I had a Lab a few years back and I trained him to obey hand, voice and whistle commands. I had never trained a dog before, but a friend told me to get a copy of Richard Wolter's book, "Water Dog" and follow it. I did and I had a great time with my dog. I dove hunted with him for many years and he was a real pleasure because he was trained to behave and obey commands.
It was all done with patient and love. The trick is to teach him what you want him to do. Once he learns what you want he will do it over and over. They are great dogs as pets and hunters. I still miss mine, he died in 2008.
Good luck,
SeaRay
PS You may can find the book in a used bookstore since it was published several years ago or maybe order on line from one of the internet sellers.
SeaRay