A Guide To Obedience Training For Your Golden Retriever

There are few things cuter than a Golden Retriever puppy, but that adorable fur ball that you brought home from the breeder will quickly become a fifty-pound chewing machine if you are not ready and willing to whip that pup into shape. Not literally of course. This eager to please dog will respond best to plenty of praise and positive reinforcement when it comes to effective Golden Retriever obedience training. The best way to train this type of dog is to begin the first day you bring it home, by teaching and reinforcing the rules of the house immediately.

This means that if you don't want your full grown dog hopping up on your bed or sofa, don't let your small puppy up there now. Not once, not ever. This way, your dog learns in no uncertain terms what the expectations are, so he can learn to live within the boundaries that you set for him. Beyond this basic step, there are additional obedience training tips that will help you and your Golden Retriever to live harmoniously.
Some of the earliest Golden Retriever obedience training that you will do regards housebreaking. Teaching your pup the proper place to potty is a top priority, and should begin from the first day you bring him home. Crate training is usually the easiest way to housebreak any type of puppy. By keeping your pup in his crate when you cannot watch him closely, he learns to hold it until he is taken outside, since most dogs will not go to the bathroom in the same spot where they sleep or eat.

Your Golden Retriever should only be kept in his crate for short periods of time, and he should be taken outdoors immediately when he is released. Take him to the same spot in the yard and wait until he goes to the bathroom. Then you can praise him and bring him indoors. Repeat this process after meals and naps, or when you see your pup begin to sniff around on the carpet, and you will be able to prevent most accidents from occurring in the house.

Housebreaking is just the first step of Golden Retriever obedience training. Once your puppy has mastered where to go potty, it is time to move on to other types training. The best way to do this is by enrolling you and your dog in a formal obedience training course. You can find these classes at pet stores, community centers and from your veterinarian's office. A formal training class will ensure that your dog learns correct behavior through proper methods that will ensure success.

Look for smaller class sizes, and instructors who are experienced and emphasize positive reinforcement over punishment and intimidation. Golden Retrievers are very eager to please as a rule, so a positive training program will work infinitely better than a negative program will. Make sure that you and your dog work on the techniques for a few minutes every day so that the training principles will sink in and stick. That way, you can enjoy a dog that is well behaved and a delight to have in your home.

As a breeder of Golden Retrievers for the past 15 years, Carol Matthews has a comprehensive knowledge of what it takes to raise and train these dogs. There are plenty of proven methods of Golden Retriever training, but all will require the basic elements of effort, time and plenty of patience and praise to get the job done right. By reading dog training books and articles like this one, you will have all of the information necessary to begin the training process with your own Golden Retriever.