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!
How Much Training Does A Golden Retriever Dog Need
Goldens are eager to please and love learning, so they dont require a lot of training. A few commands like sit, stay, come, and down will suffice. Start with one or two commands per session and gradually add more as your pup gets better at following directions.
Always end positively by rewarding your Golden with a treat or kind words.
Keep sessions short, about five to ten minutes long, and repeat them a couple of times per day. Puppies have short attention spans, so theyll start getting antsy if you go too long. As your Golden Retriever puppy masters basic commands, you can move on to more advanced training like retrieving items or walking on a loose leash.
Make sure to keep your training sessions upbeat. Golden Retrievers are sensitive dogs and can become discouraged if they feel like theyre not doing well. Be patient and consistent with your commands, and soon youll have a well-trained Golden Retriever by your side!
Love On Your Puppy From Day One If You Want A Dog That Likes To Cuddle
As you all know, I love to cuddle with my girls. When Sullie was a puppy I received advice to hold her belly up to teach her a) that I was the alpha/one in charge and b) to trust me and relax and it worked so well. To this day she loves to be held belly up and shes also an excellent spooner. I did this with Zoey as well and although shes an independent wild child , she loves quiet cuddles. We have family cuddle parties every morning and at night before bed.
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The Best Dog Food For Golden Retrievers
Golden retrievers require high-quality food for medium or large dogs to support an active lifestyle. You can also feed the dog treats judiciously from time to time, but dont overdo it. Because of the tendency to overeat, golden retrievers are sometimes prone to obesity. Hypothyroidism is a particularly worrying accelerator of weight gain. This can lead to long-term health problems, including heart disease and arthritis.
A general rule is that you should limit adults to no more than 5 cups of food per day. You should feed a puppy no more than 3 cups per day. You should also avoid feeding the dog too many scraps from human food. If you notice that the dog is gaining weight, then you should immediately reduce the amount of food you are giving it.
Luckily, theres a quality dog food specifically formulated with Golden Retrievers skin, hearts, and weight in mind. Royal Canin makes breed-specific dog food for Golden Retrievers.
It has Vitamin B1 and thiamine for the metabolism, Vitamin A and zinc to support skin and coat health with DHA, Taurine, and EPA for a heart that functions like clockwork. The calories and fat is balanced particularly to help Golden Retrievers maintain an optimum weight.
Heres where to find Royal Canin Golden Retriever Adult Breed Specific Dry Dog Food on amazon:
Parrot Behaviors: Your Quaker Parrots Health
In addition, puppies that are 23 months old will have a very limited bladder capacity. They will need frequent outings to go to the bathroom in the great outdoors: If a very young puppy is left in a crate for an extended period of time, it may go to the bathroom inside the crate out of necessity. This will make the rest of crate training ineffective, so ensure the puppy is taken outside at regular intervals. Some puppies will need to go outside in the middle of the night!
Dogs should not be placed in crates for extended periods of time. If the dog owner is gone from the house for long durations, the dog should be placed in a puppy pen with puppy training pads instead of a crate.
A happy, well trained Golden Retriever puppy. Fully housebroken by 13 weeks of age.
Leah Lefler, 2011
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Teach Your Puppy Their Name
Just like with people, its important that our puppies know their name. Kind of awkward if they dont.
Lucky for you teaching them their name is easy peasy.
Tips For Training Your Golden Retriever
What makes Golden Retrievers such popular dogs? Besides their beauty, Goldens typically are very people-oriented dogs.
It is wise, however, to do your research by talking to Golden Retriever breeders, rescues and parents to best prepare when considering adding a Golden to your pack. These are large, energetic canines who often dont realize their size. The good news is, Golden Retrievers generally are trainable and willing to work, especially for high-value dog treats.
If youre a new Golden Retriever parent, your next step after your pup settles in is to start dog training. Whether teaching your Golden to lie down, sit or drop it, follow these dog training tips to ensure successful training sessions.
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Continued Training: Adolescent Golden Retrievers
After one year, your golden retriever is technically no longer a puppy. They remain in their adolescence from about 1-3 years old. Sometimes during this period, even after a puppy has been very successfully trained, adolescent dogs might regress in their training. Dogs, like humans, like to test their boundaries. The best way to set a boundaryis to keep setting it without wavering.
This training at this age is also important to follow in the event you adopt a golden retriever in their adolescence
Know The Breeds Behaviors And Channel Them Nondestructively
While many love the gentle, sweet side of the golden retriever, its easy to overlook the higher-energy, active side thats just as characteristic of the breed. Traditionally, golden retrievers were bred to carry waterfowl in their mouths. Although most goldens arent hunting nowadays, they still need a lot of activity and have a tendency to get quite mouthy, especially as puppies.
To discourage your golden retriever from biting, chewing, or being otherwise destructive, encourage her to channel her energy toward an item thats supposed to be chewed . Let her burn energy frisking with her four-legged friends or bring her on your run to keep her active.
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Teaching Your Golden Retriever Puppy To Wait
The practice of patience: Waiting. What a lesson to teacheven for humans.
For your puppy, waiting means not moving when we move away. But you can also use this lesson later on for things like waiting at doors, before you let them out of the car, or in their crate. Unfortunately, using it for teaching them to wait on tables is way past their learning capabilities.
There are two aspects to teaching your puppy to wait:
First, well work on duration.
Now, lets practice distance.
Yankee Golden Retriever Club
Yankee Golden Retriever Club
Puppy KindergartenThe brain of a puppy is fully developed at seven weeks of age. Pups are capable of learning, but must be handled carefully and instructed properly. Puppy classes offer an opportunity for you and your puppy to meet, train, and interact with other puppies and their owners,Puppy Kindergarten is the answer to teaching your puppy correctly from the beginning. Training for Golden Retriever PuppiesYGRC no longer offers puppy kindergarten classes for Golden Retriever puppies.
For a list of some area puppy classes sorted by town check the Charles River Dog Training Club site .
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Be Clear And Consistent
One key to training, whichever breed youre working with, is to keep commands and rewards both clear and consistent. This will help your dog understand what is expected of her and why shes getting a treat!
Remember to train your golden retriever regularly, or make it a part of your daily routine. Younger dogs like puppies can handle only five to 10 minutes a day, but as your dog grows, so can your lessons.
Crate Training Suitable For Training Golden Retriever Puppies
Dogs are descendants of wolves and these animals are creatures that live in a den. Golden Retrievers need their own personal space and training them to stay in there is crucial to the success of your dog training. They naturally feel safe in a confined environment so you need to put in a little investment when buying a crate. Crate training Golden Retriever puppies can help to prevent them from turning your house into shambles when you are away! However do not abuse the crate as a form of punishment. The crate should be a place your puppy loves.
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Obeying Commands And Following Instructions
Start off by teaching them simple commands like sit, stand, run, fetch, and jump. You can then move onto bigger and better lessons like behaving themselves or shaking hands of strangers. Stick to the standard guidelines to train your dog and dont deter form it.
Having said that, your dog will definitely take some time to get the hang of it. Until then, you need to bear the effort of training your Golden Retriever if you want them to learn their lessons and benefit in the best way possible.
Make It Rewarding To Keep Them Interested
Having a golden retriever will make this part of training much easier, and oh-so-fun. While some dogs are strictly food motivated, and others are picky about their treats, goldens are generally excited to get any attention or reward from their person, even if its just a few minutes of playtime. Nevertheless, make sure not to take advantage of this or youll risk your dogs losing interest in training! Its never a bad idea to have some treats on hand and a few minutes to spare shes earned some playtime or even a walk!
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Crate Training Your Dog
Many people do not prefer crate training and consider it cruel. Yes, not all dogs learn to enjoy being in a crate and a makes this method ineffective especially if there are dog behavior issues like severe separation anxiety. Keep in mind to never force your dog into the crate, ever. However, when crate training is handled correctly, and your dog responds well, this method can be essential to your at-home dog training. A crate must be a safe place for your Golden Retriever puppy to feel comfortable and safe.
Implement Training Techniques In New Locations
It’s not uncommon for dogs to completely forget their training once they leave the confines of home. Unfamiliar environments are exciting to a young pup.
If you have only ever performed training techniques at your house, they may not realize that those commands apply to everywhere they go.
To ensure that you don’t have to deal with a misbehaving puppy when you take your dog out for an adventure, try to implement techniques in new locations.
Take them to the local dog park or try a few techniques when you’re out for a walk. They’ll learn how to cut through the distractions and listen.
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The Best Way To Start Training Your Golden Retriever Puppy
If starting a training program with your new pup seems daunting, don’t panic. It’s really not as hard as it looks.
Your new pup isn’t going to hate you for breaking away from the cuddles. If they’re anything like other golden retriever pups, they’ll love the challenge of having new things to learn and do.
Before you start any new training, I’d highly recommend getting your pup into a calm, relaxed state. All that boundless energy and excitement is fun. But not necessarily conducive to learning.
Try working these 5 step by step calming exercises into the start of every session. I promise you, they’ll do wonders at putting your pup into just the right kind of responsive, ready-to-train state you need.
Other than that, what else do you need to know about launching a new training program? These, for a start
Brush Its Teeth And Floss Regularly
Here, the message is clear: Taking care of your Golden’s teeth can extend his life expectancy! This can be accomplished by providing regular dental care to dogs, according to the results of a poll done at a veterinarian meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia. More than 80% of dogs show early indications of dental illness by the time they are 3. Isn’t that terrifying?
To what end is oral hygiene so critical? Periodontal disease can be caused by the accumulation of plaque and tartar on his teeth. The injured gums allow bacteria to enter the bloodstream and affect the kidney, liver, heart, or lungs. Early death as a result. One of the most common causes of mortality in senior dogs is renal failure, which can be triggered by gum disease. In the event that you neglected to brush your teeth, this could happen to you as well.
Your dog’s dentist and toothbrush, says the American Vet Dental Association. Get him used it to having your hand in the mouth while he’s a baby . It is not too late to begin training your dog, no matter how old he is. Even though brushing every day is ideal, it may be more realistic to aim for twice weekly and even weekly brushing.
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Golden Retriever Potty Training
This may seem obvious but potty training problems are one of the main reasons dogs are surrendered at shelters. The most important concept you need to understand is that puppies cant hold their bladders too long, so you will need to be attentive until puppy gets it. This link will take you to a step-by-step guide on potty training and crate training a golden retriever puppy.
Toilet And House Training Suitable For Training Golden Retriever Puppies
Puppies have little control over their bladder until about 5 months of age and it is unfair to expect them to be house trained before this age. The two key elements when potty training Golden retrievers is confinement and timing. During confinement, you put your dog in its crate. Your puppy will attempt to come out if they have to go, as dogs will not relieve themselves in their den. This is where timing plays a key role. You need to be on stand-by to lead the your Golden Retriever puppy to the right toilet spot and let it do its thing. Order and routine make this training much easier.
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Always Have A Cookie Handy
goldens love rewards. The more rewards they get the harder they work. So, think of rewards as your goldens version of compensation. When they do a good job, its time for them to get paid with a treat. Treats are valuable assets during each stage of training because it creates a positive feedback loop and helps your dog learn. Still, there is more to it than that.
Like us humans, dogs have reward systems wired in their brains. So, when something good happens after a type of behavior, your dog will want to achieve that something good again. For this reason, using treats as a reward for good behavior will help your golden enjoy the good behavior for its own sake.
The good news is that cookies and treats can be used for just about anything. If your dog did a good job with potty training, feel free to give them a treat. If your golden did well socializing with other dogs, reward them with a treat. Using treats is simple as long as you award your dog for good behavior.