Goals of Labrador Retriever Training

You do not provide Labrador Retriever training just because you are expected to do so. Training must be provided because it is needed in order to make your pet healthy and happy. While it is the general goal of every training, a labrador can be trained to focus on achieving a specific goal such as becoming a:

Guide dog.

Also called disabled-assistant or seeing eye dog, guide dogs are trained to guide people with disabilities especially those who are visually impaired. Potential guide dogs are trained early on commencing on socialization, potty training and basic obedience training. After a dog is fully-trained and can be trusted when guiding, he is then matched with a blind person. When a right dog is matched to a right person, both are trained to work together as partners. Due to their intelligence and work ethics, Labradors along with Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds are the most popular choices however, other breeds like Yorkshire Terriers, Poodles and Boxers can become guide dogs as well if given proper Labrador Retriever training.

Hunting dog.

Labradors are used in hunting too just like other gun dogs. Having been bred to help retrieve fishing nets, Labradors have webbed paws and water-repellent coat, characteristics that help make fishing and waterfowl hunting easy. Apart from that, this breed is known for being athletic and for their love for water and swimming hence whatever activity that involves water is rarely a problem.

Therapy dog.

In addition to their intelligence, the Labrador is known for its steady temperament and friendliness to strangers thus they are popularly used as therapy dogs to provide affection and comfort to people in hospitals, nursing homes and other areas with stressful situations. Since the job of a therapy dog is to allow people even unfamiliar ones to make physical contact, a potential one must be friendly, patient, confident, gentle and at ease in all situations. In order to become a good therapy dog, a Labrador must go through thorough Labrador Retriever training process and improve such habits.

Search and rescue dog.

The Labrador is curious and exploratory breed with great sense of smell. They even have a reputation of following the scent until they find it. Search and rescue dogs are usually used to locate missing victims in the wilderness, disaster areas, avalanche and sea.

Detection dog.

Aside from search and rescue, another role Labradors can perform due to their great sense of smell is detection. Many Labradors are trained to detect explosives, illegal drugs and even blood.

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