Labrador Training Techniques

Here's how you can get started on different areas of the Labrador Retriever training tips process, that you
need to put your dog into and strictly follow yourself, in order to take advantage of successful training
sessions.

Potty Training
It is important to train your dog when he first enters your home, about how it is not okay to take a dump or
a leak on your furniture or anywhere around your home. The different times of the day that your puppy will
want to let out his waste, are.

 When he's overly excited.

 First thing in the morning.
 Every hour (puppies find it difficult to control bladders for longer)
 After he/she is done with playtime.
 Take him/her out five minutes after they're done drinking/eating.
 Before bedtime.

Discipline
It is important to immediately point out your puppy's fault by stopping him in the act, and firmly saying 'no'
while maintaining eye contact. Make this an everyday habit to stop him by repeating the process, so that
he/she can let it sink in about the things you don't want him/her to do. Give your puppy a dog treat every
time you correct him/her so that they know by not doing it, they get rewarded. Over time your puppy will
understand what is okay and what isn't, and accordingly will behave in a certain fashion when you follow
this Labrador training schedule.

Teething
When dogs are teething, they immediately need something chewy to gnaw at to kill the uncomfortable
throbbing sensation in their gums. Stop and correct them when they start to chew on your personal items.
Supply him/her with different kinds of chew toys, preferably rubber textured items.

How to Stop Nipping and Biting

A puppy is bound to nip and bite at his/her owner and you need to point it out like the previously
mentioned command, with an affirmative 'no'. Level your gaze with your dog's and make sure he/she
understands that what they are doing is not agreeable. He/she is also being playful when it comes to
these acts, but you need to stop them since teeth can be sharp, and nips and bite can hurt and lead to
small teeth indentations, or blood spots. Ending this kind of behavior initially is important, in order to put a
stop to it before they get older.

Socializing
From these Labrador training tips, making your dog socialize with other people and dogs, is important. It
makes him/her approachable, as well as friendly and less aggressive to strangers. 12 weeks into his/her
age is a good start. Make people approach them, by taking him/her for walks where other dog walkers
are, like the beach or park. In this way your dog won't be fearful and speculative about other people or
dogs. Let friends/family/dog owners use your doggy treats to feed the Lab, so that he feels safe around
them.

Barking Antics
Dogs are known to bark consistently, with neighbors often complaining about it. You need to find out the
root cause of your dog's behavior and quell his urge to bark non stop. Give him a good supply of dog
treats, and don't stay away from him unless he's well preoccupied till you return home. Dogs get lonely
and don't like being left alone. Anything can trigger a dog's need to bark - like teasing, strangers, new
environments and so on. Snuff this behavior by pampering your dog to keep him happy at all times,
especially when alone or subjected to new surroundings. Also look into, Labrador Retriever care.

Praising Your Dog

Every time your pup does the right thing when you command, give him a doggy treat and tell him/her how
good he/she is, and they will immediately associate good acts, with treats and will play out their behavior
accordingly when involved in the Labrador Retriever training routine.

With these Labrador training tips, I hope you enjoy time with your puppy, and help him/her grow into well
behaved dogs, that are also healthy with good Labrador care. Just remember that as puppies, their
attention spans are limited, so you'll have to cut down sessions to five minutes each, during different parts
of the day. This way the lesson sinks in, and it is remembered. As they grow older increase the dog
training time, for effective results. Lucky you for owning a Labrador, and I hope all works out well. Good
luck!
 Vaccinations for Dogs

What vaccinations should be given to puppies and dogs?

Vaccination schedules can vary slightly, depending on the type of inoculation being used
and the latest veterinary research. Most veterinarians would concur with the following:

Puppies should be vaccinated at 7, 10, 13 and 16 weeks of age for distemper, hepatitis,
leptospirosis, parainfluenza and parvovirus. This usually is given in a single combination
injection called DHLP-P. Annual boosters are extremely important.

If an adult dog has not received a DHLP-P inoculation, initially two vaccinations should be
given three weeks apart. Because of new outbreaks of parvo from time to time, an
additional parvo booster is recommended at 20 weeks of age.

Rottweilers and Dobermans are especially sensitive to parvo and should receive parvo
boosters every six months for the first two years. Rabies vaccinations, which are required
by law, should be given to puppies at 4 to 6 months of age. Boosters are given a year later
in Louisiana. If an adult dog has never been vaccinated against rabies, initially only one
vaccination should be given every year.

Bordetella, which helps to protect against Kennel Cough and similar respiratory infections, is
required by most kennels before a dog can be boarded. Puppies usually are given an
internasal bordetella vaccination at 8 to 16 weeks of age. Annual internasal boosters are
recommended. If the dog is exposed to a kennel situation, or routinely comes in contact
with other dogs at a grooming parlor, veterinary clinic, park or in the neighborhood,
boosters should be given every six months.

Coronavirus vaccinations are given to puppies at 7, 10, 13 and 16 weeks of age. Annual
boosters are recommended. If an adult dog hasn't been vaccinated against the coronavirus,
initially two vaccinations are give two or three weeks apart.

Vaccinations are probably the single most important part of your dog's health care. Nothing
is more tragic than a wonderful, loyal pet coming down with a deadly disease that was
preventable if the guardian had only kept the pet current on vaccinations.

Your dog's first visit to the veterinarian often occurs at eight weeks of age. This is when
maternal antibody protection passed by the bitch to the puppy is beginning to decrease
below a protective level. The first visit usually includes a physical examination, parasite
control and the initial vaccinations against the important infectious diseases. This is also the
best opportunity to get many important questions answered by your veterinary care
providers.

Vaccines to consider are: 

1. Distemper: causes a fatal disease that starts with respiratory signs and ultimately
causes seizures and death. This disease may be making a come back. ESSENTIAL

2. Kennel cough viruses: these virus are highly infectious and cause disease in the major
bronchi and trachea resulting in a loud, dry, nonproductive cough. Although, this is a very
annoying disease and should be treated it rarely is fatal. ESSENTIAL

3. Leptospirosis: causes serious disease in the kidneys and liver of dogs. The disease is
uncommon in dogs and is primarily a large animal disease. Combination vaccines frequently
include these infectious agents.

4. Parvovirus: causes serious dehydration from profuse vomiting and bloody diarrhea often
resulting in death even with intravenous support. Severe destruction of white blood cells
severely compromises the dogs immune system. Some breeds are more sensitive to the
disease (Doberman and Rottweiler). The mortality can be as high as 25% in puppies and
older dogs. ESSENTIAL

5. Lyme Disease: causes short term serious arthritis and lethargy. Occasionally a relapse

will occur several months after the initial infection (see update on Lyme Disease). The
disease is never fatal, responds well to antibiotics and long term problems are extremely
rare.

6. Corona virus: causes minor diarrhea in puppies that can add to the severity of a
concurrent infection with parvovirus. The virus alone is not fatal or serious.

7. Rabies: the disease is always fatal and provides serious potential public health problems.
The disease is on the increase in some states. Some states have three year vaccine booster
is available after the initial vaccine; Louisiana DOES NOT. Rabies are given each year.
ESSENTIAL AND REQUIRED IN LOUISIANA

Many of the vaccines can be combined into one injection depending on the manufacture.
Vaccines should never be administered to an unhealthy or sick animal. Their immune
system may not be capable of responding effectively to produce protective antibody levels.
Schedules usually recommended by manufacturers start injections at eight weeks of age
and repeat every four weeks until sixteen weeks of age. Between three and four months an
initial rabies vaccine is given. All the vaccines are repeated again in one year and then
annually. This schedule can vary depending on the dogs age, your state's Rabies laws and
requirements, and the incidence of disease in your area.

Canine Distemper: An infectious viral disease occurring in dogs, characterized by loss of

appetite, a catarrhal discharge from the eyes and nose, vomiting, fever, lethargy, partial
paralysis caused by destruction of myelinated nerve tissue, and sometimes death.

Hepatitis: A highly contagious viral disease affecting the liver and other organs. It is
spread only among domestic dogs and wild dogs and is not related to human hepatitis.
Symptoms range widely, from mild to severe, and include nausea, vomiting, loss of
appetite, jaundice, light-colored stool, and stomach enlargement.

Leptospirosis: Dogs become infected by leptospires when abraded skin comes into contact
with the urine of an infected host. The organisms quickly spread through the bloodstream
leading to fever, joint pain, and general malaise which can last up to a week. The organism
settles in the kidneys and begins to reproduce, leading to further inflammation and then
kidney failure. Depending on the type of leptospire involved, other organ failure (especially
liver) can be expected as well. Leptospirosis is a life-threatening disease.

Parvovirus: Characterized by severe, bloody diarrhea and vomiting, high fever and

lethargy. The diarrhea is particularly foul smelling and is sometimes yellow in color. Parvo
can also attack a dog's heart causing congestive heart failure. This complication can occur
months or years after an apparent recovery from the intestinal form of the disease. Puppies
who survive parvo infection usually remain somewhat un-healthy and weak for life.

Parainfluenza: Can be caused by many bacterial or viral agents. It is highly contagious

and can cause mild to severe inflamation of the trachea, bronchi, and the lungs. It is
characterized by a non-productive cough, occasionally productive. It is usually considered to
be self-limiting unless pneumonia develops from a secondary bacterial infection.

Corona: Causes infectious peritonitis and a mild intestinal disease.

Canine Bordetella: One of the causes of the canine upper respiratory disease,

tracheobronchitis or "kennel cough." It is a bacterial infection of the respiratory system of
dogs characterized by severe coughing and gagging. It is a very contagious airborne
disease. Most cases appear after contact with other dogs in kennels, grooming parlors and
other places where dogs congregate.

Rabies: An acute, infectious, often fatal viral disease of most warm-blooded animals,
especially wolves, cats, and dogs, that attacks the central nervous system and is
transmitted by the bite of infected animals.

Parasites

Intestinal worm checks are tests done on a dog's bowel movement to see if there are any
worm eggs present in the dogs' body. In Louisiana we
see hookworms,roundworms, whipworms, Coccidia, tapeworms, and Giardia.

Only two of the six worms common to Louisiana can be seen without the aid of a
microscope. Hookworms can be spread through a dog's feces or can penetrate the dog's
skin, or travel through the milk to nursing puppies. They attach to a dog's intestines to feed
on the blood. Hookworms can cause major blood loss which is sometimes fatal to puppies.
The baby stage of hookworms are called sandworms. These baby worms can penetrate the
skin of people and migrate under the skin causing a human health hazard.
Roundworms can be spread for mother to puppies or through soil that has eggs in it. They
can cause bloated bellies and diarrhea and vomiting. Roundworms can be transmitted to
people also and can cause some serious health problems relating to loss of sight.

Whipworms can cause diarrhea, weight loss and dehydration. They are very hard to detect
and also to eliminate. Whipworms do not lay eggs very often so they can be overlooked
during the worm checks performed by a veterinarian.

Heartworm Prevention

Prevention of heartworm disease is very simple. Heartworm preventative for dogs is usually
started between 2-3 months of age and the preventative is given once each month for life.
A daily heartworm preventative is also available. Sinceheartworms are spread by
mosquitoes which are prevalent in Louisiana all year long, the preventative must be given
all year long unlike some other areas of the United States where the pills can be given only
6-9 months of each year.Heartworms are the most life threatening parasite dogs can have.
The microfilia (baby heartworms) are deposited in the dog's body by a mosquito bite. These
baby worms grow and move to the heart where the damage to your pet's health is done.
Symptoms of heartworms do not show up sometimes for years. but early tests performed
by your veterinarian will diagnose the disease before much damage is done. Your dog
should be on the medication every month for life with once yearly testing to make sure the
preventative is doing it's job.

Birth Control

Our organization and the vets who care for our sanctuary and adoptive dogs recommend
surgery by 2-3 months of age to prevent your dog from being able to reproduce. For male
dogs the procedure is called neutering or castration and for female dogs it is called
ovariohysterectomy. Neutering your pet has many advantages. Male dogs will not roam
away from home which cuts down dramatically on the chances of being hit by a car or being
in a fight with other dogs. The surgery involves complete removal of both testicles while
under a general anesthesia. An ovariohysterectomy means the surgical removal of both
ovaries and the uterus. This surgery is the same procedure performed in women called a
hysterectomy. In women the ovaries are generally not removed. Female dogs have a 200%
less chance of developing breast cancer if the ovariohysterectomy is done before the first
heat cycle. Breast cancer is a very common form of cancer in animals.
TRAINING

A puppy's first teacher is his Dam [mother]. Once you bring your little Lab home, you become its Dam, Sire
(father) and the center of his existence. It's a big responsibility, but "puppy socialization" what he learns in his
first six months of life, is critical in determining the type of dog he'll be. Give your pup the very start in life by
providing loving training and the instilling of good habits. Labradors are active, intelligent and eager to please
their humans, and respond well to training.
It all starts with the tone of your voice, which is more important than the words. With dogs, it how you say it,
not what you say. Most dogs associate a low tone with a command, and a higher voice with praise. If you
happen to have a very high-pitched voice, try your best to lower it for commands and corrections with your
puppy.

Start with the simple one-syllable terms like ""come, stay, sit, good", etc., best. Use the same terms
consistently, so that your Lab will quickly learn to associate the command with the task expected of him.
Consistency, firmness, love and lots of practice are the keys to training your dog.

HIS NAME

Teaching a puppy his name is a good way to begin training. As soon as you get your Lab home, start repeating
his name, and very soon he'll get the message. Use his name every time you call him, and make sure to add it
to all your commands. ("Stay, Goldie." "Sit, Goldie.") Don't use nicknames or variations of his name until
you're certain he knows his name. Remember to praise him each time he responds to his name.

COMING WHEN CALLED

"Recall" (coming when he's called) is a fundamental puppy skill, and is next on your agenda. The puppy comes
to you never the other way around. He'll thinks this is a game at first, and may run away or hide. Don't follow
him. Repeat the recall command "Come, Goldie" until he understands. Pups have short attention spans; so keep
your practice sessions short and frequent.

DON'T FORGET:

If you have young children, be sure to educate them about puppy habits. They'll understand that the new
member of your family is a "baby", and shouldn't be teased or bothered while he's asleep (which will be a
majority of the time.) Even though Labs love children and are particularly good with them, toddler and dogs
can be a combustible combination.

It's hard to deny an adorable little Lab puppy anything. When that sweet face stares up at you, you'll be
tempted to give in but be strong and stop bad habits before they develop. Don't let your puppy sit on the
furniture or nap on your bed unless you're willing to accept the same behavior in an adult dog. While it may
seem "cute" to have a puppy jump on you, you'll feel differently when an 80-pound dog tries the same
behavior.

Almost all puppies love to chew, so provide your little Lab with an appropriate chew toy. If he confuses your
shoes or the chair leg with a chew toy, be sure to correct him until he gets the message. Don't give him old
shoes and socks as chew toys, since he may consider all footwear fair game for chewing.
BARKING

Your dog is currently going through a hormonal roller coaster - you should expect
your dog's (puppy's) behavior to start becoming a little challenging.

What you should expect

1. Your puppy may start to scent mark more often.

2. Aggressive behavior to other male dogs is very common - in female dogs you
should expect mood changes, house training problems and feelings of insecurity
are common.
3. When out for a walk your dog (puppy) may suddenly become deaf to commands
(selective deafness).
4. Your puppy may start to mark territory inside the property.

What you should do.

1. Start exercising your dog (puppy) more regularly.

2. Reinforce your status as the pack leader - eat first, walk through the door first
and do not allow your dog on your bed, sofa or feed him on a higher level than
you.
3. Consider neutering your dog - this is something that can curb aggressive
behavior.
4. Remember that the behavior your puppy is showing is completely normal and
will pass.
5. Use positive reinforcement to ignore negative behavior and reward positive
behavior.
6. Start taking your puppy to puppy training classes - this is very important - by
socializing your puppy with other breeds of different sizes and ages this will get
your puppy used to being around other dogs. By participating in training classes
you are also able to use the expertise of professional dog trainers - this will enable
a trainer to spot and cure the problem of barking at other dogs. You will also be
able to ask other owners questions - they may have had the same problem.

A Quick Guide on How to Stop Dog Barking

This is called focus attention training as is a great method for stopping a dog or
puppy barking at passing dogs and puppies when out for a walk. This method is
used to re-focus the attention on YOU and not on the DOG that is attracting your
dog's attention and causing the yapping and barking.

1. Start by finding somewhere quiet - you don't want your training session to be
interrupted.
2. Have two treats - one that is really special (the Jackpot treat).
3. Call your dogs name and then move.
4. As soon as you move and your dog responds, praise your dog - hold the treat
level with your eyes and your dog's eyes and give the treat.

Practice this in a sequence of five - the more you practice the faster your dog will
become at responding to your command...so...

1. Name
2. Move
3. Praise
4. Treat - eye level and eye contact when the treat is given.

Can you see the benefit of this training technique - basically t can be used hen out
for a walk when your dog sees another dog - as soon as he starts barking use this
technique. If you manage to control your dog's barking and he stops on your
command then reward. Ignore negative behavior and reinforce positive behavior -
now practice.

Hope this helps - below are some more links to help you.