Following these 3 Golden Retriever training tips will give you the best foundation for training a happy, respectful, and obedient family pet. Not following these may cause your dog to develop behavior problems as she grows up.
Tip 1: Start Early
No, this doesn’t mean getting up at 5a.m. to start training your new retriever puppy! It means that early in your dog’s life, preferably as soon as you get her into the new home, you should begin training her. You can take on this responsibility at home, or you can enroll your pet Golden in an obedience class.
Both options have their pros and cons in terms of time, cost, personal involvement and education. you will need to weigh up which is best for you based on your own situation. If this is your first Golden Retriever, or even first dog of any breed, then the obedience classes will help educate you so that the training at home is more effective. If you have owned a Golden before, or other medium sized breeds of dog, then you may be more comfortable training at home, and won’t need the obedience classes.
Tip 2: Establish Dominance
Golden Retrievers are very smart and eager to learn, but they can also be very rambunctious and playful, so it’s important that you establish your relationship with your pet early on. Your dog needs to know that she is a pet, that she has an owner, and while she may be considered one of the family, she still needs to recognize you as the household Alpha.
A dog who doesn’t understand this relationship is likely to try and assert herself as the Alpha, and may challenge you with shows of aggression or disobedience. Let her know who is in control early on and avoid this kind of behavior from developing into serious behavioral problems.
Tip 3: Be Consistent
Rome wasn’t built in a day, so the saying goes, and the same applies when it comes to training a Golden Retriever. Training can be thought of as the process of establishing good habits. Habits take time to develop, often they need nurturing first before they sink in. Consistent daily training with your golden Retriever puppy will help ensure the habits sink in faster, and stick throughout life.
A lot of dog owners believe no training is required, and others go about it in the wrong way. Taking the time to learn what responsibilities you have as a dog owner, and following these 3 essential Golden Retriever training tips will put you on the right path.