First thing do is to train the dog so it isn't gun shy. I had many friends who had shorthairs and we all trained our dogs together.
These dogs generally are very gamy and will seek out birds from a very early age. Take them into the field as often as possible. I had a great place close to my house that was loaded with quail and pheasants and I took the dog there every night after work. I let her seek out birds on a long lead (50') and then as she got used to that I started on getting her to hold point. Very few of my friends used shock collars, and those that did seemed to all have males who wanted to chase deer. I actually hunted with my dog when she was
4 months old even though she would bust a lot of birds.