[EdA]

This is what the OP wants
“My goal is to have a great waterfowl retriever and family dog that may even accompany me in the occasional (maybe once a year or so) pheasant hunt down the line.“

If I was training a dog to be a meat dog only I wouldn’t waste time on “marking concepts”. I would teach it to be steady, how to handle, and how to use its nose. After the fundamentals they learn everything else they need to know from on job training. And no, that doesn’t suggest marking skills are irrelevant, most of the very best dogs I have hunted behind had FC and/or AFC in front of their registered name but great marking is not what made them great hunting dogs.

 

[EdA]

I have noticed over the years it is possible to be helpful to one and piss another off at the same time.
I consider it an RTF twofur! 😇

And, you have been around here as long or longer than I have and you also have observed that people here are generally more disagreeable in the winter 😉