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Step 1
Put your puppy on a long lead. This helps you get the puppy to bring the bumper back to you if they try to run off with it. Once the puppy catches on to retrieving, you can eliminate the lead and do farther retrievals.
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Step 2
Find an object that the puppy shows interest in. You can use bumpers designed for retrieval training or an old tennis ball. If the puppy is excited about the item, she'll be more likely to run after it and grab it.
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Step 3
Hold the puppy close to you and shake the item in front of the puppy before throwing it a short distance away. If the puppy goes to it and picks it up, call him back to you to help him know what to do. Praise movements in your direction with the bumper.
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Step 4
Shake the item again for the puppy if he gets excited and drops the bumper before bringing it back to you. It may take some patience before the puppy fully understands all the steps of retrieval. Good hunting stock will have some instincts for retrieval, but you'll still need to work with your puppy on it.
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Step 5
Reward the puppy when he brings the item back to you, completing the retrieval. Give lots of praise, use training treats, or play with the puppy for a minute or two. Making the game fun will help the puppy learn.
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Step 6
Increase the distance that you toss the item once your puppy seems to be catching on. You'll also want to start leaving the item in an area, rather than throwing it, and having your puppy retrieve it from where it is. This will mimic more closely the hunting situation.
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Step 7
Go slowly as you move to having your dog retrieve actual birds. You'll want to teach your puppy to have a soft mouth and to work on doing more advanced retrieves before getting to that point.
