Spend time with your puppy, in and out of the house.
Around 3-4 months of age, you can start heeling your pup on a leash and perhaps
teaching "sit". Try to get your puppy to come when called by offering treats. Use a long
rope to gently reel him in, if necessary. Be sure to encourage the pup by getting down on your knees and clap the whole time saying "here".

The 2 most common problems we see in young puppies are: (1) Never being walked on a leash, and (2) The pup will only go a short distance because the dummy was always hand-thrown by the handler. In short, the pup has learned to run 25-30 yards and set up a hunt.

First retrieves are best started in a long, narrow area, closed off at one end, such as a hallway. This can be started around 12-14 weeks. 2 or 3 retrieves are plenty. Again, get down on your knees and get on the pup's level.  We use a feather-wrapped canvas puppy bumper for these early retrieves.

Again, 2-3 retrieves are enough. Stop while the puppy wants more. This ensures the
puppy will not get burn-out and think that retrieving is not fun.

Once your pup is retrieving nicely, you will need to enlist the help of an assistant ("bird boy"). The assistant can stand behind a bush or tree and throw from this location.
This will allow you to stretch the dog out past the point where most people can throw a dummy. Most retrieves should be in very low or no cover.