Dog Training

[Phil Lilley]

We're getting a lab. My daughter's lab had pups and my dad is keeping one. Would like to get it trained as quickly as possible. It's 5 weeks now. We get it next week.

Train not necessarily for hunting but obedience... but retrieving and commands would be nice too. He may go duck hunting (the dog, not my dad) in a year or two.

Any suggestions in SW Missouri.

Thanks

[sean c]

Obedience training starts the day you bring the dog home you can do this on your own pretty easily. Any formal training usually starts at 6 months or after their adult teeth are in. If you send your dog off for formal training you can expect it to cost between $400 and $600 a month. The length of stay strictly depends on the level of training you want for your dog. Right now get a good book or friend with experience to get you started with the obedience you can decide later on down the road to what level you actually want the dog trained ie force fetch, collar conditioned, hand signals etc etc... but the main thing is get that ob started from day one.

[exiledguide]

"Just Say Good Dog" by Linda Goodman still available on Amazon. Used it in Feb 2000 to train my 5 week old Cocker. Posative reinforcement had Lady trained in a month. I was retired and had time to spend with her. I could not believe how easy it was using this ladys book. I only trained her to cammands to keep her safe and obidient, sit , stay, come and the most important of all NO. Thedog wants to please you read the book and everyone will tell you what a good dog you have.

[fishinwrench]

Congrats ! Labs are easy, they just wanna please you. Sending one off for "obedience training" just seems wrong to me. Spend as much time with the pup as possible and everything will fit perfectly in the end.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I raised labs at one time and I swore by Training Your Retriever by James Lamb Free. His approach is soft and repetitive, but few labs are really hard headed. I took 3 from puppyhood with his instructions and all were very obedient and manageable hunters.

[podum]

Just pray the critter isn't deaf. Our boston terrier is 2 years old now and it took us 8 months to figure out she couldn't hear my commands. Only solution: another dog. She follows the hearing dog around. I still thing it was the wife's ploy to get two dogs.

I love labs and they are easy to train compared to other breeds. Good luck Phil. I hope you have many years of faithful companionship. Should be fun on the lake.

[Dutch]

My advice to any dog owner is remember it is a DOG not a person. Teach it specific words and or hand signals that are commands and only use those with it. Don't talk to it like it is a person the way so many people do who have dogs that are always out of control and the people don't even realize it.

[RSBreth]

I think the Training Your Retriever is a good start- unless your dog doesn't respond to that type training. You just don't know until the dog shows it's nature - I've had a few stronger willed dogs that just did everything wrong..They all eventually wound up being great well-mannered dogs. Generally Labs are a pain in the a@% for the first year (when you are training them) and then straighten up. Kind of like teenagers.

My new guy is kind of a pain - but he's seriously cute.

Hard to beat a good Lab. Loyal, friendly, and just a great all-around pooch.

[DaddyO]

My Sister-in-law trains labs, but we're in Owasso, Oklahoma, just north of Tulsa. She trains for obedience, field trials and Duck Hunting. I don't know what she charges. If you are interested, I'll find out. However, if you have the time to spend with the dog, I agree with the others advice, that it is best done by you. If there is a Dog club close to you, I recommend taking your dog to Puppy Kindergarten. Usually, they insist that you have crate trained or house trained your dog first. It keeps the messes to a minimum. This class helps socialize your dog and teaches you how to train your dog. My wife teaches the classes at the Companion Dog School in Tulsa.

[Phil Lilley]

This will be our 2nd lab. I trained the first one. But this lab is officially my dad's and he will spoil the heck out of it unless I do something like send it off. He's a softy and won't discipline it- feed it from the table, let it on the couch... so on. But it will be over here a lot and I won't tolerate it- Marsha won't for sure. So- we'll see. Still looking at options. They're 5 weeks now. Will get him next week.