When starting out with your Labrador Retriever training one of the necessary skills that you need to get across to your pup is leash manners. I'm sure we have all seen those dogs that drag their owners down the street, racing from mailbox to mailbox with their leash straining. The other side of the coin is the pup that drops their butt down and refuses to budge for any reason as soon as it feels pressure on its collar. Each of these behaviors is something that leash training puppies will correct.

To prepare to teach your Labrador puppy to walk nicely on a leash you need to gather a few items. First a flat collar should be used. You don't need to have a choker or a pinch collar, these are overkill and provide the dog with negative feedback that should be avoided. We are trying to make this a positive experience for your pup. Second, a pocketful of treats. I use a treat bag attached to my belt and cut hot dogs up lengthwise and microwave them until they are the consistency of jerky. Third, a leash is somewhat necessary, a cotton 6 foot leash with a secure clip is best to use, it will allow some control and not burn your hands if it zips across your fingers. They are cheap and can be replaced easily.

Leash training puppies should be a fun time for your Labrador Retriever. Get the dog on your left side and show the pup a treat and take a few steps while holding the leash. If it follows along, great, you are already making progress. If you get the butt down sit or fighting the collar position, relax your hold on the leash, let the pup taste a bit of your treat then move off a couple of steps. The leash isn't there to control the pup just to keep it from running off. The leash should be slack at all times and you should lead the pup around with the treat. Take a few steps and give the treat. Get another treat and repeat the process.

Eventually, you should be able to hold the leash in your Right hand, the treat in your Left hand and walk around the yard with the pup following along. If your pup starts to jump for the treat, hold it lower so that jumping isn't necessary. If the pup looses track of you and takes off after something else ( neighbor kid, Squirrel) give it a quick tug on the leash to get it's attention and start over while moving away from the distraction.

Keep up the process until you have the pup walking nicely by your side. This is a good start toward leash training puppies. Your Labrador Retriever will learn quickly if reinforced when doing the correct task and by withholding treats when the task is not right. You can raise the criteria of correctness as the pup understands. Drop back to easier tasks if the pup starts to loose interest or stops behaving well. If you get frustrated, stop and come back later for another round. Above all leash training puppies should be fun for you and your new pup.