The Puppy And Socialization Phase
The following things are what new Golden Retriever owners should start working on soon after they bring their puppy home. During this time it is important to establish a routine and set boundaries with your puppy. Additionally, socialization and introduction training is also crucial during this stage.
Getting To Know Your Puppy and Create a Daily Routine:
The first thing that every new Golden Retriever puppy should do is to get to know their puppy and establish a daily routine. Doing things like playing games and exploring together does not only establish trust between you and your dog but also helps you understand what your dog likes to do. This is handy information because it helps you to streamline the rewards that you use during training into being extremely rewarding for your puppy.
During the first few days, you should also be establishing a routine with your puppy. This is very important because it can make things like potty training and having your puppy sleep through the night go much more smoothly. A great way to establish a routine is to feed your puppy their meals and take them for potty breaks at around the same time every day. Usually, when people do this, other parts of the daily routine like play and rest times also fall into place.
Socialization and Working Through Fear Stages:
Introduction To Grooming:
Touch Desensitization:
Potty Training:
Handling Problematic Behaviors:
Basic Obedience Training:
- Walking nicely on a leash
Crate Training:
Forthglade Soft Bite Dog Treats
Best Puppy Treat Overall
At Smart Bark we constantly review our ‘Best of’ articles to check that they’re still current. Since our original test, we’ve added Forthglade’s new and upgraded range of Soft Bite treats.
These softer semi-moist training treats offer a change to the usual crunchy biscuit style dog treat.
Easy to swallow they make the perfect treat for puppy training sessions as you can deliver the reward quickly to encourage a new behaviour.
The range has more traditional flavours like Turkey, Lamb and Salmon alongside
two recipes Forthglade have developed in alliance with the National Trust – Chicken with Duck and Salmon with Herring.
But in testing, we preferred their new range of 3 recipes, all meat based with added ingredients –
Calming with camomile, lavender & lemon
Fresh Breath with peppermint & parsley
Rewards with chicken & liver
Crucially, these star and leaf shapes treats were slightly smaller than the rest of the heart-shaped range and had a central groove making them super easy to snap in half.
I love this option of a smaller sized treat when I want multiple treats to develop response behaviours or a larger, whole reward – ‘just because‘!
It’s worth noting that in testing, they were soft enough to break into two pieces easily but didn’t leave loads of crumbs in our pockets. If you’re interested, there were 45 star shaped treats in the Rewards pack and 38 leaf-shaped treats in the Calming and Fresh Breath packs.
or money-saving 8 x 90g bags.
Zukes Puppy Naturals Puppy Treats
Zukes Puppy Naturals Puppy Treats contain lamb and chickpea as ingredients. As these treats are rich in nutrients, it promotes the growth of your pal. Further, these treats contain docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid that will support the development of your dogs brain cells.
Moreover, this tender treat is grain and gluten-free that ensure proper digestion, and eliminates the chances of constipation or bloating in your pal.
Also Check: Golden Retriever Puppies Fort Worth
Best Puppy Treats For Golden Retrievers: Things To Consider
You want to feed the best of your Golden, to keep them looking and feeling fantastic. Treats that are packed with sugar and artificial additives are going to be hazardous to your dogs wellbeing, not to mention that they can make their skin and hair dull and cause excessive shedding!
What you feed your Golden Retriever plays a vital role in making your dog live longer and healthier lives.
Lets look at what you need to consider when selecting best puppy treats for golden retrievers.
Goodnfun Triple Flavored Rawhide Kabobs For Dogs
GoodNFun Triple Flavored Rawhide Kabobs For Dogs has rawhide, pork hide, chicken liver, duck, vegetable glycerin, wheat flour, and garlic powder. Thus, these treats guarantee five flavors that your dog will love.
Further, chicken, chicken liver, and duck wrap the rawhide and pork hide. Thus, this treat is naturally chewy that satisfies your pals urge to chew, and promotes its dental health. Moreover, these treats are rich in protein to enhance the growth of muscles and bones.
Along with this, the chewing property of these treats reduces the chances of plaque and tartar buildup. Hence, they are the best treats for your Golden Retriever.
Read Also: Good Brushes For Golden Retrievers
Best Low Calorie: Eukanuba Activtrainer Dog Treats
Amazon
Treat Type: Soft | Lifestage: All | Breed Size: Varies | Calories Per Treat: Less than 2 | Treats Per Package: Not listed
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Appropriate for puppies and adults
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Some preservatives and fillers
Looking for a low-calorie treat to help your dog lose weight? The Eukanuba ACTIVTrainer Dog Treats are one of the lowest calorie options youll find, containing less than 2 calories per treat. These salmon-flavored treats were formulated with nutritionists to ensure your dogs health comes first, and theyre ideal for both puppies and adult dogs.
Salmon is the first ingredient in these low-calorie treats , and they contain DHA for healthy brain function and a healthy coat. The bite-sized form makes them easy for dogs to eat, and because they contain so few calories, you can use them while doing repetitive training with your pooch. They’re soft, but don’t crumble too much or leave grease on your fingers.
Bounce And Bella Puppy Training Treats
Best for hiding in your hand
Bounce and Bella offer great value hypoallergenic dog treats. As they include very few ingredients, they’re perfect for dogs suffering with allergies and sensitive tummies.
Our reviewers found these bone-shaped treats were particularly small and extremely crunchy compared to the other treats tested.
They are particularly small so I could fit lots in the palm of my hand to avoid unnecessary distractions during training sessions.
Bounce and Bella recommend them for puppies over 16 weeks old, so they’re more suited to training slightly older puppies.
You could start with a softer treat and then move onto Bounce & Bella at a later stage of puppy training.
Both Hudley and Freddie loved these treats and even though they’re tiny, they packed a punch.
There are two recipes – Poultry and their best selling Fish .
Their biggest selling point though, has to be that their large 500g resealable bags hold approx. 800 treats. – That’s a lot of training.
Also Check: How Often Do Golden Retrievers Need To Be Groomed
What Are Some Good Dog Training Tips
Here are a few general dog training tips to keep in mind:
Start with basic commands such as sit, stay, come, and down. Once your dog masters these commands, you can move on to more advanced tricks.
Be consistent with your commands and rewards, and don’t be afraid to praise your dog when he does something good.
Use treats sparingly, and avoid using them as a bribe. Instead, focus on rewarding your dog for specific behaviors that you want to reinforce.
With patience and consistency, you’ll be able to train your dog in no time!
Training A Golden Retriever: The Complete Guide
Whether you are thinking of becoming the lucky pet parent to a golden retriever, or already have a golden fur baby at home, its important to educate yourself and your family on how to train a golden retriever at any age. Not all golden retrievers enter their new families while puppies some are lucky enough to be rescued in their adolescence, adulthood, or even senior ages.
You May Like: What To Get For Golden Retriever Puppy
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Trail Treats
- No artificial flavours, colours, or preservatives.
- It contains Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids.
- DHA to support cognitive development in puppies.
- Available in 4 ounces or 10-ounce resealable pouch.
These treats are soft and moist and the perfect small size for training or rewards. You can feel good knowing you are giving your Golden a healthy and satisfying treat.
Available in 3 flavours, chicken, duck and salmon. Real meat is the first ingredient, followed by all-natural ingredients. These treats are completely free of anything that is bad for your dog.
The added Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids help to maintain healthy skin and coat, and the DHA is beneficial for a puppys cognitive development. These treats are ideal for dogs of all ages.
They have a natural smoke flavour and are lightly sweetened with maple syrup, which is all-natural.
Dogs love these treats, and they are the perfect size for training. You could even break them in half to make the treats last longer. The hardest part will be trying to decide which flavour to get.
Full Moon Chicken Jerky Human
Image courtesy Full Moon
These chicken jerky dog treats are made with 100% human-grade ingredients and are grain-free, gluten-free, and soy-free. They’re perfect for rewarding your pup during training or anytime they deserve a delicious treat.
Full Moon Chicken Jerky Dog Treats are a healthy and delicious way to show your pup some love.
Recommended Reading: What Do Golden Retrievers Like To Eat
Nature’s Gourmet Beef Flavor Dog Training Treats
First five ingredients: Beef liver, barley flour, whole ground potatoes, molasses, and vegetable glycerin
Flavor: Beef
Price: $3.15 for 4-oz bag
What dog doesn’t love a good beef-flavored treat? Nature’s Gourmet Beef Flavor Dog Training Treats are sure to have your pup drooling for more. The right treats make training your pup a breeze, and you cant go wrong with Natures Gourmet.
Despite their size, these 2-calorie morsels are paw-fect for your puppy. The best part is that you can reward your dog without feeding him unnecessary fillers or calories! These treats are made with ingredients you can trust, including beef liver, chicken fat, and flaxseed.
These protein-rich snacks are perfect to use at home or on the go. Show your pup how much you love him with these delectable chews.
Natural Dog Treats: Fruits And Vegetables
Many of the fruits and vegetables that humans eat are healthy and safe to give to your dog. Below are just a few safe options to share with your dog.
Blueberries
Blueberries are one of the best treats because they are small and dont have large pits that would pose a potential choking hazard. They can be served at room temperature or even frozen for a nice treat on a hot summer day, and they are an excellent source of antioxidants.
Bananas
Peeled bananas are also a sweet antioxidizing treat but have more natural sugars in them, so give these infrequently.
Apples
Apples are an excellent fiber source and can be given in small cut-up pieces, making sure to avoid the core and seeds.
Important
Be sure to avoid grapes and raisins which are toxic for dogs. The cause is unknown, but just one to three grapes can cause kidney failure in a dog.
Vegetables
Vegetables like greens beans and carrots are safe for dogs and are a great source of fiber. Because carrots are crunchy, they can also help keep your dogs teeth clean.
Leafy greens like kale are good sources of calcium, iron, and vitamins like A and C. These can be served chopped or steamed.
Peas and cooked sweet potatoes are also great dog treats and are common components of most commercial dog foods.
Important
Dog owners should avoid mushrooms because some are toxic, and vegetables from the Allium family like onions, chives, and garlic can cause severe health problems like vomiting, diarrhea, and anemia.
Also Check: Is Golden Retriever A Dangerous Dog
Pooch & Mutt Mini Bone Treats
Best Assortment
The second treats to feature in our review are from Pooch & Mutt, a British, award-winning dog food company. Their range boasts all natural ingredients, lean meat, fresh vegetables and are packed with vitamins and minerals.
For this review we bought the assortment of three varieties all suitable for puppies from 16 weeks.
As well as being great value, by varying the treats on offer you can help keep your puppy focussed, so the assortment works on several levels.
Pooch & Mutt treats are packaged in tubes and can be purchased singularly or in an assortment.
Our reviewers all commented on the nifty tube design. Everyone found them really easy to seal, store and keep fresh.
Although small, the bone-shaped dried treats can be easily snapped further into two pieces. Hudley loved these bite-sized treats as rewards .
For Freddies training, I found the Pooch & Mutt treats were crunchier than Scrumbles and left less crumbs in my pockets. Additionally they are small so no worries of over-indulging when training or rewarding.
Pooch & Mutt are offering 25% off their entire range to Smart Bark customers.
Simply enter SMARTBARK at checkout
New Research Has Revealed The Healthy Snacks That Dogs Cant Get Enough Of Making Them A Great Way To Make The Tricky Task Of Training Easier
Analysts at kennel manufacturer Benchmark Kennels have surveyed dog owners to find their top treats, with everything from chicken to ice cubes proving popular with pups.
Rebarkable dog blogger Ali Smith says these foods can help massively when it comes to the often trying business of obedience training.
She said: Certain breeds are definitely easier to train, but there is no disobedient breed. Just some who are bred to be independent and some who are bred to work closely with you.
More biddable breeds include German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, Toy Poodles, Border Collies – essentially the breeds that are often deemed smart breeds, and the more aloof or independent breeds like Huskies, Harriers, Shiba Inu, and a whole host of terriers are usually equally smart, it can just be more difficult to find their wavelength.
Treats can provide the perfect reward and incentive for pups to follow commands. Creating this positive connection between food and obedience can speed up the training process massively.
“However, some dogs are also more inclined to work for food than others, such as greedy Labradors and Pugs.
“These breeds happily see treats as their reward whereas working dogs such as Spaniels, Shepherds and Collies might find a toy and a good game of tug and war more enticing. The key to the training process is finding what motivates your dog in particular.
Heres what the survey found to be the most effective training treats.
Read more
Recommended Reading: How Do I Get A Golden Retriever
Natural Dog Treats For Golden Retriever
Despite the claims of producers, continuous use of commercial foods has some drawbacks. Apart from this, the commercial treats are mostly meat and meat byproducts that might lead to diabetes, obesity, heart diseases, etc., in excess quantity. But for training your pal, it needs frequent encouragement.
Thus, you can use natural healthy snacks as an alternative to these commercial foods. Since these natural foods are rich in fibers, they improve the digestive system of your pal. And along with this, you can use these superfoods as much as you can.
However, the natural snacks that you can use as treats are:
- Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries
However, after you know about the best options as treats for your Golden Retriever. Dont you want to know how to treat your pal? So, to get your answer, read further.
Best Puppy Treats For Golden Retrievers: Training Purposes
Treats are one of the easiest ways of positive reinforcement. By default, the golden retrievers want to please their human family, and they are very smart dogs who can easily keep up with your new game.
When you teach a trick for the first time, you can use the treat as an attraction to direct them to the place you like sit down, for example, while the puppy is fascinated by the treat, and when they sit down for it, praise them lavishly and treat them.
Timing is really important to you. A treat should be provided as soon as they obey the order. Gradually, the puppy can understand the meaning of the words and begin to pursue them without being viewed as an attraction. Once this occurs, avoid using the treat to attract them into position and use only voice commands instead.
Eventually, you should give them treats every few days they listen to and wean them off little by little. At the start, however, it is important to use them as constructive reinforcements each time.
Trainers would generally recommend that you have two types of treats for your dog when you train him or her. Low-value treats are plain and delicious. They love, but not as much as high-value treats.
Read Also: Golden Retriever And Poodle Mix
Q: How Do I Choose Dog Treats
Start by purchasing a few different flavors and textures for your dog. You first need to find out what they love the most. For example, once you know they prefer duck over salmon, you can find differently shaped or textured treats with their favorite flavor. Most importantly, you want to match the value of the treat with the value of the command or task you are asking them to perform. Then, during training, make sure not to skimp on the rewards. Or you just might find your dog skimping on conducting a trick or task.
Golden Retriever Puppy Training Timeline
There are three developmental stages that new Golden Retriever owners will need to be aware of, and there are different things that you should teach your dog at each stage. These three stages are the puppy and socialization phase, the adolescent stage, and the stage that occurs between adolescence and adulthood. Here we will be breaking down what Golden Retriever owners should expect in each stage and what training they should introduce.
Also Check: What Is An English Style Golden Retriever