Todd, I agree with you in the number of times for retrieving. I always reward my puppy with a treat when he brings it back. Sometimes I can see a little of the playful side in him when he doesn't bring it right to me but behind me, and then to me. Always when I throw the dummy I will say "fetch, dead bird". I belive it is important to teach a dog to hunt dead, I have seen too many pointing dogs that do not know how to hunt dead. Now, I am putting a little pheasant scent on the decoy and throwing it without him seeing it and bringing him downwind of the decoy and telling him "dead bird", and I can see his reaction to the scent and work it till he finds it.
On a planted "real bird" I'm sure he is going to want to break in on it the first couple of times, but that's what obediance training is all about.
