When you know that your dog knows the obedience commands, you can introduce birds. Heres a good scenerio. Have the dog sit and watch a live bird, but make him be steady. Then call the dog to you, make sure he obeys. For the first time I highly recommend using a long lead and possibly a pinch collar. Birds can be used to keep the dog excited. But be sure you use them cautiously. Letting a dog eat or damage a bird can defeat your purpose. Good luck. I also highly recommend buying a training book. The NAVHDA book is very good for an upland dog. It will answer almost all of your questions.