As soon as you bring your puppy home, begin gentle training for obedience  and hygiene.  Reward good behavior with praise, stroking, or food treats.  Provide toys to keep your puppy alert and occupied, and arrange regular contact with other dogs to ensure proper social development.

Labrador are eager pupils and learn quickly.  Even a very young puppy will be sensitive to your manner and tone of voice, and will understand when you are genuinely pleased with its behavior.  Enthusiastic words of approval should always accompany any type of reward.

Touch is an intensely powerful reward.  Your puppy will naturally want to be stroked, but do not comply on demand.  Offer petting in response to good conduct, so that obedience is associated with desired physical attention.

The Labrador gives the impression that a large  portion of its brain is dedicated to a constant search for food.  Explore this breed characteristic by using low-calorie treats such as vitamins tablets as primary rewards, reinforced with vigorous praise.

Good toys are designed to stimulate your puppy both physically and mentally.  Dogs are particularly attracted to toys with distinctive odors, and ones that are fun to chase, capture, retrieve, or chew.  Take special care with squeaky toys; curious Labradors are prone to accidentally swallowing the "squeakers".

While toys left lying around soon become boring items brought out only under special reasons are transformed into exciting rewards.  Give toys selectively as a prize for a good behavior, and put them away after use so your dog understands that they belong to you.  Whenever you leave your Labrador alone, provide a favorite toy as soothing distraction.

Your puppy will usually want to go to the bathroom after walking, eating, drinking, or exercise.  It may signal this by putting its nose down and sniffing.  It is pointless to punish your  puppy after an accident.  If you catch it in act, however, say "No" in a stern tone to teach it that it must use the paper.

Start outdoor training as soon as possible.  Take a small piece of soiled paper with you; the puppy will smell its own scent and be encouraged to go to the bathroom outside.  As it goes to the bathroom, say "Hurry up", and this will train your dog to go on that command.