Not really Wilf an old wives tale, you have to pick your early retrieves with care. pigeons are best wrapped in a couple of elastic bands, until the young dogs used to them. I always think retrieving is a bit of a black art and until my young dog is picking everything up willingly im holding my breath in case something goes wrong.
Each know their own dog, my viszla is retrieving dummys easily and really keenly at 7 months old but he is just a massive puppy months away from mental maturity so his introduction to cold game is a few months away yet just in case i cause a problem by overfacing hi