Simple Dog Training
Golden Retriever – Dog Training Tips
Simple dog training of your golden retriever should be an enjoyable experience.They are very smart dogs, eager to learn, and to please you.
A little patience, a firm hand and voice, and simple things like teaching your new friend where to do his or her business, what not to chew on, and basically how to behave in your home are pretty easy.
The first thing I would suggest you do is purchase a crate for your new puppy. I know some people are probably cringing at the sound of the word crate, but I feel that crate training a puppy is the best way. Buy a large crate so your puppy can use it for at least 6 months.
Place the crate in a central area in the house where the puppy can see you most of the time. Put a plastic pad on the bottom with some newspaper on top of the pad. Also be sure to put water whenever the puppy is in the crate.
Now you have a safe place to put your Golden Retriever puppy when you are not spending time with him. When you need to do house work, cook dinner, or leave the house, your puppy is safe.
Cooking dinner with a puppy running around your feet, I am sure, has caused plenty of accidents. It will also keep your new friend from chewing your furniture, or your favorite shoes, or getting into something that could seriously injure him, when you are away from home.
Remember This Is Simple Dog Training
Another benefit of this method is it will make the puppy paper train much faster. It stops them from wandering around your house, doing their business wherever they feel like it. If they are in the crate they learn quickly to wait for you to take them outside.
One thing that is very important is to never use the crate as a source of punishment. Even if you are putting them in it because you are mad at something they did, or just because you have had it with them, don’t let them know that.
Take the time to divert their attention away from whatever they did bad or annoying before putting them in the crate.
When I used the crate training method for the first time on my Golden Retriever “Molly” who is three years old now, I really wasn’t too happy about it.
I have had puppies my whole life and had never used this method. My wife had gotten the idea from a friend at work, and bought the crate, and that was that.
It really bothered me to put my new puppy in that crate for the night the first couple of times, and Molly wasn’t too happy either, but after a few days everything was ok.
After a few weeks Molly started to go in the crate on her own, and continued to do that until she was almost a year old, when we finally took it away because she was way to big for it. The crate method really is simple dog training at it’s best. It’s good for your puppy, and also gives you a lot more control over the whole process.
Join A Group Dog Training Class
If you feel that trying to train your new puppy by yourself is more than you are ready for, then you probably want to seek some professional help. There are several different ways to go about this.
Group Training: This can be a good way to go. The classes are usually easy to find, and the cost should be reasonable, usually around $50 to $70 for an eight week course.
The classes usually have between ten and fifteen other puppies and owners . They also provide your puppy a good environment for socialization with other dogs as well as humans.
If possible try to find a class that is for Golden Retriever puppy training only.
During the course the trainer will likely cover the basic commands every dog should know as well as show you how to correct bad behavior like biting, excessive barking, aggressiveness, chewing things they shouldn’t, and bathroom mishaps.
There is usually a minimum age limit of 5 or 6 months before your puppy can attend, so be sure to ask.
I would also suggest that you ask for a couple of references when you call to inquire. A good trainer should have no problem giving you this information.
I have been to a few of these group training sessions with my own dog to see what’s involved, and as a tag along with friends and their dogs, and there can be a big difference between trainers.
A good place to ask where to find a group training class would be your local veterinarian.
Private Dog Training Classes
If you don’t like the idea of group dog training, then another option might be a private trainer for your new puppy. A private trainer would come right to your house, or possibly you might go to their location.
A private trainer will obviously cost more than group training, somewhere between $50 – $125 per hour, but it can have it’s advantages.
You can make appointments to fit your schedule, and your puppy gets one on one training.
Just remember that the trainer will be with your puppy for one or two hours a week. The rest is up to you.
You are the one that needs to reinforce every day to your puppy what the trainer has shown him or her in his short one hour session. Without this daily reinforcement, the puppy will soon forget what he was taught by the trainer.
You don’t want to waste your money on a private dog trainer unless you are committed to continue the training on a daily basis.
If you decide to use this method, as always get references. If they are good they will gladly provide them for you. If they hem and haw, grab you pocket book and run!
Kennel Training
If your busy schedule just doesn’t allow time for group dog training, or private training, or you just don’t have the patience for either of these, then maybe kennel training is the way to go.
Basically you drop your puppy off at a boarding facility for anywhere from one to three weeks.
Your dog will work daily with a professional trainer learning basic obedience commands. Dogs tend to learn very fast in this type of boot camp environment.
When you pick your dog up, the trainer will teach you all of the new commands that your dog learned, and the dog training tips needed, to help keep your dog well behaved.
If you are considering this method I would visit the facility. As always ask for references. Ask to take a tour of the facility. Is it clean and well kept?
Are the stalls that the dogs are kept in clean? Remember you might be leaving your best friend here so look around.
They also may require your dog to have all his shots, especially rabies, so be sure to check.
As with the other programs, your new puppy will only remember what he learned in school, if you keep reinforcing it when he gets home.
Use A Professional Dog Training Guide
Another option is to get a training guide, so you have some professional guidance while training your dog at home. They guide you through the whole process, and give you a lot of dog training tips, that really speed the process along.
I am a fan of this method more than the others. I believe a dog or puppy will do best in the long run when they learn from their master.
It is also the most convenient way of dog training in my experience, and I have tried them all. I have listed two books below that I know are good training guides.
Whichever method you choose, it’s an on going process, but one that is definitely worth the time and effort. It’s always nice to have a well behaved dog.
