ence of Steve Smith, editor of Pointing Dog Journal and Retriever Journal magazines. "The emphasis here is on 'intelligence' or the natural ability of a dog to figure out that pheasants can be found by looking in the most likely bird-holding places," Smith believes.
"Instead of running in random directions or erratic circles an intelligent dog, with experience, can develop a regular and purposeful method of covering a field in the quest for game. These dogs have a genetic impulse to hunt this way and these innate traits can easily be improved with training during the hunting season and throughout the rest of the year," Smith believes.
"Training To Intelligently Quarter"
"Training a pheasant dog to quarter in the field is fairly easy if the dog has the genetics to compel it to do this in the first place," according to Rick Smith. "In the Silent Command training system, developed by my dad, Delmar Smith, a half dozen pigeons and later on pheasants are planted in a short-grass field 50 to 100 yards from each other for a distance of 200 to 300 yards," Smith says.
"The dog being trained to quarter is then brought in on a 75 foot long check cord and led in a zig-zag pattern through the field in search of the planted birds. When the pigeons or pheasants are found then pointed or flushed, depending on the breed of the dog, the dog, still under the control of the check cord, is taken toward the next bird," Smith describes.
"When this zig-zag quartering pattern is repeated several times, most well-bred gun dogs will naturally start to hunt every field in this same fashion," Smith has discovered. "Sometimes, in the early years of a dog's training program, a check cord or a remote training collar might have to be used for 'remedial education' and 'tune-up'," Smith suggests.

"'Hunt Dead' On Command"
"A dog that will 'hunt dead' is one main qualification of a good pheasant dog," in the experience of Dennis Guldan, editor of Bird Dog and Retriever News magazine. "A rooster that flushes, gets shot, then falls into thick cover sometimes can be impossible to find without a dog that hunts a 'dead bird' on command," Guldan believes.
"Even a pointer or retriever that doesn't actually 'see' a pheasant fall in thick vegetation should be willing and able to be brought in to search for that bird Most all breeds of dogs have the instincts to do this. But, many dogs need some further training and practice to become really proficient at finding dead birds," Guldan believes.
"Some pheasant hunters feel that some breeds of gun dogs won't hunt for or retrieve dead roosters. But, that point of view is pretty much a baseless prejudice Those who think their particular breed of pheasant dogs won't hunt or retrieve any dead game on command probably haven't tried to teach the dogs this skill. If these dogs were 'trained' to search for and bring in dead roosters, their owners likely might be pleasantly surprised," Guldan feels.
"Training To 'Hunt Dead'"
"Training any good pheasant dog to 'hunt dead' on command for a rooster that has been shot and has dropped into some dense cover is fairly easy," in the opinion of John Luttrell, head dog trainer at Oak Tree Hunting Lodge in Clark, South Dakota. "And most any breed of well-bred bird dog can be taught to find a dead rooster whether they've actually 'watched' the bird fall or if they're 'told' to look for a dead pheasant that dropped unseen into some thick habitat," Luttrell has found.
"One efficient and effective way to teach a pheasant dog to 'hunt dead' is to tape some dried out rooster wings to a retrieving dummy either of the canvas or plastic type. Start by throwing this dummy on the lawn in your yard so your dog will get enthusiastic about finding and retrieving it. Next find a field with some knee-high grass and toss the dummy various distances while giving the command 'dead bird," Luttrell suggests.
"Once your dog dependably finds the dummy in the grass on command, go to a cattail slough next