A Decker Hunting Terrier makes a great flush dog for hunting pheasant, quail, chukar partridge, and grouse. A Decker naturally hunts close, so getting them onto staying within shotgun range is a fairly easy process. They naturally hunt back and forth, coursing the land in front of you, regularly looking back to check in. They are extremely smart, and get onto hand signals quickly with training, but they are not a pointer, so it is important to watch them and keep up when they start to act like there are birds around. They have a good nose and will find your down and wounded birds for you, even in thick cover. They can be taught to retrieve, but it isn’t as natural for them as with some other breeds. They will naturally have a bit of a hard mouth, but this almost always corrects itself in a short period of time, once they get onto what is expected of them and get used to giving the bird up. One of the nicest qualities of the Decker Hunting Terrier as a bird dog is their temperament. Once the hunt is over, they are a great best friend, and part of the family. They are smart enough to hunt birds with you one day, and squirrel, coon, or deer the next. They are exceptionally versatile!