If you have an out-of-control labrador retriever, never despair! No matter how old your dog is, you can always train your lab some primary obedience skills. All that is required is a few diligence and a much of patience. Teaching your dog to sit down is the first step to having a well-behaved dog.
It is true that labs are food driven, which means they will do anything for food. You need to have some tasty treats on hand to reward the dog as soon as you perform the required behavior. You have to make sure the treat is something small, such as the size of a single piece of dry dog food so that the dog does not get diverted from the task by taking too much time to eat its treat. It is best to have the treats in your pocket or in a waist bag, so as not to distract the dog from having to pick up food from a table regularly.
It is best to use a collar and leash throughout labrador training, even at house. It provides you some control and doesn’t allow the dog to go too far and lose concentration. Once your dog is tied, teach him to sit down. Give the order to sit down during the dog stands in front of you. Hold the treat in front of the dog’s nose and push it up and back a little. This action will inquire the dog to sit, as it will follow the treat with the nose.
If the dog backs up, you may require to put some pressure on your back to let the dog know you want it to sit down. Keep the treat on the dog’s nose at all times and give the treat to the dog as soon as you see it sits down. If you move the treat around, the dog will want to get back up and follow the food. After some tolerant attempts with, your dog can sit in command.
Labrador Training Equipment
To train your labrador completely, you will need the necessary things for the task.
- Collar for your Labrador
- Dog Leash
- Best Dog Treats
Let us know if you want to add anything we skipped.