Your Guide to Training a Labrador
If you have a new Labrador puppy, or are thinking about getting one, training is going to be an important issue. Many people believe that training a Labrador is difficult, and it can be, but only if you don’t know what you’re doing. If you understand the basic characteristics of this very interesting dog breed, and you make sure to follow a few basic rules, training a Labrador is simple. Let’s take a look at how you can do it.
First, realize that your lab wants to please you. If you’re having trouble getting your dog to follow your instructions, it’s not because your puppy wants to disobey. Labs are dogs that love being part of an active family, thrive on attention, and live for a kind word. If training a Labrador is going badly, it’s probably because your dog is too confused to understand what you’d like done.
These dogs are very intelligent, gentle, and outgoing. However, they can get over enthusiastic. They can also grow to be pretty big, making it extremely important to teach them boundaries when they’re small. Sure, that lovable puppy isn’t big enough to do any damage, but now’s the time when your pet is learning. How much of a problem will you have with training a Labrador when your pet weighs sixty pounds and has already learned that it’s okay to sit on your lap? Start early, be firm, and stay consistent.
Remember to keep your lab occupied, too. Training a Labrador that’s distracted, lonely, or wants attention can be a lot harder than it needs to be. These smart dogs are easily attached to you, and can get lonely or bored if you don’t have the time for them. They make such great hunting dogs because they want nothing more than to be by your side, being active and helping you do things.
If you don’t spend much time at home, don’t play with your dog, and are too busy to be attentive, you’ll have a dog that will be hard to train. Your pet might even be destructive, because it’s the only way to get your attention. These dogs are often going through separation anxiety or other stresses. They don’t want to be bad, but they do want you to pay attention to them. Correct the problem, and you’ll probably see the bad behavior go away.
Don’t be harsh when training a Labrador. That sensitive temperament means that yanking on the leash, yelling at your dog, or hitting your pet are all a bad idea. They’ll teach your dog to be afraid of you, not help with training. Instead, you need to show your pet that a behavior is bad with a firm no and eye contact. Then, you have to help your pet learn the right behavior. After all, it’s pretty confusing if you’re only ever told what you’re doing wrong. When your dog does well, use lots of praise as a reward. You’ll soon find that training a Labrador isn’t as hard as you thought!
