Novice ..only a bird hunter 3 years now....first dog a Springer....hunted very close 20/30 yards ....new dog a Brittany hunts 100/ 200 yards away ......i would like him closer and have been trying lots of different things to alter his style/range Recently i tried just standing in one spot....he seemed to stay closer....in fact he seemed to just hunt the area around me.....this is a wooded area ....not sure what he would do in an open field....BUT IS THIS just my imagination....or is it possible to bring him in ....just by standing still.
Any other techniques to reduce his range ......i will try anything.....
First I'll say that I'm not a dog expert by any means... I used to have a Brit that I hunted a ton and she was incredibly good. What I found with her, was that sometimes I actually caught myself moving a little quicker to stay with her... the effect of this on her was that she thought I was pushing her to move faster and further out. So when I slowed down (though I was still moving at a good pace-depending on cover), she didn't try to run as "big." So that might be what's going on with yours when you stop... he might actually think you're pushing him to move further out (assuming he's looking back to check your location here and there).
Now saying that... range is a whole other conversation.
I'm in Iowa and rarely left my Brit out to 100 yards... generally 35-50ish yards worked well for us and her and I shot a TON of birds. But I think a good number of guys would think your Brit is at a really nice working distance if you're getting birds. To me it's easy, if you're bagging birds, then all is good... if you're not then something needs to change. When late season hit, she needed to be kept closer to that inside 50 yard range simply because our Iowa roosters get so stink'n spooky... if someone sneezes in the field here I swear the birds hear it... if they sneeze a second time, a rooster will say "God bless you" and fly away long before you get there!
btw... you probably know this but don't get overly caught up on an exact range, if your pooch is quartering perfect or in the exact areas you think the birds are in. Your dog will find the birds! With regards to range... I always knew when my Brit was on a runner. At that point I DID let her go MUCH further than normal but also picked up my pace. THOSE were/are some of the coolest points you'll ever see (if you're running pheasants). She got very good at nailing down the runners. She'd circle out far then come back and absolutely nail 'em! Ohh, I LOVED those days and can remember them as I type... put her down 7 years ago...
Good luck with your Brit!
btw... put your location (at least state) in your profile... then those guys in your area may be more likely to jump in and may be more helpful too. See ya