2. Labrador Training
http://www.traininglabradors.co.uk
When you look at your Lab, you can easily see why Labradors are among the most popular dog
breeds around. In so many situations Labradors are so often the breed of choice as working dogs,
but do they really require special training to make sure their attitude remains under control?
Let's take a closer look.
What Makes Labrador Training Different?
Although Labrador training is relatively easy, that cute little puppy will one day be a big, strong
dog - if that's not already the case - so it really does pay to make an early start. In the same way
your Lab has physical features that make her instantly recognisable as a Labrador, Labradors
have their own set of behavioural traits inherent in their blood line - understanding these inbuilt
traits can be the key to making your Labrador Training a more simple and successful exercise for
both you and your pet.
Labrador Training
The first thing you should remember and constantly repeat to yourself is that your Labrador, no
matter how bright and intelligent he may seem, is still a dog - an animal that needs to be treated
properly. The second you start treating your dog like a person or giving him the privileges that
comes with that smartness, you lose the upper hand in your training.
http://www.traininglabradors.co.uk
1
3. Keep in mind that if you neglect to train your Labrador, you're actually putting him at risk. With
that strength and size, they can easily get themselves into trouble. Biting and chewing can be
problems too - but both are trainable behaviours.
The Fundamentals of Labrador Training
Starting Young
Possibly the single most important point about Labrador training is to start training early. You
can start with a basic, fun training exercise - such as fetch - when your Labrador is around 8
weeks old.
The right routine
Establishing a proper Labrador training routine lets your dog start to understand what's expected
of them. Around five minutes or so at any one time is usually enough to let him get the hang of
what you're trying to get across without your Lab getting bored or distracted. Leaving a
reasonable time before the next training session also helps.
Labrador Training
Four or five sessions a week is probably enough to start with. Don't go too quickly - remember
it's the dog you are training, so a pace that suits the dog's age and standard of behaviour is more
important than a pace that suit you. Try to build your dog's training schedule from the dog's
progress more than from your own desires to have a show winner.
http://www.traininglabradors.co.uk 2
4. Finding the right place to train is important too - a quiet place that is free from visual and audible
distractions helps making the training so much easier.
Times to avoid
Just as it's important to have a schedule that will help make your Labrador training easier, it's
important to know the times that will just make it so much more difficult. Times that you can be
pretty sure you won't be getting your pet's full attention include -
Too soon after feeding time, or without sufficient 'rest' since his previous lesson.
If he's been in his crate for a while
If he's seeming particularly energetic or particularly tired
When there's other people around - particularly anyone he's not familiar with
Labrador Training
http://www.traininglabradors.co.uk
3
5. Treats and rewards
Treats are an important part of your Labrador training regime, but only while that's exactly what
they are. Remember if you give your Lab something he likes too often, it will no longer be a treat
and will completely lose its effectiveness.
In the same way, what you give your pet as a treat must be something that little bit different - for
instance you should never give her something that forms part of her normal diet at meal times.
Some people have found a little bit of some 'human' food that your dog likes works best - like a
small piece of cheese - but please make sure it's not anything that might not be suitable for a
Labrador.
Whereas you'll ruin the effectiveness of a treat by using it too often, you should always reward
your dog with praise whenever she does her training task well.
Rules to help you make sure you don't give your Lab too many treats include -
Only give your dog a treat when he does the training task correctly.
Give your dog a treat more often when he's learning a new task for the first few times to
make sure he understands what the task involves.
Once he's got the hang of it, you can reduce the frequency of treats, and only give the
treats randomly, so that he doesn't directly like performing the task with getting a treat -
but always keep the encouragement and praise going.
Labrador Training
http://www.traininglabradors.co.uk 4
6. Ver bal commands and hand signals.
Always give your Lab the same one or two word instruction for any given task, and at the same
time and in the same way use a particular hand signal to get her to do a particular task. In that
way your Lab gets to associate the simultaneous use of the command and the hand signal as a
clear indication of what you want her to do, and will more quickly associate the instructions with
the action.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this quick guide and found it useful.
Pamela
P.S. For more Labrador training tips, resources and a free eBook visit
Labrador Training
http://www.traininglabradors.co.uk
http://www.traininglabradors.co.uk
5