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Yeah I know Renato quite well.
Have known him for over 20 years actually - great guy.
Very nice dog he bought in from NZ also.
Best dog that's come into Oz for many years IMO.
Renato's got his work cut out for him with the little fella now though.
He's got some drive alright.
He's currently working with a very good mate of mine to get this dog properly trained.
Should make one hellova good gundog I reckon.

However, I digress. Getting off topic a bit.
When you say;
"Exercise your mind a little Bill and you may realise that in the simplification of it all is that having my dogs NOT EVER touching my washing on the line speaks for itself in "working for me"

Well, I assume the dog/s did pull the washing off the line to start with right?
If they didn't EVER pull washing off the line then you wouldn't have to teach em not to to start with would you? You wouldn't teach em not to do something they dont do anyway would you?
So, you have started with at least one dog that has at some stage pulled washing off the line, & then taught him not to, correct? That's fine. If that's what you want then I have no problem with that at all.

However, you have therefore gone through a process of teaching the dog something that has absolutely nothing to do with hunting. To me that represents a waste of time when it's simply a matter of keeping the two entities (washing/dog) apart & therefore never having to teach the dog that skill. I'm pretty sure you didn't get the dog to guard your washing, right? I assume you got the dog to hunt with? So surely it's better if 100% of his training is hunting related?

It doesn't matter whether it's washing on the line, boots at the door, pots, pans or anything else for that matter. If you dont alow the dog access to it then you never have to teach the dog not to touch it. It's just less to teach the dog about items that have nothing to do with hunting.

Not having to teach the dog to pull washing off the line definitely is working for me.
I simply dont ever have problems with the dog pulling washing off the line because when the dog is running about the yard there aint ever washing on the line to be pulled off. If there is washing to be hung out, then the dog goes into his pen. Hence there's simply nothing to teach in that regard.
Less to teach the dog about non-hunting related issues is definitely working for me I reckon.

Hey, everyone has different requirements in regard to their dogs. If you like your dogs running around when you've got washing on the line, boots at the door, or anything else, then that's fine.
Nothing wrong with that at all. It just means you have to put more effort into teaching the dog not to touch those itmes.That's an effort I dont have to put into mine, but that's my choice.
I prefer all my teachings with my dogs to be hunting related (apart from general obedience such as sit, stay, etc which are hunting based anyway). I think you'll also find that if you ask advice on the subject from any of the top US pro trainers such as Rick Smith, Wooters, Ben O Williams, etc etc they'll say the same thing. Why teach a hunting dog something that has nothing to do with hunting?

But each to his own.
Not everyone has a dog purely for hunting.
Some dont hunt with their dogs at all.
If someone had a dog purely as a companion then I would say the same thing in regard to teaching hunting skills. Why teach it to hunt if you're not ever going to hunt with it?

It all comes down to what you want from your dog & that differs from person to person & always will.

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Bill Allen 'Windkael' Epagneuls Bretons. Melbourne Australia.