KENAI

The drills · Retriever Puppy · 05 of 11

Retrievers · Puppy

First Feathers.

A wing or a dead pigeon to carry and strut with. Interest is the goal, possession is fine at this age; never pull it from the mouth.

About 5 min

Where it sits

First Feathers is drill 5 of 11 in the retriever puppy program. Seven weeks to six months: the window that never reopens.

Before it: Crate & Settle

The crate is a den, not a penalty box. Feed in it, ride in it, nap in it, a pup that settles travels to birds its whole life.

After it: Gunfire Done Right

Distance plus dinner: a helper fires a starter pistol 100+ yards out while the pup eats. Close the gap over weeks, reading the pup, never the calendar. One scared meal can cost a season.

All 11 retriever puppy drills

Run it with your dog.

Open the KENAI app, log a training session, pick First Feathers. The record keeps the day; the app reads the days against the test ahead. Free to start.

Get the app

The whole program.

Every retriever puppy drill on one page, and the printable sheet.

Retriever Puppy