Woody’s Way: Teaching A Labrador Retriever Puppy

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Woody’s Way

Teaching

All right sports fans, this is where you make a commitment to do it right.  There’s not a good dog trainer I know who doesn’t understand that you can’t train unless you first- teach.

We’re going to peek back over our shoulder to the early nurturing period.  That’s where we begin our initial teaching.  There is a term many times referred to as “tidbit training”.  To call using treats training is an oxymoron.  Using treats is a good temporary teaching device, but it isn’t training.

We should begin our teaching the day we bring the puppy home.  What’s the first thing we teach our pup?  It’s name.  We want to teach the puppy three things the first week it’s in our house:  its name, “here”, and “sit”.  This is the only place that I recommend using treats.

What you use for treats is up to you.  I usually use tiny pieces of hotdogs.  When I say tiny, I mean smaller than your pinky fingernail.  It will have plenty of smell and will be wonderful motivation.  As soon as the pup has learned its name, we start using the “here” command.  The reason we use “here” instead of “come” is because verbally “here” is more powerful to a dog. As we say the pups name and “here” we break our body language and bend down to the pups level.

When the pup comes to us, we give it the treat and praise the puppy verbally at the same time.  After a few successful repetitions of the “here” command, we call the pup and instead of immediately giving the treat we lift its head up as we push its fanny to the floor while saying “sit”.  Then we give the treat. If you do this right and always give the pup both tactile and verbal praise as it’s getting the treat, after a couple of days he remembers the reward of the treat when he’s only getting the praise. Luckily for us, Labs love to be praised.

So in about 2 -3 days we have taught the pup its name, “here” and “sit”.  We’re not where we started from or where we want to be, but we’re on our way.

Enjoy this article by Woody Thurman providing information on teaching a labrador retriever puppy?  Share the link to the article with a friend or on social media!  

Become a happy owner 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.

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© 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.