Labrador Retriever Book

1	Labrador Retriever History	1
	Origins of the Labrador Retriever	1
	Uses	3
	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	The First Month with Your New Lab	16
	The 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
	The 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
	The 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
	The 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
	Overview	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
	Useful Addresses and Literature	143
	Glossary	147
	Index	151