I know there are many owners that spend money training and showing dogs. Being very careful in selecting lineage in breeding and trial championships.  Reading the history of shorthairs, it would seem this is consistent with the "form breeders" in the early years of development.  Which is a very important component of the shorthair breed.

I grew up with shorthairs for the last 48 years, getting my first at age of 8.  Selection of litter/pup was based on the temperment of parents and natural hunting skills.  What I mean by this is the pup showing all the characteristics of "functunality" without hours of formal training.  Parents/pup that know the basics, work all day, never give up on a bird, hold point and honor, swim through icy water and then falls asleep at your feet or in your bed.  The only thing I worked on was sitting, coming, drop, down and the most important command "hen".  I have litterally never had to spend time working on hunting skills other than having them to stay in close.  Close meaning 150' or closer.  But I am a firm believer that the shooter should follow the hunter.  I generally hunt alone or with 2-3 people and a wide variety of cover.

When I raised pups with my last two adults they were raised as family dogs and hunting companions.  People would choose pups or more often the pup would choose based on looks and personality.   After the first litter, every litter was sold before or within 8 weeks of birth.  This was due to the hunting and companionship they showed.

Both parents were exceptional hunters, with over 2000 birds being taken over them and probably less than 25 being lost or not retrieved.  Charlie would follow a down bird until it was found, the longest being 11/2 miles and 45 minutes.  Kate was hunting with the big dogs and 7 months, worked all day and found 8 birds, retrieved 3.  Charlie figured anything that fell from the sky was his and hence I should carry it. 

I learned more from them then I could of ever taught them.  I learned to trust them and not to think I knew what was best.  I used to have people come in with "well trained" field champions and most could not match the skills of Charlie and Kate.  To often the dog spent more time listening to whistles keeping them straight in front of the master instead of being able to hunt.  Hunting wild birds is much different than hunting raised birds or planted birds.   Just my observations on the focus of shorthairs.