Who can resist the instinct of engulfing a cute, little, innocent faced, koochy-poochy Golden pup at the very first sight? Golden retriever pups are irresistibly adorable and sweet. But anybody who owns a Golden pup would know what a store of energy and vigour lies behind these cutie faces.
The Golden breed is a power house of energy and it is highly active and curious. And the little ones of the breed are, for sure, no different. Lack of proper training of your Golden Retriever puppy can easily lead a Golden pup into an uncontrollable and unruly adult with an unpleasant temperament. So training and controlling should begin from the very first day you bring your pup home. This might sound harsh, but it is necessary if you want to enjoy happy moments with a happy dog. Proper training will not only help you but will also help the dog to manage itself better.
Most important thing that you need to do in your golden retriever puppy training, is to house-break your pup. Once the pup has done ‘it' inside the house, it will be difficult to train it otherwise. Hence, you should follow a schedule of taking it out for emptying its bladder after every meal and at regular intervals. Do it regularly, at the same time and try to make the pup excrete at the same place every time. It won't take long for this to develop as a habit with the pup. Goldens are very intelligent and learn quite easily. It is believed that a pup needs to empty its bladder after as many hours as the months of his age. You can follow this rule to set a schedule for your pup.
In order to set its bowel movements right, you will have to feed your pup properly with prescribed food and according to a healthy schedule. It's advisable to feed a Golden pup thrice daily up to 10-12 weeks of age. After this you should switch to twice daily plan. With the growing age, increase the quantity of food gradually by 1/4th of a cup at a time. Increase the quantity only after the pup starts finishing the food entirely within 20 minutes. Increase until you reach a level that is sufficient for a grownup dog. Your doggie should never be over fed and it should never be over-weight. Goldens love to put on. Make sure that you are always able to feel its ribs while rubbing through its sides. Use only the food brands recommended by vets. Train your pup to have its last meal in the evening (not night). This will allow time for an after meal trip outside and the pup will be able to hold through the night.
Also, your pup should know that it should finish the food in time. Allow it to be with the food for specific, pre-decided minutes, i.e. 20 or 25. Take the bowl away, even if it's not empty, after that specific time.
Disciplining an energetic and active Golden pup is a task. Again, a regular and same schedule every day and your Golden's innate sharpness will help you. Begin with training it to understand basic commands like ‘come', ‘go', ‘stay', ‘no', etc. Engage it in short 10-15 minute sessions. Long sessions won't help. A pup has a short attention span. A good idea is to go for 2-3 short sessions daily.
Along with this, it is important that your pup knows what is allowed and what is not. Reward it for good behaviour and obedience with a big hug or an occasional treat. Show your dislike for every wrong doing. Goldens always want to please their masters. So your pup will refrain from doing what you don't like.
Here's the golden rule: hold yourself from pampering your pup with ‘those extra bites' or ‘allowed misbehaviour' and mold it into a gorgeous, graceful and truly golden Golden Retriever.