Next time you are petting your puppy, ponder what's going on in that tiny little head of theirs. Most likely there are thoughts of playing, eating and crapping all over that nice rug of yours. Basically, there's a bowl of hardening goo up there, waiting to congeal into whatever you'd like it to be.
That little buddy is ready to be stamped with information you give it. It's flexible. You can teach old dog new tricks, but the best time to impress things on that mass of sweetmeat is when they want to fill their skull bowls.
Pups Just Like to Have Fun
And that should be your golden rule, too, when training a young retriever to do anything. Getting upset because the mutt doesn't seem to "get it" would be your initial mistake. The dog can sense when you're frustrated. Inside their cranium the red flag shoots-up alerting them that, "This isn't fun."
Stop right where you are. Distract the animal with something enjoyable and plan-out how you're going to do things differently on next occasion.
Next Time Will Be Better
A few days later, like around six months - is the peak period of the baby's life to teach them how to be a birder. For this part, you'll need to have something for the pup to fetch. Get some treats, put one at a time in a small paper lunch bag, tease the small wonder with it and toss the thing as far as you can. Never chat-it-up with your canine by screaming, "No, over there, good dog" or any other words of encouragement. That's only going to confuse the mutt. Lavish praise on the dog only after it reaches the target and picks it up.
Let's say the dog doesn't get the bag with the goodie inside. Fetch it yourself, tease the future water-fowler - getting its attention - and pitch a slow ball again. Not working after a half-dozen shots, take the treat from the bag and try it that way a couple of times. Once that exercise has been conquered, back in the bag goes the food. Start from square one. Is the dog still blanking-out after five-minutes of failure? Forget it for a couple of hours before you give it another try.
Find and Not Bringing it Back to Poppa
You may need to employ a long, loose leash if the cur grabs the treat but doesn't bring it back to you. You might see that by giving a little tug causes your pal to drop the prize. Don't worry, simply go over without the cord, give it to the dog and have it follow you - treat in its mouth - to where you were when the bag was initially thrown.
Ask yourself, "Would I like it if someone were to try to liberate some food from my mouth?" Probably not. Don't force things if the pup gets lock-jaw. Holding the treat-bag, gently put your fingers on the animal's lower mouth and, voilà! We have lift-off, Houston.
The Water Test
Preparing your pup for water means you need to have a lukewarm pool of H2O. You're going to get wet along with your hunter. So, anything below 60-degrees is a nasty way to train a dog to swim. It's likewise going to severely knot-up your manhood, too.
Find a nice shallow part of a lake or stream; wade out about 20-feet, encouraging the animal to follow. Do not throw the puppy in the water. Bad owner.
Additionally, it's unproductive to force the issue. If the matter is heading south, drop it for a week before continuing this practice.
Is the retriever infant still resistant to the water? Take it in your arms and wade-out about 5-feet, gingerly placing the dog in the pond. Most likely it's going to do bee-line to the shore. Normal.
Getting Used to Wetness
We're almost there. The puppy is no longer water-resistant. Here's the point where you can start to introduce fetching in the stream. Two people are best for this exercise. The Thrower and the Holder. Have the Thrower move-off to your side with the decoy. In place - and on your command - the Thrower gets the dog's attention, casting the object close to you. As the Holder, release the dog just before the toy slams against the ground. By doing it this way, the tiny buddy is more likely to bring the thing back to you - the Holder - than it will to the Thrower.
With a whistle, you should be able to get the future "Greatest Water Fowler on the Planet" to bring the decoy to you.
Remember, while practice makes perfect, too much practice in excess is like anything. Take it from Jimmy Buffett, "Moderation is the key so I work certain amount of time and then I take a certain amount of time off."
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