The Labrador retriever can make an ideal pet for your family, but effective Labrador obedience training will be the key in a successful relationship with this dog. Cute puppies that start out weighing just a few pounds will rapidly grow into large dogs weighing fifty to sixty pounds or more, which can become a problem if the dog is not properly trained.

While Labrador obedience training can be somewhat intimidating when you first bring that exuberant puppy home, this breed is eager to please and intelligent enough to understand what is expected rather quickly. However, respect is sometimes an issue with the Lab, so you need to show him who's the boss in your house right from the beginning.

Much of Labrador obedience training has to do with teaching your dog respect for the alpha dog in the household - who happens to be you. Once you have established the proper pecking order in your home, your Lab puppy will be much more likely to acquiesce to your authority with prompt obedience.

One of the first steps in effective Labrador obedience training is consistency. Just like small children, a dog needs to know that the rules are the same all the time, and that if he doesn't follow them, he will get a scolding from you. This means that if you want your Lab to stay off of your bed, you can't allow him to jump up even once. Any exceptions to the rule will quickly be picked up on by this intelligent creature, and he will continue to push you to the point of exasperation if he thinks his efforts might be successful.

In addition to plenty of positive reinforcement, effective Labrador obedience training will include consistency. These dogs are intelligent to know how committed you are to the rules of the house, and if they see any flexibility in those rules, they will push you to your limit. This means that if you want your Lab to stay off of your sofa or out of the living room, you need to keep him away from the area one hundred percent of the time. This consistency will help your Lab learn to respect you and he will be secure and comfortable with rules of the household that never change.

Labrador obedience training should begin as soon as your puppy comes home from the breeder, but that doesn't mean you should subject him to long, drawn-out training sessions right away. Keep sessions down to a matter of minutes and offer plenty of praise and rewards throughout.

As your dog begins to be comfortable with a particular instruction, include some distraction to the training session, like tossing treats around him or bouncing a ball as you give the command. This will help to ensure that your dog will obey you in any circumstance, no matter what distractions might be lurking about. Good beginning commands will include sit, fetch and stay, but lie and come should be close behind those.

While rewards should initially come to a pup that sits for only a second or two, later sessions should require that your dog obeys for longer periods of time, and even when he cannot see your face or you are at a distance. By investing the time and effort in proper Labrador obedience training at the beginning, you will enjoy many happy years of companionship with your pet.