The goal.
It figures: just when you start feeling cocky, things are sure to come off the rails. Manny’s steadiness on live birds in the field was a series of small victories. Excellent finds, solid points at 30-35 yards, and a patient observing look from the little guy as I kicked brush and flew birds. Cap gun, blank pistol, multiple shots, a statue watched me dance in front of him.
Then I uncased the shotgun.
Manny launched from his point like a marble from a slingshot. By sheer chance, I was between him and the birds so he came to a screeching halt after a few steps. And we went back to Square One.
A few days with the gut hitch, and we’d clawed our way back to the moment of truth. We’d reached the summit: flush-bang-still, even as the pigeon fluttered to earth.
That little win propelled us to the next level and the feeling that maybe, just maybe, we are making progress. A “covey rise” of two pigeons was laid out for Manny’s olfactory pleasure. Quivering muscles and flaring nostrils, the gut hitch was a mere formality, loosely wrapped. Birds up! Dog stock-still. Add a shotgun blast, one anchored dog. Three times the charm, and it was a wrap.
Scott Linden Outdoors 
Lyle, I’ve hunted with hundreds of dogs, many times with more than one at a time. It seldom works as the magazine writers say it does in their stories. My go-to philosophy is, hunt each dog separately and let them be the best they can be without interference from another dog. Your friends might like that approach to their um, less than finished dog’s performance. Bonus – you always have a rested dog ready to go.
I lack access to the birds right now to work on steady to shot…. admirable goal..I have heard that a 100% steady dog will go to 20% if hunting with another dog…..especially if that dog is not steady… makes sense. Then if you don’t hunt with the buddies dog your the snob??? 😉