I have a Golden Retriever named Beau, who is 5 and a half years old. I am just starting to get into hunting (this was my first year and I shot a few ducks, pheasants, and geese). My fiance hunts a lot but can't have a dog. It would be awesome if we could get my dog to retrieve ducks or flush pheasants. He has a very soft mouth, is very interested in birds. He's caught lots of small birds on his own (he even caught a hummingbird once) and while he does kill them (one chomp and its over), he doesn't mutilate them. After its dead he's content to just lay next to it. He also "stalks" birds and animals in the yard. It's almost like a point. He will freeze with one paw up and his tail straight out behind him. He'll very slowly creep up on his prey until it bolts and then he chases it. He is not gun shy. We tested him out at my uncle's farm. My fiance held the dog's collar while I was about 30 yards away. I shot and the dog immediately bolted over to where I was standing and was extremely interested, ears up, excited looking. We got a dummy and zip-tied a pheasant wing to it, and he will retrieve that about 10 or 12 times in a row before he gets bored and decides he'd rather chew on the pheasant wing. Do you think it will be possible to teach this dog to retrieve ducks and maybe even to point or flush? If so, what advice do you have for me? Thanks a lot! It would be so fun to get him out in the field with us.