Is a 10 month old Labrador still a puppy
Ages and Stages in Labrador Puppy Training
Puppy training stages are a way of breaking down your puppys learning and obedience development into helpful steps. Today Ill share your week by week schedule of what to teach your puppy. The puppy training schedules are aimed at different ages and stages of training, and to help you achieve your puppy training goals. However, the puppy training stages I use are not set in stone.
The age at which a puppy starts one stage might differ even within the same litter. It will depend on their personality, maturity, temperament, breed and even how well socialization is going.
When you dive into my age based stages below, dont just look at how old your puppy is. Make sure that they have reached the training milestones set in the previous stage before moving onto the next one. There is no rush!
It is very tempting to get carried away with puppy training. Your young do is so willing to please and such fun to be around. It is important to go at a happy pace for you both. Positive reinforcement training is the right choice for your puppy because there are no negative consequences to getting something wrong. But you can still both suffer from burnout and frustration if you try to reach the later puppy training stages without totally acing the earlier developments.
Your Puppy Training Schedule
This may not be exactly the same for each puppy, especially with retrieving which is more Labrador specific. However, it gives you a rough idea.Ill also give you some general ideas of what to expect from a puppy at each stage.
8 10 Week Old Puppy Training Stages
Heres what to teach your new dog during the first couple of weeks of puppy training:
- Follow me: Encourage the puppy to walk after me and keep close to me outdoors, by walking a few steps one way, and a few steps another. Constantly changing direction. Stopping frequently for cuddles and rewards.
- Recall: Lots of puppy recall phase one training. This means I blow the recall whistle whenever the puppy runs towards me, no compulsion, and no whistle unless the recall is already underway.
- Socialisation: Lots (almost daily) of outings to different places rural and urban (carried) Visits to family and friends.
- Bite inhibition: Discourage hard biting, allow mouthing.
- Working with food: Learning how to take food gently without snatching or grabbing at the treat pot.
3 4 Month Old Puppy Training Stages
You can follow along with what I teach puppies from 10 to 12 weeks here:
- Walk next to me: Introduce clicker heel to get the puppy walking alongside me in the heel position on my left hand side.
- Recall: Now I start introducing the whistle as a signal to trigger the recall. I still give the puppy lots of encouragement by running away as soon as I blow the whistle.
- Socialisation: More socialisation, at least twice a week to busy public places.
- Bite inhibition: Discourage hard biting, allow gentle mouthing.
- Retrieving: Encourage chase and pick up (retrieve drive).
- Hand touch: I teach all new puppies to touch my hand with their noses. This is a great foundation for other skills.
4 5 Month Old Puppy Training Routines
Training is starting to get more serious for your puppy at three to four months old:
- Walk on a leash: If she is ready for this, I start toslip a leash over the puppys head for very short periods as she walks next to me.
- Recall: Puppy recall continues, reduce my run to a walk, avoid any distractions. Still frequently blow the recall whenever the pup runs towards me of her own free will.
- Socialisation: From ground level (after vaccination). Attend events/take into town. No other leash walking at all
- Bite inhibition:No biting, gentle mouthing allowed.
- Retrieving:Continue to build drive.
- Getting into a bed/basket:I introduce the idea that sitting in her bed while we eat is a great way to get treats.
- Positions: I introduce three positions sit, stand, down.
What to expect from your 3 month old puppy
Most three month old puppies will be sleeping through the night. And will be having less potty training accidents in the house. There are a few potty training problems that arise at this age, and they are all covered in 15 potty training problems solved.
This is peak age for biting, so dont expect too much. Biting is a big shock and a big problem for many new Lab puppy parents so do check out our complete guide to biting, and join the forum for help and support. Many people will have started to teach their puppy to sit at this point and that is fine, my only caution would be not to start asking such young puppies to stay for more than a second or two.
Help encourage your puppy to stay in their bed while you are eating. I have a pot of dog treats on our kitchen table, and whenever we sit down to a meal, the puppy gets a treat each time she steps into her basket. No pressure, no stay. Just a treat for stepping in there.
What to expect from your 4 month old puppy
Your 4 month old puppy will be pretty much potty trained, but accidents still happen if they are left alone too long. Biting is usually starting to subside now, and many four month old puppies will be able to mouth at your hand without hurting you. At this point I start to discourage all mouthing.
I teach every puppy to let me touch her face or approach her with my hand, food, a leash etc while holding eye contact and not grabbing at me, or at what is in my hand. This is the age at which people often start to push forward with training. Your 4 month old puppy is capable of quite a lot.
There is nothing wrong with teaching your puppy different cues and even some tricks. Youll find ideas and instructions in our puppy training guides. I recommend you still avoid long duration activities at this point as they are a common stumbling point with puppies young enough to have a short attention span.
I wouldnt expect a four month old puppy to walk at heel for long distances, or to stay in his basket for an entire meal for example. A ten second sit is ample.
4 5 Month Old Puppy Training
Formal puppy training begins in earnest for 4 to 5 month old puppies:
- Heel: begin to practiceheel work more purposefully. Add mild distractions
- Recall:Fade additional cues. Begin to whistle the pup and stand still. Add mild distractions.
- Socialisation: One or two short outings into crowded/public places
- Bite inhibition: No more mouthing. Clicker train to polish this in more mouthy puppies.
- Sit/stay: Simple short duration sits, in low distraction environment
- Bed/basket: I expect a puppy to remain in her bed most of the time while we eat by about five months. No commands are needed for this. She chooses and I reward
Puppy Training at 5 6 Months and Beyond
- General obedience: Gradually advance the heel and sit. Gradual introduction of distractions.
- Advancedpuppy training begins in earnest
This is where I start a programme of sporting training with my Labs. You can begin raising your standards and expectations, asking for longer and more complex behaviors. Teaching your puppy to walk to heel nicely for longer distance and past all kinds of distractions and temptations.
Or teaching your puppy to sit and stay for longer periods of time, and even while you go out of sight or while other dogs play nearby.
This part of puppy training is called proofing, and youll find plenty of help in our individual training guides and in our proofing articles.
What to expect from your six month old puppy
Six months is a common time for people to have a lot of questions and to be struggling with a few challenges. This is now a very bouncy, quite powerful and rapidly maturing young dog. And you may need to patch up a few holes in his training or manners.
Dont panic. We have a great article for owners of six month old Lab puppies. Head over there and youll find you are not alone!
The Labrador Site Founder
Pippa Mattinson is the best selling author of The Happy Puppy Handbook, the Labrador Handbook, Choosing The Perfect Puppy, and Total Recall.
She is also the founder of the Gundog Trust and the Dogsnet Online Training Program
Pippa's online training courses were launched in 2019 and you can find the latest course dates on the Dogsnet website
How To Cope With A Naughty Labrador
Naughty Labrador Retrievers can be stressful to live with. Dogs jumping on visitors, pulling on the leash or ignoring you as you call in vain, can all feel quite personal. If you find your Labrador embaressing, pushy or just plain bad mannered you are not alone.
The good news is that a naughty Labrador can learn to well behaved pretty quickly. You just need to know what is causing the behavior, so that you can avoid triggers or teach them better and more rewarding options.
What is Naughty Labrador Behavior?
The chances are your dog has a few naughty behaviors. Most dogs pick up a few bad habits along the way, especially if their owners are inexperienced.
The most common problems experienced by people struggling with their Labradors are:
- Pulling on the leash.
- Ignoring the recall, and not listening generally.
- Chewing and destructiveness.
- Rough and boisterous play.
Some of these behaviors are age related, but many can emerge at any developmental stage.
And there is always something you can do to resolve these issues.
Improving Labrador Behavior
We usually need a two pronged approach to fixing naughtiness. Obviously we need to get going on some training. But training takes time.
And in the meantime, we need to manage the dog so that they dont get chance to keep repeating the naughty behavior.
For example, while you are teaching your dog not to barge through the front door without your permission, you could put a baby gate across your hallway to keep him behind it.
Or have your dog trail a houseline so that you can pick up the end and control him when necessary.
Changing behavior through training
We often think of dog training as being the fun stuff, like teaching a dog to sit, come, give paw, or take a bow on command But training is not just about teaching a dog to respond to our commands to sit when we say sit.
It is also about teaching dogs good default behaviors ways to behave in common everyday situations.
Ways to greet guests for example. Or the right way to behave when we attach a leash to the dogs collar.
What Makes a Labradors Behavior Good?
So, one way to be good is for a dog to obey your commands or cues as we now call them. Another way to be good is for a dog to know how to behave in certain contexts, without being given any cues at all.
Hopping into his basket when the doorbell rings for example, instead of barking and lunging at the door.
Both these approaches form an important part of any good dog training program. But what if training doesnt work with your dog?
When Dog Training Doesnt Work?
What if youve already tried training and your dog still ignores you? Well the good news is, that all dogs can be trained, even the naughtiest ones. And even dogs that are stubborn or dont listen.
The bad news is that it will take a little time, a little knowledge and a little effort on your part. But theres more good news!
Properly structured modern training methods are fun!
Naughty dogs can be totally transformed by using these effective training methods, and you dont need to be an expert to resolve some of the most common problems this way.
So essentially, we are going to be talking about training. Sometimes though, we need to remove a few of the obstacles that are in the way, before we canget going.
Why Labrador Training Gets Neglected
Some people never get started with training their dog for all manner of reasons. Often because they are just not sure where to start.
Maybe you have tried training your Labrador and failed? Maybe your dog is very strong, and ignores you and maybe you cant bring yourself to be tough on your dog?
Perhaps you have a really difficult dog?
Maybe you dont have the right skills or natural ability? Or perhaps you are really short of time? Lets have a look.
Cant get started?
Sometimes we can rescue a situation without entirely retraining a skill. For example, a dog that is straying too far on walks can be taught to stay closer to his owner using the About Turn Walk.
Sometimes there are so many problems or a single problem is so bad, that the simplest solution is to start from the beginning again.
In fact, there is never any harm in starting over.
If your dog is a bit of a mess behavior wise, try spending a few weeks treating him like a new puppy. Pretend he knows nothing. Invent new names for some of the skills he needs to learn, and start from scratch using effective training techniques.
A great way to get started is with my Foundation Skills course. This helps you gain the skills you need in order to successfully re-train your dog. And it helps your dog learn how to work with you, and focus on you.
Have you failed in training before?
It can be very difficult to get going with re-training a dog when you have failed in the past.
It is really worth remembering that most people fail many times before they succeed. At a whole range of tasks and endeavours. And dog training is no exception.
Most people fail because they lack the necessary knowledge, fail to apply that knowledge, or dont apply it often enough. You can change any one of these factors
The fact that you failed before is a really bad excuse for not starting.
Are you worried you are too soft on your Labrador?
If you think you are too soft to control your dog, think again! Modern training is based on reinforcement not force or punishment. All you need is a willingness to find out how reinforcement actually works. And to apply the tried and tested methods that work.
You dont need to be a pack leader. You dont have to dominate your dog. Modern training is fun for both of you!
Is your Labrador a Difficult Dog?
The concept of the difficult or naughty dog is a very common one. Believing that thedog is the problem has its advantages.
It allows the owner to avoid feeling guilty about the dogs behavior. After all if it is the dogs fault, it cant be theirs!
The problem with blaming the dog, is that the problem never gets fixed. There is no point in waiting for the dog to want to change. It isnt going to happen.
Taking Responsibility for your Dog Training
The answer to most dog training or behavior problems is to bite the bullet and take full responsibility. This can be a bit daunting, but it is the only way to resolve any problems that you are having with your dog.
Taking responsibility allows you to take control of the situation and begin to change your dogs behavior. This is often less challenging than you might think.
And the great thing about effective modern training is that it actually doesnt matter how strong willed or difficult your dog is. There is no clash of wills or power struggle involved. You are not going to be breaking his will. You are going to be changing his behavior by taking control of its consequences.
Short of time?
It is amazing what you can achieve in just a few minutes a day. For most of us, the hardest part is just getting started. And modern training is really quick!
Can you find ten minutes each morning and each evening to spend with your dog? Of course youcan, you wouldnt be able to care for a dog otherwise. And ten minutes, morning and evening, five or six times a week, is all you need to get started.
Make Dog Training a Habit
Habits are great because we dont have to think about them. If you make a habit out of dog training it will become as natural as cleaning your teeth.
Experts tell us that it takes only 30 days to build a habit, but its very hard to make a habit out of a daunting and time consuming task.
So start small, and build up slowly. Begin with just three minutes a day. At the same time, every day. After breakfast or before, or just pick a time you know youll stick to.
Make a habit of this three minutes, rain or shine and before you know where you are, it will be second nature. Then and only then, start to increase the length of your training sessions. Build up to your ten minutes gradually. Make this the habit you never break.
What you need is information
In order to effectively change naughty behavior, you also need some basic information. You need to know how dogs learn from the consequences of their actions, and how to control those consequences yourself.
You can find a great deal of this training information on this website, and on our training site dogsnet.comOne very effective way to learn about how dog training works is to follow a single skill right through from start to finish.
My book Total Recall explains how to do this when teaching your dog to come to your whistle. The whole book focuses on this one important skill. But by the end of it, youll also understand how to teach your dog pretty much anything.
(paid link)
What can I do in just three minutes?
In a three minute session you can do some clicker training. Keep a bag of little pieces of dog kibble(paid link) and a clicker handy at all times(paid link), and all you need to do is grab them and start.
You dont need to kick off with a serious skill, just start with something simple such as training your dog to bump the palm of your hand with his nose.
(paid link)Something simple is best. That way you wont get frustrated and give up before you have got your habit established. And simple skills are a useful way of engaging your dog when he is in new or distracting situations.
You can train your dog
There is only one difference between good dogs and bad dogs. Bad dogs arent trained. And our intelligent and quick witted Labs thrive on training.
Not only does your dog have enormous potential. You do too! Find out just why you are the best person to train your dog, even if you have made mistakes before: Could You Be Your Dogs Best Teacher?
Youve got this!
Your dog isnt naughty because he disrespects you. In fact, he isnt naughty, or bad at all, hes just a dog. He doesnt ignore you because he doesnt love you. You dont have to beat your dog or bribe him.
Your dog doesnt have a personality disorder or bad genes. He just isnt trained. Yet.
You can train your dog. By yourself if necessary. You have all the ability it takes. You just need to give yourself a chance.
The Labrador Site Founder
Pippa Mattinson is the best selling author of The Happy Puppy Handbook, the Labrador Handbook, Choosing The Perfect Puppy, and Total Recall.
She is also the founder of the Gundog Trust and the Dogsnet Online Training Program
Pippa's online training courses were launched in 2019 and you can find the latest course dates on the Dogsnet website
