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Wiskers · #6 (**permalink**) 07-28-2008, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BULLFROG-1

If you would like to do it yourself,,,,,,,,,get you an e-collar...........You will be amazed at how fast they learn........plus you and your dog will get to spend quality time together.You will find there are some great water dog books available!

I train Labs (mostly mine but I help a few of my friends out) up here in Western Ky. and have for over 35 years. I am not a big advocate of "pain training!" I've seen guys get carried away with the collars! I personally like a dog with a little "attitude." You can use that to your advantage if you manipulate it right. Don't get me wrong. An E-collar has it's place but... there is a lot of training for the individual using the collar too. You can flat screw a young dog up if you don't know how/when to use it.

The "Water Dog" series of books and videos are a good place to start even if you're gonna have someone else train you dog. It will give you a good understanding of the mechanics involved in dog training thus making you a better handler. The best advice I can give you if you decide to train the dog yourself is 1. Establish trust with the dog and have patients. 2. Correct a mistake everytime and be consistant. Nothing is worse than sending mixed messages. 3. Expect mistakes. Use the mistakes as a teaching tool. 4. Stay calm and assertive. Yelling and scolding complicates things for the dog. 5. Reward good behavior. Labs are "pleasers"! They love to know they have pleased you and they really respond to positive feedback. 6. Work the dog everyday even if it's just a few minutes.

P.S. You have some catching up to do. Your dog should have been started at about 13 weeks. It probably has some bad habbits but they can be corrected. You're behind but don't get in a hurry. Find a pace that fits your dog and work with it.