Training is one of the most important parts of owning a Labrador Retriever. Through training, you are helping your Labrador Retriever become a well-behaved and desirable dog everybody loves. Training will also keep your dog safe because he is able to comprehend and obey your command, helpful in emergency and dangerous situations.

However, a wrong training approach may ruin your dreams of having a nicely trained dog. It helps if you are well-equipped with the right knowledge in training your beloved Labrador Retriever.

Puppy training – You can start training your dog when he is still a puppy. Training a puppy six to eight weeks old is fine but you can start training earlier than that depending on your pup’s characteristics and response to training. It is easier to train a puppy because at this age, he might not have developed bad manners yet and if he has, it can easily be corrected. But remember that training is not only for puppies, you can still teach old dogs new tricks.

Use positive reinforcement – When you use positive reinforcement, you are adding or offering something to your dog to increase the chance of repeating what he did correctly. Giving him his favorite treat after following your down command is an example of positive reinforcement.

Your voice matters – When you issue a command, it should be issued in the same words and same tone of voice. Use a friendly and excited voice when you give commands like come and firm voice in commands like down or stay. Avoid yelling or nagging at your dog.

Training sessions – Keep training sessions short and interesting. Fifteen-minute session is enough to keep your dog interested in the training. Focus on a single command per session and always reward him with loving praise or his favorite treat if he has successfully performed the command. Spend some time playing after the training to keep his interest.

Punishment – In order for your dog to behave properly, his mistakes must be corrected promptly. You can correct your dog by giving commands using a firm and sharp tone of voice. As much as possible, avoid physical punishment. But if physical punishment is really necessary, especially dogs with harder temperament, a quick and gentle tug on his training collar is enough. Remember that punishment should only be issued when you catch your dog in the act of doing mistake. Your dog may not understand why he is being punished now for ********* in your living room five hours ago.

Foods feed the body, training feeds the mind. It is important for your Labrador Retriever to have all these.

By: Richard Cussons

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