Labrador puppies are generally considered easy to train because of their intelligence, loyalty, and calmness. They are always ready to please their families (and even strangers) due to their friendly nature. If you start training during the first few weeks, these pups will be very quick to understand commands and follow them. Therefore, it’s important to devise a Labrador puppy training schedule and execute it quickly to avoid bad habits.
When Can You Start Training Your Labrador Puppy?
Training older dogs is quite a difficult (or nearly impossible) task. For this reason, it is recommended to start training your Lab when he/she is a few weeks old. The age of 2 months (or 8 weeks) is the best time for your pup to begin its training. This is because your pup has grown enough to be independent and can also understand the cues of the owner.
How to Train an 8-week-old Labrador Puppy?
You must keep things simple in the beginning because the pups are already learning the behavior of their owners. Below are some basic things that you can teach to your 2-month-old Labrador puppy.
Follow Me – This command can be taught by walking a few steps here and there while holding a treat. If your pooch follows you 3 or more times, stop and reward him/her with a treat or appreciation.
Socialization – After establishing some authority over your puppy, you need to take him/her for outdoor walks and exercise. This will provide him/her with a great opportunity to socialize. This will allow you to go out to different places or visit friends comfortably with your dog.
Potty-train Your Puppy – Select a place where you want your pup to go for relieving himself/herself. Then, note your dog’s potty timing and make sure to take him/her to that selected spot. You can use tasty treats to lure him/her and to appreciate the good work.
Deject Biting – You will use 2 treats to train your dog. If your Lab snatches the first treat brutally, you should hold the other treat until he/she will take the treat from your hand, gently. You can rarely use a simple punishment, like ignoring, if the biting was hard.
How to Train a 12-week-old Labrador Puppy?
At this age, it is assumed that a Labrador puppy is already familiar with some basic things. Hence, you can teach your canine friend some simple commands.
Heal – As of now, your dog should be habitual to follow you. Therefore, it should be convenient to train him/her the “heel” command. In this command, you will use a dog leash and grab it in your left hand. Now, make sure that your dog stays close to your left heel by controlling his/her speed through the leash.
Recall – This command is used to recall a pup to repeat the previously performed training. In this command, we can use a whistle, clapping, or any other sound as a cue. If the dog responds to your sound, give him/her a treat for best results.
More Socialization – Make your Lab more comfortable in crowded places. It’s important to take him/her to such places twice a week. Also, visit friends frequently so that your pooch can become comfortable around strange people.
Target Training – For that, you have to encourage your dog to touch your hand with his/her nose to get the treat. Then, add more twists by taking an object and using the touch command so that the pup touches the target.
How to Train a 16-week-old Labrador Puppy?
At this age, a Lab is considered mature enough to respond to some positioning commands as well as verbal instructions.
Sit and Stay – Simply use a treat (while your pup is in a standing position) and move it towards the floor. If he/she sits, give the treat as a reward. You can also say the word “sit” to give a verbal cue. Once your dog is familiar with this command, you can extend it to teach him/her to stay. For teaching this command, hold the treat for some time (before feeding) after your pooch has sat on the ground.
Fetch – A 4-month-old Labrador puppy knows how to get to a target. So, we can now teach him/her how to retrieve it. In this training, an object is thrown away from the dog and the word ”Fetch” is used as a trigger. If the puppy goes to the object and brings it back, a treat is offered. It is recommended to use the favorite toy of your pup as the target.
Stand – Take a treat and move it up while the pup is in a sitting position. When he/she gets up on your stand command, simply give him/her a treat.
Control Pup Without Leash – Now use an off-leash command to check your control over your pup by making him/her walk beside you. For this purpose, you can use a recall command with some specific sound for it.
How to Train a 20-week-old Labrador Puppy?
Once your pooch is 5 months old, it’s time to reinforce the previous trainings and make a solid relationship.
Strengthen Earlier Trainings – You should focus on all the previous learning firmly. Make sure that there is no distraction to your pup in any learning and he/she is ready for every challenge.
Make a Solid Relationship – A 5-month-old pup is very much familiar with the owner and feels a strong bond with him/her. Spend some quality time with your puppy to make this into a strong relationship.
How to Train a 24-week-old Labrador Puppy?
At this age, you can start teaching your dog some advanced commands.
Leave it – It is used when the dog is biting down on something and not leaving it. You can also use this command to keep your pooch safe from potential troubles. For this training, give the “leave it” command and use a treat to distract your Lab. Once some sort of discipline is implemented, you can remove the treats from the training and use appreciation.
Wait – This is used when your dog is running continuously or doing rigorous exercise. Start by offering a treat or use the “stay” command to make your dog stop. Then, simply say “wait” and offer your pup the treat.
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