Trained Golden Retriever Puppies
We begin training puppies at 4 weeks old. The initial training is to respond to a whistle, a hand clap or a snap. We do this by giving the puppies these cues before we feed. At 6 weeks of age we begin working with our pups on an individual basis. WE teach them to walk on a leash and begin their obedience training with site, stay and down.
We also begin crate training at this time by feeding the pups in individual crates. We strongly believe that crate training is the easiest & most natural way to house train a puppy. Dogs still retain a den instinct. It is the reason a puppy will crawl under a table, couch or chair, its dark, snug & safe in there. The crate is always a positive aspect in a puppys life. If they are being disciplined they need to put outside, NOT in the crate. The crate is a safe haven, where they eat, sleep & feel safe warm & cozy.
Beyond this age, they are working on increasing the time spent in training, polishing up behaviors & learning about the outside world. We take our puppies out on field trips. We will take them to safe places, where they can interact with different people & animals, all the while they are expected to maintain their good behaviors.
Our goal in training is to create a good canine citizen, one that can become an excellent addition to your home, your family & your life for many years to come.
Levels of Training
Differences in the training levels:
How To Start Training A Golden Retriever Puppy: Tips And Advice
Yes, theyre irresistibly cute. But thats not the only reason you see Golden Retriever puppies on dozens of TV commercials. Golden Retrievers are a famously people-friendly breed. They also famously have a lot of energy. However, puppy training a Golden Retriever may not always go off without a hitch.
Though Golden Retrievers are relatively easy to train, it helps to have a plan.1 You can teach a new dog new tricks but you may have to learn some tricks yourself first. Read on to discover ways you can make training your Golden Retriever pup a little easier.
Videos Of Summer Brook Trained English Golden Retriever Puppies
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video must be worth a million. Below are a few videos that show our puppies at work. In addition to the videos on this page, there are dozens of other videos on our Youtube channel. Our most recent videos feature entire litters of puppies going through our training program. You can find examples of our training on YouTube of over a hundred puppies. The few you see below are not just isolated cases of a few well-trained puppies.
Video of an Overview of a Summer Brook Trained English Golden Retriever Puppy
The first video is of a puppy in 2018. Though this video is old and our training in some areas has changed a bit, it does cover most aspects of our training.
Video of a Litter of Summer Brook Trained Golden Retriever Puppies Heeling
How To Train Your Golden Retriever To Stop Pulling At The Leash
When To Expect From Puppy Bathroom Breaks
A 9-week-old Golden Retriever puppy going outside for a bathroom break.
Leah Lefler, 2011
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Potty Training Fast Facts & Tips
Weve already covered most of the facts and tips you need to know about potty training, but to summarize things , heres what you really need to know:
- It can take two weeks to several months to potty train your golden retriever puppy
- Golden retrievers are large breeds, so they should pick up potty training quicker than small breeds
- Puppies can usually hold their bladders for about one hour per their age in months
- Expect to wake up several times per night to take them out
- Use the Noah Strategy, dont push their limits, and take them out before they need to go
- Always clean up accidents with an enzymatic cleaner
- Never punish your puppy for having an accident
- If you catch them in the act, interrupt them, take them outside, and praise them for finishing
- Praise them for going where theyre supposed to go
- Take them to the same spot every time
- Learn the signs your puppy gives when they need to go
- Some puppies may prefer grass over other substrates
- Crate training helps with potty training
How Long Does It Take To Potty Train A Labrador Retriever Puppy
Just like Golden Retrievers we have a lot of experience with Labrador Retrievers. Over the years weve raised several Labs to be service dogs.
Unfortunately, we did not keep exact potty training records with our early pups, but we do know how long it took to potty train our most recent puppy, Elsa.
Also, we have 2 friends who recently got Lab puppies and well be reporting when their pups are potty trained.
Moving forward well keep records here for future Lab pups and approximately what age they were potty trained.
| Puppy Name |
|---|
| n/a |
*One note about our Lab and Golden puppy potty training tables. Deciding when a puppy is potty trained is somewhat subjective. Is your puppy potty trained when she is 80%, 90%, or 100%? That brings us to our next question
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Plan Your Puppys Feeding Schedule
- 8 to 12 weeks: Feed your puppy four times each day. Try to feed them every four hours at the same time every day. Schedule the first meal of the day based on whatever time you wake up, and adjust the rest of the meals accordingly. A good routine might be to feed at 7:00AM, 11:00AM, 15:00PM and 19:00PM.
- 12 to 26 weeks: Feed your puppy three times each day. As your puppy grows, you can cut back to feedings every six hours: 7:00AM, 13:00PM and 19:00PM.
- 26 weeks and up: You can cut back to two meals each day. Meals should be spaced eight to twelve hours apart. I feed my dogs when I get up at 7:00 and again between 6:00PM and 6:30PM.
A note on drinking water: Your puppy should always have fresh drinking water available. Because drinking too much or too little water is a sign of health problems, you should monitor how much your pup drinks in a day.
Common Golden Retriever Puppy Training Mistakes
The tips above will help you train your puppy, but if you make the mistakes below, youll make it much harder for your puppy to learn.
Being inconsistent
If you dont consistently train your puppy, it will be hard for them to progress because theyll have to relearn it all every time.
Also, you need to be consistent with your house rules.
Dont let your puppy chew on your shoes sometimes because its cute, then take it away from him other times.
Punishing your dog
Punishing your dog can hurt their confidence, making them not want to try to do something because they know theyll get punished if they get it wrong.
It can also make them not want to listen to you because theyre scared of you or dont like you.
Training too long
You want your puppy to enjoy training, and you want them to be successful when you try to teach them something.
Because puppies have such short attention spans, training for longer than five or ten minutes can lead to them getting bored and/or getting things wrong.
If they get bored, they may start to not like training with you, and if they continue to get things wrong, theyll be very slow to get them right.
Expecting too much
Would you expect your toddler to master every challenge you give them right away?
Of course not, so treat your puppy the same.
Make training fun and challenging for them, praise and reward them for making short progressions, and forgive them when they get it wrong.
Waiting to train your puppy until behavioral problems occur
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About The K9 Training Institute
Just as the name implies, the K9 Training Institute is an organization whose primary focus is dog training. What inspired its formation is the struggle pet parents across the world face in trying to build strong relationships with their canine friends.
If youre here, then thats probably a sentiment you can relate to. Today, the founders of the program gather thousands of dog owners each year to teach them better ways they can use to mold their pups behavior and also how to strengthen their relationships with their dogs.
Based on the feedback the program has accumulated over the years, theres no doubt that the training works. Lots of great outcomes in goldies and other dog breeds have been attributed to the free workshops and masterclasses shared by the founders.
Heres the best part: this is not the average training you would normally run into on YouTube its crafted by a leading animal behaviorist in conjunction with a leading presenter and trainer, and its based on years of animal behavior research conducted at Harvard and Stanford Universities.
I would add that currently, the training has no equal. However, I dont expect you to automatically take my word for it, so Ill let you in on what the programs methods entail!
As Your Puppy Progresses Extend Time Between Toilet Breaks
As your puppy grows, so do their bowels and bladder, which means they will be able to hold it progressively longer.
If youre writing down your puppys toileting schedule and accidents each day, a pattern will emerge that you can use to lengthen the time between potty breaks.
This will look different for every puppy, but in general, you can start to stretch out the time between bathroom breaks about five minutes every three or four days.
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Choosing And Using The Designated Bathroom Spot
To make house training easier for both you and your puppy, you should choose a designated toilet area in your yard.
If you train your pup to use a single spot in your yard, you wont have to deal with messes everywhere or dead and burnt grass caused by the nitrogen in your pups urine.
A single bathroom area is much easier to clean than your whole yard too!
Golden Retriever Puppy Supplies: What Youll Need To Buy
Health Essentials
Collar, Leash, Harness, and Dog Tags
Although your pup may not be able to go on full neighborhood walks at a young age, its a good idea to get him used to the concept of wearing a collar, leash, and dog tags.
However, avoid retractable leashes whenever possible: Although they seem easier during walks, retractable leashes are actually dangerous, especially for young puppies who are still getting the hang of walking on a leash. Keep your puppy on a regular leash with a maximum of six feet of space between you both.
Snowy Pines recommends slip leads: Slip leads are what puppies are taught to walk on from a young age at Snowy Pines, since they give you as the walker more control over the puppy as he gets the hang of normal walks. You also dont have to worry about your puppy slipping out of their collars if they get frightened.
On your pups collar, the dog tags should state his name, home address, and phone number. You can also opt for an embroidered collar if your puppy seems bothered by the noise or extra weight of the dog tags. Many puppy owners choose embroidered collars since dog tags should be removed when the puppy is left alone as they can pose a hazard.
Food and Water Bowls
Puppy Food
Your puppy will need high-quality food to grow strong! You can also check out our puppy feeding guide to learn more about how much food youll need.
Crate and Dog Bed
Dog Toys and Playtime Essentials
Puzzle Toys
Chew Toys
Chase Toys
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Slowly Introduce Your Dog To The Crate
Introduce your pup to the crate very slowly. This is imperative to the success of your crate training sessions. Never force them into an unfamiliar crate or other enclosed space this may introduce trauma and harm the entire process of crate training them.
Allow your dog to have a slow introduction to the crate by using treats or toys. For this, youll have to know whether your dog is food-motivated or play-motivated. A few things you can do to encourage them into the crate include:
- Lots of verbal praise
- Lots of physical praise
- Using treats or toys to lure them inside of the crate
- Feeding treats through the open crate door to keep them inside
Over time, you must acclimate them to the crate being closed as you do this, you can feed them treats through the closed door or the wiring of the sides or the top of the crate. This lets them know the crate is a positive area and that there is nothing to fear when inside. You can also feed your dog their regular meals in the crate, to begin to normalize being inside of it.
Continue these slow introduction methods until your dog begins to approach and enter the crate themselves.
What Should I Do If My Golden Retriever Puppy Goes Potty Outside
If your Golden Retriever puppy goes potty outside, it is a good idea to offer praise in the form of words and affection as well as some treats at that moment since they may forget what they did right. These are all positive reinforcement for the correct behavior.
With time the Golden Retriever puppy will associate the reward with the behavior. This can increase the likelihood that they will succeed because they want the reward for their efforts. The important thing to remember is to reward and praise immediately so they understand what they did right.
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Are Golden Retrievers Easy To Train
Yes, golden retrievers are intelligent dogs that are easy to train. Its not easy, but with expert guidance, you will be able to do it successfully. Its never too late to start training your goldie. The K9 Training Institute, for instance, trains dogs of all breeds as old as 13 years and as young as 6 weeks.
Although some old goldies might be a bit slower in responding to and obeying your commands, eventually, they will transform into what you desire them to be. You only have to stay consistent, whether it is adult or golden retriever puppy training.
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Category: Dogs Here are the top 10 resources related to Training A Siberian Husky Tips based on our research. When properly trained, these dogs make excellent hiking companions. 1. Siberian Husky Training Tips | DVSHR You must reward good behavior. Catch your dog doing something right and praise it, even
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What And How You Feed Your Pup Is Incredibly Important
Not all dog food is created equal, and what you feed your puppy is one of the most important decisions you will make regarding the care of your pup. This decision has a huge impact on house training, and the overall health of your dog.
For more information about how food and water choices affect house training, check out this detailed article:
This article will help you navigate around the world of dog food and how it relates to house training. Good nutrition will promote digestive health and regularity, so that you can plan your pups schedule with ease.
Cons Of Crate Training
- The main reason crate training wouldnt be beneficial is if your puppy has a background of abuse where the crate was used to confine them for long periods of time. When puppies get used to sleeping in their own filth, they lose this natural instinct to keep their crates clean.
- Crate training shouldnt be used if your dog is ill or has a medical condition that makes it impossible for them to wait to eliminate. Your dog shouldnt have to sleep on soiled bedding!
- If crate training is only used to confine your puppy for long periods of time, he may associate it with negative things such as isolation. Make sure you use the crate in positive ways so your pup associates comfort and good things, such as food, with the crate not just being left alone.
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Best Age To Begin Training
A puppy can begin potty training as soon as he or she is born.
However, puppies have relatively little bladder control up until 8 to 10 weeks of age, so your training method and schedule may be more rigorous during this time. Puppy training pads could be a great option to look at during these early stages too.
How To Train A Golden Retriever
Training a golden retriever is a multi-step process. Start with the basics, such as potty training, leash training, and socialization skills. The training process continues into adolescence and adulthood as you reinforce and refine the skills your retriever learned.
We have created the complete guide on training golden retrievers at any age. We will take you from puppy training, continued adolescent training, and reinforcement training for adult golden retrievers. Along the way, we will teach you the importance of potty training, crate training, socialization, and corrective behaviors
We hope our step-by-step approach will make you feel confident in training your pup With tender love, care, and vigilance, your golden retriever pup will be a well-behaved best friend in no time!
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