Get The Puppy Some Toys
Dont expect to eliminate biting entirely until your puppy grows up because the golden retriever puppy biting phase lasts until six to seven months old. Puppy teeth are itching when they grow, so be understanding.
Instead of punishing your puppy for biting, provide it with a legal biting target. Substitute your fingers for dog toys. Get many toys and ensure they are always available around the house and in the garden.
The best dog toys for teething are chewy because hard toys can only worsen a puppys dental pain. When choosing a toy, try to indent it with your finger or flex it with your hand.
An anti-stress ball is a good example of the required texture. However, ensure that your puppy cant tear the toy apart and choke on it. You may also consider chew treats for dogs, such as dried rawhide cheeks and beef sticks.
Bones are too hard for puppies and pose a choking hazard, while a rope toy is an excellent choice. Consider also frozen chew toys that cool a puppys teeth, thus easing the pain. Alternatively, you may freeze a carrot.
Prevent Any Toileting Inside Your Home
Your first and most important job is to choose your puppys appropriate bathroom spot, while teaching them that it is unacceptable to use the toilet anywhere inside your home.
Any time they toilet inside the home sets your house training back a step or three. They can start to think inside is the toilet. Your goal is to NEVER let it happen, then the time house training takes will be massively reduced.
This can be seen as both an art and a science using a combination of confinement and constant supervision, you will be one step closer to achieving your goals. The tricky part is fitting this full-time task into your current lifestyle.
How To Find A Golden Retriever Breeder
If you want a happy and healthy puppy, the best thing you can do is get your puppy from a good breeder who breeds happy, healthy adults.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of irresponsible breeders , so it will take some research to find a good one.
Heres why you should purchase a puppy from a responsible breeder:
- Health is largely inherited from a puppys parents
- Temperament is largely inherited from a puppys parents
- Socialization is one of the most important things to raise a well-adjusted puppy and the breeder will be the first one to socialize the puppy
- If anything goes wrong, youll want to be working with a breeder that has integrity and will do the right thing
And here are six tips to finding a good breeder:
Click here to learn more about finding a reputable golden retriever breeder.
Now, once youve found a breeder, youll need to know how to pick the right puppy from the litter when you go to pick them up.
You May Like: English Crane Golden Retriever
Teaching Recall To Golden Retrievers
Golden Retrievers are renowned for being exuberant, confident, and very playful.
Ensuring a consistent recall is very important before letting the loose on the world!
Retrievers will happily approach new dogs and people, however this may get them into trouble as not everyone wants a hairy dog saying hello!
To start training recall it is a good idea to have a long line attached to their harness. If they decide something is more interesting than your recall cue then they cant run off!
We want to avoid them ignoring their recall cue wherever possible .
As this retriever was bred to cover a lot of distance, it is a good idea to train them to return to you with a whistle . A whistle will travel much further than your voice.
You can use a whistle to start training recall:
After a few weeks of indoor whistle use, your puppy will have learned the whistle can occur anywhere.
At this point, you can start increasing how distracting the environment is when you blow the whistle. The yard is a good next step as it is usually associated with free play time!
What Can You Teach A Young Puppy
You should start crate training, house-breaking, bite-inhibition and socialization from the moment you get them home.
But Golden Retrievers are such intelligent dogs that they can learn a whole variety of simple commands and tricks while still very young. You can teach your puppy:
- Sit
- Give paw and high five
And lots more not listed.
Take a look at this 10 week old puppy to see just how well they take to early training.
Also Check: Golden Retriever/german Shepherd Mix
What To Do If Your Puppy Is Crying In The Crate
If your puppy is crying in the crate, your first need to understand why.
Does she need to pee?
Is she full of energy?
Or does she just want to get out and get some attention?
Remember to set them up for success before you put them in crate, meaning physically and mentally tiring them out and making sure their bladder is empty.
If she just doesnt like the crate yet, keep working on getting her to love her crate by playing games involving it and giving her things to do in there like chewing on toys and treats.
You can also leave for short periods of time , then come back and let her out.
Eventually, youll work up to longer periods of time leaving her alone.
This will show her that you will come back, its ok to be alone, and being quiet gets her what she wants.
You dont want to positively reinforce crying in the crate by letting her out every time she cries, but you also dont want her to cry for hours on end because it could cause some emotional damage.
If youre really struggling with them crying in the crate, read this article about the nine reasons why puppies cry in the crate and how to help stop it.
How To Crate Train Your Golden Retriever At Night
One of the most frustrating things for a new puppy parent is the whining and barking at night when theyre trying to sleep.
Oliver was an awful sleeper for the first few weeks that we had him and it drove me absolutely bonkers, so if youre in this position right now, I know how you feel!
But dont worry, it will soon pass, and here are some tips to help it pass.
First, its important to understand that puppies can only hold their bladders for about an hour per their age in months.
That means that a two-month-old puppy can only hold it for about two to three hours, so expect to have to wake up two or three times every night until they get a little older.
That being said, here are five tips to help your puppy learn to sleep through the night:
Recommended Reading: Show Golden Vs Field Golden
Training Questions And Answers
Molly is 4 months old as of now and the local Vet that we have been visiting has advised us against taking her outside until her last vaccination which was three days ago. Now that it’s time to take her outside we are bit skeptical about how long she is going to take to learn potty-ing outside. What and how should we command her on doing so?
Four Methods For House Training Your Golden Retriever Puppy
There are four house training methods that are widely used and recommended for puppies.
- Paper training
- Constant Supervision
- Umbilical cord training
Most people find that a combination of two or more methods works best. I wont go into the specifics of each method here, but I encourage you to take some time to read up on them, so you can decide which methods might be right for your situation.
The details of each house-training method can be found in the following article:
Recommended Reading: Golden Retriever Siren
Some Tips And Rules To Follow When Training The Down Command
For the first few sessions when the down command is new to your dog, hold the training at home in a familiar room with no distractions to make it easy as possible for them to succeed.
Because a dogs hearing is so more sensitive than our own, speak your commands in a quiet, warm but firm tone of voice. Sound friendly yet authoritative, not frightening.
For the best results, train the down command after your Golden has enjoyed some exercise and before their dinner. If theyre full of energy it will be harder to relax and lie down, and if theyre hungry they will be more willing to work for the tasty treat rewards.
You should train a release command.Down should mean lie down and stay until I say you can get up, not just lie down and get up when you want to. So train a release command, otherwise theres no way for your Golden to know theyre done and can get up again. You can use OK, or Up now! as a release.
Down and go to bed or go to your crate are different commands. Please use different commands for each behavior, otherwise it can cause confusion, make them harder to learn and be less effective.
Always be upbeat and happy when training, keeping it fun. And finish before your puppy gets bored so they enjoy the experience and look forward to your training sessions together. Just 5 or so minutes, 2 or 3 times per day is plenty for a puppy and you can increase the number of sessions and duration as they grow.
A Night Time Schedule For House Training
First, you should limit your pups food and water intake before bedtime. Feed them dinner at least three hours before they go to sleep, and stop giving them water two hours before bed.
Crating your puppy at night makes house training much easier because your puppy is a lot less likely to have an accident in the place where they sleep. Instead, they will often whine or cry to go out.
Before you and your puppy turn in for the night, visit the bathroom spot one last time. Now set an alarm for four hours after their bedtime, when you will have to wake up and take your puppy to their designated bathroom spot. This is probably the least exciting part of raising a puppy, but you must do it.
If your puppy wakes before four hours has passed and is crying to go out, you should get up and take them out. Then you can set the alarm for another four hours when you come back in.
If, after four hours, you awaken to find that your puppy has had an accident, you should set your alarm for a half hour earlier the next night. Repeat this each night until you are waking before your pup has an accident.
After a few days without an accident, you can set your alarm for 20 minutes later than the previous night. Every night after that, you can increase the time by another 20 minutes, provided your pup hasnt soiled the crate or bedding.
Read Also: Golden Retriever Cats
Key Tips To Follow When Training Your Golden Retriever Puppy
In order to successfully train your golden pup and teach him or her all the basics, there are a few tricks and tips you must follow during the training process.
- Plan ahead and decide what skills you want to teach your pup. Goldens are very moldable, so it is best to teach them all you want during their initial puppy years.
- Teach one skill at a time with consistency and patience so as to not overwhelm or confuse your pup.
- Choose your preferred training methods and stick to them at all times.
- Keep training sessions short and simple because golden retrievers have a very short attention span. The best way is to do multiple short sessions throughout the day, giving your pup little breaks in between to play and have fun.
- Develop a training routine because golden pups prefer having a certain level of structure in their lives. They enjoy being on a particular routine.
- Employ positive reinforcement as that is one of the best ways to teach your puppy new skills.
Why Golden Retriever Puppies Are Hard To Train
One of the things I love about golden retrievers is that they love everything.
But that also makes them difficult to train sometimes.
Oliver LOVES other people, so when we see people on walks, sometimes he wants to pull and say hi.
Thats totally understandable , but then theres story
One day we were training and a leaf blew by
Yes, a leaf.
But he was overjoyed at the sight of this fun leaf somersaulting down the street and he really wanted to go play with it.
It totally took us out of training mode, but thats a golden retriever puppy for you
Recommended Reading: Eirlys Golden Retrievers
Should You Get A Golden Retriever From A Breeder Or A Rescue
If you want a golden retriever puppy, chances are youll have to get one from a breeder.
There are usually more people that want to rescue goldens than there are goldens that need to be rescued, and golden retriever puppies available to be rescued are rather rare .
If you do want to rescue a golden retriever, check out this article to find a golden retriever rescue near you.
But if you want to get a golden retriever puppy from a breeder, you need to know how to find the right breeder for you.
Who Should Use Constant
Constant-supervision training may be best if you have plenty of time to devote solely to the new addition. You must also be constantly home during the potty-training period.
It also helps to have a hyper-vigilant personality, and to be able to read a dogs signals and set a constant schedule to anticipate the pups need to go potty before they do.
Don’t Miss: How To Draw A Golden Retriever Step By Step For Kids
Golden Retriever Recall Training
One of the first things you want to teach your dog is her name. Whenever she responds to you, give her a treat and lots of praise.
Her name is essentially a command for her attention. If you need to reprimand her, dont use her name. This is important for recall. It would be best if you associate her name with positivity.
Imagine if you punish her every time she sits. Shell stop responding to the command because she fears that its associated with punishment.
Following A Laser Pointer
Cats arent the only animal that can enjoy playing with a laser pointer. In reality, dogs such as golden retrievers can have plenty of fun with these toys as well.
Simply shine it around the room or any other indoor space and watch them follow and chase the red dot. When using a laser pointer, always be careful to avoid shining it in your poochs eyes directly. If this happens, it can lead to retinal damage.
You May Like: San Antonio Golden Retriever Breeders
Short Crate Training Sessions
Short crate training sessions are one of the most sure-fire ways to get your pup comfortable with its crate. Your golden retriever should feel as though the crate is a home, not a jail.
Small sessions in the crate help to establish this concept with puppies. Let your new puppy explore their crate. Leave the door open while they sniff around. Place their food inside and let them eat in the comfort of this new domain. Then shut the door for 10 minutes. When they are let out, sit with them, play with them, and snuggle with them.
You can reward your golden pup with treats while they are inside the crate, to further establish the crate as a comforting space. No need to reward them after theyre out of the crate as the reward upon leaving is the joy of your company! This also helps to establish your authority and dominance.
For more info on crate training, check out our article How to Crate Train a Golden Retriever.
Crate Training During The Day
Another common problem that people have with crate training their puppy is crating them during the day when theyre at work.
This is a tough situation, but it can be done.
Remember that puppies can hold their bladders for about an hour per their age in months, so if you have a three-month-old puppy, you definitely dont want to leave them alone for more than three of four hours at a time.
But even if youre letting them out every three hours while youre at work, it can still be a long time for a puppy with a ton of energy to be stuck in a small crate for 8-10 hours.
Here are some tips to make it work.
Dont crate your puppy for more than 2-3 hours at a time during the day.
You may have to come home on your lunch break, ask friends, family, or neighbors to come over, or hire a dog walker to let your puppy out.
Golden retrievers are family dogs that want love and attention and if theyre spending the majority of their days bored and alone, they may act out when you finally do come home, so try to get them as much love and attention during the day, even if its not from you.
Wear them out in the mornings
Go on walks, play chase, fetch and tug, or wrestle with them in the mornings to get some of their endless energy out.
If theyre in a crate all day with pent-up energy, they will not be happy and may become destructive.
Utilize an exercise pen
You might want to consider getting an exercise pen and circling it around the front of the crate to give your dog some extra room.
Also Check: How Many Years Does A Golden Retriever Live