Most can find a myriad of material about what to do with a pup the first few months. However, the most fascinating event seems to be those first retrieves (or lack there of). Since there should be no time table for this, it helps to accept the fact there are many other things to do which are equally as important. Bonding and establishing general social rules set the tone for a rewarding and meaningful life time. When retrieves do start happening, the inevitable issue with “getting it back” will surface. What can be done about this probable conflict?   

A viable solution is to make sure “here” means something positive.....early. The procedure to do this has to be passive, fair and pressure inconspicuous. Short attention spans and immaturity are the norm. Therefore, efforts must be designed that require very little intervention.  

As a rule, puppies come with few things to “fix” because they don’t come broke. However, the balance between “here” and “retrieving” is usually the first to go out of whack. If the early focus is on puppy bonding (which is what it should be), by imprinting the “joy of here”, a solid sequence can be established which requires no “fixing”. Therefore, “here” must be significant to a pup...not an after thought or nuisance.    

How does this happen? The key is regularly taking a pup for “free walks and romps” in large, isolated, safe places. This cannot be done as effectively later because it is one of those irreplaceable puppy “windows of opportunity”. It is important to remember the walks are for the puppy, and the owner is not the center of attention. So quite bluntly....keep quiet and watch. I learned “The Walk” idea from a wonderfully gifted pro trainer/author, and it works!

What I have taken advantage of is that most pups will eventually venture out and then decide to check back in (usually in full flight). On these unique occasions, the “here” word is introduced, and the pup learns by your excited actions just how great he is (for returning). Don’t wear the “here” event out, just get in two or three “good ones” every day. NEVER chase him down, and time the end of the sessions with either carrying him to the truck or finishing on a leash. A big, safe area is a prerequisite, and the pup needs to be on these “free runs” every day.
 
Using a check cord to later teach “here” is the usual sequence, but read this interesting perspective on check cords. The check cord is a useful tool, but it can be “slapped on” for the wrong reasons. The idea is to progress without fixing things. "Here" should be learned separately from the retrieve (not at the same time). I realize this may not be the present universal choice, but “here” means more if it is imprinted properly without being initiated by the handler.  Imprint passively with a pup and enforce later.

Coming When Called & Delivery to Hand (Link)

There is no universal rule as to what sequence every pup should progress through. For example, Gunny, my singleton pup out of Taffey was by fact of birth not going to be dependent on sibling interactions. By birth, he was more independent than most pups. With extra nurturing via human intervention, he was quite comfortable. However, when it came  to coming on "here" early and depending on a need for human interactions instead of missing siblings, his "keep away"
penchant came on much earlier.

Therefore, the check cord became a necessity several weeks before CC' ing to "here" and much sooner than Taffey, Kooly or Daisy.  When the proper time for CC to "here" is determined it is much  easier to accomplish because a pup already has a "good feeling" about recall.  This points out how critical it is to learn how read the needs of every pup/dog.

Once a pup has reached the age for formal OB, my pups are very familiar with a 26' Flexi-lead. It is a tool that another pro taught me about, and it works great. With a Flexi-lead you have a check cord and leash all-in-one. Leading up to formal OB, a pup can be gradually “reeled down” to a close enough approximation to being in the real heeling position without even realizing it.

The solid "here" program fits in well with future expectations. After structured OB on here, heel and sit…..this is the perfect time to start working on remote sits.  Before doing any long remote sits, start with a front sit on a leash and get the proper motion to heel and sit beside you straightened out. If you start too far away on remote sits, the pup won't know how to slow down, wheel and sit properly.

The Flexi-lead eliminates the problem of taking up slack on a check cord as the pup dashes in. Done in the right sequence (with balance) returning and heeling while retrieving can become an almost seamless skill.

To repeat, establishing "here" as a positive word right from the “get go” is the first step.  Later, a “here” imprinted pup will love the remote sit "game" because "here" means something good.  In a way, coming to the handler is rewarding and pleasant from the very beginning. The check cord and/or Flexi-lead are easily accepted as tools for enforcing already imprinted actions which are easily converted to commands....that’s huge for a young dog. There is no negative mind-set to fix because the focus from the beginning was to be seamless. Without a pup knowing it, the first stages of a dog becoming a team player are established in the fields where puppy bonding was taking place. This passive method of establishing “here”.......separate from retrieving and early makes training fun.........forever.

Take a walk.