It's really not very hard. If you do alot of hunting alone, don't wanna trial, andwant agood pointing dog (don't know much about flushers) then all you really need is to teach 'come', 'woah', 'fetch' and if you want 'heel' and backing. If you get good hunting lines, the dog should naturally point and be steady to wing. Steadying toshot is really polishing a dog but for most hunters it isn't required. Just make sure the bird is clear, ie. flying high enough above the dog that's it's safe to shoot. Actually, some people don't care if the dog fetches. It's just as easy to bend down a pick up a bird as it is to call the dog to do it.

If hunting with more than one person, hunt solo first then invite one friend on the next trip, then a million friends thereafter. You'll learn to read your dog and take it his pace.

In all seriousiness,only when the trainer screws up is when a professional is needed. Its usually when thetrainer/owner is pushing the dog and applying pressure too soon and too much the dog breaks down. The owner gets frustrated and abuses the dog then blames the dog.They usually end up in shelters. Alot ofowners thebright idea of takinga pupto a gunrange without any warning. Bang bang bang and the dog goes gunshy.

Jonsey says basically, Patience is a virtue. If you don't have it then buy a started dog. It's owners who want a finished dog immediately that if they don't have the experience can really screw up. It's like finding a classic and restoring it. The fun is in the process or journey and enjoy the dog while it's there.