Labrador Retriever Training At Home

Having a gun dog does not necessarily mean you need to enroll your lab to formal labrador retriever training classes. Yes, you can choose to do so but training at home is not bad either. In fact, many dog owners like you prefer labrador training at home because it can be a great opportunity for you, your furry friend and the rest of the family to bond. Through this, you will get to know more about your dog's personality, what scares him the most, what toys and treats he prefers, what are his funny habits and so on.

Labrador retriever training may seem challenging knowing that this breed is considered one of the highly intelligent breeds. But even if you are a new dog owner, you never have to be afraid of doing things on your own. You will be fine as long as you put in action the things you learned from reading articles, magazines and books, researching the web and asking questions from experts as well as other dog owners, particularly those who own labrador retrievers.

When you opt to train your dog at home, it is important that you display confidence in order for you to gain your pet's trust and respect. Feeling nervous will only confuse your pet and will not help him learn efficiently. If you are stressed, unhappy or frustrated, better put off the training for the meantime since dogs have their own way to sense your emotions and may mirror what you are feeling. In addition, lack of confidence on your part could make your pet assume that he is the leader of the pack. This in turn can stress your pet out because he believes that as alpha, he must take charge and protect the pack from what he perceives as danger. That is one big load he thought he must carry! Apart from that, alpha dogs may also exhibit disobedience and may bark back or snap at you when you give a command. So how can you get positive labrador retriever training result if you have a disobedient dog?

Move forward with the training by adding consistency to confidence. If your lab's name is Max, call him Max throughout the training. Calling him baby or buddy will only cause confusion. The lessons must be consistent as well. If you do not want your pet to jump up on people, train him to do so regardless of the situation. You cannot train a dog that it is not ok to jump on you when you are wearing your expensive suit while such act is allowed when you are on your pajamas. Informing family members of what's going on with the training can also help with the consistency issue.

While you focus your attention on training, you may overlook the chance to acknowledge and reward your pet for every desirable behavior he shows. That is one thing dog owners must never forget. Remember, dogs are motivated by rewards, affection and praise. Rewards will make him understand that he gets good things by doing a certain task thus will motivate him to do it again next time.

Labrador retriever training at home may appear impossible and difficult but with your confidence, consistency as well as cooperation from other family members, you will soon realize that you are moving forward to reach your dream of having a well-trained labrador retriever.

Kate Truman is a long time dog owner who has been writing Labrador Retriever training articles. Visit her site to learn more about Labrador Retriever training.