Gun Dog by Richard A. Wolters

Wolters's classic is probably the best-selling book on bird dog training of all time, and quite possibly the best-selling book on any kind of dog training. Gun Dog is an excellent foundation for a dog owner/trainer's education, covering the basics in a concise, clear, and orderly manner. At only 148 pages, it is a quick read that won't leave you scratching your head in confusion and will have you working a new pup almost immediately.

What it saves in brevity, however, it sacrifices in depth of knowledge and techniques. Wolters makes the process seem overly simple at times and as many of us are aware, not every dog is a simple creature. The methods utilized in the book would work well on an outgoing, well-socialized, biddable dog, but will present some stumbling blocks (I speak from experience here) with a headstrong or shy dog. This is an excellent starting point, particularly for the first-time bird dog owner, but it is best used as a primer and would be much more useful if accompanied by one of the other training books on this page.