My name is Brad Vail. I am originally from Southwestern Pennsylvania. Hunting and fishing became my primary interests at an early age. These pursuits have led me to my current occupation as a professional dog trainer.

My freshman year of college, I acquired my first Labrador Retriever. I was an 18 year old who loved hunting, and Jake was a 10 week old yellow Labrador male who was the last puppy left in a litter with a rather undecorated pedigree. However, that puppy of untitled ancestry lit a fire in me that burns stronger than ever today. Jake was a dog that loved hunting and loved life. He tried his best at any task you asked of him. That desire to please and "want to" attitude has instilled in me a tremendous respect for the dogs entrusted to my care.

In the early fall of 2004, I applied for a position with Oak Tree Kennels in Clark, SD. As luck would have it, I was hired. I packed up all the possessions a 27 year old single make can acquire and my black Labrador, T, and I made the 1200 mile move to South Dakota. That first fall in South Dakota was nothing short of spectacular. Especially for a person who grew up hunting in Pennsylvania and working hard for every bird put in the bag. Months after moving here, I would still find myself amazed at the numbers of birds and panoramic views. When asked what I thought of SD after living here a short time my reply without thinking: "It's a target rich environment".

Waterfowl hunting is by far my favorite hunting pursuit. The dogs are probably the key ingredient in my fascination with this sport. Nothing is more beautiful to me than a dog picking up a few birds floating belly up in the decoys and then being lined to an unseen fall a couple hundred yards through those same decoys to pick up a bird that requires extreme cooperation and excellent training to recover. It gives me a great feeling of pride to take a rambunctious puppy and turn it into a reliable and dependable hunting partner.

High standards and a fair, consistent approach are the cornerstone of my training philosophy. Never correct unless you are confident the dog understands the offense for which it is being corrected. My pledge to the customers of Oak Tree Kennels and the dogs entrusted to our care is that I will be fair and consistent.

Thank you for reading and I look forward to meeting you and your dog!