Obedience training a male black lab can be a daunting task. Labradors are notoriously smart. However, they are excitable and energetic as well. Bred as a working dog, they are able to spend hours in the cold and rain hunting. They have a soft mouth, which means they are gentle with things they pick up with their mouths, able to carry retrieved items without biting too hard and damaging their retrieval. Because they are bred for hunting, their energy levels are high. Some owners report that their dogs are hyperactive, when in fact this energy level is normal for the breed. Labradors also have great noses, and are often used in search and rescue work . Their loyalty and willingness to please and ability to think on thier own makes Labradors great service dogs as well.
Instructions
1. Attach the leash to your dog's collar. Hold the leash in your left hand and a treat in your right hand. Stand in front of your dog and show him the treat.Holding the treat slightly above your dog's nose, move the treat horizontally towards his rear end. This will cause the dog to follow the treat with his head. Gravity will help the dog "fall" into a sit position. Praise your dog with a phrase you use every time--something like "Good sit"--and give the treat as a reward. Because of their breeding for retrieval, labs are very oral, which means they love to have things (anything) in their mouth. They are very food motivated, because of that--just about any food treat you pick will motivate your lab to respond in a favorable manner for you.
2. While the dog is sitting, hold the treat in front of your dog's nose once again-- remember that the food is going to motivate your lab. Lower the treat towards the ground, keeping it close to the dog's chest. The dog will follow with her nose, bending down. As your hand gets closer to the floor slowly pull the treat horizontally away from the dog. The dog will reach with her head, causing her to fall into a "down" position. Praise your dog with a "Good down" and give the treat as a reward. It's important to give the treat immediately to your Lab in the beginning. Also, because Labs are so willing to please, it is equally important to give verbal praise as well.
The food will shape the behavior in the beginning but verbal and physical praise are important to Labs and is what will keep the behavior going when treats are not present.
3. Standing next to a sitting dog, give the command "Stay." While doing this, hold your open hand--palm facing the dog moving towards, but not touching, the dog's nose. Count 10 seconds and say "OK--good stay." Allow the dog to get up at this point. Because Labs are so energetic, this could be a more difficult task for your dog. Instead of food for this command you may find it more beneficial to place a tennis ball about 20 feet away and allow your lab to retrieve it after you allow him (not before) to get up from the stay. The tennis ball will serve as the reward for staying. Labs love to retrieve balls so you can also play a game of fetch after all training sessions to release any pent up energy or frustration.
4. Increase the time from 10 seconds to 15 seconds working up to 30 seconds. Begin to take small steps away from the dog while reinforcing that you want him to "stay."
5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 with a minimum of five repetitions in a row. Complete these repetitions two to three times a day.
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