Preventing hard mouth

[GrouseChaser7]

My lab is around 13-14 weeks old, and we have been doing some casual retrieving work on a daily basis. He has been pretty gentile with live and dead birds so far, but he has a couple toys that he plays with at night that he chews up and gives the death shake. He is also getting pretty mischievious, biting hands and socks and anything else he can get a hold of. Anyway, I know this is normal behavior for a puppy, but I just want to make sure that he does not start getting rough with birds. Also, I want to be sure that when I correct him for biting that I am not making matters worse. I have raised two other Labs, and have not had major problems with hard mouth with them, but they could have been better and I want to get it right with this guy. I plan on doing some force fetching later on, but Id like some tips on what people do/dont do (besides not playing tug of war) to encourage soft mouth in a puppy before beginning formal obedience and retrieving training. Thanks.

[Eric]

For puppies, you should only use birds for initial imprinting..... Then go to bumpers and / or paint rollers and don't get back into birds until the end of Force Fetch.

[GrouseChaser7]

So when do you suggest that I stop working him with birds? When we begin FF, or sooner?

[Eric]

Once the dog is "imprinted" with birds, then it's time to quit and go to bumpers and/or paint rollers.

[mnaj_springer]

Don't take the bird/dummy/paint roller away until after you've praised him sufficiently.