bobo - The first thing you need to do is select a breed. If it is to be a family member, then your selection process should start there. Next, determine what you would like this dog to do. Do you need a hound? A bird dog? A waterfowl retriever? Will you need the dog to perform two of these duties? All three? After you've determined your use (and please, be honest with yourself here) for the dog, begin narrowing down your selection based on the ability of the breed to quickly become a member of the family.

Buy a good book about training the type of dog you have, and stick with it. Some trainers with years of experience can mix and match different techniques based on the needs of individual dogs, but 90% of us are best served by sticking to one method.

Have patience, and don't forget to reward and love your pup every chance you get. It is a heck of a lot easier to train a dog by rewarding proper behavior than it is to correct mistakes.

Good luck!