Pet Behavior
A Simple Training Guide for Golden Retriever Puppies
By: Andrew Kennedy
A Simple Training Guide for Golden Retriever Puppies
A new Golden Retriever Puppy is always a big responsibility. One of the most important things is to start the right training on time. This article will help you with that. Read on for helpful tips.
When to begin?
In many cases, breeders start training golden retriever puppies before they find their owner. This training can be crate training, potty training, and other behavioral training. Of course, this is not always guaranteed, especially if you are not getting your puppy from a breeder.
The best time to start training is from 8 weeks of age. According to research, golden retriever puppies should not be separated from their mothers before then.
What supplies do you need?
If you are serious about training, you may need some supplies in addition to the time spent. These are listed below:
- Crate: If you want to crate training with your puppy, you will obviously need a crate. It is very important that this training equipment is at your house from day one. You can choose a soft dog crate or a heavy duty dog crate.
- Baby gates: You don’t have to get these, but they are useful. These tools prevent problematic situations when you can’t pay proper attention to your puppy.
- Leashes: There are indoor and outdoor leashes. You can choose them according to your goals.
- High-quality food: Consult your breeder or veterinarian about the appropriate food. If for some reason you need a change in the food field, pay attention to the gradation.
- Toys: Golden Retriever puppies have a lot of energy. You might want to buy them some chew toys.
- Bedding: If you buy a crate for your puppy, you need to have some bedding in it for convenience. Anyway, there are crates that come with something like this.
- Treats: These will be very useful during the training. Use them wisely and not excessively.
- Collar: If you get used to your Golden Retriever with a collar from day one, it will be beneficial later on.
- Brushes: This is one of the most important grooming tools. This will help keep your dog’s coat healthy which is extra important for golden retrievers.
Training
Crate training
As I mentioned earlier, this is worth starting from day one. However, go gradually, in steps. The puppy needs to know the crate, and get used to it. Sessions should be longer and longer. Don’t forget the treats as rewards.
Potty training
Proper potty training is extremely important from day one. This process will probably take a few months. However, it is worth dealing with. It is important that you devote as much time as possible to your Golden Retriever in the first few weeks. This will help with potty training. Here are some useful tips:
- Consider the tiny bladder of the puppies: Puppies are unable to hold their urine for long due to their small bladder. Therefore, until the end of the training, you need to pay close attention to your Golden Retriever.
- Walk your puppy frequently: Of course, you don’t have to go overboard. However, it is not a bad idea to take your puppy out every hour to do his thing. With this, you can also avoid accidents and your goldy will learn to get rid of urine outside.
- Punishment: Excessive punishment will not result in successful training. However, a firm voice and talking can go a long way.
- Take out the poop: If your dog poops into the house, take it out to the yard. Animals perceive their own smells and associate this with the fact that they have to do their thing there.
- Do not reward with treats: Rewarding with a treat is a good idea for most training. But you should not reward your golden retriever puppy when they poop. While pooping is a good thing, there is a risk that your puppy will link the reward to pooping and will also poop in your house, hoping to get a treat.
Socialization
Everyone wants a dog that is friendly and social. It is best not only with other dogs but also with humans. The good news is that it can be taught.
Experts say there is a so-called social period for dogs. It lasts from 0 to 3 months. During this period, it is very important for the puppy to encounter as many stimuli, people and dogs as possible. Of course, slowly and gradually introduce your Golden Retriever puppy to other pets and people.
However, don’t let your pup go to the dog park until about 5 weeks old. This is when he will receive all the necessary vaccinations. Without these vaccines, dogs are exposed to very dangerous bacteria. Instead, during this time, let your puppy get acquainted with the various noises (e.g., vacuuming) and people visiting.
While learning about stimuli and experiences is very important, let your Goldy do everything at his own pace. You should not rush anything.
Behavioral training
As a new Golden Retriever parent, you shouldn’t be careless. You have to supervise your puppy, and if an accident happens, don’t yell or punish under any circumstances. Instead, you need to learn to pay more attention next time.
A natural trait of dogs is that they like to chew everything. You need to control this instinct properly if you don’t want your dog to chew on your furniture. One of the best ways to do this is to buy as many chew toys as possible.
Another useful thing is to teach your Goldy to bite gently. When he bites you, you should scream as if you were hurt. Because your dog doesn’t want to hurt you, and with this trick, he learns to adjust his or her biting power.
Another important thing about the Golden Puppy is teaching his name. You can achieve this with a lot of repetitions and treats.
Leash training
In addition to potty training, leash training is also important. After all, walking should be a good experience. As with any other supplies, the leash should not be rushed. Introduce it to your dog gradually. Let her sniff and chew it. If your puppy gets used to it, you can try attaching it to the collar. Remember that the puppies are very excited about their first walk.
Below I will share some useful tips about leash training:
- Do not use treats. The walk should be a reward itself.
- Start using marker words as soon as possible, eg steady, slow, stop, etc.
- Do not pull or yank the leash hard. This increases the risk of injury. Instead, pull back gently on your Goldy and pause the walk for a while. Only continue when your puppy has calmed down.
- Repeat these steps.
- Short 5-10 minute walks, 3-5 times a day, are best. Later, you can try longer 30-minute walks.
Summary
Golden Retrievers are great, kind, and friendly dogs. Training them can sometimes be a challenge, but it is a unique experience. However, with diligence and perseverance, using the above tips correctly, you can achieve excellent results. This way, your new pup can become the best possible family member.
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