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Breed profile · large · friendly · food-motivated

Labrador Retriever training guide

Reviewed by Sarah Mitchell, CPDT-KA · Updated

The world's favorite family dog for a reason: biddable, sociable, and famously food-motivated. The flip side is a long, boisterous adolescence — expect pulling, jumping, and chewing until the brain catches up with the body.

Labs are the easiest breed in the world to pay — almost any food works — but their greeting enthusiasm means impulse-control work (sit for everything, four-on-the-floor) should start on day one. A 30 kg adolescent Lab jumping on grandma is the same behavior you giggled at in the 4 kg puppy. Their mouthiness is bred-in retriever behavior: give it legal outlets.

Trait profile

Energy4/5
Trainability5/5
Barkiness2/5
  • friendly
  • food-motivated
  • exuberant

Common challenges for Labrador Retrievers

Top guides for Labrador Retrievers

Fix it in your Labrador RetrieverHow to Stop Leash Pulling in a Labrador RetrieverPulling works — every step forward while the leash is tight pays it. Reverse the economics: stop dead the moment the leash tightens, and pay heavily (treats, forward movement, sniff breaks) whenever the leash is loose. A front-clip harness reduces pulling power while you retrain.
Fix it in your Labrador RetrieverHow to Stop Jumping Up in a Labrador RetrieverJumping is paid attention — even pushing the dog off is a payment. Remove all attention for jumping (turn away, go still), and pay lavishly for four-paws-on-floor or a sit. Manage greetings with a leash or gate while you retrain, and brief your guests: the humans are half the training problem.
Fix it in your Labrador RetrieverHow to Stop Destructive Chewing in a Labrador RetrieverChewing is a need, not a crime — the fix is channeling it, not stopping it. Dog-proof the environment so mistakes can't be rehearsed, provide a rotation of genuinely satisfying legal chews, and calmly trade when the wrong item ends up in the mouth. Meet exercise and enrichment needs, because a bored jaw finds work.
Train your Labrador RetrieverHow to Teach a Labrador Retriever to Recall (Come)Pick a fresh word ('here!'), pair it with your dog's favorite reward every single time, and never use it to end fun or to punish. Practice on a long line, starting close with no distractions and adding distance and difficulty gradually. Pay every recall like it's the lottery.
Train your Labrador RetrieverHow to Teach a Labrador Retriever to SitHold a treat just above your dog's nose and move it slowly back over their head — as the nose follows, the rear drops. The moment they sit, mark ('yes!') and treat. After a few reps, add the word 'sit' right before the lure, then fade the lure to a hand signal.
Train your Labrador RetrieverHow to Teach a Labrador Retriever to StayStart with your dog in a sit, say 'stay,' wait one second, then reward before they move. Slowly add duration, then distance, then distractions — always returning to reward at the dog's side, never calling them out of the stay. Build one variable at a time.
Train your Labrador RetrieverHow to Teach a Labrador Retriever to HeelPick a side, mark and treat every time your dog's shoulder is level with your leg — first standing still, then one step, then several. Feed in position, right at your seam. Add the cue 'heel' once the position is fluent, and keep sessions short: heeling is mentally hard work for a dog.
Train your Labrador RetrieverHow to Teach a Labrador Retriever to Drop ItTurn releasing into a trade: while your dog holds a toy, present a treat at their nose — the moment the jaw opens, say 'drop it,' pay, and give the toy right back. The dog learns that opening their mouth makes good things happen and they usually keep the item too, so there's nothing to guard.
Train your Labrador RetrieverHow to Teach a Labrador Retriever to Leave ItClose a treat in your fist and let your dog lick and paw at it — the moment they back off, mark and reward from your OTHER hand. Once they withdraw quickly, add the cue 'leave it,' then progress to treats on the floor, dropped items, and finally real-world temptations. The rule: leaving it always pays better than taking it.

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