Thinking about adding a puppy to the family, are you looking for the perfect dog that is also easy to train? So are golden retrievers easy to train?
The Answer is Yes. Golden Retrievers are easy to train. They are gentle, smart, and have a wonderful temperament. They are also eager to please and will likely enjoy a training session. Golden Retrievers are highly trainable dogs that are often trained as assistance and search and rescue dogs.
Lets learn a little more about training a golden retriever.
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How long does it take to train a golden retriever?
Since golden retrievers are highly trainable if you put in a consistent amount of work, a golden can have basic obedience training down by a year old. For extensive training or inconsistent training could take up to two years of age. You will be surprised how incredibly smart these dogs are and how fast they catch on to training. Once your pup learns a new trick, keep up on the practice.
What is the best age to train a golden retriever?
Most puppies leave their mom around eight weeks of age. At this point, your puppy will not have any training.
It’s likey the breeder had them on pee pads so they may make a slight connection with the pee pads if you choose to use them in your home.
You will want to start working on potty training right away. You can also start working on some basic obedience training.
You will want to use treats and positive reinforcement to start getting the dog familiar with some basic obedience commands.
They are never too young to start training.
Potty and basic obedience training can start at 8 weeks.
Can goldens be hard to train?
Golden’s are not hard to train because they don’t understand what you are asking of them.
They actually catch on super fast.
What makes them difficult to train sometimes is the exact qualities we all love about them.
They love people so leash training in a park will be difficult at first. They will want to say hello to everyone and by everyone I mean everyone! While its cute it can make the training session somewhat difficult.
Goldens also can be somewhat stubborn when they want to. You may experience this in the teen phase with your golden retriever.
They are also super sensitive dogs so remember don’t be too harsh or stern with your puppy.
They will not respond well to being trained in a harsh way.
What can you teach your golden retriever?
Potty training is the first training to tackle.
If you are doing your part, your golden will practically potty train themselves, but they can’t open the door. (not yet anyway!)
Spending time with your puppy throughout the house is a great way to start basic training.
One of the first basic commands your puppy should learn is “leave it”. Once your puppy is older and has mastered basic obedient training you could start doing some specialty training. You can teach your dog how to fetch, kiss, or shake.
7 Common Commands To Start
- SIT
- STAY
- DOWN
- COME
- OFF
- HEEL
- NO
Should you crate train a golden retriever?
Crate training is a personal preference.
I would recommend using either a crate, puppy playpen or a puppy-proofed room with a gate on the door.
Having a safe space for the puppy will help keep them safe and also protect your home.
The plus side of using a crate is that it helps with potty training. A dog will not use the bathroom where they sleep so make sure to use the divider in the crate making it smaller.
Do golden retrievers bark a lot?
Golden retrievers do not bark for the sake of barking.
The most common reason for barking is hearing a noise, wanting attention, or needing to go out.
My golden will often give me one bark when needs to go out. We love the fact that he lets us know with a bark.
Are Golden Retrievers good off-leash?
Golden Retrievers can be trusted to go off-leash if you have trained them to either stay by your side or come when called.
They will not dart just because they are off the leash but having some training treats on hand when working on this skill is a good idea.
Are Golden Retrievers easy to take care of?
If you are thinking of getting a golden retriever, there are a few things to take into consideration.
They have long hair and are double-coated, so they will need grooming regularly. They are prone to hip and skin issues.
They are also people dogs meaning they love their people and want to be around the family 24-7.
So if you are looking for a dog to live outside a golden may not be the right choice for you.
How long can a Golden Retriever be left alone?
A golden receiver will do fine left alone. If you are leaving a puppy, make sure they are in a safe space.
However, it is not recommended to leave a puppy for more extended amounts of time. Make sure they have a play area and a potty area.
An older golden retriever can be left alone for up to 6 hours again if you are not sure of how your dog will do alone, make sure to create a safe space that your dog has access to potty and play.
Are Golden Retrievers easy to potty train? (link to blog)
As mention above, if you put the time in with your golden retriever right from the start at 8 weeks, you can have your puppy potty trained within a few weeks.
The key is being consistent with your puppy with whatever training method you are going with.
Below you will find a puppy potty schedule.
I hope this helps you understand how often your puppy needs to go out.
Also, it’s tempting to carry them out, but its best to let them walk so they can find their way to the designated potty area. Have them follow you to the area. Be sure to praise them after they go.
Puppy Potty Schedule
- 7:00 A.M Remove puppy from the crate and immediately take him outside to the potty area.
- 7:15 A.M. Feed your puppy and offer him some water
- 7:30 A.M. Return your puppy to the potty area. Use your commands of “go pee” or “hurry up” remember to give your puppy some praise. Tank pup for a little exercise by walking or playing with him.
- 8: A.M. Put puppy in a crate or the confined area designated for your puppy.
- Remember if you only leave young puppies in the crate for periods of no longer than 4 hours.
- At Home:
- 10:00 A.M. Get puppy out of his crate or sleeping area and take him outside to the potty area
- 10:15 A.M. Walk and Play with the puppy
- 10:30 A.M. Puppy playtime in a safe area
- Noon: Feed puppy second meal
- 12:15 P.M Potty time
- 12:30 P.M. Have a play session and something stimulating mentally for a puppy also does an obedience session
- 1:00 P.M. Put your pup back in the crate for a nap
- 3:00 P.M. Potty time
- 4:00 P.M. Socialize puppy
- 5:00 P.M. Feed puppy last meal
- 5:15 Potty time
- 6:30 P.M. Thank puppy outside for playtime
- 8:00 P.M. Last call for water then potty
- 10:00 P.M. Potty time then crate of his puppy safe place for the night
Golden Retriever Training Tips
- Starting Early and being consistent – Start working with your puppy as soon as you get them home. Let them follow you around the house while you can watch them and start teaching them the leave it command. Use treats to distract them while giving the leave it command. If you stay consistent with these learn as your training approach, your pup will be trained in no time.
- Commands – Deciding on commands that work for the whole family. Everyone working with the puppy must use the same training commands as not to confuse the dog. For example, If you have been teaching the dog the “no” command and suddenly change to “stop.” So you could see how this can be confusing for a young dog.
- Use Treats – Treats are the best way to get your puppy interested in learning. As the dog gets older and if there is a concern for weight gain, you can cut back on store bought treats and give frozen blueberries or carrots.
- Praise- Giving praise and rewarding good behavior can go along way with a dog. So you don’t always have to train with treats some times good praise will do the trick.
- Positive Reinforcement – Giving positive reinforcement is huge with Golden Retrievers. If they think they are in trouble, they are smart enough not to come to you. So remember to give positive reinforcement when they follow directions.
- Spend Time with your dog- Spending as much time with a dog will help them learn the rules of the house without a huge training session. When your home, your puppy should be with you as much as possible. This will also help grow the bond between you and your puppy.
- Have Patients- Golden Retrievers are sensitive dogs and while you may think you are being stern and standing your ground they can take it as being harsh and the training could have the reverse reaction.
Take away
Although golden retrievers can be very easy to train it won’t always be peachy.
They are still dogs even if they don’t know it.
There will be times that your golden will test you. They didn’t come in as the 4th smartest dog for no reason.
They have a mind of their own and sometimes they just want to do what they want to do.
So remember to be patience and treats will alway win!
Check out all our favorite golden retriever products: Best Golden Retriever Products
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