Training a Labrador Puppy Yourself

When you've never done it before, training a Labrador puppy can seem like a rather daunting task. Be reassured to know, though, that Labs are known to be relatively easy to train, and are very motivated to want to please you. As long as you use positive reinforcement in your training, this means that you'll be in for a treat as far as the actual difficulty level goes.

The key is to establish a good bond with your dog, so that he or she will want to spend time with you and please you with his or her good behaviors. Bonding with your dog means playing with him or her and spending a lot of time together. When you play, get right down at puppy-level, so that you're down on the floor and able to make better eye contact. This will create a much stronger relationship that can be applied when you're training together.

Training a Labrador puppy can start as soon as you bring your dog home for the first time. This doesn't just mean obedience training, but means setting up ground rules for the house, learning about where the "bathroom" is for the dog and preventing accidents, socialization within the family, and with strangers. This means having people over to meet the puppy, as well as walking the puppy in areas where the are other people and environments. This will make your dog much friendlier, and prevent him or her from becoming nervous around strangers and new places.

Fetch is another form of training that will actually play on your dog's own instincts. Retrieving objects is a natural part of the makeup of Labs and normally kicks in at about the age of eight weeks. You'll want to teach your dog to use this ability in the right way. For example, fetching his or her toys to indicate that he or she wants to play is good. Fetching a ball you've thrown is good. Fetching your guest's left shoe from the front door is not quite as desirable.

Training a Labrador puppy can be a lot of fun as long as you bring tons of patience with you, and are ready to work with your dog as a team, and not as much as a teacher to a student. This is something you can share and can deepen you relationship. You're opening the doors to communication and you'll make your lives a much happier place.