Stop Your Dog Pulling on Leash

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If you want to train your dog to walk on a leash without pulling, you’re not alone! I’ve mentioned before that Vance pulls like crazy–he’s well-trained off leash, but on leash, he still pulls more than I’d like.

I found this great video on YouTube about training your dog to stop pulling. Enjoy!

What’s your biggest dog training challenge? If it’s training your dog to stop jumping, make sure to read this post.


Labrador Dog Training: Does Nothing in Life is Free Work?

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If you’re training a Labrador Retriever dog, you might be wondering how effective Nothing in Life is Free is as a dog training program. (NILIF is a program where your dog has to “earn” everything from each meal to your attention and affection. Your dog can earn things by sitting on command, or performing a dog trick as asked.)

In fact, the Nothing in Life is Free dog training program is extremely effective with Labradors because they’ve been breed to be both independent thinkers *and* people pleasers. So, when you challenge your dog to see you as the boss (because all good things come through you when the dog listens), your dog training sessions will go a lot more smoothly. And, because your dog wants to make you happy, he’s likely to pay extra close attention to the new rules and behave accordingly.

Strictly practiced, even going outside requires your dog to earn your permission–basically, your dog should be looking to you for approval at every step along the way. This kind of strict practice of Nothing in Life is Free dog training can be tricky with a Labrador. That’s because Labs tend to already be a little too owner-focused, and the last thing you want to do is exacerbate that. Instead, you want to increase dog obedience *while* increasing your dog’s ability to make smart independent decisions.

For instance, if the dog’s not allowed on the furniture, you want him to remember that rule whether or not you’re in the room. The only way to train your dog in a way that builds this decision-making ability is to be 100% consistent, all the time. That means all members of your family need to agree to and follow the same rules. Otherwise, even an effective dog training program like NILIF will effectively train a Labrador because your dog will be too confused to learn.

Have you used Nothing in Life is Free with a Labrador dog? Tell us about it.


Labrador Retriever Training–loving and losing the clicker

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If you have a Lab to train, you’ve probably noticed that your dog is really eager to please you–more so than many other breeds. This makes Labrador Retriever training seem pretty easy.

But that doesn’t mean that it’s not still going to take time and attention from you–you still have to train your dog if you want him to listen to you. And one of the big problems with Labs is that they’re prone to obesity moreso than other breeds, which means that while treats are really motivating, they’re not always the best choice.

Enter the Clicker. This is a super training tool because your dog sees it as a real reward (once you introduce it properly) and it’s calorie-free (wouldn’t it be great if there were something so effective for people?! ;-)). What’s more, it’s really portable and once you get the hang of using it, it’s easy to always carry it whenever you have your dog (unlike treats which you’ll have to carry a *lot* of to always have some on hand).

Clicker training has become really popular, and there are several good programs on the market. This is the one we use. What’s great about it is that it takes a really scientific approach–the authors tell you precisely why they recommend you do things in a certain way. If you tend to be curious like me, you’ll love this about them!

Plus the authors have bundled in video to make their program work really well for people who have short attention spans (like I do). Plus, if you like things meaty with plenty of explanation and reassurance, that’s exactly what you’ll find here.

My one reservation is that the sales page for the product is kinda long–the program is so good that it really doesn’t require that kind of hard sell–and it’s a little pricey. It’s worth every penny, but I know I had reservations before clicking to buy.

Whether you’re at your wits end with your Labrador Retriever (or other dog breed) and desperately need training help, or you just know that you and your dog could have an even better relationship, these scientific secrets of super dog training will transform your dog into a happier, more obedient pooch, in almost no time flat.

Have you ever tried clicker training? What did you like about it?

P.S. Have you entered our latest giveaway yet?