Owning a golden retriever should be considered a true privilege. Golden retrievers are one of the most intelligent breeds. They are caring, loving and playful, making them a perfect fit for a home pet. However, they need training to adapt to living at home without hurting themselves or your family.
Golden retrievers are eager to please and obedient, making them easy to train.
What makes Golden retriever puppies easy to train?
They are quick learners and smart compared to other breeds, making golden retriever dogs easy to train. You can opt to train them at home, work with a qualified trainer or enroll your dog for training lessons at a training institution.
As I said before, they are eager to please their owners. This nature makes them want to obey commands and learn new tricks, making their owners happy and proud of them. They derive pleasure in being petted and complimented.
Golden retrievers love a tasty snack. Once you start rewarding them with a treat, as soon as they do something right, you got their attention. They will want to keep earning the treats and thus will be forced to follow your command as well as practice their tricks. Treats can be dog biscuits in different shapes or actual pieces of meat. They should also be healthy, not just tasty.
Taking away the reward when they go against your command is a form of disciplining them, though you shouldn’t be too harsh on them until they are a few months old.
Puppies love playing and jumping around. Make the training fun, and they will learn more quickly. Starting the training as soon as you bring them home is also an added advantage; they tend to adapt and learn in their new environment.
What is the appropriate Golden Retriever training age?
Golden retriever trainability is exceptional. They love the mental stimulation of sports, training, and working activities, regardless of their gentle and calm natures. They are quick to learn and recall.
It is convenient to start training your dog at around eight weeks when it is still a puppy. At this age, the puppy knows nothing and learns everything from you. Whatever skill and knowledge they acquire at this age, their little brains soak it up. With age comes behavior; it is necessary to inflict good and prevent destructive behaviors. Prevention is better than cure.
Your puppy needs to learn and follow commands. You can test this by bringing them outside on walks or to the store and observe. Have a routine to make it easier for both you and your dog.
Training time is as essential as the training itself. During this time, you are forming a bond with your puppy, exposing it to social cues. A bond is a crucial tool to the both of you living together.
Some prefer to start their dog training later in the month. A dog starting training at six months can easily catch up with the training. It will not be as easy as training a puppy, but it will not be as challenging as training an adult dog. At six months, the dog still has a chance to learn quickly, but you will have missed out on your puppy following commands.
Challenges experienced in training a Golden retriever.
Inconsistency is an obstacle to dog training. Even an intelligent dog will get confused when the training is not consistent. Make your training sessions regular, but also keep them short. Dogs quickly get bored, and extended sessions will make them lose interest.
They can be mischievous – some breeds take longer to mature and only start to settle down at the age of two years. This causes a delay in your training as they keep running off and not following commands. To them, they are having fun. You must invest a lot of your time and energy in training them.
Patience – training a dog is not the same as talking to a human being. Do not expect them to understand you immediately; they will need time to learn. Being patient with them and showing them allows your dog to learn quickly. Some commands will be more complex than others, taking them a little longer.
Regression – it is no surprise for a dog to perform exceptionally well, only to forget in a week or to rebel and be stubborn. It is a normal part of the learning process. Do not snap at them.
Moving too fast – you want your dog to learn a command so you can move on to the next. It does not work like that. Your dog will require time to internalize one command before moving into another. Breaking down complex commands into simple steps will help them grasp the concept much quicker. Give your dog a break and start again later if the command becomes unbearable.
Conclusion.
It is not hard to train a golden retriever unless you make it hard. Form an unbreakable bond with your dog and study them. Let them feel safe and comfortable around you. Putting in your time and energy shows commitment, and golden retrievers enjoy being the center of attention. Doing this will lead them to obey and follow your commands.
Wrap up.
Are male or female golden retrievers easier to train?
Several theories have been regarding this, but nothing has been proven yet. It is better to focus on their genetics and personalities other than their sex.
What commands should I teach my golden retriever puppy?
At their tender age, it is essential to go with easy commands such as, look at me, sit, down, stand up, stay, come, leave it, or drop it. These easy commands lay the foundation for more complex commands in the future.