How do you normally start your dog on handling? I am about to start and was just looking for suggestions. What books would you recommend?

I have been following Evan Graham's program for handling. FF, then force to pile, very important building blocks before handling.

Guy gave you good advice. It is easy to train over and back using the baseball diamond. Just don't confuse the dog by putting multiple piles at first second and third when you start off. Use a lot of body language when you begin. Do 10 at first base. When your confident the dog has it then advance to third base.
Then switch back and forth until you feel he is ready to distinguish your directions from first to third. When the dog has first and third down remove them and use second base giving a back command. Get it down then mix in all three.

I have taught my puppy back and over, on a forcing table using hot dogs. I learned this from John from Deep Fork Retrievers. Basically the dog is on the table with his collar connected to the high line, I place hot dogs pieces at the ends of the table and depending on the direction tell him back and over with the designated hand signals. This was an easy lesson for him to learn and has been useful on water retrieves when he doesn't see the bird, but we are not as far along as what Guy and Wal described.

thats a great idea Kdub

Using hot dogs is cheating.

You need to do FF and probably Collar conditioning first. GET THE BOOK.

I remember that proficiency at 2 handed back came before over even started.

I absolutely agree with ed! But assuming you have or are FF and CC the dog here is another easy way. If yiubhave access to high grass or weeds. Mow a 3 foot strip 40 yards in a straight line. Then mow to the right and to the left. Your making a big T. Place your bumpers at the end of the the right and left of the T. Place yourself at the bottom of the T and the dog between the piles at the top of the T. They will stay inthe mowed area and go straight to the piles. Works great for a young pup but as he progresses you have to get out of the mowed. Kind of like taking them off of the pacifier.

The 2-handed BACK is easy enough. I taught my pup this well before any formal training and he still knows them. Put him at SIT a few feet in front of you, then throw a bumper behind him to one side or the other. Make sure he sees it land, but not breaks after it. Give the BACK and step to the side, raising that hand. When you start out really exaggerate the side you go to. Now do the other side. Really easy for me to teach and my pup to grasp the concept.

Ed is right! Hot dogs are a great start but, that's not really teaching. WAL1809 has the right idea. Check Evan Graham and Mike Lardy. They are the best that i have found and both are easy to understand and follow. Also, the dog needs to be properly collar conditioned like Ed said, before handling is started.

My dog is force fetched and collar conditioned. Thanks for the help. I have ordered Smart Works and plan on teaching back and over soon.

Stand pretty close to your dog when you start baseball and give lots of body language at first... You can stretch it out after the dog has the idea.

try casting to to two different bumpers 180 degree's from each other.Than, when he is doing that good add another at 12 o clock. Try to encourage to turn to the rt and left by walking that direction and making a game out of it. But this should be done like previously posted after ff and forcing to pile.