General tips.

[R.1990]

We get our baby boy next week! He's our first lab. Is there any special tips on training a lab that we should know? Just basic stuff, house breaking, sit, lay,
come, ect...

[Labradorks]

Puppies for Dummies is a great book.

Ian Dunbar is a great puppy trainer. He gives away a lot of free advice on his website. He also has a couple free ebooks, Before You Get Your Puppy and After You Get Your Puppy.

Denise Fenzi has a growing pet dog blog. Here are some good posts for puppies.

[rochie427]

Patience and consistency.

[R.1990]

Thanks labradorks! I'll check it out. Rochie I have plenty of patience! I have. 3 year old and 16 month old lol.

[CraftHer]

Check out Puppy biting! in the Puppy Training section. I was so unprepared for the land shark phase and it really got me down. Ask questions and take pictures

[Abulafia]

Yes, read lots so you know what to expect. I very strongly recommend both crate training and restricting the pup while in the house early on. I don't mean crate all the time, but restrict them to a room where (1) they can't get into much trouble and (2) you can observe them for pottying signs.

In our case, this was the kitchen. That's right, I went and bought a used baby gate from Craigslist (couldn't find ours). Put it up between the kitchen and the dining room, and we spent a lot of her first weeks there with her. She had no free run of the house—the kitchen, usually with us, was her "larger den." That way we could respond quickly to her signals—the kitchen opens to the back yard—and as a result she had only maybe three or so potty accidents in the house. She never became accustomed to pottying in the house, so training went super quickly.

It was exhausting at times, and annoying at times. I had a stool, worked on my computer there as she napped, etc. We took turns. But once she got up and went do the door, out we took her. I remain convinced that this helped potty training. At first I thought that restricting a dog's movements like that seemed weird, but the fact was it made her feel safe. She couldn't get into trouble, and we didn't have to follow her around saying "No, no, no."

She's 6.5 months now, and gained total house access... I don't know. At 3 months? 3.5? One day it was just clear that she was ready to be in the house and not constantly monitored, and the transition was a smooth one. But we still put her in the kitchen if people are coming over (so she can get her wiggles out for a minute or two before she meets them) or ... well, if we ever need to. And because that was never a bad place for her, she's always happy there.

As above: absolutely crate train. I also thought that this sounded really kind of weird until I learned more about a dog's psychological needs. They need a den to feel safe, to let them know that they aren't on guard any longer. Even though I was nervous about it, we started w/ the crate from the first night, and it went ridiculously smoothly. Now she'll often put herself to bed at night by heading upstairs for her crate. A few nights we've forgotten to latch it—she stays in. It's not a prison; it's her safe place.

Also: puppy classes. As early as you can do so safely (you usually need at least one shot, possibly two: ask your vet).

And: consistency. If you make a decision (room restriction; crate training; diet; commands): whatever rules you decide upon, make sure that everyone in the house understands them and has agreed to follow. Dogs—like most of us—like a sense of security, knowing what to expect, and what is to come.

Random things:

-Don't use the dog's name in a bad way, ever. You can correct w/ a "No!", but you want the dog to associate its name only with good things. (This will be hard!)

-When you start teaching recall, which is the most important thing for a dog, make sure that every time the dog comes to you IT'S A PARTY. Praise, a treat, all love. Recall isn't just useful; it can be life-saving.

-Don't chase your puppy. You want a dog to come to you.

-Please PLEASE teach your children how to be around a dog, esp. when the dog is still young and learning manners. This is a good website that talks about interactions w/ children and dogs, and can really give you, and your littles, some guidelines. I have an 11 year old, and even though he's marvelous w/ animals, I had to teach him (sometimes to his annoyance) how to be around a large and learning puppy.

Stop The 77

... Finally: Good luck! The early months are so very fun, and go so quickly!

[Annette47]

Good advice above, the one thing I would add though is to not let them get away with anything as puppies that would be unacceptable as an adult, no matter how cute they are!

[Tanya]

tons of great advice above.

my biggest thing is you have to set up the dog for success. this mean setting up their environment and yourself to ensure they are encourage to make the right decision. For example, using baby gates and closing doors and maybe tethering and puppy proofing to ensure dog cannot go "get into things" and can't "sneak off to go pee". Manage all interaction with kids to ensure they are positive for all (this means being right there with them).

[TuMicks]

My house is not easily sectioned off (like with baby gates). What I do is put puppy on a longish lead and keep them in sight as I go around the house. If I'm going to be in a room for a while, I attach the lead to something. It's not so much to protect my floors as it is to catch them the instant they start to squat for that perfect moment of relief... and scoop them up and run them outside so that it is associated only with the outside.

They can learn sit, down, come, and all kinds of things as very young pups. But they are learning the words... and will do them a lot of the time. Repetition is great. Puppy classes! (I won't neglect them next time.)

[Snowshoe]

My tip is for posterity. Take lots of photos, they grow way faster than children. If you can, a photo in the same spot each month till a year old is a nice way to mark growth and you'll get a kick out of looking back at them.