Any ideas on how to lead train a labrador puppy?

Question

he is nearly six months old and he pulls on the lead and also eats everything in the house! any ideas?

Answer 1

A gentle leader does stop the pulling, but only because the head gear makes it uncomfortable for the dog to pull and he avoids discomfort. It doesn't solve the problem of your dog believing he is dominant over you.

If he's not neutered, get that done. It will alleviate some of the aggressive behaviour.

Next, make sure your dog doesn't have the opportunity initially to get in front of you. When you leave the house, you walk through the doorway first. If he tries to drag you out the door, stop him, bring him back and have him sit. You walk out the door FIRST and then allow him to follow.

Until he learns that YOU are the pack LEADER, don't give him enough leash to walk ahead. Your emotional energy is important as your dog will respond to your level of confidence. Stay CALM and ASSERTIVE when walking your dog. Keep your shoulders back, head high and show your dog that you are worthy of following. He needs to trust your ability to be the pack leader.

Your dog should very quickly relax by your side. You can then loosen the leash as the two of you continue to walk in a relaxed manner. Any time he tries to pull, correct him with the leash and shorten it so he has no room to walk ahead.

Usually after one or two walks, your dog will identify you as the leader. Dogs in packs do not walk ahead of the leader...it's a natural behaviour. As long as you are the dominant pack member, he will follow.

If he does get ahead... he is saying he is dominant over you which will lead to other behavioural problems.

p.s. Your dog is still a puppy and chews because he is teething and because he is energetic. Provide lots of toys of his own to chew and be clear about what is his and what is not. It helped my dog to put all of his toys in a basket. It keeps the house free from clutter, but gives him lots of options. He learned almost immediately that the basket and everything in it is his. He can go choose from dozens of toys according to his mood.

Answer 2

I have a young Lab now but at that age I had the same problems. As far as walking on the leash I got the Genle Leader or a head halter. It totally stops them from pulling and if you use it as a training aide you eliminate the problem in a short amount of time. The head halter gives you complete control and once they start to pull you stop them make them sit. Once they have settled down you continue. And keep repeating the process. They can not pull you on the head halter, it is like a halter on a horse. There is no way you would ever walk a horse with a collar, and for the dog it operates under the same priciples. It takes a little time I used mine for a total of two until he got the whole concept down.
As far as eating everything I make sure my Lab always has things he chew on. Wether its chew toys or tendons and bully sticks. Sometimes rawhide the kong toys are great too. Labs like to chew so you haveto give them something. I also crate my Lab when I am not home, for his safety as well as my house's. I also used a spray by Nature's Miracles that leaves a bitter taste in their mouth and then they learn to associate those objects as ill tasting. That spray as well as Bitter Apple work well and do not ruin the stuff or hurt the puppy. Cayenne Pepper also works really well.

Answer 3

Get a properly fitted choke collar first of all. Start walking with him on a short leash at your left side. Tell him "heel" and as soon as he pulls, stop walking. He'll likely learn that he's not going anywhere when he pulls. If he persists, give him a short, sharp jerk and repeat heel command. By the way, you have to know the correct way to put on the collar - if you put it on upside down it doesn't release and you'll choke your dog, so if you don't know, have someone show you. You want a very quick jerk, don't ever pull him.

When he' walking nicely beside you, even for only a few steps, give him lots of praise and perhaps a treat. Be patient and encourage him along - nothing wrong with talking to him as you go. Remember, you use the short jerks only as correction and never drag him. Give a sharp jerk, then immediate praise when he's beside you. If you're consistent, he'll soon learn.

As far as eating everything in the house, he may not be finished teething yet. Make sure he has lots of toys and keep him crated when no one's home until he's past this stage - it won't last forever.

Answer 4

Definately crate train him. As far as eating things, it is your responsibility to put things like shoes away in a closet so he can't get them. You have to keep a very close eye on him when he is loose in the house and scold him in a firm, low "NO" when he goes to chew something he shouldn't. Instead give him a toy to chew. Eventually he will get the idea. Yes, they do tend to pull a lot. We tried everything with our lab. We didn't take her to puppy class but I wish we had just to get her to walk on a leash. She's 4 1/2 now and doesn't pull as badly but that is only in the past year or so. Have fun! (Oh yeah, and you can't trust the dog alone in the house until he is 2 years old. That's what our breeder said about labs)

Answer 5

I would recommend you enrol in a puppy obedience class- your dog Will learn and have fun at the same time!!
Labs are very intelligent and loyal dogs who love to learn and impress their owners, with a little time and good training you will have a very obedient dog who responds to given commands instantly
(using a Halti-lead may also benefit you as a way of eliminating his need to pull on the lead).
Your dog's chewing is probably down to him teething- try getting him a good toy/chew such a Kong or nylo-bone, I have found that these toys do the trick when it comes to satisfying a dogs urge to chew.
have a look at this site about the Halti training lead: -
http://www.companyofanimals.co.uk/haltilead.php

Best of luck and Merry Xmas xx

I have just noticed that someone above is saying something about saying 'HEEL' while walking your dog on a short leash.
I would recommend that you say 'CLOSE' instead.
the reason being- a dog can learn very quickly and anyone who has the opportunity to spend a little time with your dog could teach it to chase, bite or attack someone or something and the command given is usually 'KILL' which sounds alot like 'HEEL'
You will probably find that most dog schools use the 'Close' command now. anyway best of luck again xx

Answer 6

Labradors are the comics out of all dog breeds ! I have a 5 yr old golden lab and he used to take me a walk so i bought a halti and what a difference he walks very well now . He is a greedy boy too , i think that is their nature though . Just don`t leave anything lying where your dog may be able to reach it , Max pinches what is lying about , he doesn`t pinch from the worktops etc but given half the chance lol

Answer 7

A well-trained dog makes everyone happy, including his owner. Take a little time training him, and you'll never regret it; you'll always have an obedient dog by your side. Find more https://tr.im/feKir

By their nature, dogs are pack animals with a well-defined social order. Through basic training, you need to consistently make sure your puppy understands that you are the leader, not him. So in teaching him the basic rules, you take on the role of pack leader.

To fit into the family circle, your dog must be taught to recognize his name and such commands as come, heel, lie down and sit.

Answer 8

Get him to a good obedience class (one that uses kind methods)
They will be able to advice on different types of collars such as Haltis which will stop him pulling until he is trained. Until then , try stopping dead everytime he pulls. Once he's stopped pulling, start walking again. Keep doing it until he gets the idea that if he pulls he doesn't get anywhaere. You won't have much of a walk to start with, but it will work eventually.

Answer 9

Try using a gentle leader headcollar. They're very effective in teaching dogs how to walk well on a leash, and they can be used on puppies 12 weeks and older. About the whole eating everything in the house, try using positive reinforcement, such as if you catch him eating the couch, say "NO" firmly (don't scream), and immedietely give him something he CAN chew on, such as a toy.

Here's the gentle leader site:

http://www.premier.com/pages.cfm?id=19

Good luck!

Cheers,

Rosefern

Answer 10

Yeah become alittle more aggressive when you are walking him, dont ever use a lazy leash (retractable leash) for training and dont let your dog walk past you, you are the pack leader and should always walk in front. Once you get the walking down exercise alot that will lessen the chewing anxiety your dog displays, he chews becasue he is bored.