How best to prepare your young dog for advanced training.

To give your young dog the best chance for success in advanced training your pup should be well "Socialized".

"Socializing"of coarse requires loving them and caring for them, but just as important, teaching them simple boundries and then enforcing those boundries with the appropriat levels of discipline. For instance, if you have a crazy pup your concentration probably should be tailored to sit, stay, come, and heal camly on a leash. If your pup is shy and withdrawn you probably should concentrate on letting her/him run around on the "free" command while exposing them to all kinds of enviroments. Teach them to leave your side by throwing their food on kibble at a time in "easy to find it vegetation". If your dog is emotionally stressed by something, wait for a few weeks and then causually reentroduce the senerio again in a different location by throwing kibble around it and then up to it. If you don't succeed at first, keep at it. Avoiding situations in the longterm that make your dog nervous, or show fear is the obisite of socializing.

Here is a simple list of skills that puppies should be socialized with.

All discipline should be age appropriate.

No barking or biting. Young dogs want your attention; thus, they bark and bite as puppies. Every time a pup either barks or bites he should get an appropriate correction with the command "quiet" or "no". Cute at first, but annoying for everyone else.
Retrieve. Every Lab needs their retrieving instincts developed early. Throw anything to build his desire to retrieve. If the young puppy does not show a desire to fetch, Do what you can. Throw food one kibble at a time. Throw his favorite toy. Build from there.
Swim. Your Lab should enjoy and be comfortable in water. Make water fun. Swimming is best learned as early as possible. Puppies don't splash around when they get into the water, they just swim. Seeing a puppy swim like an old pro is awesome. Go slow and pick warm water. It is best to convince the puppy to swim out and grab something. But if that doesn't work use a lead and walk out with him.
Sit. Teach your pup to "Sit" until he/she is released. At first, you can use food to help teach him to sit. After he learns the verbal command "sit", enforce the command with an appropriate level of correction. Use treats to keep him sitting until you say "Free". At first, have him sit for a short time. Gradually increase the length of time he is to remain on the command "Sit". Use appropriate correction levels to increase the length of time the pup is to remain on the "Sit" command. Only give treats (dog food) when he successfully sits until you release him.
Leash introduction. Puppies need to have experience with a leash and collar. Use appropriate leash corrections to convince your pup not to pull on the leash, bite at it, or bark with frustration because of it.

Developing skills with appropraite disicplied is loving them.

Our biggest concern is for dogs that have been ignored for long periods of time, especially while being kept in the same enclosure with other dogs during their formable stages of development. It is vital that the pup understands and accepts you as his friend, caretaker, and authority figure. Not other dogs, or puppies. "Socializing training" should start at 8 weeks of age, or, as soon as you get them home.