My blog has moved!

You should be automatically redirected in 6 seconds. If not, visit
http://dogblog.8pawsup.com
and update your bookmarks.

Monday, June 02, 2008

Make Us Proud

Cheyenne and Dakota sitting pretty
It never fails. Every time we go to the dog park, at least one person will compliment our Labs on how well behaved and calm they are. They stare in amazement as the Labs never stray far from our sides or look to us for approval to do something before heading off.

Yes, it is true that the Lab Brats are very well behaved at the dog park. Except for the fact that any mud pools override any commands to stay away from them, they seek to enjoy the time at the dog park with their human parents. That does not mean that they came this way straight from their biological mother. No way!

My feet and hands still have small scars from where they used to use me as a teething toy. Bruises used to line up and down my legs as a road map of Labs running out of control (only to stop once they plowed into me). Bags under my eyes served to remind me of all the nights I would go without much sleep because the pup would be crying in its crate or needing to go potty every couple of hours - no matter if there was a winter blizzard in the middle of the night or not.

Labrador Retrievers need to be trained. Believe it or not, a well trained Lab is a very happy Lab. The dog learns what makes its owner happy (all they want to do is please us) and where it stands in our pack. There is a sense of peace and security as the Lab knows its place in this world and is truly content in life knowing its job and purpose.

So, whenever we hear kind words about the Lab Brats at the dog park, we beam only as a proud parent would for every moment we have spend training has been worth the time 10-fold.

Labels:

2 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

Hi,

I'm a proud owner of a 9m old chocolate lab. With "labs need to be trained" you mean by a professional or by us?

My beloved puppy is getting out of control lately and I'm wondering whether professional assistance could be of help?

Thanks for your answer in advance,

Guillermo

January 04, 2009 10:24 AM  
Blogger Shannon said...

You puppy is at the "terrible two" stage in Labs and that is most likely why it is acting out.

First, I would recommend you read Labrador Retriever Stages to get familiar with the different Lab stages as your pup is testing you and any training it had up to this point.

Second, I recommend finding a dog trainer in your area that could help teach you how to be a better trainer to your pup. This will help give you a stronger training foundation no matter where you are. Make sure they have you bring the dog to all training sessions so that you get your money's worth. It doesn't have to be expensive - just ask to sit in on a class (without the dog) to see how the person trains so that you can follow your gut on whether or not to hire them.

After you get hold of the basics, you can train at home. In our house, nothing in life is for free - meaning that they sit/dog tricks for even a cookie.

Best of luck! Let us know how it goes.

January 05, 2009 6:27 AM  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home