How hard is it to train a labrador puppy?

[BoatingLakeDiva]

I heard they are easy because of their love of food so food rewards and treats are good. What about combatting jumping up, mouthing and pulling on the lead? Are these problems easily solveable?

Ours was very bright. By the time we got to puppy classes it was more for my DH's benefit as it was his first dog - our puppy knew it already!!

sleeping I mean!

DazR-that's funny - one dog and his man

mute - i have ben told to take her out and into all sorts of situations in the first few weeks. I thought that meant prior to 2nd jab (she comes with first one done already). Am I wrong?

It's a hard one because yes it is so important to get her used to lots of different situations.
But until she has had her second jab she is not safe so you run the risk of her catching something.
As long as she meets people and dogs that is the most important. Labs are not easily flustered which is why they are used for police dogs guide dogs shooting dogs and many other jobs.
So in my opinion taking her out in your first week or after a month it makes no difference in her development.
But if she get sick I'm sure you will feel rotten for taking a chance.

OP I agree with mute; you don't want to take any risks with your pooch catching anything before the jabs kick in. Our chap didn't meet any other dogs until after the second jab had settled in and he certainly didn't have trouble with socialising.

As for travelling, we made a real effort after the second lot of jabs to take our pup out as much as possible while he was young enough to carry if we needed to. As well as the car, he got used to trains, the tube, buses and even a hovercraft (my parents live on the Isle of Wight) pretty quickly so now that he is the size of a small donkey, he is totally chilled about public transport and very easy to travel with. He is naturally very friendly and we wanted him to learn when it was ok to greet people and when he needed to keep his nose to himself before he became too big to be cute and crossed the threshold to annoying.

So excited for you!

Xx

Some people recommend taking them out whist holding them just to meet knew people before the 2nd jab but it's up to you. On average puppies should be exposed to as many different people/dogs/cats/children as possible in the first few weeks.

The 5 minutes walking for every month is generally followed until pup is 12 months old. Although, with a lot breeds this may not be totally necessary but with a lab you do need to be careful with over exercising due to inherent problems with hip and elbow displaysia. I assume the pup is coming to you with the parents hip scores anyway but it would be wise to not put any extra pressure on the puppy joints.

we're exicited too! yes Misery business - she's hip scored, elbow scored, eye scored. KC registered. Will have had first jab before we take her home at 8 weeks 3 days. Everything pretty much covered! The puppies come from show lines and have been raised in the family home etc. etc. She is perfect .

Aw a lab puppy. Very jealous!

I have 3 labs and a goldie. They are easy to train, they are slavishly devoted and live to please. As lond as you give them praise and positive reinforcement they will do anything for you.

The advice you have had above really covers most of it, but I just wanted to add that it is important not to over excercise them, even dogs with excellent hip scores can be damaged. Ours are working dogs and they don't get jumping untill 18 mo.

Start the walks after the second jab and it is little and often.

The clicker training you mentioned earlier is just a treat substitute. But a bit point less IMO. The idea is that when you reward the dog with a treat you click. The dog learns that a click is a reward. In time you can stop giving the treats and just click . Personally I rather give them a pet and tell them well done.

Start as you mean to go on. Never do anything/let pup do anything that you don't want a large adult lab to do. Decide now and enforce it from day one. Allowed on sofa/bed etc. No jumping, don't pick the dog up. No licking faces. No barking. People IMO and I include my self in this make mistakes with dog training and behaviour by treating the puppy and dog as different animals. Its cute for the pup to be carried around etc, jump up for kisses whatever, but not an adult. Once you have allowed a behaviour then its hard to stop it.

Walking to heel - start from day one. Get pups attention talk baby talk to them what ever to keep it. Never let them walk ahead of you.

Jumping - my labs are not that bad goldie is a PITA. If she jumps I raise my knee in front of me so she can't get to my body and say no firmly. She can't get to me so stops.

Labs need you to be consistent. They live to please and need to be praised and rewarded. BUT they will push you and their boundries. You need to be firm and establish yourself as boss!! Tone of voice is very important, they don't speak english they only speak tone. If they are naughty growl at them a low and throaty no. When thay are good lots of light jolly well dones.

Never hit them. I don't think for a second you will but just incase - it is poor leadership.

SOCIALISATION is the single most important thing you can do for your dog.

As soon as you get her, start working towards making sure she has met as many different types of people - with hats, without hats, tall, short, with sticks, in wheelchairs, shouty children's playgrounds, in pushchairs, in uniform etc etc- as you can manage. Fire engines, traffic, police cars, busses, trains - everything.

Find a bench in the middle of somewhere busy and sit there with her on your lap for a while so she can absorb the surroundings. Let her meet people and other dogs as long as you can verify the other dogs have been vaccinated.

Doggy playmates are brilliant in someone's back garden, again as long as the adult dog is fully vaccinated.

The window of unquestioning confidence about new things is not massive. IME it starts to close before 16 weeks.

You will have to carry her about to do this, but as she's such a baby, she won't have the stamina to walk far, nor the confidence to do it without cuddles from you.

The five minute guide is valuable and worth adhereing to for the first ten months or so. It applies to forced exercise, not tooling about in the garden really. Puppies should be allowed to be puppies, I think.

Also, don't let her jump too far, avoid coming down stairs - carry her. There is an enormous amount of bone still to grow in her joints to make them strong, and before it does, it is easy to damage them.

You are not obliged to train with treats. Labradors are very, very happy to do what you want just to please you and for the following cuddles. Treats are entirely up to you. I very rarely treat train, only for house training really - and a biscuit before bed!

I absolutely agree with Oreo about starting as you mean to go on. Keep in minds the adult dog you hope to end up with. Don't ever allow your pup to pull or weave on a lead, and to walk to heel when you ask her to. It'll save a mountain of trouble later on if you do!

thank you so much oreo and daisydo - what fantastic advice. I'll print this thread when I can and might laminate myself some little reminders! How anali is that ! Great to bear in mind that pup will grow up and waht behaviours i do and don't want to encourage. We will have to tell the children this too, and visitors. We cannot wait!!!

You will love it!!! A well socialised dog is a pleasure to own and to meet!! Enjoy it all :)

I am hoping so horselady

I just want to add that you need to spend as much time as you can in the house with the pup when you first get her. If you work put some holidays in. They are babies being taken away from their mother, and will be disorientated and scared. They need to have company and reassurance and a fuss. They settle fine - dogs live in the present so as long as they have someone around then that is fine. You need to be there to help toliet training (just like a child take them out every 15 mins or so), and also to teach them about seperation. Start with leaving them in a room and come back, then for a few more mins etc and build up.

Of course you can leave the house but keep it short. IMO barking and seperation anxiety can be a big problem and it can be prevented by careful handling of the early settling stage.

And if while she is young you need to be out for a long time try and arrange a sitter or someone to come in and let her out and give her a fuss.

If you have young DC the dog needs a safe area. Labs are bomb baby proof (well as far as any dog is) and will happily play with DC, but they need to have somewhere 'safe' to go. The dog bed is off limit to my DD. If they are on the bed they don't get touched. They need to have this retreat if they feel threatened or frightened (mainly just for some peace and quiet!!).

And bed is never a punishment its 'safe', in my house.

Im sat here with my DM's dog (mine are asleep in the kitchen with DD) , and he is the most amazing lab. He is a field trial champion and was top of the game when he was younger, he has also been the single most amazing pet. I love them all of course but this dog is a one off. He is so steady and loving - truely an exceptional beast. If yours is half as wonderful as him you will have the most amazing time over these coming years!!

your dogs sound fantastic oreo - I am fortunate enough to not have to work so company will not be an issue. I was going to order food shoping online for a while too so that I do not need to be out for in excess of an hour. Do you think crates are any good? I hear comflicting views. They look a bit 'cage like' to me. I would like to get pup used to me being out for school run etc. But also want to get her used to car journeys as my children have lots of out of school activities whcih I could take her along for the journey for. Does that sound alright?

I think crate training is fine - provided you do it properly. Its not to lock the dog away at your convieneince. The crate is a cage. Get a big one, the pup goes in it when you go to bed and if you go out. It needs to be big, get a vet mat (you get them anywhere its a light weight quick drying fake sheepskin type rug), put that in half for a bed and a bowl of water, and newspaper down in the rest. Dogs will not soil their bed if they can help it, so the theory is that they will wait untill they can get out. As soon as you open the crate take pup straight out for the toilet. It works provided that you don't leave them too long. Over night they will sleep - they probably will soil at first - they can only go so long, but very quickly will stop. During the day shouldn't be a problem.

If you are going out make sure pup has been played with and been outside for the toilet. It will sleep.

In the first week I would try to leave it no longer than 30 mins. Second week 45, next week an hour. It is very dependant on the dog and your judgement as to when you stop. Labs are clever, they learn quickly.

Dogs take car journeys in their stride IME, but take her as often or little as you like. I recomend a crate in the boot. When pup is bigger then she can travel without. No dogs loose in car please!

What you have planned sounds great, a lot of dogs get much less and do just fine, yours is going to a lovely home!

thank you , I have done plenty of research, asking questions, looking and waiting for a good breeder and so on. The one thing I am not looking forward to is a few sleepless nights. I hope they pass quickly

You will be fine. Having a puppy is very similar to having a child. You have to be consistent, distract them from bad behaviour, get their attention and keep it at certain times, positive praise, and constructive discipline.....but ultimatly like children you will just muddle your own way through it as best you can and hope all survive unscathed .

You will do great.. I expect some pictures when bedlam puppy arrives!

oreo - oh there will be many many pictures

BoatingLakeDiva Our pup is quite good - still early days though as we've only had him home with us for 6 days and he's 9 1/2 weeks. His first night with us he was absolutely perfect!
We decided to do crate training on the advise of the breeder, family members with dogs and various sources in books/internet, specifically relating to our breed. (miniature schnauzer)
The first night he came in to our house, sniffed around and settled himself in the bed we had set up for him in the crate. He used the toilet through the night on his designated newspaper area and didn't whimper at all! He woke up a few times but seemed reassured that we were there (although we didn't give him any fuss, just cleared up the poo etc) and settled himself no problems. At that stage I think he was unsure about coming out of his crate so mostly stayed in it even when we left the door open for him.
The first few nights we left his crate in the lounge and we slept on the sofas.
He started whimpering a bit on the next few nights, but mainly when he had been to the toilet (again on his newspaper toilet area) and was fine after we changed that and gave him a bit of fuss.
The last few nights we have left him in his crate in the dining room while we've slept upstairs, and he has cried a bit in the night, for 10 minutes at most before he settles himself. I don't know if he's crying because he wakes up bored and lonely or because he's been to / needs the toilet.
So far I have gone down to him (when he's been crying - around 1.30am) and he has either already been to the toilet on his paper or I have let him out and he's gone.
This morning he went all night until 6am before crying, and he had pee'd on his papers, but I took him outside and he needed the toilet again.
He had a few toilet accidents in the lounge/hallway in the first few days when he was out of the crate and i was at home all day with him, but luckily he only ever decided to do it on the tiled hallway floor or on the rug in the lounge (not the cream carpet thank god!)
We moved his crate into the dining room which has sliding patio doors out onto the garden.
After he had his first set of injections, we let him out in the garden to use the toilet. He took about a day and a half to learn this which I was amazed at!
He now goes and stands next to the patio doors, looks out and whimpers when he wants to go out to the toilet. Or if we are elsewhere in the house he starts whimpering.
6 days in, we are mainly letting him roam free downstairs in the house, when we are in. He's a crazy little thing and now he's comfortable with us he tears about from room to room (hasn't attempted upstairs yet - so far not been interested in the stairs)
Now we've spent some time with him, we are starting to understand his pattern and I feel I can establish some sort of routine that will work for us all.

To be honest, once he is fully toilet trained and can hold it through the night, I think we will do away with the crate as early as possible.
If I knew now that he wouldn't have an accident in the bedroom, I would let him sleep up there (on the floor not the bed!) with us as he seems to much prefer being around us while he sleeps.
Sorry - super long post!

it's a great post keepthechange. Very encouraging . I am actually so excited now, the days are dragging! I will get a crate as recommended by breeder but probably only for as long as dog wants it or the house training takes. 'do you have baby gates anywhere in your house? I want the cat to have a safe place to retreat to so am thinking upstairs could be out of bounds. that;s great about the house training almost being cracked, brilliant!

Yeah it's great! Hopefully wont be too long before he can hold it through the night! We don't have any stairgates but he hasn't tried to go up them yet! We don't have any cats or other pets so there is not going to be any areas off limits for him as such, it's just we don't want him to pee or poo upstairs! (not that anybody does in their house!)

i actually think I am going to combust with excitement. I dont think I can wait another 3 weeks for our furbaby to arrive! Aaaaaghhhhh . I feel so ready, huuuurrryyyy UP !

I'm excited for you! My chocolate lab is 8 months old now and he's the loveliest dog ever! The breeder put in a lot of work with them and since we got him home at 10 weeks he's only had a handful of 'accidents' in the house.

Training has been super fun, the people where we take him said they can't believe how well he behaved from such an early age but I've been at home with him since we had him doing two 15 minute training sessions a day as well as taking him to a weekly class.

We've kept his crate because we want him to have a 'safe' place to go when our little one toddles around but it didn't take long for us not to have to shut the door on it.

Make sure you take photos every day, it's mad how fast they grow!

i hve just looked at your pictures louby - what a gorgous dog! He is so big alrady . it is pretty amazing how quickly they grow. It seems to be more apparent wiht this breed (but that could jsut be my perception). did you do any specific type of training or just your own methods? I'd be intereested to hear. Did everyone get on board with it? We have older children than toddlers so thinking thye can get involved too