Ryan:

I just finished reading Puppy Book II. I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it along with Puppy Book I for any trainer-experienced or novice.

The mention of the book "Mindset" and the importance of communication in the garbled world between man and dog was very refreshing and meaningful. It happens to be true for human to human interactions as well.

I read with interest the part about "set back"-whether to do it or not. I recalled an incident many years ago before my serious trialing days. We were quail hunting in West Tennessee and one of our dogs pointed on the edge of a hedgerow. The other dog, one that I had been working with on backing and not very successfully, was about 75 yards out in the harvested beanfield and in clear view of the pointing dog. She stopped momentarily and then proceeded to the pointing dog, ran in front and flushed the covey, and then chased. My verbal attempts to stop her were to no avail. She proceeded to finish the chase, turned, went back into the bean field to the same spot she was when she saw the pointing dog and stopped facing the hedge row where the pointing dog was originally.
She remained there in a pointing pose until I walked to her( I had trouble believing what I had just witnessed!!). I guess that hooked me on "set-back" but your argument makes sense.

Finally, your steading approach in very thorough and complete. Over the last 4 years I have changed my steading process completely. I use many of the techniques you use but the sequence is much different. I am not yet ready to describe it but have trained two dogs with it and am starting another one now using the approach. The anecdotal evidence( improved consistency on manners and behavior around birds) says it is a better approach for me but I need more data.

Again thanks for taking the effort to write these books. They are a worthy addition to the literature!! I look forward to the 3rd one!!