This method, though sometimes effective, can backfire if it is pursued to the point of dependency. We can think of a parallel in training coonhounds. Many trainers, and, we tend to agree, feel that hauling a coon up a tree to encourage young hounds to bark treed should be done little, if at all. Making a task too easy can create a dependency on easy tasks. Another useful crutch is to use a live shackled or pinioned duck or pigeon on marks. Live game usually generates excitement and drive, positively affecting the hunt. As in the previous example of the "walkaway," live birds are easier to hunt up than dead ones and will elevate the incidence of success. If you want to re-use your shackled ducks, though, don't throw them as hitting the ground will kill them. Plant the bird and throw a dirt lump to the spot. When he gets there, there's the bird! Salting the area can be a good gambit, particularly on longer marks in which you are trying to improve the hunt. This consists of spreading several retrieving objects, usually dummies, over an area of ten yards or so in diameter. If your dog makes it to the area he is likely

to have success after only a brief hunt. In many cases this will improve a dog's attitude on the longer difficult marks, resulting in a more positive hunt. If your dog tends to break down on long marks and shows little or no hunt, "feeding him" dummies on his way to the area can be useful. In this method, the helper, or automatic launcher, is used to throw additional dummies as the dog is on his way. This is strictly a confidence builder on longer marks. Avoid extensive reliance on it. Occasionally we see evidence that a dog is not using his nose effectively We have had little success forcing dogs to hunt, and we dare say, although we use force when required, rely on it less than some other trainers. We think that talent comes first and training second. Of course, you can't do without either. To return to the subject, it is possible to remind well-trained, collar-conditioned retrievers to stay in the

area and hunt. In this method, quitting, or returning without the bird, is addressed by a collar correction, getting the dog sitting and under control, and handling him back into the area of the fall. Training of this type can be intimidating to the retriever and frustrating to the handler. It is a useful tool only in skilled hands. We have seen many competitive retrievers who have been trained to hunt in this way but appear cowed and panicky while hunting. In competition, we see much less of this today than we did twenty years ago. Carrying hunting demands to the extreme characterizes the method we will call the "Birdless Mark." In this method, which is related to the previous method, a mark is thrown but not a retrievable object. A lump of dirt that disintegrates upon hitting the ground is a good example. The dog is sent and allowed to hunt for varying lengths of time until the thrower flips him a bird or dummy when the dog isn't looking. The dog then finds the bird or dummy. We haven't seen impressive results from the use of this technique. In some circumstances, however, the birdless mark, enforced with collar correction and handling back into the area, may be what is needed to lengthen the duration of the hunt. At a different level, we have found that forcing on back sometimes improves a dog's hunt when a long program of marks designed to be encouraging has not worked by itself. Then, if the dog returns without the bird, apply pressure and re-send him. Occasionally we see evidence that a dog is not using his nose effectively. It seems reasonable that a dog that doesn't know how to respond to scent might not expect to find a hidden dummy or bird. Most of these dogs have a perfunctory hunt. Most Labs, goldens, and Ches