New Best Friend (Yellow Lab Puppy)
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Originally Posted by wild-mtn-rose
He's so cute!! Training can't start to early and 8 weeks is perfect! I know nothing about training a hunting dog but here are a few tips on the other...
Potty training: take him outside immediately after he wakes up from a nap, after he eats and after a play session. If you associate a word or phrase with the deed he will learn to go on command. I tell Casey to "go potty" and she knows what I'm talking about and does her business. For nighttime training, keep him in a crate or box beside your bed. He'll like being close to you and the confined space will reduce nighttime accidents. Usually they will try to move away from their sleeping area to pee, he should stir enough to wake you up and you can take him outside. Always praise him immediately for doing his business in the right spot. If you wait and praise him when he is on his way back in the door he will associate the praise with returning to the house and when you put him out he will return to the door thinking that's what he's supposed to do.
Chewing: Get him some chew toys and when you catch him chewing on inappropriate items; take the item, tell him "no", give him a gentle swat if need be and give him a chew toy as an alternative.
Barking and whining are a bit harder. The whining is most likely just a puppy thing, he's recently been separated from his mother and littermates, he's lonesome, he should soon outgrow that. Just refrain from picking him up and giving him attention every time he whines, I know it's hard but if you give him attention when he whines he will associate the two and whine forever. Baking is something that is very hard to control in a dog. He should be reprimanded and possibly removed from the area he has found whatever to bark at until he calms down. Again, as with the whining, refrain from giving him positive attention when he's barking as this will only encourage the behavior.
Good luck!! What's his name?
Potty training: take him outside immediately after he wakes up from a nap, after he eats and after a play session. If you associate a word or phrase with the deed he will learn to go on command. I tell Casey to "go potty" and she knows what I'm talking about and does her business. For nighttime training, keep him in a crate or box beside your bed. He'll like being close to you and the confined space will reduce nighttime accidents. Usually they will try to move away from their sleeping area to pee, he should stir enough to wake you up and you can take him outside. Always praise him immediately for doing his business in the right spot. If you wait and praise him when he is on his way back in the door he will associate the praise with returning to the house and when you put him out he will return to the door thinking that's what he's supposed to do.
Chewing: Get him some chew toys and when you catch him chewing on inappropriate items; take the item, tell him "no", give him a gentle swat if need be and give him a chew toy as an alternative.
Barking and whining are a bit harder. The whining is most likely just a puppy thing, he's recently been separated from his mother and littermates, he's lonesome, he should soon outgrow that. Just refrain from picking him up and giving him attention every time he whines, I know it's hard but if you give him attention when he whines he will associate the two and whine forever. Baking is something that is very hard to control in a dog. He should be reprimanded and possibly removed from the area he has found whatever to bark at until he calms down. Again, as with the whining, refrain from giving him positive attention when he's barking as this will only encourage the behavior.
Good luck!! What's his name?
Awesome dog Josiah, definately a lady killer!
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Joined: Aug 2004
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If you're serious about training for hunting - The Ten Minute Retriever is a great place to start. I also highly recommend crate training - it'll make potty training happen twice as fast. The only way the pup will learn to stop yelping is for you to let him yelp it out. DO NOT go to the pup if it yelps when you first put them to bed. The first few nights if people could hear the pup would think you're the cruelest person in the world, but the pup will learn yelping doesn't get him what he wants. DON'T GIVE IN. It'll make your life easier.
You are the boss. The pup always needs to know this.
It's too early to start any serious training, the pup needs to socialize and get familar with his surroundings first. When you do start, keep it very short (<5 mins.) Make sure you show the pup what you are asking of it first. Saying sit without showing first means absolutely nothing to him. Repetition is the key.
Taking a puppy obedience class is a great way to learn for yourself and socialize the pup.
Most of all - have fun!
You are the boss. The pup always needs to know this.
It's too early to start any serious training, the pup needs to socialize and get familar with his surroundings first. When you do start, keep it very short (<5 mins.) Make sure you show the pup what you are asking of it first. Saying sit without showing first means absolutely nothing to him. Repetition is the key.
Taking a puppy obedience class is a great way to learn for yourself and socialize the pup.
Most of all - have fun!
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,577
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From: Jackson, Mississippi
Some tips that I’ve learned/use…
Use the 3 time rule when you start training/teaching them. Do it 3 times, reward them, and then stop. Don't keep trying to get them to do it over and over, like 10 times in a row. It just does not work in then end.
A good tip for teaching them to potty outside. Take them to the same spot, they will learn that this 'spot' is the bathroom, just as we do (or most us
).
Choose 1 word phrases to train them. Like "stop", don't use no, stop-it, stop, quit, etc... for the same command. Use the same word every time...
And most of all the more time you spend with your pup the more positive results you will see. They already know what to do, they just don't understand what you are asking them to do. They want to please you!!!
Use the 3 time rule when you start training/teaching them. Do it 3 times, reward them, and then stop. Don't keep trying to get them to do it over and over, like 10 times in a row. It just does not work in then end.
A good tip for teaching them to potty outside. Take them to the same spot, they will learn that this 'spot' is the bathroom, just as we do (or most us
).Choose 1 word phrases to train them. Like "stop", don't use no, stop-it, stop, quit, etc... for the same command. Use the same word every time...
And most of all the more time you spend with your pup the more positive results you will see. They already know what to do, they just don't understand what you are asking them to do. They want to please you!!!
Last edited by djh1121; Apr 3, 2007 at 09:27 PM.
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Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Trempealeau, WI
Originally Posted by djh1121
Some tips that I’ve learned/use…
Use the 3 time rule when you start training/teaching them. Do it 3 times, reward them, and then stop. Don't keep trying to get them to do it over and over, like 10 times in a row. It just does not work in then end.
A good tip for teaching them to potty outside. Take them to the same spot, they will learn that this 'spot' is the bathroom, just as we do (or most us ).
Choose 1 word phrases to train them. Like "stop", don't use no, stop-it, stop, quit, etc... for them same command. Use the same word every time...
And most of all the more time you spend with your pup the more positive results you will see. They already know what to do, they just don't understand what you are asking them to do. They want to please you!!!
Use the 3 time rule when you start training/teaching them. Do it 3 times, reward them, and then stop. Don't keep trying to get them to do it over and over, like 10 times in a row. It just does not work in then end.
A good tip for teaching them to potty outside. Take them to the same spot, they will learn that this 'spot' is the bathroom, just as we do (or most us
).Choose 1 word phrases to train them. Like "stop", don't use no, stop-it, stop, quit, etc... for them same command. Use the same word every time...
And most of all the more time you spend with your pup the more positive results you will see. They already know what to do, they just don't understand what you are asking them to do. They want to please you!!!
BTW, congrats on the new pup Josiah, I called my fiance in to look at the picture and she said "ah hes so cute, I think we should get another one".
Cute dog tho
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,576
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From: Florida
Well, you're done....the dog is sleeping on the bed. Realize now that it's their house. They let you stay there to turn on the lights!
I have a black lab and she's the best dog I've had.
Good chioce! Have many fun times!
I have a black lab and she's the best dog I've had.
Good chioce! Have many fun times!
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Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Greenville, SC
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Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Airdrie, AB
Anyone have any good tips on training him to duck hunt, pee outside and fetch? Also, is there a good way to stop him from barking/whining when the attention stops?
First of all, he's a lab, fetching should come natural, thats all ours wants to do. The best technique we learned was using a little water gun filled with vinegar to train him when he was small, when he is doing something bad like chewing on a shoe, give him an inconspicuous squirt. He will associate the funny smell and the squirt with chewing on the shoe. The key is not to let him see you do it, and to do it while he is doing something he isn't supposed to. As for hunting, no idea, not much of a duck hunter and he likes to chase deer, so that doesn't work so well either.
here's Dexter when we brought him home...and now he is 98lbs of lean frisbie fetching machine.
Last edited by nvrenuff; May 9, 2007 at 09:24 AM.
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Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Fontana
Got "Rufus" about 2 weeks ago. He is rolling up on 4 months old now. He cried so much at first he lost his voice. Last night he actually scratched at the door and wanted out to take a ****. Still can't get him to stop whining to come back in..... He is just one more in the house that won't listen to me...
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 411
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From: Lansdale, PA
Awesome dog! The yellow lab is my next choice.
As for the potty training, lots of good advice here. I taught my dog the word "poopy", because she liked to go outside and play too long without doing her business. My friends laugh, because she really does poop on command. One mistake I made was watching her very carefully, and taking her out as soon as I saw she had to go. She never learned how to tell us she had to go, because we were always reading her mind! We should have taken her to a bell or other noise maker by the back door and rang it (alternative is to scratch the door with the puppy's paw), then taken her out. She's 9 years old now, and we still have to take her out at regular intervals, because she will just sit there by the door, and not make a sound...
As for the potty training, lots of good advice here. I taught my dog the word "poopy", because she liked to go outside and play too long without doing her business. My friends laugh, because she really does poop on command. One mistake I made was watching her very carefully, and taking her out as soon as I saw she had to go. She never learned how to tell us she had to go, because we were always reading her mind! We should have taken her to a bell or other noise maker by the back door and rang it (alternative is to scratch the door with the puppy's paw), then taken her out. She's 9 years old now, and we still have to take her out at regular intervals, because she will just sit there by the door, and not make a sound...