Golden Retriever Training

Modern Golden Retrievers developed in the late 19th century to retrieve wild fowl from the water and surrounding bushes during hunting expeditions. Today they are a common choice for family pets, obedience, agility and retrieving training. They are also found working as sniffer dogs, for people with seeing and physical disabilities and as search and rescue dogs. Golden retrievers are intelligent, gentle and tolerant dogs, making them easy to train. Consequently Golden Retrievers don't like to spend too much time alone and are used to being with and working with people. If you spend most of your time away from home or at work then a Golden Retriever may not be the best choice for you.

Are Golden Retrievers Good Family Pets?

Golden Retrievers are a versatile breed that will greet everyone with a smile and a wagging tail. This breed adores children and aims to please its family and most people it meets. The down side of this characteristic is that Golden Retrievers require lots of companionship to be happy. If you are looking for a dog to leave at home by itself while you and your family go on outings then a Golden Retriever is probably not the right breed of dog for you. On the other hand, it is easy to spend time with Golden Retrievers because they are active dogs: they love to retrieve anything you throw and can spend hours at the park or beach bringing back tennis balls, frisbees and sticks. Golden Retrievers love to be with people and make excellent companions.

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Is it Difficult to Train a Golden Retriever?

Golden retrievers are medium to large dogs and training them can be demanding as they are a breed with a lot of energy and drive. Any large dog needs to be well mannered, trustworthy and obedient otherwise you may feel you are unable to take your dog anywhere. You will certainly need to obedience train your Golden Retriever and starting from an early age (eight to ten weeks) is the best idea. Golden retrievers were bred for their intelligence and desire to please so using the positive reward system of training will work well. You will probably want to start with the basic skills of toilet training, sitting, staying until instructed otherwise, recall and dropping something it finds. This is particularly important for a retriever! Your Golden Retriever will be a willing participant in training sessions and through these your dog will learn to respect you and you will learn to understand your dogs behavior. Obedience classes are a good way to learn basic training skills and have the added benefit of aiding the socialisation of your puppy. A very important factor for the well being of the whole family. Your puppy needs to understand how to behave at all times and having some experience with other people and dogs will teach your dog how to interact in these situations.

It is most important that your puppy is raised in a positive environment where it responds to your commands out of a desire to please you rather than out of fear. If your puppy is fearful it will not be happy, and will not learn as much or as quickly as a puppy that's treated positively. Positive attention includes discipline, understanding and affection. You will find that a lot of what you teach your puppy will be learnt through the games you play and the fun you have together.

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