Teaching to retrieve

[MUSKY18]

Just got my new lab puppy today. He is now 7 weeks and just starting to adjust to family life. I was wondering how long I should wait before starting to work with him on retrieving basics? Also, any advice on what the best way to work with on this is. Thanks for any help.

[redhooks]

I'm not an expert but have 1.5yr old lab that my father-in-law helped me train. He's a breeder/trainer/field trial judge and made sure to stress that at a young age a puppies life is all about play. Don't push the dog but it's ok work on basics and to play fetch in a narrow hallway w/ short (3 ft retrieves).In a small space the dog's options are limited , get very excited and love the dog up whenever it comes when called or brings anything back to weather it's an old sock, stick or dead rodent. Biggest thing is to keep it at play and build the trust relationship w/ the pup, the training will come later. get some books and start reading cuz they grow up fast.Good luck and have fun!

redhooks

[tealitup]

Get some pheasant or duck wings right away. I did this with my 5 month old pup when she was 7 weeks. Now, I can drag a set of wings across the yard -bury in a snowpile and she DIVES in.

I think just get'em going early

[Ole54868]

Give you new puppy a few days to get settled and then start working on retrieving with a old sock, small bumper, bird wing anything that he will go get and pick up but work with him in a hallway and keep the distence short and use tons of praise this is fun training only and you want to do everything to limit the chances of failing which will make future training much easier. This will get your puppy to love retrieving and build a desire to retrieve and train very strong. You can also start on basic commands sit, down, here but you have to keep it fun and use lots of praise and keep it short always end with a positive and him wanting more and you will have a great hunting partner and a dog that will love to train and work for you when he is older.

[10,000 Casts]

I would say that it is never to early.

I got my lab when she was 8 weeks old. 2 weeks after that, we were over at a friends house having dinner and he took her outside, I came out a little later and I couldn't believe my eyes, she was retrieving to hand. She just had the instinct and she has been really good ever since. We had her jumping off the dock doing water retrieves at 3 months. (Born Feb 10, first water retrieve was early may)

I have a friend that has a black lab, she was very good at retrieving durring the first summer, they never played fetch in the winter and the next summer she wanted nothing to do with it. Not sure what happened there.