So you have your new labrador puppy at home, we see. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Glad to hear they\u2019re doing well – puppy eyes shining bright, and tail that doesn\u2019t seem to stop wagging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve also heard they have gained a special liking for your living room carpet – as the perfect place to go for a wee. Oh, and your favorite shoes\u2026sorry to hear they\u2019ve been chewed on. Apologies to your neighbor Alfred too; we heard his favorite pair of trousers were left muddy after your puppy showed such enthusiasm to say hello. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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We\u2019d love nothing more to see you both become a wonderful duo; one that has overcome the hiccups of starting fresh, and only see bright days of licks, treats, and cuddles ahead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this training guide, you\u2019ll learn everything to tackle those first 8 weeks with your puppy as well prepared as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every question you\u2019ve asked yourself is pretty much covered. What you do need to know is that everything will be just fine – only happy days lie ahead of you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still looking for the perfect puppy breed? Find out everything you need to know here! <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n As soon as you get them home. Puppies\u2019 brains are a lot bigger than we think; they soak up so much good information despite their young age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It might look like a long list. It\u2019s not really – just the basics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We recommend investing in the following equipment to train your puppy<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll also need to practice a couple of other things on your behalf such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The clue is in the name\u2026.retriever! Back in the day, your Labrador puppy would have been hunting and retrieving. Their thick tails work like rudders in the water, so they\u2019re keen swimmers too. Also, did you know they\u2019re originally from Canada? I know, I always thought they were distinctly British. Guess we\u2019ll have to stick to being proud of our English Bulldogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Besides their retrieving and swimming skills, they make brilliant family pets. They\u2019re truly outstanding when it comes to children and babies…many times they\u2019ll think they\u2019re the true and only parent of your children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re interested in knowing more about them, The Kennel Club<\/a> has juicy facts and information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Labrador is known for their trainability, they are a very active breed and are highly motivated, making them extremely easy to train. They are willing to please and are quick to pick up house training. Due to their high activity level, if not given enough stimulation, can become destructive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Adult retrievers need upwards of an hour of exercise a day. Exercise can be made up of swimming, jogging, or chasing a ball. Puppies however, need about 5 minutes of exercise per month of age, twice a day, until the puppy hits full maturity. Do not over exercise your puppy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In short, yes. However, Labradors are known to suffer badly from separation anxiety<\/a>, so should only be left alone for no more than 4 hours during the day, if left longer they may become destructive. Labrador puppies should be left for no longer than 30 minutes to an hour, maximum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Labradors are big on affection, love and spending quality time with their families. Therefore, the general rule of thumb is to block out and spend about two hours of social time and interaction with your Labrador on a daily basis, of course this can be broken up throughout the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a fair question actually. But there is a logic as to why knowing the context might help you train your Labrador better:<\/p>\n\n\n\n PRO TIP: <\/strong>Being motivated by food is great, but can be a bit risky…simply because they\u2019ll literally eat anything<\/em>. They\u2019re like vacuum cleaners, so make sure food is safely put away as they\u2019ll have no problem helping you \u2018clean up\u2019 anything in their way\u2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n PRO TIP: <\/strong>Labradors can struggle with frustration sometimes, especially during training sessions. If your puppy\u2019s \u2018silly switch\u2019 goes off and they become mouthy or jumpy during a training session, this means it\u2019s time for a break. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Shift to some play, and revisit training later – we want training to be associated with fun, and not something they begin to dread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just to make sure we\u2019re on the same page, you were looking for the ultimate guide on training your Labrador puppy, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Good, then you won\u2019t be surprised by the long list of topics we\u2019ll be touching on: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Yep, you\u2019ll most likely be using it all. But nothing to worry about – we\u2019ve made it nice and simple to follow!<\/p>\n\n\n Here\u2019s a good resource for you to have – the Push Drop Stick game. I like to use this game to see whether puppies are ready to move on in their training, or if they need to spend more practice runs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is Push, Drop, Stick?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Push, Drop, Stick, is a way of systematically raising the difficulty of an exercise or behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If exercises are always kept too easy, then dogs will keep doing them correctly because they are being rewarded (cheeky). However, progress will be slower as they\u2019ll get \u2018stuck\u2019 at this level. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If lessons are too hard, then it\u2019s likely that they\u2019ll give up since treats won\u2019t be coming as easy. Looks like they\u2019d be quite good businessmen as humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018Push Drop Stick\u2019 can help avoid both scenarios by maintaining enough momentum: It will keep your puppy winning enough times to keep them interested and not quit, but not so much that they aren\u2019t thinking about how to be rewarded by trying harder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How does it work?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n By doing 5 repetitions of an exercise, we are going to keep track of how many the dog gets right. Based on how they perform, we\u2019re going to choose whether to do which of the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Push<\/strong> \u2013 Go to the next level of difficulty (raise criteria)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Drop<\/strong> \u2013 Back to the previous level of difficulty (drop criteria)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stick <\/strong>\u2013 Stay at the current level of difficulty (stay with current criteria)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why should I train like this?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n By training in repetitions of 5, we are less likely to get stuck at a certain point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It also means that we\u2019ll be able to keep track of where we\u2019re at so that we can build stronger and stronger behaviors. Off to better things!<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is difficulty or criteria?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Difficulty or Criteria relates to the \u2018three D\u2019s\u2019 Duration, Distraction and Distance. These refer to how long can the dog perform the behavior for, what is the distraction like, and how far from us can perform the behavior.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/details><\/div>\n\n\n Cheeky, wanting to know the end before you even start. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, if you\u2019re really eager to know, this program will help you in your first steps to having a brilliant dog. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the first week, we\u2019ll dive straight into socialization exercises<\/strong>, training and husbandry tasks. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Congratulations! It\u2019s your first week of training your new Labrador puppy. How does it feel to be a new puppy parent? You must be chuffed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Take a look at these first few articles. These will be key for establishing a solid, comfortable base; they\u2019re all about potty training<\/a>, crate training<\/a> and alone time training. All the ingredients you need for a happy home. <\/p>\n\n\nPrerequisites for training my Labrador puppy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What age can I start to train my Labrador puppy?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What do I need to train my Labrador?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Good to know about training Labrador puppies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What are Labrador Retrievers bred for?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Are Labradors easy to train?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How much do Labradors need to be walked?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Can Labradors be left alone?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How much attention does a Labrador need?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What does this have to do with how I train my Labrador puppy?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Overview of the training program and topics we\u2019ll cover<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How we build this program: Push Drop Stick<\/strong><\/h3><\/summary>
<\/td> How many out of 5 did the dog get right?<\/td> What should I do?<\/td> Why?<\/td><\/tr> Push<\/td> 5 out of 5<\/td> Increase the difficulty<\/td> Well done! They\u2019re proficient at the current level, and can move on to harder things.<\/td><\/tr> Drop<\/td> 0, 1, or 2 out of 5<\/td> Make it easier<\/td> He might be close to quitting \u2013 this level is too hard for him right now. <\/td><\/tr> Stick<\/td> 3 or 4 out of 5<\/td> Do another set of 5 at this difficulty<\/td> He doesn\u2019t need you to drop, but he isn\u2019t quite ready to be pushed yet.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n What will be the end result once I\u2019ve trained my puppy?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Week 1 – Training your Labrador puppy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Socialization exercises to do this week<\/strong><\/td> Training to do this week<\/strong><\/td> Husbandry Tasks to do this week<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> – Let your puppy explore the yard
– Teach your puppy about surfaces<\/td>– Name
– Sit
– Recall
– Retrieve
– Crate Training
– Potty Training
– Alone Training<\/td>– Brushing
– Hand Touch
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