Correct for Dog Heeling on Left Side, Labrador Retriever Tips

 

Well, Kindergarten is over and its time to go to boot camp.  At 3 months, our labrador retriever puppy should be very well socialized, have learned both the “here” and “sit” command and be well on its way to being housetrained.  It’s time to begin the foundation that will underpin everything you train your dog to do.  

Before we ever start training our puppy, we want to give a physics lesson of the greatest magnitude.  We will do this by using the “chain collar”, the “tie out stake” and “the long line.”

First, let’s figure out the best way to use the chain collar.  We want to choose the right length chain collar for our pup.  We want the chain to have about 2 -3 inches of slack when it’s around our pup’s neck.

Correct Length for Jelly's Chain Collar, Labrador Retriever Training
Correct Length for Jelly’s Chain Collar

  

The pup is going to grow out of several collars before it’s grown. Keep an eye on how much slack the collar has or you’ll end up using bolt cutters to get it off.

Here’s what you may not know about using a chain collar.  The reason it works so well is that it both tightens and loosens depending on what the pup does. Most people don’t know how to put a chain collar on a pup correctly.  If you are a right-handed person, your dog should heal on your left side. Conversely, if you are left-handed, your dog should heel on your right.  This makes a huge difference in how you put the collar on your puppy.

If You Are Right-Handed Collar Should Form a P, Labrador Retriever Training
If You Are Right-Handed, Collar Should Form a P
If You Are Left-Handed Collar Should Form a Q, Labrador Retriever Training
If You Are Left-Handed, Collar Should Form a q
Correct for Dog Heeling on Left Side, Labrador Retriever Tips
Correct for Dog Heeling on Left Side
Incorrect for Dog Heeling on Left Side, Labrador Retriever Training Tips
Incorrect for Dog Heeling on Left Side

If you’re right-handed, your dog should heel on the left and the chain collar should make the letter “P” when you slip it over the pup’s nose.  If you’re left-handed, your pup should heel on your right side and the collar should make the letter “q” as it slides over his nose.  This may seem inconsequential to you but it isn’t.  One of the reasons the chain collar is the best way to train a pup is because it releases instantly when the pup stops pulling against it.  If you put it on backwards, it won’t release at all.  Look at the pictures carefully and you will understand.      If this is the only thing you get from this blog, it will be time well spent.  There are a lot of so-called dog trainers who don’t know this.

You’ll probably notice that your pup will scratch like crazy as he adjusts to the feel of the collar.  Let your pup wear it for a few days until it becomes a part of his normal environment. What happens next? Tune in to the dog trainers Earthsign Theater for your next appointment with Nick Danger: Fearless Dog Trainer and Usher to the Tie-Out Stake.

Enjoy this article by Woody Thurman providing information on how to train a Labrador Retriever puppy?  Share the link to the article with a friend or on social media!  

Become a happy owner of our world class Labrador Retriever puppies or learn about our Labrador Retriever training services:  Call Woody and Judi at (910) 462-3246 for more information.

About Woody Thurman:  Woody and Judi Thurman of Twin Lakes Kennel have been breeding and training world class Labrador Retrievers for more than 35 years. Twin Lakes Kennel is the number #1 resource for Labrador Retriever puppies.  We select from the most dominant American field bloodlines and breed for natural hunting instinct and tractability. Our Labs, both puppies and adults, are out of the top working Labrador Retriever bloodlines in the country. The end results are the most talented, well rounded Labrador Retrievers possible, making them a most desirable family pet.

More than eight thousand (8,000) Labrador Retrievers have been bred and trained during those thirty-five years. During this time, Woody has titled more than 200 AKC Master Hunter Labrador Retrievers. Woody has also qualified 47 retrievers at AKC Master Nationals. He has won the Ducks Unlimited Open Championships twice. In addition, two of his Labs, Drake and Rondy, bred and trained at Twin Lakes Kennel, are in the Master National Hall of Fame.

Our Labrador Retriever puppies are the culmination of a 30 year search for the most talented, well rounded Labrador Retriever possible. We select from the most dominant American field bloodlines and breed for natural hunting instinct and tractability. Our puppies begin a structured socialization program in the litter box and are introduced to birds at six weeks.

All our Labrador Retriever Puppies carry a guarantee against hereditary defects and to have basic retrieving instincts. Parents of all our Labrador Retriever puppies are physically sound with certified hips and eyes.  They are out of the top working Labrador Retriever bloodlines in the country.

We guarantee all our Labrador Retriever puppies to be free from hereditary defects.

© Woody Thurman and WoodyThurman.com, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Woody Thurman and WoodyThurman.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. 

 

Call Woody and Judi Thurman at (910) 462-3246 for more information.