Among the most important commands that owner and dog need to review time and again is “come.” Few and far in between are the labrador retriever owners that were spared of the day when their lab just gave them a blank look as an answer to a clear and firm “Come,” and kept on walking the other way.

But out of fairness to the dog, they are actually growing into their individualistic phase. One suggestion for dealing with this is to get a long leash, say a 50-foot rope, so that the dog can be allowed

to roam. When you want to teach the dog to come, just call it and if there is no response, reel it in. Give praise or treat when the dog reaches you.

The next labrador retriever training tip is less physical than the first, and only a whistle is needed as an upfront and no-fancy frills way to instilling recall in a dog. In this tip, an “error” to work on is the cheapening of verbal recall, since it cannot be helped that it is used too much, and not enforced well and also inconsistently used, too.

To teach a dog to respond, a dog will often just need to hear a whistle blast, then a treat. A labrador retriever will usually need only two or three repetitions of these to let the lesson sink in. Keep the dog coming to you by making random, unpredictable and mixing up the rewards and treats you give, i.e. a favorite treat now, a belly rub next time, a kibble after this, etc.

Another labrador retriever training tip to try out is to have the dog stay some good distance between you and the another person. You and Person B will take turns calling the dog and giving it treats each time it comes to you. This way the dog links the recall command with pleasant and good stuff.

Lastly, try playing hide and seek with the dog. At times, a dog in the thick of “this is more interesting , I’ll get back to you later” will notice you missing from the trail and will come running to you as you call from behind a tree. Similar to the “hide” strategy or “give chase” strategy, try turning around and going the opposite way.