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Rosie's Training Guide

5-month-old Labrador Retriever · Positive Reinforcement

Clicker Training 20–45 min/day Force-Free

Daily Schedule

Split into 2–3 short sessions. Rosie's attention span is 5–10 minutes per skill right now.

☀️ Morning Session 10–15 min

  • 2–3 min warm-up with known commands (sit, shake)
  • 5–7 min working on ONE new or developing skill
  • 2–3 min ending with something fun she's good at

🌤️ Midday Session 5–10 min

  • Quick recall practice or leash walking
  • Can be folded into a walk or yard time

🌙 Evening Session 10–15 min

  • 5–7 min on a second skill (different from morning)
  • 3–5 min impulse control or settle/place training
  • Always end on a win
🎯 Session Tips
  • Train before meals — hungrier = more motivated
  • Use tiny, high-value treats (pea-sized cheese, hot dog, freeze-dried liver)
  • Click → treat within 1 second. Timing is everything.
  • If she's not getting it after 3–4 reps, make it easier
  • Always quit while she's still engaged, not after she checks out

Commands to Train

In priority order. Rosie knows sit and shake. Her recall needs proofing. Everything else is new.

Command 1 · Priority: Critical

Come (Recall)

She knows it but doesn't always do it — needs more value and proofing

How to Train

  1. Never use "come" to end fun or do something she doesn't like
  2. Every recall should be a party — best treats, excited voice, quick game
  3. Start indoors with zero distractions, then yard, then on a long line outdoors
  4. Use a long lead (15–30 ft) so she can't self-reward by ignoring you

Reference Videos

Kikopup Come Recall — Puppy Training
Kikopup Recall Game — Fun & Games
Command 2

Down (Lie Down)

Foundation for stay, place, settle, and relaxation

How to Train

  1. From sit: hold treat at nose, draw straight down to ground between front paws, then slightly toward you
  2. Click the moment elbows hit the floor
  3. Once reliable with lure, fade to hand signal
  4. Add verbal cue only after she's doing the motion consistently

Reference Videos

Kikopup First Luring Session with a Puppy
Command 3

Stay

Hold position until released — use "okay" or "free" as release word

How to Train

  1. Start in sit or down. Click/treat for not moving for 1 second. Then 2. Then 3.
  2. Add duration before distance. Hold 10+ seconds before stepping away.
  3. Add distance slowly — one step back, return, click/treat
  4. Always return to her to reward. Don't call her out of a stay during training.

Reference Videos

Kikopup Capturing Calmness / Settle
Command 4

Leave It

Critical for Labs who put everything in their mouths

How to Train

  1. Hold treat in closed fist. When she pulls away or looks at you, click and treat from OTHER hand
  2. Progress to open palm, then treat on floor with hand ready to cover
  3. Then uncovered treat on floor, then items during walks
  4. Never let her get the "leave it" item — reward always comes from you

Reference Videos

Kikopup No Mugging (Foundation for Leave It)
Command 5

Loose Leash Walking

Build good habits now before she reaches full adult strength

How to Train

  1. Click/treat for every few steps she walks at your side without pulling
  2. When she pulls, stop moving. Wait for slack, then continue.
  3. Change direction frequently — makes her pay attention to you
  4. Use a front-clip harness to reduce pulling leverage

Reference Videos

Kikopup Attention Games (Leash Foundation)
Command 6

Place / Settle

Go to a mat or bed and relax — for cooking, eating, calls

How to Train

  1. Toss a treat on her bed/mat. Click when she steps on it.
  2. Shape gradually: step on → sit → lie down → relax
  3. Build duration. Reward calm: head down, body relaxed, sighing.
  4. Don't use clicker for this — just calmly deliver treats. Click tends to arouse.

Reference Videos

Kikopup Capturing Calmness
Kikopup Rewarding Calm Behavior
Command 7

Drop It

Distinct from leave it — means "spit out what's in your mouth"

How to Train

  1. While playing tug, present a high-value treat near her nose
  2. The moment she opens her mouth, click and treat
  3. Add "drop it" cue once she reliably releases
  4. Make it fun — dropping the toy = treat AND the game resumes. Never chase her for items.
Command 8

Wait (Doors & Meals)

Impulse control pause — different from stay

How to Train

  1. At doors: open a crack. If she moves toward it, close it. When she pauses, open again. Repeat.
  2. Before meals: hold bowl. If she jumps or mugs, bowl goes up. Sits and waits → bowl goes down.
  3. Release with "okay." This is pure impulse control — Labs need a lot of it.

Sample Training Week

Rotate skills so she's never drilling the same thing all day. Keep it varied and fun.

Day Morning (10–15 min) Midday (5–10 min) Evening (10–15 min)
MonRecall games indoorsLeash walking practiceDown + Stay
TueLeave it progressionRecall in yard (long line)Settle / Place on mat
WedDown (add distance)Leash walkingDrop it during tug
ThuStay (add duration)Recall with distractionsLeave it + Wait at door
FriLeash walking focusRecall gamesSettle / Place
SatSit → Down → Stay sequenceOutdoor walk with stopsFun tricks / free shaping
SunReview weakest skillPlay-based recallRest / capturing calmness

Lab-Specific Notes

Things to keep in mind for training a young Labrador specifically.

🦴 Mouthy Phase

At 5 months she's likely still mouthing. Redirect to toys, not hands. If she bites during play, play stops immediately. Resume after a few seconds of calm.

Kikopup Bite Inhibition & Mouthing

🍖 Food Motivation

Labs are easy to train with food but also easy to overfeed. Use part of her daily kibble as training treats for low-stakes reps. Save high-value stuff (cheese, hot dog, freeze-dried liver) for recall and new skills.

⚡ Energy Management

A tired Lab learns better than a wired one. A 15-minute walk or play session before training takes the edge off. But don't exhaust her — you want engaged, not zonked.

🔄 Adolescence Incoming

Between 6–12 months, she'll "forget" things she knew. This is normal. Stay consistent, don't escalate, keep sessions fun. This phase passes. It's not defiance — it's brain development.

🔧 Your Gear

Clicker: Click = treat, every time, no exceptions. If you click by accident, still treat. The click must always mean something.

Treat pouch: Wear it during all sessions. Practice your click → reach → deliver timing until it's smooth.

Consider adding: A 15–30 ft long line for outdoor recall, and a front-clip harness for leash walking.

Resources

Your go-to channels and playlists.

Kikopup

Emily Larlham · 400+ free tutorials. Precise, calm, clicker-based. Endorsed by PPG, APDT, and Karen Pryor Academy. Best for seeing technique demonstrated clearly.

Visit Channel →

Zak George

Dog Training Revolution · Most-subscribed dog trainer on YouTube. Energetic, beginner-friendly. Great for big-picture understanding and motivation.

Visit Channel →

📋 Kikopup's Puppy Training Playlist

Complete playlist covering come, leave it, attention, no mugging, bite inhibition, house training, and more. Start here if you want to go through everything systematically.

Open Playlist →
💡 Free Course

Zak George's 30 Day Perfect Pup is a free email-based training course that covers sit, stay, leave it, leash training, recall, potty training, and more — with a daily video. Good supplementary structure if you want daily accountability. Sign up at pupford.com