| 1 Labrador Retriever History 1 -- Origins of the Labrador Retriever 1 -- Lab Body and Mind 5 -- A Lab Needs a Job 6 -- 2 Choosing Your Labrador Retriever 8 -- Which Lab for You? 8 -- What Age Is Best? 10 -- To Breed or Neuter? 12 -- Where to Find a Lab 13 -- What Influences a Dog's Temperament? 14 -- Interpreting a Pedigree 15 -- 3 First Month with Your New Lab 16 -- Bonding Period 16 -- Teaching Rules and Limits 16 -- House-training 16 -- Confinement 18 -- Crates 19 -- Pet Doors 20 -- Fences, Kennels, Tie-outs 21 -- Dog-proofing Your House and Yard 22 -- Anticipating and Avoiding Hazards 22 -- Home and Garden Dangers 25 -- Safety Commands 26 -- Safety in and Around Vehicles 29 -- Your Lab's ID 30 -- 4 Training Equipment 31 -- Collars 31 -- Harnesses 34 -- Leashes 34 -- 5 Hierarchy and Mutual Respect 37 -- Family Dog's Family 37 -- Dominance Training 38 -- Trust Training 39 -- Socialization 39 -- Puppy Kindergarten 42 -- 6 Health 43 -- Immunization 43 -- Environment--Housing, Diet, Grooming, Exercise 43 -- Teaching Your Lab to Accept Health Care 47 -- Taking Medicine 49 -- Becoming Friends with the Veterinarian 50 -- 7 Motivating Your Labrador 51 -- Human/Dog Pack 51 -- Using Rewards 52 -- Praise 52 -- Voice Tone 52 -- Physical Touch 52 -- Food as an Incentive 53 -- Hunting and Chasing 53 -- Play 54 -- 8 Communicating with Your Lab 55 -- Capturing and Holding Your Dog's Attention 55 -- Hand Signals 57 -- Understanding Dog Language 57 -- 9 Commands--A Basic Vocabulary 61 -- Dogs and Language 61 -- Health Check 61 -- Positive Obedience Training 61 -- Home Schooling 62 -- Walking on Leash 68 -- Commands in Daily Life 72 -- 10 Tricks 73 -- Tricks and Obedience 73 -- Home Schooling 74 -- 11 Games and Family Fun 80 -- Forming Life Skills Through Play 80 -- Good Toys/Bad Toys 80 -- Games for the Whole Family 81 -- Fun Outdoor Activities with the Family 86 -- Parades, Walkathons, Community Fun 88 -- 12 Building Your Lab's Confidence 90 -- Sensitive Periods 90 -- Fear of the Unknown 90 -- Promoting Trust 90 -- Working Through Fears 93 -- 13 Overcoming Behavior Problems 98 -- Handling Bad Habits 98 -- House Soiling 99 -- Nuisance Behaviors 101 -- Aggression Problems 108 -- 14 Canine Good Citizen Test 109 -- CGC Certification Program 109 -- Preparing for the CGC Test 110 -- Ten Exercises That Make Up the CGC Test 111 -- CGC Programs in Other Countries 116 -- 15 Competition and Titles 117 -- Conformation 117 -- Obedience Trials, Tests, and Titles 118 -- Home Schooling 119 -- Tracking 120 -- Agility 122 -- 16 Sports 124 -- Avoiding Injuries 124 -- Suggested Sports 124 -- Additional Outdoor Activities 128 -- 17 Careers for Labs 130 -- Assistance Dogs 130 -- Therapy Dogs 131 -- Search Dogs 133 -- Show Biz 133 -- 18 Legal Issues 135 -- Community Responsibility 135 -- Dog Waste Pick-up and Disposal 135 -- Fairness to Neighbors--Fences 136 -- Boredom Causes Misbehavior 138 -- Borders and Quarantines 138 -- Protecting Your Lab 139 -- Temperament and Intelligence Tests 140. |
