Having a trained retriever in the blind with you is one of the most effective conservation practices you can employ. You will lose far fewer ducks in the field and you get to enjoy the company of a fine shooting dog, which has to be one of lifes greatest pleasures. However, an ill mannered, poorly trained pup, put in an unfamiliar situation, just leads to frustration and can ruin a hunt. How do we achieve the former and avoid the latter?

Expectations are really vital in achieving the best possible performance from your waterfowl retriever. It is imperative that you honestly evaluate what exact behavior you wish to see in your dog and then train to reach those goals. Many times over the years, Ive watched individuals put their dog in a tough situation because they let their egos influence their decisions. Their personal expectations were elevated to meet the needs of that particular situation. This is unfair to the dog. Whether your standards are high or low, they should be consistent. For example, you should not expect your dog to take a 15 yard right over to retrieve that banded mallard drake you just crippled, if you cannot consistently get a 15 yard right over under training conditions.

STEP 1: Clearly determine what you want from your dog. Define exactly what behaviors you desire and which behaviors you explicitly want to avoid. Remember though, that the more advanced skills take many months of dedicated training. Once you have defined your expectations, stick to them. The foundation of retriever training is basically the same for a simple duck dog or a high caliber field champion, but as soon as the basics are achieved the differences are quite significant.

STEP 2: Buy a quality puppy, one that is directly out of a titled parent. Dont fall for the old saying, one great hunting dog bred to another. Where is the verification? A titled dog has been through countless hours of training to achieve its titles. These titles are proof that the parent had the right stuff. In general, hunting retrievers are over bred and there are always going to be $50-$100 dogs in the newspaper. However, Working Retriever Central (http://working-retriever.com/ads.html) is a far better place to purchase a puppy. They wont even accept a sales ad unless the parents are certified by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) as non-dysplastic (http://www.offa.org). No matter where you get your pup, make sure that the parents are OFA certified and the breeder guarantees the pup for at least 24 months.

Now you have a quality puppy and youve carefully thought about your expectations in the field. How do you achieve these goals? It is not nearly as difficult as you might imagine. Whenever you are trying to teach your puppy something new and they dont seem to understand, avoid losing your temper and proclaiming that your dog is stupid or stubborn. Work a little at it every day and remember: persistence pays off.

STEP 3: Keep it simple. It many instances you may need to just simplify the task. Break the task down into smaller steps. Consider the basic retrieve: it is not just one act, but rather a task with many components. The dog SITS, is STEADY to wing and shot, WATCHES the fall, RUNS to the fall area, HUNTS the fall area, FETCHES the bird, HOLDS the bird on the return, HEELS at your side and DELIVERS the bird. These nine distinct and unique actions need to be broken down and taught individually. I know some dog owners proclaim that they never spent a day in the field training, but have the greatest hunting dog alive. Congratulations, I couldnt be happier for you. However, in order to have a skilled, well-mannered companion in the field, most dog owners have to teach a puppy what we expect in the field.

STEP 4: Make the time to train. I know that we live in a very fast paced society, but most of us have the time to train. All it takes is 15 minutes a day. You can find 15 minutes each day if you are motivated. Most people get bored with obedience training and quit to early in the process. Obedience is the very foundation of dog training. The simple - SIT, HEEL, and HERE - commands must be rock solid. The most common error I witness in dog training is inconsistency. Consider this scenario, you are hunting on opening day with a couple close friends and your pup is the designated retriever. The first flock of the morning works beautifully to the call and all three of you drop a drake mallard. Unfortunately, your pup is only able to mark two birds down. The third bird, the one you shot, is swimming away! You attempt to line him up for the cripple but he wants to get one much closer, floating in the decoys. So, in order to avoid walking out there to show the dog which bird you want and then catching an earful from your buddies, you let the dog select his bird. As long as you never again attempt to select the order of pickup, you are fine. You just cannot lose the battle in one situation and expect to win it in another. Here is the simple solution, if you are unwilling to enforce a command in a given situation, do not give the command. It is also important to give your pup a chance to be successful. Try to make the first hunt in a location where the retrieves are fairly straightforward and get the pup as much action as possible. This is important so that the dog learns what hunting is really like, as opposed to simulated training situations.

There are many quality resources on the Internet that provide great information on all aspects dog training. One of the best sites is Retriever training.net (http://www.retrievertraining.net/forums). Here, you can simply ask a question and get an answer in minutes. Another useful site is Total Retriever.com (http://www.totalretriever.com/), where you learn from one of the masters of the sport.

If you think carefully about your expectations, buy a quality-bred puppy, remember to simplify the tasks when things seem hopeless, and make the time to train, youll have the dog of your dreams and the satisfaction of doing it yourself.