Three Important Labrador Training Tips

Labrador retriever has an even temperament and is considered to be a great family dog. You may find it surprising but these smart canines were originally bred for hunting purposes. They are very good learners because of their intelligent, loyal, and friendly nature. All these features make them easy to train. In this article, we will discuss some important Labrador training tips that are necessary to train your dog.

Why is it Important to Train a Labrador?

Training is vital for a Labrador Retriever because it leads to a disciplined and great life. Whether it is done in a Labrador training school or by yourself at home, it’s a necessity. Different trainings need different resources, like objects, places, and treats, upon which they are dependent.

Dog training answers a lot of questions of new owners, such as how to potty-train a Labrador. Similarly, you can teach your dog not to bite and sleep on a dog bed through proper training. Teaching your pup different dog commands is also a part of training. Some common dog commands that also make the core of obedience training include sit, stand, stay, heel, and fetch.

Three Most Important Labrador Training Tips

Training tips can be very helpful for teaching your pooch good manners. Not only do they make the process easier, but they also add discipline and stability to your Lab’s life. The following are the three most important Labrador training tips that you must know.

Start Early

Early training has numerous benefits for both the owner and the dog. Traditionally, it was believed that the starting age for training a puppy is 24 weeks. However, research proved that this concept was not accurate and it was changed. Nowadays, most experts agree that you should start training your Labrador puppy at the age of 8 weeks. This is the same age that is considered safe to bring a dog home (start the training immediately).

The majority of the owners start their training with simple obedience commands. Then, they teach their pups housebreaking manners to keep their homes clean and odorless. It is important to potty train your pooch at an early age to maximize the efficiency of this training.

Another massive advantage of starting early is that your pup’s habits can be changed easily. On the other hand, an older Labrador will find it much harder to mold his/her behavior. This is because they are used to those bad habits, and will take a lot of time and effort to change them. In the case of early training, there is no room for bad or unwanted habits.

You will need to observe your pup very closely at the start of the training. It means that you should spend a great amount of time with your canine friend. This degree of sacrifice will give good results in the training of your Labrador Retriever.

Practice Positive Reinforcement

Proper attention and care of your pup during the training can increase its efficiency many times. During the early days, people used to punish and scold their dogs while training. It used to cause more harm than good because the dogs will become stubborn and harsh. Fortunately, the scenario has changed completely now as positive reinforcement proved much more beneficial than punishments.

Punishing your Labrador makes them fearful of their owners. It creates a feeling of bitterness that might result in ego and behavior problems in the future. Several researches also showed that the use of aversive methods has a bad influence on the mental health of dogs.

Hence, the best method of training your Labrador Retrievers is to appreciate the good work and ignore the bad behavior. Always remember to stay strong while ignoring your pooch because it is a difficult task. He/she will do different childish tricks to gain your attention after doing something wrong. However, you can also teach certain actions to your Lab that please you, especially when they do something bad.

Opting for the right treatment is the critical point of dog training in recent times. It encourages your dog to do better because he/she knows that doing a good deed will result in a treat. You can also use toys or a game of fetch as the reward if your pup prefers them. Generally, unusual foods are often considered better training treats.

Be Consistent

Consistency is another important Labrador training tip. Training dogs is not an easy task because it needs a lot of patience and time. You need to think about various strategies and work on them gradually to get the desired results. Therefore, patience and consistency are the major aspects of every dog training. For example, you should never change the designated spot while potty training your Labrador.

Owners need to realize that training means creating habits and dogs need time to learn new things. Never forget that even humans need to practice to get something good. Hence, you should make your canine friend practice the necessary manners using fake set-ups.

For instance, if you want your Lab to sit on your command, use a treat or toy to lure him/her. Keep repeating this training until it becomes instinctive for your pooch. These fake training situations can help you to practice several other basic commands, like heel and recall. So, never say no and be persistent with your dog.