The initial thing to concentrate on with your puppy is socialisation, this is imperative for him/her to grow into a well-balanced adult dog, without fear or aggression being a big part of their life. As previously mentioned you can take your pup to ‘puppy parties’, friend’s houses & you can also carry him/her in the early days prior to them being able to go on the ground outdoors.
Simply let your puppy accompany you, in your arms wrapped in a blanket for extra warmth, whenever you leave the house, ensure he/she interacts with numerous different people from all walks of life. You could visit places such as shopping centres, parks, noisy places are especially important. Wait outside a local school for home time & allow the children to say ‘hi’ to your pup. The idea’s to encourage people to smooth the pup, not normally difficult with a cute pup, Travel on public transport, buses, trains etc,etc.
Housetraining your new puppy can be a daunting thought but if you approach it in the right manner can be quite simple.
There are three main times of the day that your Golden Retriever puppy will wish to relieve itself:
·After sleeping
·After eating
·After feeding
The key to training your pup to understand that you would much prefer that he/she went to the toilet outside & not inside is split second timing. Literally the second your pup awakens from a long sleep or finishes eating or has ended a play session encourage them to the backdoor & into the garden. Try not to scoop them up & carry them, yes this is quicker but you are not teaching them how to find the door themselves.
Once in the garden pick a word, I use ‘tinkle’, now repeat this word over & over again to your puppy. Show him/her the grass & clap your hands, make noises anything to convince your puppy that now is a great time to go to the toilet!
When they eventually go, & they will it might just take a little time, say the word over & over & really praise them. Be flamboyant with your praise so they understand that what they have just done is incredible & you are so happy with them.
When, & it’s a when & not if, accidents occur indoors do not scold your puppy. If caught in the actual act you can just say a firm ‘no’ but do not shout it just say it firmly & leave it there, no need to repeat it. Never shout at your pup after the event they will not understand why you are shouting at them.
If you are crate training this can prove very helpful when puppy training as overnight your pup will be soundly asleep in their bed. You must ensure that the crate/cage never becomes a place of punishment, do not scold your puppy & then send him/her to their bed. This must always be a safe haven for pups, a place that is their own.
Golden Retriever puppy training need not be hard work; it should be fun having a puppy around the house. They are renowned for being a sensitive breed & care should be taken to not use harsh training methods, all you will achieve is how to scare your new puppy not how to train him/her. Be calm but relatively forceful & above all be very, very patient & you will be rewarded with a beautiful, well-trained adult Golden Retriever.