A lot of what follows is geared toward "Standard Poodle" Field Training (hunting & retrieving) but, the same principles will apply to your toy poodle and any activities you want to teach him or her.
Make a list of training priorities. Your dog must learn "the basics" first.
Make each training session positive by beginning and ending with something the dog is good at and loves...retrieve a tennis ball, a short swim after a "fun bumper", run over an "A frame", etc
Try to make this early learning positive and in short sessions. DO NOT allow your puppy to play with squeeky chew toys and to chew on bumpers. This is a great way to create mouthing problems and an adult dog which chews up birds.
When you first introduce your puppy to birds note whether he rips the bird up and/or chews it. If this happens more than once then don't give him a bird until he has had the first half of force fetch, which is "hold". Remember, it is much easier to prevent a problem in the beginning than to unlearn a patterned behavior.
Do not force your puppy into water. Introduction to water can begin at weaning time if the dam likes the water and the weather isn't too cold. If she swims out into the water most puppies will confidently follow her. If your young dog has not been in the water then don't make a big deal of swimming or not at first. Take along another dog who loves the water and let them play chase games. When your bright Poodle sees how much fun it is the young dog often will begin swimming. If they swim vertically just put on your swimming suit or waders and go out and hold onto his tail for a session or two and he will quickly learn to swim horizontally. If after a few sessions your young dog is not going into the water and he is 6 to 12 months old it is time to begin "force fetch". I have had great success with getting a young force fetched dog which loves to retrieve into the water. Just start a training session near the water. Throw a bumper into shallow water near the shore. Throw the next bumper away from the water, next bumper into walking water, next along shore line on land, next into water which requires swimming for 3 feet or so, next back on land, etc. Make each retrieve a GREAT FUN EVENT and if he won't go for that first 3 foot swim just say "fetch" as he has already been well force fetched, and he just goes after the bumper.
Poodles who had never been near water as old as eleven years have been taught to retrieve from the water using these methods.
Keep a log of each training session. Include the weather conditions, what you worked on, how the dog responded, problems observed, ideas on how to solve that problem, how you felt about the session, what YOU learned, what you plan for the next session. Regularly review the log and evaluate progress. Don't go on to a new concept utilizing lessons from before, if those lessons have not been LEARNED. This will only confuse and frustrate both you and the dog.
