Let's try this

Larsen has taken to fooling around with clip-wing birds that he is retrieving. He retrieves dead quail straight on. What to do?

Joe DeMarkis recommends the following exercise. Hup Larsen and walk out twenty yards or so. Let Larsen see the handler (me) drop a dead bird into cover. Walk back and send Larsen out on a hunt dead.

Do this twice.

Then on the third round, walk out and drop a clip-wing into the cover. Walk back and send Larsen on a hunt dead. Larsen should bring it straight back. If he doesn't: If he puts it down to play with it, pick the bird up, open Larsen's mouth, put it in, tap Larsen's jaw shut and command "hold".

In fact, Joe identified a training weakness of mine. I'd command Larsen to hold, but if he spit it out, I would not back it up by putting the bird in his mouth, tapping his jaw shut and commanding "hold". Larsen needs to understand that whether he is in the mood or not, he is obligated to hold the bird if I direct him to.