While all puppies require training, Golden Retrievers are among the easiest. Golden Retriever puppy training is not difficult, but it is very important to start early. While your Goldens fondest dream is to please you, he needs to know what you want. It takes time to teach him so while it makes training a Golden Retriever a relatively simple task as opposed to more independent breeds, it’s still very important.
Like with humans, there is training and then there is education. Training is about doing something over and over until it becomes automatic. Education is about teaching something in a way that will develop a desire to achieve.
Dogs in general are creatures of habit. They thrive when they can expect a schedule. Is their food and water available and on time? Can they expect a walk at a specific time? When can they expect play time?
Puppies, especially Goldens, need to burn off lots of energy. It’s important to see to that need. You’ve probably heard the phrase “A tired dog is a good dog.” It’s absolutely true. If you provide time for your pup to use up his energy each and every day, you will minimize many of the problems or poor behaviors he or she may have.
First Your Pup Needs to Know His Name
The very first training exercise you need to work on is teaching your pooch his name. You have to get his attention before you can give him commands or run an agility course. It is paramount that he knows his name. We cover the subject in detail at “Do Dogs Know Their Name“.
Treats for Puppy Training
We address this in a post where were recommending some various treats for training purposes. Training treats need to be small and low calorie so they won’t cause a weight problem. If you’re providing your Golden with enough exercise this probably won’t matter much because Golden Retriever puppies need lots of exercise to be happy.
Trust and Your Bond
I can’t emphasize enough that you have to respect your pups needs and desires in order to build trust with them. Just like with humans they need to know you care about them and will keep them safe. This is beyond training, it’s what will allow you to build a bond with your pup so you each will be working hard to please the other.
When I’m out with my Golden Retriever, at the dog park, or taking a walk and there is some sort of trouble, my dog will often come between my legs because she knows it’s safe there. When she does that, I always make her feel welcome. I appreciate that she knows I will always protect her.
This is something I mentioned earlier. It’s not part of their training. It’s more about their education.
Socialization With Other Dogs
Socialization with other dogs is a benefit to having a good relationship. We live in a society where we have close contact with others. If you are taking a walk with your pup and every time he sees another dog he goes crazy, it makes both of your lives more difficult, not to mention the other dog and owner.
I started with Nola in a kindergarten puppy class where I worked with her with a trainer and 10 to 20 other dogs and owners. This will do a number of things. Your pup will get training and you’ll get training so you know how to handle various behaviors. Not only see what is happening with you and your pup. but you can see how others are handling their pups as well. You’ll also get time to bond with your dog, and the more time you spend with your pooch the better.
I also took her to an agility class where she learned to handle the various obstacles that are involved in a normal course. Again, it was training for me as well as Nola.
Then, after she had her various vaccinations, I took her to our Doggie Daycare facility. They watched her while I was at work in a supervised environment. This helped socialize her, kept her busy while I was at work and when I picked her up, she was really tired from playing with all the other pups. I can’t stress this enough. A tired dog is a good dog.
Dog Parks are a Great Way to Socialize Your Pup
They are mostly quite safe and you will meet many very nice people with great dogs. It has been a very enjoyable experience for both Nola and myself. Keep in mind though that you need to supervise your pup and keep him safe. From time to time, you’ll run into owners whose dogs don’t do well and are frankly dangerous. You need to see that early on, before problems develop. That said, I have met many dogs and owners who I consider great friends.