Three To Four Months:
Yield To A Lead: Attach a short lead when you go for walks so the pup learns not to fight the lead. It's safer and sets the groundwork for later training.

Sit: If your pup is a flushing or retrieving breed, start to teach the sit command.

No: Reinforce the "no" command. By this age there are no options--it means stop what you're doing right now.

Moderate Exercise: As the pup develops, take longer walks and let him work a little.

Introduction To Water: Don't force pup, and above all, don't throw him in. Pick a nice warm pond, wade out and encourage your pup to follow; throw dummies or let older dogs show him the way.

Kennel: Reinforce the kennel command.

Come When Called: With the short lead on, crouch down, call the pup and pull him to you. Lavish him with praise when he arrives.

Travel: This includes pup's introduction to boats, cars, truck crates or dog trailers. Keep in mind that comfort helps lessen stress as advanced training or hunting begins.

Four to Six Months:
You're the boss: Not a mean old ogre, but you must be well established as leader.

No, Sit, Come and Kennel: Each day we reinforce learned commands and allow less options while continuing to strive for higher levels of understanding and expected obedience.

Whistle: Begin overlaying whistle signals for the Sit, Come and Whoa commands. Whoa is introduced as a stationary command for pointing breeds. As with other commands, go easy at first to help the dog understand what's expected.

Continued Exercise: Use common sense as you increase the amount of work during exercise periods, and be especially careful during hot weather.

Check Rope: Let pup drag a longer check rope during field exercise. This gives you an extended handle if problems arise.

Marks: These are simple, easy retrieves. At this point we hold the dog while dummies are thrown. Here we begin to nurture marking ability, prey drive and cooperation, which are all components of the natural retrieve. Seven To Nine Months: Introduction To Birds: Use cold, dead pigeons. Select a quiet place, have the pup on lead so he's calm and under control. Some pups need encouragement while others have to be restrained or corrected for mishandling the bird.

Introduction To Gunfire: Once the pup is handling game properly, we have the advantage of introducing gunfire while he is in prey drive so the noise becomes a signal of fun or pleasure, rather than a frightening or even painful experience.

No, Sit, Come, Kennel and Whoa: Drill, drill, and drill! Set up controlled scenarios to continually check and reinforce learned commands. It's one thing for our pup to sit, come, or whoa in the back yard, but bringing him to a level of quick and complete obedience with a nose full of bird scent is quite another thing.

Remote Training: If you choose, now is a fine time to begin the "three action introduction" to remote training. This method is the absolute best way to begin, not only for the dog but also to assure your own comfort with the concept.

Moderate To Heavy Exercise: This is not hard roading, but short periods to become accustomed to the roading harness mixed with periods of free running or extended swims.

Check Rope Becomes Official: As you move to field areas and bring training to a higher level, the check rope becomes a valuable tool. As the dog moves past, pick up the trailing end to enforce commands, or to help guide the dog during collar introduction.

Field work: At this age our dog should begin to understand why the commands are important. As the pup develops, work wild bird areas or plant birds in natural cover so pup learns to pattern or search likely cover.

Nine to 12 Months:
Heel: Being primarily a pointing dog trainer, I don't get too literal with the Heel command until well into check-rope work and after the Whoa command is understood and obeyed in the presence of birds.

Steadiness On Game: Most trainers agree that no problems arise by forcing a dog of this age to remain steady to flush, or even steady to wing once they've pointed birds. Non-slip retrievers should be steady through the shot, at least.

Retrieving: I wouldn't say a dog of this age should be completely "force trained" to retrieve, but it's not too much to expect proper handling of game and retrieving birds to within a reasonable distance of the gun.

Pattern: Increase fieldwork to enhance your gun dog's mentality. By now our young adult should aggressively seek out objectives and search field areas with purpose.

Marking Drills: Non-slip retrievers, flushing dogs and versatile breeds should be steady enough on line to spend a lot of time on marking drills. A key to conservation is a dependable retriever.

Brace Work: Once you're comfortable and in control you may want to try a little work with other dogs. Bird dog trainers have to set up backing situations and train on that while retrievers must honor other dogs and so on, but remember at this point in training all work is still on the check rope. CONCLUSION
I hope you will find this summary a helpful guide in planning your dog's training schedule, but please remember, it's not cast in stone, so remain flexible!