What are you trying to train your dog to do? It's a setter, so I assume you want the dog to find and point birds.

What you're doing now is teaching your dog to follow YOUR scent to find a bumper with some feathers on it. This is great if you plan on testing your dog somewhere where a duck or rabbit drag is required, but there is little value I see for a hunting dog.

I would get this dog on live birds as soon as possible. Build her desire for birds as soon as you can. Once that desire is there, then start the force fetch work. Getting your dog to retrieve will be a piece of cake as long as the desire is there. If the desire is not there, you have no need to force fetch the dog anyways.

My suggestion to you would be to call a NAVHDA chapter - http://www.navhda.org/chapters.html

Many of these chapters have training days where you can benefit from the experience from all the members. You could also ask your trainer to break out his bird launchers and help you get your dog into some birds. Personally, I have a lot of trouble understanding why he would start you with an exercise like this. I have never attached feathers to any bumpers for any reason whatsoever.

My .02.

Good luck.