All About Labradors

The Place for Labrador Friends

Email Newsletter

  • Home
  • Blog
    • Your Lab Photos
    • Labrador FAQs
    • Lab Forum
  • Breed
    • Lab History
    • Your Lab
    • Lab Colours
    • Fox Red Labs
    • Labradoodle
    • Lab Collie
    • Lab Breeders
  • Caring
    • Labrador Health
    • Dog Illnesses
    • Pet Insurance
    • Dog First Aid
    • Lab Nutrition
    • Lab Grooming
    • Older Labs
    • Lab ID Tags
  • Training
    • Housebreaking Labs
    • Housetraining Labs
    • Dog Crates
  • Rescue
    • Labrador Retriever Rescue
  • Shopping
    • Lab Gifts
    • Labrador Books
  • Other
    • Loss of a Dog
    • Dog Names
    • Pet Travel
    • Dog Articles
  • Contact Us

Introducing Training to Lab Puppies!

January 4, 2013 By All About Labradors

Start introducing training to lab puppies by beginning with some elementary retrieving exercises at eight weeks or so. Your Labrador will most likely love the game and look forward to it each day.

To teach the basic mechanics of the fetch (run out, pick up the object, return the object to the master, and release), begin by placing the puppy on a 10-foot lead.

Take a favorite toy or a ball large enough not to be swallowed, dangle it in front and above the dog’s head to gain its attention, and toss it 5 to 6 feet in front of you.

Precede your command with your dog’s name. For example, say, “Jake, fetch!” As he races for the toy, follow behind him. Make sure the lead stays loose and does not snap shut and frighten or hurt him (and perhaps permanently sour him on retrieving).

If he picks up the toy, praise him encouragingly. Should he merely eye or paw the toy, make him pick it up by shaking it in front of him, repeating “Jake, fetch!”

Once he has grasped the toy, walk backwards to your beginning spot. Coax him to follow you by motioning him toward you using your hands and fingers.

When he arrives back, get the toy from his mouth by commanding “Out!” and gently pulling it loose. Now is the time to give him a lot of praise and affection – not during the exercise, although encouragement can be helpful.

At such a young age, the emphasis in this and all types of exercise is on fun, not on performance. Improvement in response should naturally come with familiarity.

As the puppy masters the game, vary it. Keep the dog guessing. Try to remain in position and not move out toward the toy.

Later, you can attach a longer lead and extend the distance of your throw, or throw the toy sideways. Any Labrador retriever worth its name will take easily and eagerly to this game.

It is recommended that you play with the puppy often and consciously make an effort to get down to its level.

Standing upright, humans can be quite an imposing sight for a puppy. Sitting or lying on the floor, they are no longer towers but friendly companions.

Giving a puppy some eye-to-eye attention will go a long way in cementing the human-dog bond.

Because Labrador retrievers make good swimmers as adults, some misinformed people think this gives them the liberty to dunk young puppies into any available pool of water.

A Labrador is a natural swimmer, but the dog needs to learn the fundamentals before being expected to feel at ease in the water.

When a puppy’s first exposure to the water is being thrown or forced in, the shock may make it dislike and fear the water throughout life. Many potential field dogs have been ruined by improper or overzealous training.

The first introduction to the water can begin while a puppy is quite young (three months is a good age).

A puppy should be able to master the mechanics very quickly, especially if “shown the ropes” by some older dogs.

The owner should always be nearby, should trouble arise. It often helps the dog feel at ease if the owner wades into the water with it on the first dip.

Ponds or lakes, with their easy entries, are best for training water dogs. The slick tiles and steep sides of a pool are often unmanageable for the dog, and many drownings have occurred when an exhausted dog was unable to climb out of the water.

Similarly, a young puppy is not strong enough to manage a rough ocean surf, but should be encouraged to play along the shoreline in a sheltered area of shallow water.

Return to labrador puppy training

Related posts:

No related posts.

Filed Under: Labradors Tagged With: training

Author: All About Labradors

This article was posted by the All About Labradors Team :) Feel free to share your comments and views.

Connect :

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Latest Article

Send Your Dog on Vacation

Send Your Dog on Vacation

How far would you go for your best friend? They sit beside you with their head in your lap. They lick you on the face. They wait for you till you come home. They fetch the ball for you. They love you, no matter what. Ok, so we admit it: we are ... [ Read More ]

Intersting Posts

My Boys

My Boys by Mike (Buffalo, N.Y.) Hogan (left) & Hunter (right) This is Hunter. He’s now close to 6 months old.Purebred lab (on the right). I got him at 4 weeks old! Yes, I know, way too young for the owners to let him go. He’s a great, fun-loving,energetic puppy. Lots of play and spunk […]

Keep on Reading

  • my sweet labs death
  • Collection of some more labrador retriever pictures sent in by our readers 2
  • Some cute Labrador Retriever Pictures sent in by our readers

Tags

black lab Breeding care choc lab colours diseases dog info exercise first aid fleas grooming health lab names lab puppy loss mix nutrition older lab pet travel pictures questions rescue shopping stories training whelping yellow lab

Archives

Looking for something?

Categories

Copyright © 2025 All About Labradors · Privacy Policy · Sitemap