training sequence questions

OK I just finished watching Lardy's CC video. I have watched Basics and Advanced also. Here is what I have and would like some advice. I have a 5 month old lab. We are currently working thru Formal Obedience. We are walking on lead sit, here, heel. Doing this for about 1 month. I have added the heeling stick to begin with pressure and all is going well. As I move forward I want to make sure that I have my seuqence correct. My plan is to continue this up to mid October and then I will be heading to ND for a hunt. At this time I'm leaving my dog with a seasoned trainer to do FF and my dog will be approx. 6.5 mos of age. After he gets back and FF is done then would I go to CC. What I'm confused on is should I be finished all obedience and my dog be perfect before FF or can the 2 work simutaneously if for some reason obedience is not 100%? What I was thinking was that it would look like this:

1. Obedience
2. FF
3. CC (finishing Obedience/and collar fetch)

Let me know what I'm missing and also...aprox what age was your dog before you started CC?

Thanks....Jesse

It only takes a couple days with sit, a couple more with here, a couple more with both sit & here, and a couple days with whistle commands. Two weeks is plenty of time to get obedience where you can move on to FF. You are not looking for 100%. I go right in to simple casting after FF. I noticed you left this step out. Be sure to follow step by step. Again you aren't seeking perfection. You will come back to simple casting and intro to indirect pressure at the end if CC. If your dog is perfect on simple casting, you won't be able to get in any indirect pressure. I go straight to CC after Simple Casting.

Make sure the pro you use for FF does it like Lardy's. I assume you'll pick up the training again and you will have problems moving to FTP per Lardy's TRT if your pro does something significant different. Pile work per TRT is really an extension of the FF and simple casting sequence.

There is no age, it's about the maturity of the pup. Before I CC, I want the pup to be proficient with singles off multiple guns (including BIM), will be lead steady and delivering to hand. The only age related consideration is that the permanent teeth are in before he goes to the pro or before you FF, if you we're doing it yourself.

Review Lardy's flow chart and make sure you are progressing in the field and yard per the chart.

Do you have TRT 2d edition? Do you have the booklet that accompanied the dvds? Besides, CaptJacks comments, I would suggest you get Volume I of Mike Lardy's compilation of Retriever Journal Articles. It is only $25 but goes into written detail about many of the steps and also includes a flow chart. I have found that the articles helped me understand more thoroughly what he was doing on the dvds.

You can get a free downloable flow chart by going to Mike Lardy's website.

Don't be in a hurry about your training. I would let the dog be a puppy and allow only about 3 wks for simple ob. Doing it as long as you stated (2.5 months) might bore you and the dog.

Hope this helps.