How to Train a Golden Retriever Puppy
Know the basic method., Choose your reward., Consider clicker training., Train one skill at a time and keep sessions short, simple and rewarding., Decide what you want your dog to know.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Know the basic method.
There are many different methods of training dogs, but the effective ones all boil to three things: rewarding behaviors you like; not rewarding behaviors you don’t like; and staying consistent.Rewarding – This is the easy and fun part.
Rewards aren’t just for when you are actively training.
If your goldie pees outside, you praise her.
If she greets another dog in a friendly manner, tell her how great she is.
Not rewarding negative behavior – This requires a little more vigilance.
If your dog is doing something you don’t like, think about why: usually it is because she is rewarded somehow.
You need to consistently remove that reward.
For instance, if she jumps all over you in excitement when she sees her leash, you will not want to put it on and take her for a walk, as that rewards the behavior.
Instead, turn away or look to the sky until she calms down.
Then put the leash on and walk her.
Be consistent – You and everyone else should respond the same way whatever your dog does.
If you don’t feed her from the table, but your kid is busy offering your golden half his plate, you’re in trouble.
Or if you tell your dog to get down when she jumps up sometimes and greet her enthusiastically others times, you are sending mixed messages that will confuse your dog. -
Step 2: Choose your reward.
Whenever you are training your dog for a specific behavior, you will need to have a reward on hand.
Pick something your goldie really loves; the better the reward, the easier it will be to teach your dog.If your dog loves to play, you can try using her favorite toy and playing with her when she barks.
Most people, however, will find that treats are the most effective way to teach a dog.
The best treats will be ones your dog loves, and which are also easy to carry, easy to break into pieces, and healthy.Use a variety of treats so your dog doesn’t get bored.Try:
String cheese sticks.
Cooked chicken.
Meat rolls (available at pet stores).
Broken-up dog biscuits or store-bought training treats.
Baby carrots or frozen green beans (for dogs on a diet). , In clicker training, you use a sound (the clicker) to let your dog know when she has done something right.
The clicker is very effective because it is a consistent, unique sound, different from your voice.
However, you can also say “good” or “yes” as a signal if you don’t have a clicker.Load your clicker first.
Get a treat in your hand.
If your dog tries to get it, just close your hand.
Click and offer it to your dog.
Repeat a few minutes later.
Then again.
Continue until your dog comes immediately at the sound of the clicker and expects a treat., Effective training should be fun for you and your dog.
To get the most out of it, follow these best practices:
Keep it short.
Training sessions should last no more than 15 minutes, and usually less for a puppy.
Train one part of one skill.
For instance, if you are teaching sit and stay, start with sit.
Reward all sitting, then add a command as your dog sits, then practice sitting on command.
Next practice staying seated.
Then train staying seated while you walk away.
And finally move the training to a more distracting environment like a park.
Breaking training down like this will make it much more effective.
Use simple words, not sentences.
You need your commands to be simple and consistent: “sit” instead of “sit, Fido” or “sit down” or “would you please sit.” The more words you use, the more confused your dog will be.
Don’t go to fast or too long.
If your dog is having a hard time with part of a skill, go back to something she knows.
Keep the training positive.
Don’t end with failure.
Be sure to stop before your dog gets bored or frustrated.
Practice in real life.
Don’t just train your dog during sessions.
Practice “sit” or “stay” when out on walks.
Do fist bumps at the park.
Make training a part of life.
Be patient! It takes time to train a dog; indeed, it’s a process that never ends.
But it’s worth it.
A well-trained dog is a safe, happy dog that is a pleasure to own. , All owners will want their golden retriever puppy to be house-trained as soon as possible, and most will want to leash train their puppy as well.
Basic obedience training – sit, stay, come, down, and leave it – is also vital.
The other tricks, skills, and behaviors that are desired will depend on the likes and dislikes of each owner and dog.
Golden’s love to fetch, and it is a great way to exercise them, so it’s a good skill for them to learn.
But you may want to teach your dog to play tug of war or catch a Frisbee instead.
Tricks like “speak” and “shake” (or “fist bump”) are fun, but not necessary.
If you travel or board your dog frequently, you will want to be sure she is crate trained.
Depending on your dog’s temperament, you may have to train them not to beg, not to jump on you when you come home, or not to show aggressiveness towards other dogs (though this last is not typically a problem with golden retrievers). -
Step 3: Consider clicker training.
-
Step 4: Train one skill at a time and keep sessions short
-
Step 5: simple and rewarding.
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Step 6: Decide what you want your dog to know.
Detailed Guide
There are many different methods of training dogs, but the effective ones all boil to three things: rewarding behaviors you like; not rewarding behaviors you don’t like; and staying consistent.Rewarding – This is the easy and fun part.
Rewards aren’t just for when you are actively training.
If your goldie pees outside, you praise her.
If she greets another dog in a friendly manner, tell her how great she is.
Not rewarding negative behavior – This requires a little more vigilance.
If your dog is doing something you don’t like, think about why: usually it is because she is rewarded somehow.
You need to consistently remove that reward.
For instance, if she jumps all over you in excitement when she sees her leash, you will not want to put it on and take her for a walk, as that rewards the behavior.
Instead, turn away or look to the sky until she calms down.
Then put the leash on and walk her.
Be consistent – You and everyone else should respond the same way whatever your dog does.
If you don’t feed her from the table, but your kid is busy offering your golden half his plate, you’re in trouble.
Or if you tell your dog to get down when she jumps up sometimes and greet her enthusiastically others times, you are sending mixed messages that will confuse your dog.
Whenever you are training your dog for a specific behavior, you will need to have a reward on hand.
Pick something your goldie really loves; the better the reward, the easier it will be to teach your dog.If your dog loves to play, you can try using her favorite toy and playing with her when she barks.
Most people, however, will find that treats are the most effective way to teach a dog.
The best treats will be ones your dog loves, and which are also easy to carry, easy to break into pieces, and healthy.Use a variety of treats so your dog doesn’t get bored.Try:
String cheese sticks.
Cooked chicken.
Meat rolls (available at pet stores).
Broken-up dog biscuits or store-bought training treats.
Baby carrots or frozen green beans (for dogs on a diet). , In clicker training, you use a sound (the clicker) to let your dog know when she has done something right.
The clicker is very effective because it is a consistent, unique sound, different from your voice.
However, you can also say “good” or “yes” as a signal if you don’t have a clicker.Load your clicker first.
Get a treat in your hand.
If your dog tries to get it, just close your hand.
Click and offer it to your dog.
Repeat a few minutes later.
Then again.
Continue until your dog comes immediately at the sound of the clicker and expects a treat., Effective training should be fun for you and your dog.
To get the most out of it, follow these best practices:
Keep it short.
Training sessions should last no more than 15 minutes, and usually less for a puppy.
Train one part of one skill.
For instance, if you are teaching sit and stay, start with sit.
Reward all sitting, then add a command as your dog sits, then practice sitting on command.
Next practice staying seated.
Then train staying seated while you walk away.
And finally move the training to a more distracting environment like a park.
Breaking training down like this will make it much more effective.
Use simple words, not sentences.
You need your commands to be simple and consistent: “sit” instead of “sit, Fido” or “sit down” or “would you please sit.” The more words you use, the more confused your dog will be.
Don’t go to fast or too long.
If your dog is having a hard time with part of a skill, go back to something she knows.
Keep the training positive.
Don’t end with failure.
Be sure to stop before your dog gets bored or frustrated.
Practice in real life.
Don’t just train your dog during sessions.
Practice “sit” or “stay” when out on walks.
Do fist bumps at the park.
Make training a part of life.
Be patient! It takes time to train a dog; indeed, it’s a process that never ends.
But it’s worth it.
A well-trained dog is a safe, happy dog that is a pleasure to own. , All owners will want their golden retriever puppy to be house-trained as soon as possible, and most will want to leash train their puppy as well.
Basic obedience training – sit, stay, come, down, and leave it – is also vital.
The other tricks, skills, and behaviors that are desired will depend on the likes and dislikes of each owner and dog.
Golden’s love to fetch, and it is a great way to exercise them, so it’s a good skill for them to learn.
But you may want to teach your dog to play tug of war or catch a Frisbee instead.
Tricks like “speak” and “shake” (or “fist bump”) are fun, but not necessary.
If you travel or board your dog frequently, you will want to be sure she is crate trained.
Depending on your dog’s temperament, you may have to train them not to beg, not to jump on you when you come home, or not to show aggressiveness towards other dogs (though this last is not typically a problem with golden retrievers).
About the Author
Christina Gordon
Specializes in breaking down complex home improvement topics into simple steps.
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