These tips are presented in random order short sentences to encourage a quick read, and then time and again re-reads.

1. Before you start actual hunting, let your dog burn off some energy which will help him be more relaxed to sit still in the duck blind.
2. Whether your dog is in the act of retrieving or just sitting in the blind, always stay focused on him, especially when he is working at a distance from you. There are plenty of ways to let yourself get distracted. Stay disciplined. You want to continually watch the dog so as soon as he does something wrong, you can correct him immediately. He is depending on you for that.
3. When duck hunting, bring a bumper along for those days when your dog gets little or no work. Before you call it a day, throw some retrieves for him. This is especially beneficial in areas where the dog doesn’t get a chance to run around much. It keeps him happy and glad he’s there.
4. Another good reason for bringing a bumper out hunting on COLD days is to throw one or three every once in a while just to help warm him up. I’m hoping I don’t have to tell you not to throw them in water!
5. When hunting, always keep an eye out for any injury your dog may have sustained. Dogs mask injuries because in all the excitement they just keep working. Look for a limp, head shake, signs of blood, a limp tail, and anything that just doesn’t look right should be inspected immediately. Inspect ears and eyes frequently.
6. Locate the nearest vet to your hunting grounds before hand and enter their location in your smartphone. And always include a first aid kit in your gear bag.
7. Unless you have an experienced, veteran retriever do not shoot at a bird while the dog is in the act of making a retrieve on another bird already down. Be sure your hunting buddies understand that also. It will at the least confuse the heck out of him but it could also cause him to be shot.
8. In fact, on every hunt prior to first shot make sure everyone in your group understands your rules about being near your dog, such as where they point their gun, shooting over the dog’s head, knowing where the dog is at all times, etc.
9. If a hunting buddy makes you somewhat nervous, do not put that person on the same side of the blind as the dog. If your dog is not steady in or around the blind, put him on a stake with a short leash to insure he stays closer to you and he doesn’t get out in front of your buddy’s gun. Always look to see where everyone’s gun is pointing and remind them of dog safety rules during the hunt. Most people are thinking only about shooting ducks – and they don’t think about where your dog is, etc. Don’t be subtle or worry about hurting their feelings. If they don’t like your reminders, think twice about inviting them.
10. Reread the above two points.
11. With incoming birds, quietly tell your dog to mark so he scans the sky. This way he sees the bird approach and marks the area of the fall. As a bonus it keep him focused and always looking for birds.
12. As you turn your head 360 degrees to scan the sky for birds always include a peek at your dog’s eyes. More often than not, he will alert you to birds before you see them.
13. I talked about making your dog wait in training before you send him to retrieve a bumper that he saw fall because it helps build patience. In actual hunting, do not make him wait quite as long. If you make him wait too long, he will eventually turn his head and eyes up at you to say, “Hey, what are you waiting for?” Once he does that, he may lose his mark when he looks back toward the area of the fall. That makes the retrieve much harder and can turn a simple marked retrieve into a more challenging blind retrieve. Find the balance because during a hunt everything speeds up and getting to the bird quickly becomes very important.
14. A good tip when giving hand signals: When you whistle your dog to sit on land, or to turn and look at you while in water to get him prepared for a hand signal, keep in mind that he may not take the exact direction in his first few steps. Don’t necessarily assume he is going in the wrong direction. Often times, especially on the back command, the dog will turn and take a few steps left or right before he goes back. Give him some time and don’t immediately yell ‘no’ and blow your whistle and require him to sit again so he will respond to the hand signal you gave him. He may in fact be responding correctly, and he just needs a second or ten to right himself. Be patient. He is not a remote control car that responds to instant and minute adjustments simply by turning a knob.
15. Hopefully you will teach your dog to be steady. But if your dog likes to roam around while you’re in the duck blind and you have a problem keeping him still and quiet, stake him and keep him still.
16. If you drop a bird in water and it remains alive, shoot and kill the bird before you send the dog; especially diving ducks and especially when you have a young dog. Ducks can sometimes get away easily when they can swim and maybe fly several feet at a time to keep ahead of an oncoming retriever.
17. Make every effort to kill a crippled goose whether on water or land before you send a young dog. A dog in water with a very live goose in his mouth is quite vulnerable to injury (especially eye injury) from a goose that is obviously not happy about the situation.
18. Retrievers spend gobs of hours waiting in a duck blind for something to happen. Teach your lab patience.