Marc, there are as many books on training as there are on guns. I think that you already have the knowledge to train a setter. Hounds were bred for one thing, their noses, not much disipline. Setters on the other hand should be a lot easier to train. The first few months if you get a puppy, should be on behavior, getting to know his name, coming to you when called, obediance type things. When he gets to listen to you, associate him with people, other dogs (that you know are friendly). By the time he is near 4 months if you have the room, build a quail pen (I will send you pics if you wish) and let him get associated with them. Let one out and see what he does, you don't want a bigger bird flushing in front of him and scaring him. Let him walk around the pen and see what he does. Also at 4 months or so you can start working him on a electronics collar, not so much as to discipline him but to assure him with low stimulation that he is doing what you want him to do. Also with gentle voice commands.
I don't know what the other e-collars give you but the Sportdog one gives you a pamphlet on how and when to use the collar.
It's light and the receiver is small enough not to be cumbersome.
I started using a whistle when mine was young. One blast and he looks and as if he is asking "what now", then I give him the command to come or change direction. You get him to respond to the whistle or voice command by blowing or commanding then by low stimulation on the collar. After a few times you won't need the collar, he/she will know what you want.
At this age of 4 months, you should know what he is capable of doing, you can't teach him to hunt, you can only refine what he has bred into him. Now you can look and get maybe a book on refining his levels of skill and yours.
And by all means please keep him looking like a setter with the tail out straight, not up in the air like some pointer. A lot will disagree, but that is a setter.
This is my opinion Marc, everybody will tell you a different way. Remember also that most trainers are training more than one dog at a time, so how much time are they devoting to your dog.
Getting one from a reputable breeder with a good 7-9 lineages back with top dogs and he/she will train themself. You are only going to help refine him.
