Ok, save yourself time and start out right. Find yourself a retriever club and learn hands on from people who know the game. They also will be able to quickly read a young Dogs natural talents.
Read the book as you learn. Some Dogs need force fetch training, most Dogs that are from good retrieving lines and are being used as hunting Dogs and not competing don’t. Unless they show a tendency to refuse.
The club guys will know the rules on basic training, and how to avoid gun shyness. And they will give a young Dog something you can’t get here or from a book, and that would be live Bird contacts.
Last edited by battue; 12/21/19.
