lab lifting his paw

Question
When we obtained our male yellow lab puppy from the breeder (8 weeks old) he already knew how to "sit" when presented food.  He also automatically presented his paw (which seemed cute).  He is now 4 months old (not neutered yet) and still presents his paw without being asked.  Not really a problem, but recently a friend told me that his was a "sign of dominance" in labs.  I had never heard this and the pup is submissive when I put him on his back so I don't believe that my friend's "data" is accurate.  Is he correct?  If so, should I do anything about it?

Thanks,

jim r

Answer
I never heard of that. It almost sounds more like soliciting play.  Some Labs are strong willed and dominant.  I would start obedience training now.  The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/ For more on being top dog, see http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm