Raising a well-behaved Golden Retriever requires training, time, and diligence. It is best to start training your pup from a young age, following trusted and true training programs, tips, and tricks. You should begin training your pup from a young age, and continue into adulthood. We will discuss some of the best ways to train your new Golden Retriever in this blog, when you should start, and what you should look for when shopping for training classes.
What are the stages my Golden Retriever will go through as they mature from puppy to adulthood?
Much like children, Golden Retriever puppies will go through different stages as they grow up. Typically, the first stage is the “angel phase”. The angel phase often refers to puppies in the 2-6 month range of age. This stage is the first stage you will experience with your new puppy after you bring them home. Ideally, during this stage you would start basic puppy obedience training, or what some call “puppy kindergarten”.
Teenage Rebellion Phase. Like most human children, Golden Retrievers often go through the same rebellious teenage phase in their lives. This phase typically occurs between the age range of 6-18 months. This stage can see hormonal outbursts, and changing moods, which can be frustrating and difficult to deal with if you are not properly prepared. This stage is where you will spend most of your time building on the core principles you taught your pup in their angel phase.
Adulthood is typically reached between 18-24 months, which is where you should start to see some leveling out and maturity in your Golden Retriever. They will still be hyper, excitable, and energetic, but your days of teenage rebellion should be over by this point. This stage is where you will be able to focus on perfecting many of the obedience and other training you have covered during your pup’s growth.
What should training look like?
Generally training a Golden Retriever puppy happens in stages, to help walk you through your dog’s growth stages, from the “Angel Phase” to “Teenage Rebellion”. When you are looking at training courses, you must be using the right programs for the right stage of your pup. Our top recommendation for training classes is the Online Puppy School by Baxter and Bella. Baxter and Bella offer an incredible list of classes to choose from, helping you prepare for your new Golden Retriever, and train them through adulthood. Some examples of the progression of training and what it should look like are:
- Preparing to bring your new Golden Retriever home
- Your new Golden Retriever Puppy
- How to become a trainer
- Social skills
- How to Housetraining
- Crate Training
- Impulse control
- Walking on a Leash
Many other training topics are designed to help you train your Golden Retriever pup as they grow with you in their new home.
When it comes to training your Golden Retriever puppy, the key is to start with the basics of bond building right away. Before you can properly train your new puppy you need to form a bond with him. Proper training requires a bond between owner and pup. As your bond and puppy grow, you will be able to step into the role of trainer, where you can teach your new pup everything it needs to know to be a smart, well-trained, obedient dog.
Ready to start training your Golden Retriever puppy?
Are you ready to start working with your brand new Golden Retriever Puppy? We have teamed up with Baxter and Bella, an online puppy school to offer you puppy training classes that will help you to teach your new Golden Retriever puppy.
Maybe you are interested in having us work with your puppy on training? We have two levels of puppy training that we offer, Level 1 – Basic Puppy Training, and Level 2 – Advanced Puppy Training. We welcome the chance to help you train your beautiful new Golden Retriever. You can find out more about our training options and our online puppy school here on this page!
