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training tips
Maybe your adopted Golden has spent the day chewing up a $400 pair of Prada shoes. Or maybe he’s developed a habit of barking excessively at the sound of a door-bell. With proper direction, most dogs can become wonderful additions to any family. If you are having a tough time communicating with your Golden, find a good trainer or behaviorist who can answer your questions, give you clear direction, and can help make problem correction a simple and speedy process. In the meantime, here are some tips and hints that might get you started.
| chewing c h e w i n g |
| Your Golden chews because it is super fun, because they are bored, anxious, or have too much energy. When they tear up the linoleum, shred a pillow, or rip up the carpet – they are having a wonderful time. There are three steps to stop a chewer. Prevention, Redirection, Correction. First, you must prevent your Golden Retriever from chewing in the first place. If you have a problem chewer, keep him with you at all times, and crate him when you are not home. You must be able to catch him in the act in order to teach him that there are more appropriate things to chew on. When you do catch him, say seriously, “no,” and then redirect his chewing by giving him a sterilized bone or a raw-hide, then praise him enthusiastically when he takes the chew from you and starts to play with it. Teach him that there are toys he can have his way with, but your suede throw pillow isn’t one of them. In order to correct his behavior, you must find a way to make chewing on your things unpleasant. Spray Bitter Apple on anything he isn’t supposed to chew. You can also booby-trap items by tying “shake cans,” (coin-filled soda cans,) to them. When your dog runs off with his favorite chew, the shaking noise might be enough to keep him from that item. |
| hyperactivity h y p e r a c t i v i t y |
| If your dog is like a wind-up toy that never winds down, you may have a hyperactive dog. It is common for young Golden Retrievers to have bounds of energy. The best solution is to exhaust them mentally and physically. By giving your dog structure, you create the rules of the game – something your hyper-active dog is aching for. Obedience work helps to calm and focus him – and should be part of his daily life, not just for that Saturday training class. Obedience is vital in teaching overly active dogs self control. Diet can also influence hyperactivity. Ask your vet about a mild food that might help calm your pet. Along with proper diet, there are many calming agents that your vet can also recommend. |
| digging d i g g i n g |
| Golden Retrievers dig mostly because they are bored. Fixing it is not easy. You can try to put his feces in the bottom of his favorite digging holes. This deters most dogs and they won’t want to dig in that spot again. You can try to booby trap him from the house. Try lobbing a couple of “shake-cans” at him when he starts to dig. It’s best if he doesn’t hear or see you do this. Or, redirect him and give him a place where he can dig. His own sand-box and fill it with his toys. This way, if you can’t stop him from digging, you can control where it happens. |
| jumping j u m p i n g |
| Every Golden Retriever owner knows all about jumping. In order to stop jumping, you must be consistent and stop yourself from rewarding him when he does. No petting or giving attention when they jump up and demand it. Teach your dog “Off” by praising him the second he stops his jumping. As soon as he gets the idea (and it may take a while) you can teach him “up!” He knows how to jump, but can learn only to do so when invited. |
| housebreaking h o u s e b r e a k i n g |
| Sometimes a change in schedule or change in routine can upset your rescue dog and cause mistakes. Always check with your vet if your previously housebroken dog suddenly starts doing his “business” in the house. Otherwise, the quickest way to housebreak your dog is to give him a routine. By creating a regular feeding routine, and a regular “outside” routine, you give your dog the chance to do his business where you want him to. Take him out first thing in the morning, at lunch, mid afternoon, after dinner, and at bed-time. Every time your dog goes where and when you want him to, praise with lots of love and attention. Until your dog is housebroken, you shouldn’t leave him unsupervised in your home. Keep him tied to you, or in a crate. This ensures that he won’t go unless you know about it. When you do catch him, try a low pitched, stern “no.” Then immediately take him outside to finish his job where you want him to. After he finishes, praise praise praise. You cannot give your dog enough praise for doing a job well done. some common misconceptions:Don’t Rub his nose in it. Your dog doesn’t understand what you are doing, and only learns to distrust you.Don’t spank him with a rolled up newspaper. Any kind of violent correction is a major cause of anxiety, submissive urination, and aggression. Your dog doesn’t understand why he is being beaten, and only learns not to trust you, and to fear you.Don’t scream or yell at him when you catch him. Catching him in the act is key, yelling at him teaches the dog that you don’t want him to pee in front of you. He will become afraid to go to the bathroom in your presence whether outside, or in.Don’t tie him near it and leave him there. If you teach him anything by doing this, you are teaching him that laying in his mess is “ok.” A clean house requires that your dog WANT to stay away from the mess – a desire most dogs were born with. |
| aggression a g g r e s s i o n |
| When you rescue a dog, you are giving your dog the wonderful gift of life. You’ve done your part to make sure that one more dog didn’t find himself on the euthanasia table. Luckily, Golden Retrievers aren’t bred to be aggressive animals. But, maybe your adopted Golden had to use aggression to survive the streets, or was taught aggression by an abusive owner. He probably at some point wanted to defend his food, protect himself, or his territory. If you are afraid that you have an aggressive dog, or if your dog shows any signs of aggression, get in touch with a trainer immediately. Don’t reward aggressive behavior. Don’t try and calm him by saying, “It’s ok, don’t worry, it’s just the mailman.” Yelling, screaming, hitting and harsh corrections actually increase the problem. Do practice obedience. This redirects your dog’s attention, reinforces your position as the leader, and focuses his attention on you. The better he follows your command when practicing, the faster he’ll respond when you need him to the most. And if you haven’t started already, socialize your dog. Take your dog with you when ever you can, and try group classes. The more you introduce him to different people and places, the calmer and more stable he will be. |