Labrador Puppy Training
Labrador dogs are very intelligent, friendly, energetic, and loyal. They make wonderful family pets. Labrador puppy training should be started as soon as you bring your new puppy home to ensure that he gets the proper socialization and obedience training in order to be a happy and well behaved dog.
Labradors do well with children and other dogs and are very intelligent and eager to please, so the socialization and training process should go well as long as you are patient, consistent, and clear in your training.
Labradors are originally from Newfoundland and come in three colors: yellow, chocolate and black. They originally assisted fisherman by helping to retrieve the fishing nets and bring in the loose fish. Today they are still very hard working dogs and often serve as guide, watch and rescue dogs.
Labs love to swim and are very active dogs. They need plenty of exercise, mental stimulation and social interaction. A Labrador does not like to spend a lot of time in isolation and can develop separation anxiety or engage in destructive behavior if left alone for long periods of time. So before bringing a Labrador puppy home, be sure you have the time and willingness to spend time and exercise your lab.
Important Things to Remember When Training Your Labrador Puppy
Socialization is very important, so make sure your lab puppy is exposed to different people, other dogs and animals and different environments. Dogs are pack animals with an established hierarchy in the pack, so it is important that you establish that you are the Alpha dog and the leader. This will make training much easier and will also make your dog happy and confident.
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One important aspect of Labrador puppy training is house training your dog. Combining this with crate training can be quite effective as dogs do not like to soil where they sleep. Puppies do not have a lot of bladder control so you will need to take him out often. Take him out to the same spot and when he uses it to go potty reward him with a treat and plenty of praise. If you repeat these actions consistently and frequently your lab puppy should be house trained fairly quickly.
It is also important to leash train your puppy before he gets too big. Labradors grow up to be big, strong dogs and you could end up being pulled around by him if you don’t train him early. Get your puppy used to a collar and leash before attempting to walk him. Make sure you hold the leash loose and not taut. A taut leash is a signal for a dog to pull.
Leash and Other Obedience Training
Labrador puppies can be quite excitable so you will need to exert some patience when leash training. When he starts to pull on the leash, either stop walking or make a sudden turn in another direction. Don’t let your dog control the walk. You must be in charge. When he stops pulling and walks nicely, reward him with a treat and praise him.
Labrador puppy training should also include learning some basic obedience commands like sit, stay, stop, and down. Labradors are very intelligent dogs and eager to please you, so training should go well as long as you keep your training sessions short, focused, consistent and reinforce his learning with rewards. Some labs do tend to jump up on people when excited so if your puppy does this you will definitely want him to learn the down and sit commands.
Labrador puppy training should also include plenty of exercise and play for your puppy. Labs need and thrive on plenty of exercise and physical activity. They need long walks and love to retrieve and swim. Labradors make wonderful family pets and companions as long as you give them the attention they deserve and take the time to properly socialize and train them.