Labrador Training Services

A trained dog is an enjoyable dog.

One of the reasons our family loves the Labrador Retriever is that this breed can truly do it all. The same Labrador that sleeps next to your child's bed can spend Saturday morning retrieving ducks, compete on Sunday, earn AKC titles, work alongside a first responder, or provide life changing assistance to someone with a disability.

Whatever you want to do with your Labrador, training is what helps unlock that potential.

For most YFL families, the goal is simple: a great family dog and man's best friend. A Labrador that can walk through the neighborhood without pulling you down the sidewalk, settle on Place while you're eating dinner, greet people appropriately, travel with the family, behave in public and, most importantly, come back when called.

For other families, that's only the beginning.

From the Couch to the Field and Everywhere in Between

If your goal is field work, hunting, waterfowl, bird retrieval, competition, performance events, the show ring, AKC titles, or simply having a weekend warrior that joins you in the blind a few times each season, we can help point you in the right direction.

Approximately 10% of YFL Labradors go on to participate in some level of retrieving, hunting or field work.

You don't have to know how to get there on your own. Over the years, YFL has developed relationships with professional trainers and handlers who work in different areas of the Labrador world. We can connect our families with people we work closely with who can evaluate your goals, train your personal dog and help pursue appropriate field, performance, obedience and other titles.

You don't have to want a national level competition dog, either. If you simply want your Labrador to retrieve birds reliably during hunting season and then come home and be the family dog the rest of the year, there is a training path for that too.

That's one of the great things about this breed.

Service & Specialized Working Dogs

Some YFL Labradors take an entirely different path. Approximately 10% of the puppies we produce go on to pursue some level of service or specialized working dog training.

YFL Labradors have gone on to work with Washington, D.C. Fire and EMS as well as other departments and municipalities across the country, and others have been trained to assist individuals and families in specialized roles.

For families interested in this path, we can help connect you with professional trainers who specialize in areas such as service dog development, therapy work, search and rescue, diabetic alert, autism support, mobility assistance, psychiatric service work, scent detection and other specialized training.

These disciplines require expertise beyond everyday obedience, and we believe in connecting our families with professionals who specialize in the type of work they want their Labrador to perform.

It All Starts With Obedience

Whether your Labrador's future is the couch, the show ring, a duck blind, a competition field, service work or a little bit of everything, the foundation is the same.

Your dog needs to understand how to communicate with you. A reliable recall is one of the most important things you can teach any dog. It can provide your Labrador with greater freedom while giving you a reliable way to communicate when it matters most. As dogs mature, one of the tools we may incorporate into advanced obedience is a properly introduced remote training collar, commonly called an e collar.

At YFL, an e collar is never intended to frighten, punish or harm a dog.

An e collar is a communication tool.

When properly conditioned and used appropriately, it allows the handler to communicate clearly with the dog, including at a distance. Like any training tool, its effectiveness depends on proper introduction, education and responsible use.

Training methods also need to match the dog's age and development. An eight week old puppy doesn't train the same way as an eight month old Labrador. Young puppies begin with food, praise, repetition and positive experiences. As dogs mature, training can progress to leash pressure, appropriate training collars and properly conditioned remote collar communication when appropriate.

Your Labrador. Your Goals.

Not everyone wants the same thing from their Labrador, and that's okay.

You may want a beautifully mannered family companion. You may want your child's best friend. You may want a dog beside you in a duck blind. You may want to pursue titles and competition. You may need a dog capable of highly specialized service work. Or you may want a Labrador that does a little bit of everything.

Tell us what you want to do with your dog. If it's something we train for, we'll help you do it. If it requires a specialty trainer, we'll help connect you with people we know and trust.

Because training isn't just about creating an obedient dog. 

A trained dog gets to do more, go more places and enjoy more of life with you.