Many people get a Labrador Retriever because they are beautiful and because they have amazing personalities. One thing to question is if Labrador puppies are easy to train or if they are stubborn dogs.
Are Labrador puppies easy to train? Labrador puppies are one of the best breeds for training. With their extreme knowledge and their easy to get along with personality, Labrador puppies are the right dog choice if you want a puppy that is going to be easy to train.
Labrador Retrievers are dogs that are very motivated to please their owner. These dogs want to make sure that you are happy, and they are primarily motivated if they are given food treats.
Labs are also known as very hungry dogs, so training them with food can help to motivate them even more than many other dog breeds.
Quick Navigation
Why Are Labradors Easy to Train?
Labrador Retrievers are known for being bred to be working dogs. Since being working dogs, Labradors are considered to be hard workers and work hard to do what they need to do.
Many Labrador Retriever dogs are known for being great hunters, fishers, swimmers, and retrievers. All of these traits happen because your Labrador is in tune with being highly trained and ready to make the right moves.
Labradors are ready to work hard for their owner and want to make sure to please them and to be easy to work with.
Another fantastic thing about Labrador Retrievers is their sense of smell and being alert to what is going on around them. With their hard work and their bright personality, they can work hard and accomplish things that other brands of dogs might not be able to accomplish.
Since Labradors are not aggressive animals, they are easier to work with and do not get angry with their owner for pushing them hard and making them work.
Does My Labradors Intelligence Help Them to Train?
Labradors are one of the smartest breeds of dogs that exist. Even though they are smart, it does not mean that this is the only thing that is needed for them to be trained.
One important thing to remember is that Labs not only are smart, but they also are not very stubborn, so they are willing to give themselves, and they are desirous to please their owner. Being smart is just an extra perk to owning a Labrador.
Being obedient helps dogs to be easier to train. Dogs that are not aggressive and are not stubborn are easier to teach, and Labradors fit right in this social status.
Once Labradors learn what you are trying to teach them, they try their best to please you and to follow your commandments.
I Want to Get a Labrador Retriever Puppy; Will They Be Easy to Train?
You must pick the right Labrador Retriever out of the litter when you are choosing a new dog. Looking to see if your puppy is highly sociable is essential. When picking out a Lab and you have a sociable dog, this is a good sign that your dog will be able to be trained.
Labradors are considered hyper dogs, and they have a lot of energy. Sometimes, the bigger they get, the harder they are to control and so you must begin training your puppy at a very young age to make sure that he or she does not get too old and out of control.
You can start training your puppy as early as eight weeks old. Giving them simple commands such as sit, come, or stay can be a great start for training your new puppy.
There are other commands that you need to begin to teach your puppy, such as walking on a leash without trying to run away and learning to be quiet when people or strangers are around the area.
If you have a Labrador that is happy at home and loves his or her owner, your Labrador will be more eager to please you and will be more willing to do whatever you ask them to do.
Should I Use Rewards to Train My Labrador?
People will always give you different ideas when trying to train your Labrador, and some are for giving treats while others are against it.
Giving your Labrador puppy treats will keep your Labrador happy and more willing to please. You must have some type of training method in mind before you even begin training your puppy.
Using rewards to appreciate your Labradors behavior can help you to not have to use punishment to get your Labrador to behave or to follow directions.
Adding positive things to your Labrador puppy’s everyday life can make both you and your puppy happy and trained.
What Kind of Training Method Will Work with My Labrador Puppy?
When training your Labrador puppy, you need to make sure that it is going to be a fun time for your Labrador. Your Labrador will love to play, fetch, catch, and just overall have fun.
Having a happy dog means that you have a dog that wants to spend time with you and wants to make sure to do everything that you want them to do.
Traditional methods of training mean that the owner will be more dominate than using other methods. This means that your dog will not be having fun but will learn to obey their master. With this training, your dog will learn commands such as sitting and not getting on furniture.
Traditional methods of training also mean that your Labrador will be pushed and forced to do what they are supposed to be doing. For example, if your Labrador jumps, the owner will push the dog down into a sitting position saying “sit.”
If your dog is disobedient, the owner might use punishment as part of the
learning. Labradors do not like to have
physical punishment, and this can cause your Labrador to become aggressive or
make your Labrador be afraid and not in love with you.
Clicker Training
Using a clicker is another method of training that you can use with your Labrador. This type of training helps with dogs that have a strong personality. Using a clicker helps to control the behavior of your dog and helps them to understand exactly what you want and do not want them to do.
How Do I Really Get My Labrador to Take This Serious?
Your Labrador will take things more seriously if you are taking things more seriously as well. Practicing with your Labrador puppy will help them to know that you mean what you say and will give them time to get good results.
If your Labrador practices, he or she will become great at all the tricks and rules that you wish to enforce.
What is Balanced Training?
Balanced training is another method of training for Labrador puppies. This type of training gives both rewards and punishments in order to get their puppies to train.
What Method is Best for Training My Labrador Puppy?
It is important that you pick the right training method for training your puppy. Make sure that both you and your puppy are prepared to work hard and that you are prepared to stay on task and to work your puppy hard.
Traditional methods of training still work, but it really depends on the attitude of your dog as to what kind of training will really work.
What if We Want to be Friends and Train Our Puppy?
Being friends with our puppy is one reason why we choose to get a puppy, but if you want to train them, make sure that you use as little punishment as necessary. If you slap or hit your Labrador, the chances are that he or she will not be as trusting of you, and this can change the relationship.
Using positive rewards can continue to show your puppy that you love them and that you are willing to work just as hard as they are.
Is My Labrador Trying to Dominate Over Me?
In the past, people thought that their dogs were trying to be dominated and to take over control or be the leaders of the pack. After much scientific study, it has been found that most dogs do not want to be dominated but that they want to be trained and to please their owner.
Labradors want to be loved, to get good food, to have fun, and to participate
in many fun activities.
What Happens if I Punish My Dog?
Punishing your dog can make your dog be more aggressive and be hateful. Dogs that are beaten or mistreated will not have the love with you that you want to form.
If you punish your dog too much, you will not get the results that you want to get. Your dog will become slower and will make more mistakes than a dog that has positive reinforcements.
When punishing your Labrador, teaching them new behaviors or tricks can be hard, and most of the time, your Labrador is only learning from fear when you use this method.
When Should I Start Training My Labrador?
It is important that you begin training your Labrador at a very young age because as they get older, they will get bigger, and it will be harder to train them.
You need to make sure that you give your Labrador a lot of praise during this time because it can help you to build a good relationship with your Labrador puppy right from the very beginning.
8-12 Weeks Old
When your Labrador is around 8-12 weeks of age, it is important to make sure that you start introducing training. The training should be short, and it should be fun for your puppy.
If you bring your puppy home and you are trying to potty train them, take them to the bathroom, and if they use it, make it a big deal, talking happy to them, praising them and giving them a treat. This will show your puppy how proud of him or her that you are when they do the right thing.
Using positive training will help your Labrador to see that when they behave they will be rewarded and praised.
Your Labrador can also learn simple commands such as “sit” during this age. If you see your Labrador is not following the command, push their bottom down softly and then give them a treat. This will help them to learn to correlate a word with action and see it as a positive thing.
Make sure that you do not hit or smack your dog when they do something that they shouldn’t do. This type of training can make your dog very aggressive and make them fearful of you. Using positive rewards is a much better idea than this.
Rewarding
Make sure that you reward your puppy for things that they do right. When you repeat a word and an action over and over again, the chances are that they will be able to understand exactly what you want them to do.
If you stop rewarding them for good behavior, it will make your puppy feel like they didn’t do something right and so it is better if you do this when you need your puppy to do something faster or better.
Eventually, you will be able to slow down with the rewards, and they will still do the command.
Using Food Treats
If you really want to get your Labrador to do what you want them to do, find food for them that they love to eat, and treat them that way.
Finding rewards that are exciting and delicious is a great way to get your puppy really doing what you want him or her to do
When you give treats for rewards, it is important to only use them as a starting point and then being able to stop giving them treats just for doing the right thing.
When you are training, try to give your Labrador less dog food so that they do
not get too many calories and this could help them to not put on excessive
weight
Some people think that you should not give your Labrador food until they do the right trick. It is up to you as the owner if you think that this will help your Labrador to learn faster.
Use Treats Sparingly
Once your Labrador really starts learning what you want him or her to do, do not give as many treats. Try to mix up your treat giving and make it so that they do not know when they will receive an extra reward so that they will work harder and do more to please you.
Increase the Training
Once your Labrador is good at following simple commands, start giving them more commands and teaching them more things such as being able to do their commands when there are distractions happening.
Once your Labrador learns to follow training even in distracting areas, their ability to be in control will increase, and you will be able to get your Labrador doing bigger and better things.
Adding distractions will increase your self esteem as a trainer and will increase your Labrador’s confidence and help them to become a very obedient dog in all situations.
Obedience School
If you feel that you are having a hard time or you don’t have time to actually train your dog, the chances are that you should find an obedience school that can help your pet to get on the right track.
Most pet shops have obedience training, and they offer these classes for lower prices than actual obedience schools.
Not only can being in obedience school help your dog to learn to follow commands, but it can also help your dog to become more sociable and meet other puppies.
Make sure that your Labrador has all of their shots and vaccinations before enrolling them in places that other dogs will be. You want to make sure that your precious puppy does not get sick or make other dogs sick.
Use Research
Use research to find out what kind of training techniques you can use for your Labrador. If you plan on doing your own training, figure out which is going to be the best for you and buy the appropriate items that you need in order to train them correctly.
Always make sure that you have a leash, a collar or body harness, and plenty of
rewards when starting your training program.
If you are going to do clicker training, you must purchase a clicker so
that your Labrador can be prepared from the beginning.
Best Time to Train
When you first start training your Labrador, try short training sessions so that your Labrador does not get distracted or lose interest in their training. Pick two times a day to train your dog, but try not to overdo it where your Labrador will get bored.
Train during a time where your Labrador will have fewer distractions at first so that they will be able to concentrate on what is going on and give you their fullest attention. Take your dog out before they eat so that they can relate to doing their training with having a tasty treat when they get back home.
Be Commanding
You can use simple commands such as “no” and “sit” to try to teach your Labrador simple instructions so that they can begin to learn what you are saying and what you want out of them.
Some people believe that your dog will get confused if you say long sentences, so try to make sure that you use one word commands and not whole sentences.
Make sure that you are very firm and that you show your Labrador Retriever that you are the one that is in control. Remember that Labradors are very smart dogs and so they do not take well to being yelled at. Make sure that you use firm commands but that you are positive and kind in the process.
Hand Gestures
Hand gestures can help your Labrador to be able to understand more of what you are asking of them. If you put your hand out and say “stay,” the chances are that they will even be able to follow these commands even if you do not say anything.
Always try to use the same body language when you are giving your commands. Make sure that you correct your dog immediately if they do something that they shouldn’t do and do not wait until later to correct them, as this might make them not understand what they did wrong.
Always Be the Same
Make sure that you stay the same in all of your training. Enforce the training anytime that you are out and never let an opportunity go by where you do not take time to train them for their behavior.
Make sure that all of the things that your dog does is rewarded even with just positive words. Let them see that positive behaviors are normal and that they need to always be following these behaviors.
Following these behaviors will always help your puppy to feel secure in your
love and in your training.
How Do I Involve My Family in Our Puppies Training?
It is very important that you get all of the family involved when you are trying to train a dog. Remember, for example, that if you are training your puppy to use the bathroom outside, if your family is not involved and they do not take your puppy out, the chances are that he or she will use the bathroom in the house and the training will take a lot longer.
When you have people that come into the home, such as your teenager’s friend, make sure that they know what the puppy is allowed and is not allowed to do. If you do not allow your Labrador to beg at the table, make sure that people that visit do not feed your Labrador from the table.
These kinds of situations will cause mixed signals for your Labrador and will confuse him or her and might cause them not to be trained as quickly as you would like to see.
What if My Labrador Isn’t Perfect?
Remember, we live in a world where nothing and no one is perfect, and it would be unfair of you to think that your Labrador will be perfect. All things make mistakes, and you need to allow room for your Labrador to be able to make mistakes once in a while.
Expect that until your dog is fully trained, that he or she will likely make multiple mistakes. Show them love, anyways, and let them know that they are a good dog. Never try to guilt your Labrador by calling them “bad” or by speaking negatively to them.
Keep positive and have a positive tone until your Labrador is fully trained.
What is the Best Way for Me to Know How to Train My Labrador Puppy?
One of the best ways for you to know what you should do to make your training fun and successful is for you to educate yourself not only on training methods but also on the breed of dog that you are getting.
Even though this blog is all about Labradors, not all breeds are like
Labradors. If you choose a different
breed, make sure that you know their personality and their temperament before
you begin your training.
Make sure to pay special attention to their energy level and understand what kind of dog they were bred to be. The Labrador, for example, is very energetic and was made to be a hunting or working dog. This will change the way that their training will be performed. Make sure to be ready to understand what kind of help your breed will need with their training.
Treat your Labrador like you would treat other dogs from that breed. Make sure that you treat them and train them based on what their breed says. For example, we know that Labradors love to eat. Try to use things that make them happy such as tasty foods, in order to get them to do what you want them to do.
Try to think before you act and and take extra steps to really know your breed. Remember, with the Labrador, and they love to run, so try to train them outside some and take them on plenty of walks so that you can take opportunities to train them where they love to be.
Make sure that you are doing things that will not cause your Labrador to fail or pick up negative behavior. Since Labs love to run and be outside, do not encourage them to behave but then lock them up without giving them the exercise that they need.
Conclusion
Trying to train any puppy can be a challenge, but training Labrador puppies can be both satisfying and rewarding. Make sure that you remember the important things about your Labrador, such as their kind personality and the fact that they love to please.
It is also important to make sure that you remember that Labradors are highly motivated by food rewards and use these rewards to make training more engaging and interesting to your Labrador.
