To teach a dog hunt dead, set a 5-gallon bucket (or a traffic cone or other evident marker) 30 yards from your line. Set the bucket at the edge of the field just into the tall grass for a new dog. Move it deeper into the tall grass for a more experienced dog. Don't make it too challenging. You want a successful happy dog.
Stand about 10 yards away from the bucket with your hupped dog. Your colleague will drop a dead bird straight down behind the bucket (or maybe in front of the bucket to make it easier). As the bird falls, you calmly say "dead".
Turn and silently walk with your dog back to the 30 yard mark. Let him think. Turn and face the bucket. Hup your dog. Line him up. Make your left hand like a tomahawk or blade in front of his nose so that bringing your hand up and forward will form a line from his nose to the bucket. Hold. Calmly move your right foot back a yard or two. Hold.
Now step forward with your right foot and at the same instant bring your left hand forward toward the bucket while you say your dog's name (his signal to break). Your movement and call will be the only signal he needs to take off after the downed bird.
If he loses his way, you can handle him with pips and hand signals. If he starts to return to you, or somehow does not go to the bucket, you have a chance to teach him "back". Walk toward him while saying "back, back" and pushing or waving your outstretched palm toward him. You can stop walking and talking when he gets the idea. You cannot walk toward your dog like this during a hunt test, but this is training.
Once the dog picks up the bird, pip him in. Pat your thigh. Accept the gift. Good boy. Good girl.
Step 2: The lineup. Back at the 30 yard mark. Left hand like a blade. Getting ready to calmly step the right foot back.
It smells birdy out here.
I found it!
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