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Posts Tagged ‘labrador retriever training’

If your lab has mastered the usual obedience commands—sit, down, stay, come—and you think it is time for some new challenge that will charm your guests to no end, try the following dog tricks. Have fun giving your dog labrador retriever training!

1. “Be still”: This can also be called “freeze.” This is very helpful when you are trying to clean the dog’s ears, or when the vet is examining the dog. What happens is that the dog sits stock-still, and is not allowed to move its head.

Start by holding the dog’s head still with your hand under its chin, then say the command. Should the dog move, give your usual verbal correction (like “oh” or “ah”). Wait until the dog is still again, then praise and give a reward.

This trick also comes in handy if the dog’s ears are being cleaned, or its being given eye drops, or its teeth is being checked, etc.

2. “Kiss”: What happens here is that the dog presses its nose or muzzle against your lips or cheek. If you have seen a seal give a trainer a kiss, then this is an approximation.

To train a dog to do this, give the “kiss” command and press a piece of cookie between your lips. Then allow the dog to get close to take the cookie from your lips.

3. “Back Up,” “Come forward”: Make an alley with chairs and a wall to start. The dog will also need to be on a leash. The dog needs to face you, and as you approach it, say “back, back, back” and it is suppose to step backwards. If it does go backwards, give praise and reward. When you say “come forward”, you need to pull the dog towards you, and give praise and reward if it does so accordingly.

4. “Oh no”: After mastering this labrador retriever training technique, the dog will be able to cover its eyes with its paw when the command is given. A trainer came up with the solution of applying scotch paper on the dog’s snout. As the dog tries to brush off the tape and makes contact with it with a paw, say “oh no”.

Some Labrador Retriever owners talk about discouraging their dogs from playing tug games at home. This is understandable, since tug games seem to indeed heighten the excitement of dogs. Furthermore, a simply tug of war game almost always leads to the dog wanting to play more of it, pulling and biting your shirt, mouthing your household items and provoking you to run and tug at it, etc.

First of all, a little background on goldie tugging. The golden retriever is a mouthy by nature, and if its mouthiness is left unchecked, the dog’s crazy antics will continue and may even get reinforced. Add to this the energies of the growing adolescent dog, and there you have the basic recipe of the typical dog addicted to tugging.

On the other hand, tug of war games are considered by some veteran owners to be good for the dog. So in general, if you have a tugging problem at home, the trick is to know how to do tug games the right way. How? Check out the labrador retriever training tips below.

1. First of all, it is important that the puppy know how to stop tugging when you show that it is time to stop. With a pup, tugging only needs to be played bit by bit, a minute or less. An overdose of tugging may result to an excited and agitated dog that will want to use its ferocious shark teeth instead.

2. At their age, it is quite normal for puppies to want to hold practically everything inside their mouths and to tug. But ignore all suggestions of play if it is not time yet, or if you do not initiate it yourself (otherwise the dog will think anytime it wants is a good time). Tugging also ought to be limited to only one object, e.g. the tug rope. As a result, never also use the tug rope for any other activity.

3. Do you have a way of calming the dog down when play time is over? This is an important labrador retriever training step, no matter what game is being played.

4. Of course, there is always one drastic measure for some cases. Teach the dog how to “leave it”. If it refuses, use a squirt bottle to spray some water on the dog.

It seems that owning a Labrador Retriever is not complete without successfully managing the all-consuming challenge of a pulling dog! Everybody can identify with the lab owner who is at his or her wit’s ends what to do with the dog that goes bonkers when nearing the beach, the pet store, or seeing other dogs, squirrels, cats, etc. Indeed, the phrase “pulling my arm out of its sockets” may have a great deal of truth after all, if the one pulling is a very active adolescent dog.

To resolve this labrador retriever training issue, many a trainer will usually say that the prong needs to be known as a tool, and not the cure-all that gets things solved by itself. The prong seem to be a special last-resort, but it will still need to be accompanied by teaching the dog what it ought instead to focus on doing.

Then owners naturally need to keep in mind that the owner must never give in to the dog’s pulling, and must always take control of the walk.

For trainers, the goal is to pre-empt the dog from getting distracted by keeping the dog’s focus on you, and preventing it from happening in the first place. Some owners say that pulling is an adolescent thing, but why wait that it resolves itself when actually this can be a chance for basic obedience training if done right?

When you sight an animal or place that may just drive your dog into pulling, start talking to your dog and give bits of treats to retain the dog’s attention. Check also how good your dog is when it comes to obedience sans giving in to distractions. In other words, keep the dog’s obedience in tip top shape.

To be more detailed with the tips, if you are still training your dog to pull, you need to put distance between you and the other dog, asking your dog to sit. Keep the dog glued to you by talking to it, allowing it to absorb what’s going around it, but wanting them to observe you more. In order to do this, treat the dog in moments you see it observing you. In case the dog moves, say “no” and give a leash tug as a correction.

In the long run, your labrador retriever training goal is of course to get the dog to focus on you when a distraction passes by. This technique, by the way, may also help a lot when working to resolve aggression too.

Again, when it comes to this type of labrador retriever training, talking and obedience classes are the best “tools” to dealing with a pulling dog, together with working on obedience at home.

Among the most important commands that owner and dog need to review time and again is “come.” Few and far in between are the labrador retriever owners that were spared of the day when their lab just gave them a blank look as an answer to a clear and firm “Come,” and kept on walking the other way.

But out of justice to the breed, it is possible also that they are growing into their individualistic, passing phase. But nothing beats being on top of the situation of course! Owners that want to deal with a lack of a sense of recall can try leashing the dog on a 50 foot rope, giving the dog the chance to roam. If you want to teach the dog to come, call for it, and give a few tugs to “reel” it in if it does not. Nevertheless, have treats and a reward at ready when the dog gets to you.

The next labrador retriever training tip is less physical than the first, and only a whistle is needed as an upfront and no-fancy frills way to instilling recall in a dog. In this tip, an “error” to work on is the cheapening of verbal recall, since it cannot be helped that it is used too much, and not enforced well and also inconsistently used, too.

To teach a dog to respond, a dog will often just need to hear a whistle blast, then a treat. A labrador retriever will usually need only two or three repetitions of these to let the lesson sink in. Keep the dog coming to you by making random, unpredictable and mixing up the rewards and treats you give, i.e. a favorite treat now, a belly rub next time, a kibble after this, etc.

Another labrador retriever training tip to try out is to have the dog stay some good distance between you and the another person. You and Person B will take turns calling the dog and giving it treats each time it comes to you. This way the dog links the recall command with pleasant and good stuff.

And before we end, try playing hide and seek with the dog when you are in some park or garden stroll. At times, the dog’s single-minded exploring and trail-blazing will end if you hide and call from behind a tree. Watch it zoom back to you!

When your new puppy comes home, that is the time to start labrador retriever trainingChoosing the right food for your dog and training it are an important part of the bonding process.

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The labrador retriever is one of the top breeds in the US and indeed in the world.Its a great family dog but has a tendency to overeating and being overweight if you are not careful.

Labrador retriever training like most dog training methods depends on the tones in your voice. Consider this before your start.Your dog need to associate he happy tones in your voice to a good job well done.Sterner tones can be used to reinforce that particular thing that you are training him to do.

If you are consistent in your approach and tone, this reinforcement will help in your labrador retriever training.

This is something you should think about throughout all of the labrador retriever training. By making it fun and enjoyable for both of you ,it will seem less like a chore and more of a pleasure and challenge. By ensuring there is variety, you will make it much less boring.

Tips and techniques to bear in mind when starting labrador retriever training.

1. Short sessions and starting the process slowly is best. If you build up over time, then your patience levels will be better and so will your dog’s. It also fits in with his or her exercise capabilities which have to be built up as the dog develops.

2. Good behavior should be rewarded immediately as you want your dog to associate that acceptable behavior with rewards and praise. That will over time, reinforce the message. Do not use force to punish bad behavior, there are better methods for dealing with that.

3 Be consistent,keep on showing your dog what you want until they get it. Dogs will never have a meaningful conversation with us, dont forget that they are a dog not a human! Your pet will get it eventually.

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4.Be patient throughout your labrador retriever training.Yes, it can be hugely frustrating like all dog training, but if you got your dog for good reasons then you owe to them to give them the time to understand. Never call your dog to you and punish them or you will struggle to get them to come to you at all.

5. Watch your Labrador with an eye to bad behavior and correct it immediately without using force. Positive reinforcement of good behavior is best.

Labrador retriever training if done well leads to a happy dog. This is a loyal family pet and deserves to be treated as a member of your pack. Get a plan in place and follow it.

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Labradors can sometimes blind us to their weaknesses due to their whole range of skills and winning traits. The dog is at its most imperfect whenever recall issues make the dog very focused on everything, that is, except its master’s voice. How can dog owners use Labrador Training in responding to this possibly harmful habit?

First of all, at the root of getting dogs to respond to recall is food and a familiar sound that gets the dog on their bearings. The first can be achieved by even some signal word that hints of food, but the second can be demonstrated by the following. One trainer claims that whistling every time he sets about doing something good or productive with his lambs is the trick. He whistles before he feeds, he whistles before he does belly rubs, etc. In the end, the result of his mere whistling is that the dogs actually come running.

The following would be another great Labrador training plan. Visualize the dog park as among you and your dog’s top destinations eventually. Before you both head out to that place, you first need to have your dog 100% reliable in a quiet area. In your practices, make it a point to give a great reward if the dog comes to you, and give a correction if the dog fails (for example, if you are using a long line and practicing progressive recalls, try hitting the end of a line). Some owner respond to an error by grabbing the dogs by the collar, coming back up hauling them to the spot from where the dog was called, while the owner is saying “I said Come.” Upon coming to the spot, tell the dog “Good come” followed by a treat.

The point of the exercise is that the dog needs to be aware that when the recall is given, it is bad to be away from the master, it is good to be with you, and being away from you is not tolerable.

Other things to remember include exercising the dog’s recall through distractions. Lessen the recall distance every time a distraction is added. Once you were able to work on overcoming some mild distractions, try keeping the dog on a leash for a while once you get to the park; yet, even there at the park, it is still up to you if you want a couple more on-leash visits to get the dog comfortable to the idea of playing recall in the park. Practice recalls with rewards every time he gets it right. Make him comfortable and secure in the fact that his returning when you call does not mean that the fun will stop.

Indeed there is hard work ahead, but the dog will get it in the end. Do not forget to have treats with you, although if the dog is quite happy with praise, that will be good too.

Soon, you can actually enjoy letting your dog run off lead in the park, but you will get to enjoy the magic of Labrador training when you can easily call the dog off distractions in the form of people and other dogs.

Labradors, with their relatively large size, are the ideal athletes and playmates for active children. But once in a while comes along the young labrador that is brimming with high energy fun. This is the sort of dog that gets really overexcited within seconds, and gets out of control when it already is. A common trigger is when the dog sees other dogs or people.

Sometimes this Labrador training problem is even more complex since the dog is not really aggressive but simply capable of hurting out of sheer excitement. So what is an owner to do, given that she or he seeks to go beyond just putting the dog on leash every time somebody drops by at home?

Besides spaying or neutering the hyper active dog (and these happen to be the most effective), the immediate step is to train it alone on a leash.

In case you have not tried ‘Nothing In Life Is Free’, then this must be the scheme that will persuade your dog to be more just and fair in its actuations, thus helping it overcome its flamboyant streaks. The main point behind the scheme is that the dog needs to do something in exchange for being able to enjoy what it needs or wants. So, imagine a dog that wants the walk to start, or wants to start eating. In the case of the former, it will only get that if it is sitting calmly by the door, and in the latter, it is sitting calmly waiting for you to set down its bowl. Whatever happens, do not make the careless step of giving a command that cannot be enforced anyway, should the dog balk. In the long run, the dog will think of your failures as its victories!

With the appropriate Labrador training, it is possible to have a drastic turn around. Sometimes the same house whirlwind can be taken to heavily crowded areas, with plenty of dogs and people, and yet the dog is able to behave as if there is nothing special going on. The dog can be made to sit and focus on its owner, and is positively not distracted by noisy pedestrians.

To conclude, the keys for lab owners who wish to form well the personality of their active dogs is consistency and firmness, to regularly give the dog their share of exercise, and to have ways of enforcing commands whenever there are distractions (unless there is a good way to get rid of distractions). Dog owners must also never forget how to be calm and level-headed in training the dog, knowing that dogs will not think twice about ignoring angry humans!

If you think that you have a labrador puppy at home that is trying to make a crack at dominance, then you can be sure it is time for some labrador training.

It may sound unbelievable, but it is usually in the little things that the lure dominance wormed its way into your dog: allowing it to go ahead in leaving and entering the door, letting it pull you during walks, giving in to what it wants when it growls, etc. But from the point of view of Labrador training, what is to be done now?

Despite its rebellious instincts, the dog is not some ungrateful thing that is doing all this to bring you down. What actually is going on is that the dog, just like all dogs, was able to pick up the fact of someone’s fear and uncertainty in terms of the person’s interacting with the dog. In reaction, the dog is simply trying to assume control of things since you are not a source of confidence. But the toll on the dog comes in the form of its aggressive and high-strung behavior, something that signals a dominant behavior.

After settling the issue that your lack of firmness and consistency can affect the dog, the next thing needed is supprt for “Nothing in Life is Free” as a way to help the dog out of its dominant streak. The dog needs to learn in this scheme that if it wants or needs something, it will need to “pay” a price first, e.g. obeying a command. This means that if the dog wants to start eating, it needs to be sitting and calm. If it wants to go outside, it will need to be sitting by the door first. If it wants a toy to be thrown, it needs to be sitting down first.

Other things you can do include:

a) getting a crate. Put the dog inside whenever either of you need a break. But you need to maximize the importance of your crate by of course training the dog to appreciate the crate as a place of security and privacy.

b) training in obedience work with the dog. A good way to build the relationship you plan for the dog and yourself is to have “work” for it to do, 5 minutes a day several times through out the day. Start off with a long lead to get the puppy to run and play in the yard, after which obedience can start. Keeping the leash on the dog allows you to regain control of the dog.

In fact, basic obedience training may be a source of major solutions. Short fun positive training sessions will help strengthen the link between you and your dog. The best class for a puppy involves positive reinforcement techniques and also allows interaction, or playtime, off leash with other pups. Take the opportunity also to teach her new tricks while feeding by hand.

To end, set aside time and consistency in preparation for teaching a dog that you are alpha. Keep in mind that the Labrador training is indeed part and parcel of dog raising, and that the dog must not experienced a day without “Nothing in Life is Free.”