Single marks is the best exercise to teach the dog to mark the bird as the dog is focused on only one gunner and one bird. Having two or more gunners in the field can cause the dog to gaze back and forth between gunners disrupting his marking ability. In order to mark the bird, the dog must remain steady to the gun. Therefore, give a jerk to the collar when coming to the line. His rump should stay on the ground, no creeping allowed. A heeling stick is a good tool to whack him on the rump just as the gun goes off. Wait a moment before sending him to the mark. If the dog is sent too quickly, the next time he'll leave before you give him the signal and finally he will break as the gun goes off. Don't let that happen otherwise you have a chronic problem. However, if your dog does break, follow him into the field, take the bird from him and return the bird to the gunner. Take the dog back to the line and repeat the exercise until the dog can stay on his own. Keep in mind when repeating the mark it needs to be executed exactly as the first time. If the mark is in a different location it will be confusing to the dog.

Shooting flyers as single marks is the best training exercise to teach your dog to follow the bird. It's also the perfect time to bring out the shotgun. However, you need to use clip wing birds so the flight is controlled.

Author bio: Jean Smith competed in field trials during the 1970s turning professional in the early 1980s. She has condensed years of experience into two DVDs detailing each step of how to train a retriever. To learn more go to www.teachmeplease.com

So many people want to get to the advanced levels of training and forget that the basics need to taught and built upon. Some of our best training sessions are on more complicated singles. Teach singles over and thru different terrain is a great way to build confidence. Set-up singles so that you can give the dog a different look at the mark as you walk around the field. We will set a Remote Launcher or Winger out and move around the launcher giving the dog a different view of the mark, varying the distance and the cover the dog has to drive thru. Be sure to train in and thru different cover changes (High Grass, Low Grass, Reeds, Cut Corn & Bean Fields, etc...), as you never know what may be thrown at you at a test / trial or on that next hunting trip. You should also strive for perfection, keeping in mind that the dog should mark the fall and proceed directly to the fall. Work on the dog taking a straight line to the fall, picking up the object and coming straight back.

When teaching a dog to watch the field for the next mark, you can have some one wear a white jacket (such as at a filed trial), while throwing marks for you or you can use a remote Retired Gunner. This will help keep the dogs attention on what is going on in the field, while the mark is thrown and then the retired gunner will disappear.



























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