As the buds begin to show and the ground is getting dryer, what better time is there to get some bird training in.

With younger dogs it’s good to create a controlled environment so that we can anticipate what’s going to happen and be prepared on how we can take advantage of the situation.

A good early season drill would be to run the dog in a fairly open area where you can see where the dog is and you can steer him a little better by taking different routes through the field.
setter

Try to locate some light cover to plant a bird in a trap. Steer your dog upwind of the bird and anticipate when the dog will get there so you can be close by to control the action.
setter point

Walk up to the dog and steady him up all the while showering praise.
Steady

The older the dog the more you can try to recreate an actual trial or hunting situation with the release of the bird and the discharge of the starter pistol.
point