Here is a young pup early in training. She is learning to stalk and point effectively. The birds teach the dogs that steadiness and stalking increase their odds of success ( a bird in the mouth). Stalk enough to keep in touch with the bird but not so much that you make it run or flush, It's a fun chess game to watch. Stalk/point the bird to get it to set, then present it to the guns on the verbal "alright" cue. At this early stage, we are working on steadiness. After the shot, the shooter chases the bird, brings it back and shares it with the dog. Once steadiness is complete, the dog and shooter switch roles for the retrieve.
