Five fundamentals to a well trained puppy

Patience

Consistency

Tone of Voice

Praise Good Behavior

Do not reprimand unless you "catch them in the act"

Playing rough : You are the pack leader and your dog will take on your habits. Playing rough with a puppy will only lead to disaster when it's full grown.

Striking a dog: Black Forest Labradors strongly discourages the use of force in dog training. Though it sometimes takes lots of patience and consistency, praise will always get you more than force. Teach your dog to please you and you'll have a buddy for life. If you must strike a dog to stop or avoid a problem, only strike it under the chin with an open palm. NEVER strike it with an overhead motion in the head or hips. This will cause a dog to cower and possibly cause serious injury.

Labradors love to train and be under command, especially if it can sense you're pleased with its actions. You are its teacher so it will learn everything from including bad habits if you're not careful. Praise at the proper time is far more affective than scolding and be careful when you reprimand your dog not to break its spirit. A broken dog is not the same as an obedient dog.

Avoid tug of war : Tug of war may seem fun but as powerful as Labradors are, they can hurt a child or adult without meaning to. Plus is teaches destructive behavior.

Avoid Chase games : If you chase your dog, you'll ingrain a fleeing habit it sees as fun and appropriate. This can only lead to frustration and potential disaster. It will love the running and excitement, but it teaches a pursuit and pounce instinct you do not want in a family pet. A dog the size of a Labrador can inflict serious injury especially to children without meaning to because you trained it to play chase.

The “come” call . This is the most crucial skill to teach your dog and should be done within its first few weeks at home. It can keep them from dangerous situations in public or near busy roads or in new surroundings. If your pup does not come when called, DON'T chase them. This will seem like a game that enforces stubbornness. Call them once and go and get them if they do not come. Over praise them when come and soon they'll associate coming to your call is a good thing.