McKinney, Texas

Calm, Reliable Gundogs. Built on a Clear System.

On-site board & train for gundogs, plus British Labrador breeding from proven UK lineage — steady, safe, and reliable in the field and at home.

View Board & Train Programs Start Your Dog's Evaluation

System3-Phase Method

LocationMcKinney, Texas

StatusAccepting Inquiries

What We Do

A Program, Not Just a Kennel

McKinney Gundogs is a structured gundog program built on a published method. We don't take every dog and hope for the best. We take the right dogs and put them through a clear progression—from foundation to finished work.

The System

The McKinney Gundogs Method

Phase 1 — Obedience

Phase 2 — Started Gundog

Phase 3 — Finished Gundog

Why Choose Us

Why McKinney Gundogs

01Built for hunters

02Full-time, on-site board and train — not day training

03Clear, published training system

04Calm, structured environment

05Focus on reliability and steadiness

06High-drive dogs channeled into control, not chaos

07Weekly photo and video updates while your dog is with us

Client Reviews

What Our Clients Say

Cole started our Fox Red Lab Murphy with training and has also boarded and trained her. He is fantastic with feedback and take home tasks to set in the training. We trust him with our dog and training curriculum. Would recommend to anyone.

— Seth Kern

"Cole has done a great job with my Field Bred Golden, Rori over the past year. He understands there is no 'one size fits all' method to training, so gets to know each dog and how best to work with them. He also understands part of dog training is training the dog's human as well."

— Charlie Reagan

"Cole was an excellent trainer for my black lab, Breck. He's incredibly well-informed, patient, and easy to work with, which made the whole training process feel smooth and manageable. I've seen such a positive difference in Breck."

— Tara Eckel

Spring 2027

Upcoming Litter — Now Accepting Waitlist

We are planning a litter for Spring 2027 out of McKinney Gundogs Swift Iris (FTCH/GRCHSH × ESD/3XGRCHSD) by a TBD FTCH British Labrador sire. If you're interested in a pup from this pairing, we encourage you to get on the waitlist early.

Learn More & Join the Waitlist

Get Started

Ready to Talk About Your Dog?

Tell us about your dog, your goals, and your timeline. We'll let you know if they're a fit for the program.

Contact McKinney Gundogs

The System

The McKinney Gundogs Method

A three-phase system that takes dogs from obedience to finished gundog.

Phase One

Obedience

Every dog starts here. We establish communication, control, and calmness before anything else. This phase builds the foundation that everything else depends on.

Heel

Precise, reliable heel with leash pressure and off-leash progression.

Place

Steady on place with duration and distance, building impulse control.

Recall

Reliable recall under increasing distraction.

Crate Conditioning

Calm, quiet crate behavior as a management and travel tool.

Impulse Control and Steadiness

The dog learns to think before acting — the foundation of everything that follows.

Phase Two

Started Gundog

The dog transitions from obedience into real gundog work. A started dog leaves with force fetch, multiple retrieves on land and water, and solid gun conditioning.

Force Fetch

Reliable, clean delivery to hand on command — the non-negotiable skill that separates trained gundogs from natural retrievers.

Walking Fetch

Dogs maintain forward momentum and clean pick-ups through multiple reps.

Multiple Retrieves

Dogs mark and retrieve confidently across land and water, handling multiple birds.

Water Work

Dogs enter water confidently, retrieve across water, and remain steady at the edge.

Gun Conditioning

Dogs show calmness around gunfire and confidence picking up real birds.

Steadiness Under Distraction

Dogs remain steady while birds fall, guns fire, and other dogs work.

Phase Three

Finished Gundog

The highest standard in the McKinney Gundogs program. A finished dog takes casts and runs blinds with confidence — reliable handling in real hunting environments.

Directional Casting

Dogs take clean left and right casts from a whistle sit and leave the handler willingly when sent.

Cold Blinds

Dogs run blinds with commitment, trust, and clean handling at distance.

Multiple Marks

Dogs perform multiple marks with accuracy and memory across varied terrain.

Water Blinds

Dogs run water blinds with confidence and maintain line integrity across entries and exits.

Honoring

Dogs remain steady around movement, gunfire, and other dogs working.

Real-World Hunting Scenarios

Dogs work confidently around decoys, boats, blinds, and changing conditions.

"Not every dog starts at Phase 1, and not every dog reaches Phase 3—but every dog follows the same clear system."

Next Step

See Which Program Fits Your Dog

Our programs are structured around this three-phase method. Tell us where your dog is, and we'll point you in the right direction.

View Board & Train Programs

Shop — Coming Soon

McKinney Gundogs Gear

Branded gear for the truck, the blind, and the yard. We're building this out — check back soon.

Under Construction

Gear Is On The Way

We're putting together branded gear for the truck, the blind, and the yard. Check back soon, or reach out if there's something specific you're after.

McKinney, Texas

About McKinney Gundogs

Built on structure, calmness, and clear standards.

The Trainer

Meet Cole McKinney

Training gundogs isn't something he fell into — it's what he was built for. With 15 years of hands-on experience developing dogs from raw pups to finished hunting partners, he brings a calm, methodical approach to every dog that comes through the program.

He genuinely loves this work. Not just the finished product, but the process — the early mornings, the incremental breakthroughs, the moment a high-drive dog finally settles into the work it was bred for. That passion shows in every dog that leaves the program.

McKinney Gundogs is built on that foundation: deep experience, real love for the craft, and a system worth trusting.

Who We Are

Built on a Published System

McKinney Gundogs is a gundog training program based in McKinney, Texas. We focus on building calm, reliable, high-drive dogs through a clear, published system. Every dog is trained with the same structure, the same expectations, and the same standard.

What We're Not

We're not a volume kennel.
We don't take every breed and every case.
We don't chase chaos or drama.
We don't guess—we follow a system.

Philosophy

Our Training Philosophy

We believe drive is easy—steadiness is trained. Our job is to create dogs that are safe, predictable, and capable in the field and at home. That means clear communication, consistent structure, and a progression that makes sense to both the dog and the owner.

Get in Touch

Ready to Talk About Your Dog?

Tell us about your dog, your goals, and your timeline. We'll let you know if they're a fit for the program.

Contact McKinney Gundogs