WMR, you did a better job of distilling your thoughts into words. So pardon my ramblings.
We don't hunt waterfowl so my expectations are different. Nobody would probably like mine for themselves but then again IDC because what I do works for me and I don't do it just because the books said so. I find many people want a "manual" for a dog...works about like manuals for child raising. They're wonderful individuals just like we are in that respect. Good days/bad days, successes and failures all as we experience them.
Being a pheasant hunter, I don't want steadiness to flush or shot at all. I want them moving toward the flying bird from the flush/shot whichever is appropriate depending on whether flushing or blocking. Birds/time/energy all is unnecessarily lost in my style of hunting if the dog is at a 30 yard disadvantage. I'm in fields where there might be 500-800-1000 wild birds at any given time. You might not be so your needs are different.
I expect them to "come around" when getting out too far in the field. Some dogs learn range easier than others. I have a dog now which has developed an uncanny sense of "too far." Its like he knows shotgun range intuitively, although I know its because I correct him and call him to "come around"
Past that I do spend alot of time teaching quartering in the field because its important. I expect them to hunt with and for me, and not themselves. They know the difference and so do I. The quartering work seems to accomplish that. They also associate hunting and flushing with that work. It helps that we have lots of places to work on it as young dogs with live birds present.
Retrieving comes naturally for them, we do some work in the yard with bumpers so they learn "Heel" and "out." I use "out" for "Drop it" or "leave it" as one word beats using two for them.
They have to figure out live/crippled birds on their own. I have a dog now that will bring back birds firmly but gently no matter what and I have one that won't tolerate spurs and beaks at all. When she was little she wouldn't bring live birds back; now that she's older anything alive generally simply gets the Crunch of Destiny. I don't care about that. I don't like spurs and beaks in my vest against my back either. I'm stuck with her and she's stuck with me, and if you read my post from mid-December when I thought she was lost in the darkness, wind and deep grass, then you'll why. They do [bleep] for me that I won't do. So I'll put up with that.
They're in the kennel most days when its fit to be outside, otherwise and at night, they are in the house, and with me, and rarely kenneled unless all of us are out of town which happens but not alot.
Each of my dogs has had at least one SD pheasant trip, other than the new pup. I’ll probably make sure she gets a few trips out there. This little girl, Ruby, is from Duckhill Kennels in TN. At a year of age, I thought she wasn’t gonna be any good. She must have read my mind because she’s come on strong in the 6 months since then. I predict a good future for the two of us. Wild pheasants are the best. So are ducks, I think. I guess I’m a confused man. 🤔
