Building a Foundation for the Field
Building a Foundation for the Field
Anymore, “basic” seems to have a bad rap. It isn’t glamorous. It doesn’t make the highlight reels. It’s often the thing we ignore, rush, or cheat. It seems lame.
With a clearer perspective, we can see the value of “basic”. It’s what brings the glam to glamorous. It’s the reason highlight reels exist. Honestly, it’s the one thing we can’t afford to ignore, rush, or cheat. It’s not lame. It’s essential.
Basic requires time, consistency, and perspective. Basic requires our attention, period. What we do today should add value for tomorrow. If we expect victory tomorrow, we need to put the work in today.
Set Expectations
If we want our dogs to be bird dogs, it’s essential that we don’t expect them to get there just because they are a certain breed that we purchased from a reputable breeder. We can expect our dogs to become bird dogs when we draw out and solidify their natural abilities through the consistent drills that we ask them to perform. These drills become behaviors by which they execute the tasks and/or opportunities in front of them.
If we want our bird dog to have manors in the field. Manors that help them be respectful of other hunters and bird dogs. Manors that help them be controlled and steady. Let’s expect steadiness: getting out of the crate, going through doorways, being on “place”, when being around people, no matter the group size or familiarity with the people in the group, and before and after a retrieve.
If we want our bird dog to listen. Listen no matter the number or size of distractions in front of them. Listen when called. Let’s expect recall: when our dog is in another room, when our dog is walking away from us in the yard, when our dog has distractions of toys, people or other dogs around them, and when we send our dog on a retrieve.
If we want our bird dog to search. This means searching even when they never saw the game or bumper. Search even when the cover changes. Search until they find what they were looking for, or we call the search off. Let’s expect “search” in various places with various objects in various conditions, sometimes calling the search off before the object is found.
If we want our bird dog to retrieve. Retrieve whatever we throw, hide, or shoot, whenever we throw, hide it, or shoot it. Let’s expect retrieve: when our dogs pick up something we didn’t want them to pick up, as a drill, not as play, with us in charge rather than our dogs (we decide what, when, where, how many and the distance of the retrieves), in various places with various objects in various conditions, sometimes denying the retrieve.
If we want our bird dog to heel. Heel whenever during whatever. Let’s expect our dogs to: understand the difference between heel and going on a walk, heel on and off lead, heel even when it doesn’t seem to make sense or matter.
If we want our bird dog to sit. Sit no matter where we are or what’s going on. Let’s expect our dogs to: understand that sit means stay, sit going in and out, sit when meeting people, sit before eating, and sit before retrieving during drills.
Simple and Repeatable Training
We don’t have to get creative when it comes to basic drills for our bird dogs. Sure, there are times and places to create and set up drills for our dogs, but our daily lives are full of opportunities we can capitalize on to create great bird dogs and keep them sharp. We’re missing out when we ignore them. And we fail when we’re inconsistent.
Starting with and sticking to the “basics” will create the moments that make you smile for the picture after the hunt. If you’re not smiling, it’s likely due to the fact that you’ve been ignoring, rushing, or cheating the basics.
April 2026
Kyle Dana
