Learn information, tips and techniques on how to teach your lab to respond and learn their name in this free video clip. Expert: Melanie McLeroy

Learn information, tips and techniques on how to teach your lab to come to you in this free video clip. Expert: Melanie McLeroy

Learn information, tips and techniques on how to teach your lab to sit on command in this free video clip. Expert: Melanie McLeroy

Learn information, tips and techniques on how to teach your lab to come to you in this free video clip. Expert: Melanie McLeroy

Melanie McLeroy co-owns the award winning Taurus Training dog training facility in Austin, Texas. Originally from Keller, Texas

Melanie McLeroy co-owns the award winning Taurus Training dog training facility in Austin, Texas. Originally from Keller, Texas

By Shannon K. Steffen

Mouthing & Biting

Being a first-time Labrador Retriever owner brings with it not only responsibility but often battle scars. This particular dog breed was bred for using its mouth for hunting and retrieving game. Therefore, it is not uncommon to see a Lab have the natural instinct to put everything and anything in its mouth; including its owner’s hands, clothing, and most prized personal items. Unfortunately, most Lab owners will take this behavior and commonly label the dog as a “freak” to its breed. To do so is wrong. The Labrador Retriever is just doing what it was designed to do and it is the owner’s responsibility to teach it what is and is not acceptable behavior.

Biting or mouthing is common is young puppies. From the beginning, they use it as a form of play with their littermates. It is a social interaction between dogs that is healthy in the beginning. However, the mom of the litter has been known to swat down, growl at, or ignore such behavior when it becomes too much. This is a prime example of the “dog pack” method of letting the pup know when biting is allowed and when to just knock it off!

Since we are not dogs, there are other methods to training our pups to keep their piranha teeth off our bodies and personal items. First, we need to look at the types of biting associated with any dog breed. They are:

• Playful
• Fear Biting
• Territorial
• Aggression

Most puppies will not show aggression at a very early age. This is mostly a learned behavior over time. Hence, when small puppies bite, they bite out of fun, playfulness, teething, or the need to have something in their mouth. At first it may be cute, but it should be corrected immediately since it will not be as cute when they are a 70 lbs. adult Lab! Puppies should be taught from a young age never to mouth or bite humans. How do you do this? Well, based on our experience, there are a couple of steps to curb this type of behavior. When a puppy bites, first use a sharp tone and say “No Bite!” If the puppy continues to mouth or bite, grab the back of its collar with your other hand and give a quick/sharp tug and say “No Bite!” again. The tug action should only serve to startle the pup and not hurt it in any way. It may take 4-5 times in a row of performing the tug action while saying “No Bite!”, but the pup will understand quickly that when it bites you, it receives something it doesn’t like (the tug action).

It is important that after the pup stops biting, you replace the object of objection with something it should chew on. As soon as the pup bites down on this other object (toy, bone, etc), praise it using a very happy and higher pitch voice. This practice is considered positive training and instead of teaching the pup what not to do, you are replacing a negative action with a positive action. After a while, you will just have to say “No Bite!�? and the pup will automatically release upon command.

Teething

The teething stage is often seen with a great deal of chewing and destruction. We recommend using the method mentioned earlier but instead of a chew toy or bone, give your pup a Chilly Bone, a small towel that has been soaked in water and frozen, or an ice cube. Be sure to monitor your pup when chewing on any of these items as they can be a choking hazard for the more aggressive chewers. Ice cubes can be given regularly but give them slowly at the beginning and monitor your pup for any loose stools as this is a normal reaction for some Lab pups.

Other Type of Biting

Other types of biting including fear, territorial, and aggression biting. An owner may think that their puppy or dog was born with these negative behaviors but that is not true. Each of these negative behaviors is usually linked to a negative event that happened to the dog at an early age. Dogs that bite or threaten to bite out of fear and territorial influence can usually be trained out of such behaviors.

At 4 months of age, our own Lab, Dakota, was relaxing in the backyard with me. We both heard a noise from behind us and turned to see a 7-year old boy standing a couple of feet from us. Both of us jumped and both of us were not happy. Even though the boy had come over to see the puppy, he did so in a manner that scared Dakota so badly that she became fearful of any boy around that age. As soon as she sees one, the fur on her back will stand up and she will bark wildly. Is she aggressive? No, she is not. How do we know that? Simply because her tail is wagging wildly as well and she backs away from the boy. In order to combat this fear, we bring her to places with other people in varying ages and when we see a little boy, we ignore her behavior. We then tell the boy to talk to us for a minute while ignoring Dakota’s action. After a minute of us ignoring her, she slowly creeps towards the boy, sniffs him, and then starts to lick his hand. It is only at that point do we allow the boy to pet her. This has been going on for several months now and Dakota is almost perfect around little boys now. This never did turn into fear biting because we worked immediately to reprogram her fear and show her there was nothing to be afraid of. Had we not done so, it could have easily turned into fear biting.

Why include our own personal experience with such a negative behavior? Kindly, it is to illustrate that most negative behaviors can be corrected with persistent and consistent training. The same goes for territorial biting. The owner need only research what caused the behavior and slowly recondition the dog to understand that they have nothing to be territorial or fearful about. If you are unsure how to proceed with such training, please ask your veterinarian if they can recommend a dog behaviorist to assist you further.

Aggression

Lastly, dogs that bite or threaten to bite out of aggression have a serious problem that must be dealt with immediately. Most canine aggression problems start slowly and progressively get worse. Recognize the early signs of aggression and seek help immediately if see your dog do any of the following:

• Growling
• Snarling
• Biting

Contact a professional dog trainer right away for help if your dog bites you or a member of your family or acts of if it might. Be sure to not react by striking your Lab in any way, since this can increase the aggression.

Most biting and mouthing behaviors can be fixed with consistent and persistent training. With some common-sense strategies, a little bit of forethought, and a healthy dose of patience, any owner can help their Labrador Retriever become a well-mannered family companion.

Original source: Lab articels

Most people try to put the crate in the corner or out of eye sight due to its size or its ability to match the furniture. When crate training, the crate should be placed in the most centralize and highest traffic areas of the home. This will allow you to continue to interact with your Lab and not have it feel isolated or alone.

Preparing the Crate

Setting the crate up for your Lab is as important has the crate you choose. The pup should be as comfortable and has safe as possible while it is hanging out in its new den. Toys, treats, and bedding may be included but either needs to be checked for choking hazards. Since they are Labs and they are prone to chewing, toys and treats should be specifically for heavy chewers. Depending on your Labrador Retriever, the bedding may range from old towels to a $200 bed from an high end store. Please check all items for their “chew factor” before leaving your pup alone in a crate with them. We have learned a number of times that even those beds that look like they are tough, have no chance of survival when placed in a closed space with an aggressive chewer.

Introducing the Crate to Your Puppy

The introduction of puppy and crate is the most crucial step on the training process. First perceptions are always the strongest with both humans and animals. Per the American Dog Trainers Network, the following steps should be taken during this introduction period:

1. Occasionally throughout the day, drop small pieces of kibble or dog biscuits in the crate. While investigating his new crate, the pup will discover edible treasures, thereby reinforcing his positive associations with the crate. You may also feed him in the crate to create the same effect. If the dog hesitates, it often works to feed him in front of the crate, then right inside the doorway and then, finally, in the back of the crate.
2. In the beginning, praise and pet your pup when he enters. Do not try to push, pull or force the puppy into the crate. At this early stage of introduction only inducive methods are suggested. Overnight exception: You may need to place your pup in his crate and shut the door upon retiring. (In most cases, the crate should be placed next to your bed overnight. If this is not possible, the crate can be placed in the kitchen, bathroom or living room.)
3. You may also play this enjoyable and educational game with your pup or dog: without alerting your puppy, drop a small dog biscuit into the crate. Then call your puppy and say to him, “Where’s the biscuit? It’s in your room.” Using only a friendly, encouraging voice, direct your pup toward his crate. When the puppy discovers the treat, give enthusiastic praise. The biscuit will automatically serve as a primary reward. Your pup should be free to leave its crate at all times during this game. Later on, your puppy’s toy or ball can be substituted for the treat.
4. It is advisable first to crate your pup for short periods of time while you are home with him. In fact, crate training is best accomplished while you are in the room with your dog. Getting him used to your absence from the room in which he is crated is a good first step. This prevents an association being made with the crate and your leaving him/her alone.

Feeding Your Lab Meals in the Crate

Each owner has a preference on feeding in a crate. For those that must leave their Lab pups in the crate for longer periods of time, this may be an option. However, most families choose not to feed in the crate because it can become messy, it is difficult to keep the Labrador Retriever on a feeding schedule, or the owner may be training the dog using the “Nothing in Life is Free” principle. Feeding meals in the crate is based upon personal preferences.

A Note About Crating Puppies

If you are crate training a young puppy, please remember that they have limited control over eliminating. The younger the pup, the more frequently it will need to go to the bathroom. The age of the puppy denotes the amount of time they are able to crated. Puppies under 9 weeks should not be crated as they will need to go to the bathroom frequently. No pup should ever be allowed to eliminate in their crate. This defeats one of the more predominate uses of crate training and confuses the Lab. For most, the age and crating duration is as follows:

• 9-10 weeks: 30-60 minutes
• 11-14 weeks: 1-3 hours
• 15-16 weeks: 3-4 hours
• 17+ weeks: 4+ hours

Accidents in the Crate

Accidents will happen and if this happens in the crate, the Lab should never be scolded. If a mess occurs, promptly bring the pup outside to finish eliminating and return to clean the mess. Everything in the crate should be cleaned as microscopic particles of urine or feces can be on anything. Any residue or odor left behind will leave a scent or marking for your pup to use next time it needs to eliminate. Therefore, all bedding and the crate floor should be washed with a pet odor neutralizer (such as Nature’s Miracle).

Crating Guidelines & Potential Problems

• Collars are to be removed as they can get caught on the crate and pose a choking hazard.
• Do not crate during extremely hot temperatures.
• Make sure your Lab eliminates before entering the crate and as soon as it is released from the crate.
• If your pup continues to eliminate in the crate, check that it does not have too much room – otherwise seek veterinarian assistance.
• Never use the crate as a form of punishment.
• Children should never play in or around the crate. This is a sanctuary for you dog and therefore it should be able to have this space to itself.
• Never release a barking Lab from the crate. If you do so, the pup will be conditioned to believe that barking gets the end result it wants – to be let out of the crate. The pup should not bark and remain calm for at least 5 minutes before opening the crate door. If it is a younger pup and it is barking because it needs to eliminate, promptly open the crate door and lead the pup out on a leash to eliminate. After done, return the Lab directly to the crate. this will reinforce that barking is not appropriate in the crate unless it is for elimination only. Sure, the barking can cause you to get less sleep or become annoying but it will get better with time if you are consistent.
• Do not use the crate if your Lab is vomiting or has diarrhea.
• Do not use the crate for extended periods of time. You chose to have a dog and must take responsibility for providing social interaction, nurturing, support, exercise, and love.
• Don’t abuse the crate!

The crate doesn’t work for all dogs. Some dogs will not tolerate it but most will come to love the crate and be lost without it. Success rates are much higher for puppies, than for “senior” dogs. We have been very successful in crate training and need only remove our Labs’ collars and say “Kennel Up”, and they head straight for their crates. It is important that the crate not be abused. Every dog needs a certain amount of exercise and should be allowed the opportunity to socialize daily with its human family.

Original source: Lab articles

Bringing your Lab puppy home is one of the most exciting moments. There is a new bundle of furry joy that enters your family and settles in for a long and nurturing bond between dog and human. However, this joy can quickly disperse as the role of housebreaking comes along and you start pulling your hair out. Okay, so you may not pull your hair out but housebreaking can be quite frustrating for a number of people.

First, the new Lab owner must realize that not all dogs are the same and not all Labrador Retrievers are the same. Once pup may be easily trained by the time it is 12 weeks old, while another pup could be 5 months old before being fully housebroken. It does not matter if your new puppy is an English (Show) Lab or an American (Field) Lab or even if you have two Labs from the same bloodline or litter. Each puppy is different and must be trained according to what fits for that particular pup.

What is housebreaking?

Housebreaking is the act of getting your pup to go to the bathroom where you want it to go. Usually this is outside of the home but some owners of smaller breed dogs choose to litter train their pups instead. For Labrador Retrievers, litter training is not an option so we must assume that the Lab will be trained to pee and poop outside of the home.

A pup is not considered housebroken the first time it does its business outside. The pup must not have an accident within the house for 12 consecutive weeks. This means that if the pup goes for 11 weeks before it has an accident in the house, it is back to beginning and the 12-week countdown must start all over again.

Importance of Schedules

Schedules are one of the most important aspects of housebreaking your pup. Whether the pup is 8-weeks old and coming into its first home or 5-years old and finding its new forever home, Labrador Retrievers do very well on schedules. The first thing any new or expecting family should do is create a bathroom schedule for their new dog.

Puppies around 8-16 weeks old will need to go to the bathroom every 2 hours. Therefore, you should schedule bathroom breaks every couple of hours, even if your pup does not show signs of having to go to the bathroom. If you keep to a 2-hour schedule, the pup will catch on quickly and start to begin to hold from going to the bathroom indoors until that scheduled potty break. As the pup gets older, this 2-hour schedule can be extended an hour at a time, until the pup can finally wait up to 8 hours or more. Please note that this is a gradual process and will take several weeks to months before being able to wait that long as a puppy’s bladder is underdeveloped when young and cannot physically wait that long without having the urge.

Older Labs that come into a new home will do very well with a schedule. This lets the dog know what to expect from the family and makes the dog feel more secure. Anticipation and nervousness is part of being introduced to a new family and a schedule makes them feel more secure in their surroundings and their place within the family. You will need to start off slow with the pup and allow for gradual changes as well. However, an older dog will most likely handle incremental time changes better.

Housebreaking Your Labrador Retriever Continue

Original source: Lab Articles

So now that you know what housebreaking is and the importance of scheduling, how do you get the pup to go outside? It is a simple process of awarding the pup for good behavior.

Most Lab owners follow a very simple routine when they take their pup outside: take the pup out on a leash directly to the spot you want it to eliminate, use a command to tell the pup to do its business such as Go Potty, do not play with the pup while outside for bathroom time, as the pup goes potty repeat the command over (this helps train the pup to go on command), treat and praise when the pup goes potty, do not return the pup to the house until 10 minutes have passed even if it has already eliminated (it may go potty again), and praise the pup when it comes back into the house.

Beyond the 2-hour schedule, pups will need to go to the bathroom:

• When they wake up in the morning or after a nap
• Before they go to sleep
• After they play
• Before and after they go on a car ride
• When they get overly excited

If you are crate training your Labrador Retriever, you will want to make sure to keep the crate small enough for the pup to only be able to turn and sleep in. Extra room in the crate allows the pup an area to eliminate as they will not go to the bathroom where they sleep. Take the pup out to go potty before you crate your pup and after you let it out of the crate. If the pup cries while in the crate and you believe it needs to go to the bathroom, open the door, put the leash on it immediately, and take it outside right away. Do not praise or play with your pup when taking it out of the crate or it will link crying and barking to getting released from the crate and this will make it more difficult to crate train. When the pup is done eliminating outside, bring it right back to the crate. This teaches the pup that crying or barking will not get any play time, love, praise, or cuddling and will just result in allowing it to go outside to do its business.

Housebreaking is not always an easy task but it doesn’t have to result in frustration and hair loss. With Labrador Retrievers, owners need to remain consistent and persistent in their training. Most owners become frustrated because they try something for a week or two and when it doesn’t work, they either give up or try something new. Unfortunately, this ends up confusing the Lab and the pup will be deemed un-trainable. When training fails, it is usually that the owner does not remain consistent with the training or gives up all together. This leads to an 80-pound dog that rules the roost and a very important bond between owner and Lab that is lost.

Those owners, such as me, that continue to remain persistent and consistent in training, can tell you that it is well worth the energy. My 2-year old Lab, Dakota, was housebroken by the time she was 12-weeks old. However, Cheyenne, my 1-year old full-blood sister to Dakota, was not fully housebroken until almost 6-months old. Why the difference? Although they both share the same genetic make up, they are two separate Labs with two distinct, and opposite, personalities. The point is that each Labrador Retriever is distinctly different however, as long as you remain consistent and persistent in their training, even those, like Cheyenne, who are not as easily trainable as other Labs can be training. Your Lab would never give up on you so never give up on your Lab!

Original source: Labrador Articles