Labrador Jumping Up and Pulling on the Lead: The Two Manners Every Lab Needs

Labradors love people, and they show it with their whole body. That is lovely at ten kilos and a problem at thirty, especially with children, grandparents and anyone carrying a coffee. Jumping and pulling are the two things Labrador owners ask about most, and both have the same root: the dog is rewarded by getting to the person, or the smell, faster.

Jumping up

Every jump that gets attention is paid, and to a Labrador 'no, get down' with a hand on the chest is attention. Change what pays.

• Four paws on the floor gets the greeting. Paws in the air gets nothing: no eye contact, no touch, no voice. Turn away. The second the feet are down, greet warmly. Be fast; Labradors learn the contrast in days.
• Give them something to do instead. A toy to carry to the door: a mouth with a job is a body that doesn't jump. Or a sit on a mat by the door, paid every time.
• Scatter treats on the floor as visitors come in. Nose down means feet down. It buys you the first thirty seconds, which is when jumping happens.
• Brief your visitors before they open the door. One enthusiastic aunt undoes a week of work. If they can't follow the rule, the dog is behind a gate until the excitement passes.

Pulling on the lead

Pulling works: it gets the dog to the lamppost. Stop it working.

• Tight lead, you stop. Slack lead, you go. Boring, and it is the whole method. Start indoors and in the garden where it's easy.
• Pay at your side, often. A treat every few steps at first, from the meal ration. Change direction so the dog has to watch you.
• Give permission to sniff. 'Go sniff' on a slack lead as a reward for walking nicely takes the pressure off you both. Sniffy walks tire a Labrador more than a march.
• Equipment. A well-fitted front-clip harness helps while you train. A slip lead, a choke or a prong teaches nothing except that walks hurt, and on a Labrador neck they can do real damage.

The over-friendly Labrador

Not every dog wants to meet yours. A Labrador who drags you to every dog is heading for a bad meeting eventually, and a Labrador who barks and lunges at dogs on the lead is usually frustrated, not aggressive: they want to say hello and the lead says no. Teach a default check-in: dog looks at you, gets paid, then sometimes gets to say hello, on a loose lead, for three seconds, then away. Politeness is a skill.

Rules for children

Labradors and children are a famous pairing, and the dog needs protecting from the child as much as the other way round. No climbing on the dog, no hugging a dog who is eating or sleeping, no taking things from the mouth; that's the adult's job with the swap. Teach children to ask the dog to sit for a treat instead of grabbing, and to read a head-turn or a yawn as 'not now'. The Beginner's Guide to Dog Body Language makes that easy to teach.