NILO's Kennels play an ongoing role in the overall success of the NILO FARMS shooting preserve concept. All hunting at NILO FARMS is done over well trained dogs. The reason is simple: good hunting and retrieving dogs reduce the loss of dead and crippled game birds ensuring a higher level of quality hunting. Plus, watching the field performance of a properly trained dog "taking a line" or "working the birds" is an exciting pleasure in itself.

No one knew this better than John Olin. As a matter of fact, he founded NILO KENNELS in 1950 to facilitate the wild hunting of ducks, pheasant and quail two years before he established NILO FARMS. And the training guidelines and procedures he helped develop are strictly maintained to this day.

NILO breeds and trains retrievers, pointers and spaniels. Since there is no one dog that can handle everything equally well, all have distinct roles on a shooting preserve. NILO usually boards between 40-45 dogs. The training staff prefers traditional breeds of working dogs and uses Black and Yellow Labrador Retrievers for the Mallard shoots, English Springer Spaniels for flushing Upland game birds, and English Setters and Pointers for pointing.

Training for all NILO dogs begins at a fairly early age - around 3 months. Labs are trained to mark and retrieve, then to make "blind" retrieves by obeying hand and whistle signals to locate birds they did not see fall. The labs are also trained to enter the water and take line in one of the three small training lakes located on NILO FARMS.

Guests are invited to stop by the Trophy Room at the Kennels before or after their hunt.