Training a lab puppy to let go

Some helpful tips for owners of a dog that was bred to retieve.

As the Chicago Sun Times' Dog Lady (not to be confused with this Dog Lady) puts it, when asked about Ed, a dog who doesn't like to go outside without an object in his mouth, "Your Ed wants to face the world with his face full of something. He's a retriever. He's wired to have a mouth crammed with whatever. He'd rather it be a grouse, so he grouses until he gets something in his jaw that feels like a worthy substitute."