheerleader here at Old Cypress Retrievers! 📣

Jodie has been working with dogs for the past 10 years, and she officially got into the retriever world by doing the best thing possible: marrying the trainer!

Her favorite part about working at OCR is meeting new families and seeing the pure excitement on their faces when they take home a new puppy. She also loves the reward of watching the tiny puppies she helped whelp come back to the kennel for training, seeing them succeed at hunt tests, and watching them grow into incredible hunting dogs👏

While she loves all the retrievers, Jodie’s favorite breed is actually the Dachshund! She and Cory have a great personal pack:
🐶 Several female Labs who are "her girls"
🐾 Sawyer — her longhaired Dachshund who is truly "her man"!

One of Jodie’s favorite memories over the years was the unforgettable moment Cory passed the HRC Grand for the very first time. He called her on FaceTime straight from the field, and the second they saw each other, they both just started crying—completely overwhelmed with excitement and so proud of all the hard work that went into that huge milestone🏆

Her go-to training tip:
“Keep it simple, stay consistent, and take it one step at a time. Clear communication builds the best bond.”

When she’s not working dogs, you’ll probably find her working as a licensed insurance agent for Hulin Insurance, helping out at the local thrift store finding hidden treasures, fishing, hunting, or playing in her flower beds🌸🎣

Fun fact about Jodie? Whether she’s sitting in the duck blind or hanging out at a hunt test, she will never go hungry because she always packs plenty of snacks! 🥪✨

We’re so incredibly proud to have her leading the team! 🐾

05/30/2026

🎥 SIDE BY SIDE WITH CORY: Keeping Emotions Out of Training 🐾

When a dog makes a mistake during a training session, it’s easy to get frustrated. But in this segment of Side by Side with Cory, we are reminded of a crucial rule for every handler: Leave your emotions out of it.

Dogs don't make mistakes to spite us or because they've made a conscious decision to ignore us. Most of the time, a mistake simply means they don’t fully understand or haven't been properly taught what we're asking them to do.

When we let anger or frustration take over, we only make a difficult situation worse and cause things to go even further downhill.

Instead of letting your emotions get the best of you, approach every mistake as a valuable opportunity to teach your dog. Keep a cool head, stay patient, and focus on the lesson!

🐾 Meet the Team 🐾Meet Lauren Turner from Shreveport, our powerhouse Digital Marketing Director here at Old Cypress Retri...
05/29/2026

🐾 Meet the Team 🐾
Meet Lauren Turner from Shreveport, our powerhouse Digital Marketing Director here at Old Cypress Retrievers!

Lauren has been with us for about 4 months and originally got into retrievers and dog training through her love for duck hunting — a dream that became a reality in March of 2025 when she got her own "Duck Dog." She wanted the best dog possible, but more importantly, she wanted to challenge herself to become a better trainer and handler in the process.

Now, she's responsible for everything our online audience sees, capturing the grit and daily grind of the kennel👀

Her favorite part about working at OCR? Learning how to become a sharper handler every single week and witnessing the rewarding behind-the-scenes work that most people don't get to experience.

Lauren’s favorite breed is the traditional American Lab, and she has one dog of her own:
🐶Coors Banquet – a 16-month-old male Yellow Lab

Her go-to training tip is a great reminder for all of us: "You have to have patience—not only for the dog, but for yourself."

One of her favorite memories here was when Cory spent 10 minutes setting up a beach umbrella in the pouring rain so she wouldn’t get wet... only for the rain to stop the exact second he finished. 🌧️

When she’s not working dogs, you’ll probably find her volunteering with Ducks Unlimited or managing at Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux - Carencro (be on the lookout for the opening date coming soon!).

Fun fact — Lauren has a background in musical theatre, so she’s known to bust into song and dance at any moment, and she also doubles as a Disney Princess through Acadiana Princess Parties by Peekaboo Faces👑🎤

We’re glad to have her as part of the team! 👏

05/28/2026

Training Tip: The Step 🔙 Drill

Fixing a dog that is loose at the line or prone to breaking at hunt tests is all about reprogramming their brain. Here’s a quick look at how the Step Back Drill gets it done:

❌The Problem: Dogs often remain perfectly still in normal training but become loose or break at hunt tests, giving you no way to make a correction.

📍The Setup: Have your dog sit at the line and throw a single mark out into the field.

🥾The Step Back: As soon as the bumper hits the ground, quietly take a couple of steps back away from the dog without giving a heel command or saying a word.

✅The Correction: If the dog doesn't yield and back up to you on their own, apply a few very light nicks with the e-collar until they move back to your side.

💰Earn It: The dog is only sent for the retrieve once they realize they have to realign with you to get their bird.

Whether you are dealing with chronic breakers or dogs that creep, making them understand they must be next to you to be released is what builds steadiness at the line.

05/25/2026

We’ve been putting in some serious work at the kennel lately. We’ve got some big things coming down the pipe over the next few weeks, and you’re going to want to be ready for it.

Any guesses on what’s on the horizon? Let’s hear ‘em in the comments👇

Can’t thank y’all enough for having our backs and showing these dogs so much love🦆🐕

05/25/2026

Leesville didn't know what hit it! 🦆🔥

Old Cypress Retrievers brought the heat to the HRC Hunt Test this weekend with HRCdogs! Check out our highlights🎥👇

(Quick breakdown: These dogs compete across three intense levels: Started for our rising stars, Seasoned for intermediate tests, and Finished for the elite, most complex hunting scenarios.)
Here is how the kennel threw down:

🏆 FINISHED SQUAD (Elite)
• Riot, Jinx, Trick, & Lily: 2 Finished Passes each! 🏅🏅
• Fendi: 1 Finished Pass 🏅

💪 SEASONED CREW (Intermediate)
• Jean Joe: 2 Seasoned Passes 🏅🏅
• Reese: 1 Seasoned Pass 🏅

🌟 STARTED STARS (Rising Talent)
• Remi: 2 Started Passes 🏅🏅

We couldn't be prouder of the early mornings and endless training that went into bringing home these ribbons.

Address

19332 West LA Highway 335
Kaplan, LA
70548

Telephone

+13376525011

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