puppy behavior problems

Question
Hi,

  I just adopted an 8 month old (just an age esimate - the dog was a stray picked up by the animal control) male lab retriever mix, and I am trying to train him to heel when walking, sit, lie down, etc.  He seems to be learning rather well, but there are a couple of behaviors that I don't know how to curb (I have had him about 5 days, so I know it will take some time).  One thing is that whenever I try to go thru a door (like going outside or going briefly into a room that I don't want him in) he tries his best to barrel past me and force his way thru the door before I close it.  For now I have been having my mother hold his leash (I have him on a short leash all the time, even in the house) when I go outside, but I want to stop this behavior so I can leave him with my mom and not have him get out (we don't have a fenced yard and I don't want him going into the street).  He also does this when I go to walk him, and he pulls really hard.  The other thing is more minor - he has this tendancy to climb over and sit on us - not fun when you have a 70-80 pound dog!  I push him away but he keeps leaning on me.  Any advice you have will be much appreciated. I am going to take the dog to obedience class soon but until then I'd like to try and curb some of these problems.

Answer
The sooner the better for a good obedience class.  The 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.  One characteristic of top dogs is that they go through doors first.  Barreling through the door like that is a bad sign of wanting to be dominate.  Labs are fun dogs, but too many of them are so strong willed, it takes a good understanding of dogs and self discipline on the part of the handler to manage them.  You need to do some reading.  The quality of dog books varies, abut any book may be better than none.  Personally I like the Monks of New Skete.  See if you can find How to be Your Dog's Best Friend.  The Art of Raising a Puppy is good too, but he may be beyond some of the material

If he has mastered sit, stop at the door and make him sit until you have gone through it.  Make him sit until you put his food down.  The keeper of the kibble is king.  The food dish never hits the floor unless his butt is on it.  He then waits for ''Free dog.''  Use eye contact too.  If he isn't doing what you want, look him right in the eye and say ''Bad dog!'' in a quiet, but deep voice.  Maintain eye contact until he either does what you say or looks away.  

Is pulling a problem other than at doors?  It is common in Labs.  Start with a good 6' leather leash and a sturdy slip collar, the metal chain
ones with the rings on each end. You want the shortest one that will go on
and off easily. If you walk with the dog on the left, pull the chain through
one loop forming a "P". Facing it, slip it over its head. The free end
should come over the neck to the leash, and the other end should drop slack
when there is no pull on the leash.

Easier dogs will give up their pulling with a few good snaps of the leash
combined with a stern "Bad dog!".  You can work up to forceful corrections
with the leash doubled up in both hands and your whole body behind it.   But
you don't want to use any more force than you need.  One gentle technique I
like is to just stop when he pulls.  He wants to go.  If you move forward when
the leash is slack, and stop when he pulls, he should quickly figure out the
only way to get to go, is not to pull.  This is about teaching him not to
pull, not getting somewhere.  The man that taught it to me said "If in a half
hour you haven't made it out to the front walk, fine, you have taught him a
lesson.  This is what I meant about the handler needing self discipline.  

Still, you may want to switch to a head collar.  The leading brands are Promise,  Haltie, and Gentle Leader.  They have a
strap going around the dogs nose looking something like a muzzle.  They work
by pulling the dogs head around.  No other way gives you such great control
with so little force.  The prong collar is now a dangerous relic of value only
for its macho looks.  Do not consider using one without hands on instruction
from somebody with plenty of experience with them.  

He is neutered?  It is quite common for many male Labs to lose their home soon after they mature.  Somebody else may have given up on him.  With a little work, you can make a great dog out of him.  Come back as more questions come up.