How to Train Your Puppy

There are few things as exciting as bringing home an English Golden Retriever puppy. You do have a large task ahead of you, however. Where do you even start training a puppy?

Here are some tips on training your puppy from the American Kennel Club.

Correction and reward

Start by establishing positive and negative reinforcement for behavior. This is the foundation on which you will be building your pup’s patterns of behavior, according to the AKC.

It’s very important not to go overboard in “punishing” your little pup when he or she does something incorrect. Don’t ever spank him or her or otherwise physically punish him or her. You can correct your English Golden Retriever pup just by giving your dog a firm “no!”

As for the reward part, find out what kinds of treats your pup is most into and keep a stock of them on hand. You might use dried liver or other kinds of tasty dog treats. It is also very important to pair a treat or toy that you’re using as a reward with effusive praise. According tot he AKC, dogs must be taught to like praise -they don’t naturally know that they’re being praised when you talk to them in a sweet way.

Be the boss

Yes, your puppy is cute, but you have to establish authority when he or she is young because if you don’t it will make it more difficult to get him or her to behave throughout the rest of his or her life. When an English Golden Retriever puppy hears “no” consistently, he will be much better behaved than a puppy who never hears it.

Pups can sense when you’re nervous in this “pack leader” role, when you doubt yourself, so you must be confident.

House-training

This is probably one of the most immediate concerns when it comes to training a pup.

Learning not to relieve themselves in their home is instinct for dogs, something that comes naturally to them. So fortunately, it should not be hard to train them not to go in your house.

One key to training a dog is consistency: you want your pup to feel safe whenever he or she first goes outside. Bring him or her to the same spot to relieve himself or herself over and over again; this will help it become habit.

It’s also important to reward your English Golden Retriever pup when he or she goes outside. Give him or her a treat or use verbal praise so he or she knows they have done a good thing. It’s equally important not to punish your pup for going in the wrong place. Speaking harshly to him or her when they relieve themselves might create a negative association in his or her mind with the very act of going to the bathroom, and that could be very harmful.