Single marks are obviously the first step. You have been doing beginning retrieves with the dog and now incorporating distractions (factors) into your marks as well as moving back on your setups. Two hundred yard singles going threw several pieces of cover as well as bodies of water are great confidence builders. The dog will learn to work at a distance as well as to keep going, no matter what is in his way. Quickly after the dog begins to understand the deep lining concept, we must also build his memory. These marks are commonly called "cheating singles". You will have to work with the dog through stopping him, moving up, perhaps correcting him with the use of a collar or helpers chasing him off a bank and keeping him "honest". But demanding a straight line with no cheating is your best bet. The dog will soon realize what’s expected of him.

Double marks are started in a way that the dog cannot switch (go to the memory bird (bird thrown first) before retrieving the "go" bird (bird thrown last). We start this by simply running a single mark and then turning it into a double. We run the dog on the single. Then we throw the bird he just retrieved first (the memory bird) and then have a much shorter bird thrown second (the go bird). We send the dog for the go bird and when he returns we set him up facing the memory bird. When we are sure he remembers it, we then send him for the memory bird. We may have to have the helper give a yell to remind him he hasn’t been out there yet. After several doubles we may only have the helper wave his arms instead of yelling to get the dogs attention. We must not ever send the dog until he is totally focused on the bird we are sending him for. If the dog darts for the wrong bird immediately stop him yelling "no’. Call him back and have the helper give a yell.

After a short time the dog’s memory will really start to work. When a dog is doing fairly well on doubles I like to start throwing the memory birds from behind objects such as bushes (hidden guns). I have found that the dogs really start liking themselves when they can remember those birds. It’s great to use live flyers in this case. A dog almost always doesn’t forget that.

On long marks live flyers really can grab their attention. On short marks live flyers will test their steadiness. A dog must be totally steady before we start doubles, and then strictly enforced. If a dog lifts his behind while the bird goes, later he will surely break (leave without being told). Nip it in the bud before it becomes habit. Give them an inch and they will surely take a foot later on.

Just like the single marks we must now use our ingenuity and run these from different wind directions, hillside angles, threw pieces of cover and several bodies of water. Run the live flyers as memory birds as well as go birds. Run the dog on the close bird as the go bird at first, but also teach him to retrieve the long bird first, going past the short bird. Give the dog as many live flyers as your pocket book can afford. Live birds keep your dog focused as well as keeping his attitude high.

Obviously we will start out the doubles fairly far apart. Say maybe at 180 degrees or so. Than slowly we decrease the angle. We want to get to a point where we are running what’s called an over and under type mark. That is one bird is thrown out at one hundred yards and another bird is thrown out at fifty yards directly in line with the first bird. The dog must pick up the short bird and then run threw the old fall to retrieve the long bird. Believe me; this happens a lot while hunting. The first duck may drop in the decoys while the next one drops directly in line but fifty yards farther out.

If you’re feeling froggy, this is a great time to teach "retired guns". I have never been fond of the retired gun until I actually tried training for it. It simply didn’t make much sense to me. A retired gun is a helper that throws a bird for a dog, then another helper throws a second bird, while the dog goes for the last bird thrown, the helper that threw the first bird hides when the dog can’t see him. Then when the dog gets back and looks out to where the second mark is, he gets a different picture. This, in a judge’s eye can trick a dog. Now a days, all the dogs running AKC field trials are trained for it and seldom does anything other then weed out the young guys that haven’t had as much experience. They justify it by saying it shows them that the dog has memory. Marking in a sense is memory. But this isn’t memory or marking, it’s simply trickery, and with proper training experienced dogs have little difficulty with it.

With that said I did decide to give it a try. We start out by sending the dog for the first bird. When the dog returns he looks out at the second helper. We then signal for the helper to hide, while the dog watches him. Then we send the dog. We introduce the dog to the retired gun this way so the dog learns the game at hand. After several of these, we have both guns throw the birds, turn the dog back to the first bird thrown, let the dog see the helper retire, then turn him back towards the second bird and send him. When he returns we send him for the second bird. We only do this a couple of times so as we don’t develop a "head swing"(a dog that turns to look for another bird before it’s thrown). We want the dogs to focus entirely on the bird that’s being thrown and not swing his head before another bird is thrown. If this becomes habit, the dog will start "blinking birds"(not looking fully at the entire fall of the bird). This will greatly impede his marking skills. If you find your dog starting to head swing. Tell him "no", make him look back at the proper bird and then signal for the other bird. Then we simply do retired guns the dog doesn’t see hide. All in all when done gradually, retired guns are really just a game that’s taught to the dog, and when done properly it provides great confidence in a dog.

AKC field trial tests will have one; two or sometimes three gunners retire on multiple marking tests, making them extremely difficult. Do what you think is necessary. I feel if a dog is taught the game, you really don’t have to harp on it forever. If he remembers the bird, he should have enough confidence to accomplish the task.

Triples and quads are basically taught the same as doubles. A multiple mark is just more than one bird. The older and more experienced a dog gets, the bigger the program you can teach him. The more you train, the more advanced you can become. Usually the tighter the angles on these birds, the more difficult they become. If your dog is having some issues remembering the second bird of a double and have been threw lots of them, then start him out learning triples with extremely short go-birds.

UKC hunt tests are geared to a dog that can watch the barrel of the gun, and the multiple marks angles can become very big, sometimes moving 180 degrees to a bird while AKC field trials use multiple marks that are very tight angles.

Shooting from the line with a pistol as well as a shotgun should definitely be done with the hunting dog. Running the dog from a boat or from within a blind should also be considered. Walk-ups (having the helpers throw while you and your dog are walking up to the line) will also build focus and "moving" marking skills. And of coarse incorporating blinds with marks is extremely important, as well as honoring (having your dog watch another dog work) after he runs the mark and even before he runs a mark.