[RWebb]

Training
Bozo is Learning to Train
Training your puppy to respond to “No” and the firm tone are the foundation to a
well behaved Golden, as well as a lot of praise. Use common sense with your
puppy. There are a number of books on training as well as classes you and the
puppy can attend. I suggest you do both. A good book to start with is: How to
Raise Puppy You Can Live With, by Rutherford and Neil. It is easy reading and
good, common sense.
I cannot stress enough the command, “no”. Never let your puppy do something one
time and then tell him “no” the next. He will be confused and rightfully so.
Be consistent with what you will allow and what you will not. Praise is equally
important. Give him lots of praise when he gets it right, even if it's
something really minor. Try very hard to balance your corrections with praise.
Set the puppy up to win when he is having “bad” days. It can help to turn him
around.
Training starts on day one, with the crate and learning quiet time. The
foundation of learning to learn has begun. Young puppies have very short
memories. When a puppy does something wrong: wets, chews, retrieves wrong
items, pick him up, tell him no, he has been bad. At this time you have
punished the puppy. Hopefully, he will have learned. However, if this is a
first offense, it will be repeated. It takes time to learn, your firm guidance
is the key. A note about retrieving wrong items: Tell him no and give him one
of his own toys and tell him it is his, and okay.
Don't make a big deal out of it. Usually, if the original item is out of sight
he will be just fine with his toy. Your Golden is sensitive to your feelings,
he wants to please you, give him that chance, he will get it right he is a Brier
Golden and he is very smart.
Collars and Leashes. Adjustable nylon collars are great. You can buy one
collar that will fit your puppy for six months. Then purchase a larger one that
he can wear out. Leash, I only buy leather. Never nylon or chain. Six feet is
the proper length for training. No thicker than 3/4”. Leather will not burn
your hand if the dog pulls hard. Buy a sewn leash, not riveted. The sewn ones
are much stronger.
Obedience classes. I strongly urge you to get involved in a group class. Why
group classes over private? Simple: socialization. The socialization with
other dogs and people is training in and of itself. Classes are everywhere,
starting all the time. Puppy Kindergarten begins usually at 12 weeks and is
mostly just socialization. At 6 months, is when we hit the real books or bricks
with formal classes: Beginning Obedience. It's a lot of fun. It's how I
started in dogs. At six months a Golden can be a total Bozo, but in a short six
to eight week basic class with daily work, you can turn things around. Don't be
surprised if you end up with a high score and a trophy at graduation. Goldens,
because of their inherent nature to please, do very well in obedience. You
might even find yourself interested in competition in obedience trials. At the
very least make it a goal to obtain the dogs CGC (Canine Good Citizen
Certification) many obedience trainers offer CGC testing at the end of their
classes or contact me and I will find you a test when your ready. Visit the AKC
site on line and check out the CGC program.
Exercise
Working out with Richard:
Goldens, by nature, need a lot of exercise, but puppies should not be pushed
beyond their limits. It is very important not to jog or run your puppy for long
periods until they reach 18 months of age (read more in depth info in Grandmas
Notes. You are asking for orthopedic problems if you are not moderate with your
puppy. Running and playing at their own pace is fine. Walking is great. The
pressure that is put on the skeleton in repetitive movement such as running or
jogging is really hard on any immature skeleton.

it all applies well to labs also