I agree that FF is not the only way to teach reliable retrieving...however I do believe it is the best way to teach a retriever.
IMO the single most important step in introducing retrieving to a pup (less than 6 mos, pre-FF) is to LIMIT THE RETRIEVES. My first Chessie is a hard charger, even was as a pup. Even though he had drive and desire, it would wane after a few retrieves. I followed the advice of the pros, which I'm now passing on to you, for what its worth. NO MORE THAN 3 RETRIEVES at a time for a puppy. Some days I quit after only one short retrieve. I even took 3 or 4 days off with absolutely NO retrieving. When the bumper came back out, the pup came unglued. Never, ever, let the pup get bored. If the pup doesn't come back, or doesn't go out hard, put the retrieving object up for the day (I often trained before 8 am, and then again at 6 or 7 pm... poor performance in the morning would mean only 1 retrieve, or no retrieves in the afternoon.)
I miss training a puppy...so much success and so little expectation.
Todd
