The Most Important Step to Training Your Labrador Retriever
Have you ever had this problem: You get all ready to have a training session with your Labrador. You have the leash, the treats, the books, the whistle or clicker, etc. You’re all set to have a wonderful and productive time training your Lab, and when you get ouot to start working with him or her, you find that your Labrador is paying absolutely no attention to you? And however you try to make your dog listen and be attentive, there’s just no way he/she is going to pay attention long enough for you to teach him/her anything?
I used to have this problem a lot. I couldn’t understand why, even when it seemed like my Labradors were excited to go outside and train, I couldn’t get them to respond or even pay attention to me while I was trying to work with them.
Today, as I was watching a Labrador youtube video, then answer came to me. It’s because I hadn’t given my Labs any time to burn off all their stored up energy before I tried to get them to sit quietly and be taught!
The answer: Excercise
I think this is a very over-looked subject when it comes to Labrador training (or any kind of dog training, really). Everyone always concentrates on what you’re supposed to do while you’re actually training the dog– no one mentions the beforehand steps.
So, how should you get your Labrador to exercise and burn off all that energy before you start with your training session? Of course, the best way is always to have them RETRIEVE! Naturally, Labradors are hard-wired to pick things up and bring them back to you. A good ol’ slobbery, dirty tennis ball will work wonders against those training jitters that seem to affect all dogs.
Of course, if you happen to have a strange Labrador who won’t bring the ball back to you (I just happen to have one of these myself), you’re just going to have to get a little more creative. One of my personal favorite things to do with one of my Labradors, because she’s a bit smaller and more manageable, is simply to romp around with her. But this isn’t the best course of action for several reasons:
1. It can have the potential to teach your Labrador bad habits (jumping, biting, rough-housing).
2. Our games tend to be a little bit rough, and I know that not everyone will enjoy getting slobbered on or getting a few scratches from toenails.
3. It’s difficult to teach your Labrador exactly when you’re done. Because in all the excitement of the tussle, it’s hard to communicate with your dog at all.
Therefore, if you’re up to this and think you’ll be able to “train away” any bad habits that might arise as a result, this might be a good way to work off some steam before you start training. Just make sure it’s right for you and your Labrador before you do this regularly.
Another way to get your dog to burn off energy is using an old peanut butter jar or a Kong with a little bit of peanut butter inside and either throw it, or drag it around the house with a string, or tie it to your cat’s tail…
Just kidding about the cat. But peanut butter is definitely a favorite for any dog, and using it instead of a bunch of treats is a lot easier to manage.
Any other ideas about how to get your Labrador to run around before training? Leave a comment below.
-Lauren
P.S. — I’m still waiting for some more questions/ideas for a live coaching call with my super-secret trainer that you ALL can be a part of. Go to the post below and comment, and then grab the free report so that I can also send you the information about that call when I have some more questions.
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