1. curious, 2. good at imitation
Golden Retriever
I. Puppy characteristics
1. Curiosity is high
For a puppy, everything he sees is very new and interesting. A dog’s curiosity is innate. It will perceive them by biting, touching, and smelling them to learn more about what it sees. However, the dog’s behavior can hurt itself. Owners should stop it from biting things that are not safe! For a puppy, everything it can see is a toy, including floating curtains, wires crawling across the floor, shoes, couches, pants, etc., and toys scattered around the room.
The dog got burned because he was curious about the stove. Dogs are too curious and want to chew on many things, but from a safety standpoint, some things are off-limits to touch. These dangerous items include chemical strips or couches, electrical cords and plugs, kitchen gas stoves and furnaces, soap, and laundry detergent. Of course, the owner’s personal belongings, such as clothes and shoes, must also be banned.
[Ark Review]
As dogs grow up, they are curious and new to everything, so parents must take care of their dogs and babies during this time and try to put away as many dangerous items in the house as possible so that their dogs can grow up healthy and happy.
2. Good at imitation
The puppy has a remarkable ability to imitate. Through imitation, it learns a lot from its kind and can adapt quickly to human life, winning the love and praise of its owners.
- â‘ Strong sense of pack: when a partner yells, the dog yells back and aligns itself with the other’s voice. This enhances the cohesiveness of partner interrogation, resulting in a strong ability to survive.
- â‘¡ Keen observation: The dog observes the owner’s behavior or the situation around him. Not only can they sense their owner’s mood, but they can also help when needed.
- â‘¢ Excellent learning ability: The dog uses its super imitation ability and is often praised by its owner. So it works harder to express to get more love. It is good at observing and learning and likes to do the same things as its peers. Therefore, we can know that imitation is a good quality for dogs.
[Ark Review]
A dog is an excellent imitator! Dogs are raised by imitating their elders. Especially those dogs that are afraid of new things, overcoming various phobias, and living independently as they follow other dogs. Imitation is arguably the most important way for dogs to learn.
3. Fragility of mind
Most large guard dogs, like us when we were young, do not naturally have the confidence that adults have. They want to play daily except for eating, drinking, and pooping. Curiosity and dependence on their owners is all they have. Only when the body is mature enough can hormone levels reach a certain level. Combined with the stable inheritance of personality genes, they can indeed be called complete dogs.
When puppies are young, protect them from unfriendly dogs or people, especially those with naturally weak neurotypical personalities, and avoid fright and injury when playing. It is easy for them to get regular social training. Once regular socialization training is established, the dog is mentally healthy and confident, even if they are not aggressive when they grow up.
[Ark Review]
On top of that, guard, owner, and pounce training will work much better than dogs that are hateful or prone to anger.
II. Training methods
1. Training puppies to shake hands
A dog is cuter with a handshake, a skill that should be taught when he is small. So don’t forget to be patient and teach him this skill.
[Training steps]
â‘ Command the dog to sit, hold the food in one hand, and pat the dog’s front feet with the other hand while saying shake hands.
â‘¡Then gently pull up its front feet, shake them and put them down.
â‘¢ Praise him for being good or excellent, give him a treat, and pet him. Repeat until the dog automatically lifts its front feet to shake your hand.
[Ark Review]
The first time you pull a dog should not be too strong and gradually increase or you may scare the dog. If the dog doesn’t shake your hand submissively but tries to bite it, you must scold loudly not to stop it!
Golden Retriever
2. Training puppies and more
Waiting is one of the essential basic training. Repeat the training until the puppy can obey this command to stop early before the puppy engages in bad or dangerous behavior.
[Training steps]
- â‘ Hold the treat in your hand, command your dog to sit and have your dog look at you.
- â‘¡ Place the other hand in front of the dog’s feet and command it to wait.
- â‘¢ After a few seconds or so, say “yes” and give “permission” for it to move.
- â‘£ Give him a treat and pet him at the same time. If the dog acts before saying yes, it must strictly say no.
[Ark Review]
This basic training aims to train the puppy to be patient. A well-trained dog will grow up to be very useful. The results of this training will come in handy whether you are going out to play, eat, or go potty.
3. Train your puppy not to bark
There are many reasons why dogs bark. For example, I am afraid of guests and get excited by the music of the doorbell and go into a state of alert to protect the territory.
[Training steps]
- â‘ You can switch the dog to indoor housing. If you hit him gently, the dog will mistakenly think he is getting attention from his owner, or handle him by changing the music on the doorbell.
- â‘¡ Desensitization therapy is also effective. Even with people other than family members, dogs can gradually get used to it if it is sequential and gradual.
- â‘¢ Water the dog with a water gun. Once the dog calms down from the excitement, it will stop barking. This method also works for dogs whose owners are trying to get them to stop indulging in biting.
[Ark Review]
Watch out for misunderstandings. If you hit him gently, the dog will mistakenly think he is being praised by his owner and feel happy. It will bark harder. Scaring the dog distracts it and makes it feel happy. Scolding the dog loudly will make it believe its owner is cheering for it, so it will bark harder.
Golden Retriever
4. Training puppies on meal manners
Develop a sense of security in your dog’s eating from a young age. Many dogs wolf down their food and are unhappy with anyone or any dog eating because they protect food sovereignty. The dog worries that someone will take his food away, so he growls low to express his displeasure, so he should be nurtured from an early age!
[Training steps]
â‘ Let your dog see the food Food needs to be seen, especially during training, and your dog must be significantly attracted to the food but also exceptionally tolerated. If the food is not appealing, it will not accelerate his learning, so prepare his favorite treats.
â‘¡ Get the dog to sit nicely. Put the food in front of him and let him sniff it with his nose. Then lift the food and place it on the dog’s head and have him sit. At the beginning of training, the dog may not sit immediately; it may get up and try to eat. At this point, we must insist that the dog sit steadily or never eat. Usually, the dog will sit submissively, with his eyes on the eyes of the food, fearing that it will suddenly disappear.
â‘¢ Slowly place the food on the ground, one step away from the dog. The dog may immediately rush up, but when it does, he will immediately remove the food and not allow it to be eaten. Tell him that he will never eat if he doesn’t listen to the code.
â‘£ Reinforce the impression of the meal opening muzzle Dogs have limited patience, especially when they are first trained, so don’t make them wait too long and lose motivation to wait. If other things are more appealing, your training won’t work. So, as long as the dog is willing to sit obediently when you place the food on the floor in front of him, he won’t eat it right away. 10 You can give the meal-opening command in a few seconds and push the food toward him when you give the order. When it eats, encourage it immediately~~
[Ark Review]
Please spend 10 minutes every day for a week; with 10 small cookies, you can train the dog 10 obedience, stamina, and meal manners. Feeding time each day can be taught in the same way and the dog is less likely to forget and can learn quickly.
Golden Retriever
5. Training your puppy to poop and pee
If you are away from home for an extended period and your puppy cannot go outside before vaccinations or regularly take your puppy out for walks, you may choose to let him go to the bathroom in a more cleanable part of the house. Indoor urination training can be accomplished with a simple aid.
[Preparation tools]
1. Newspaper: Dogs urinate and then discard, economical.
2. Deodorizer: Eliminate odor without traces.
[Training steps]
- â‘ The first thing you do after deciding where to let your dog go to the bathroom is to lay the newspaper there. The newspaper is laid all over because dogs are not so smart to defecate directly on the newspaper the first time. After defecating on one of the newspapers with your encouragement, his training memory will be the newspaper Defecation = encouragement, even if it is the first step to success!
- â‘¡Gently guide your dog to the toilet 10 to 20 minutes after feeding or an activity. Close the door, let him move around the newspaper space, and then use words to encourage him to urinate.
- â‘¢ Once the intention to urinate is present, please do not physically interfere, but give a verbal reward at the first opportunity. For example, good or good Good”.
- â‘£ When he finishes defecating on the newspaper, continue to give gentle encouragement, then stroke his head and back with your hand. The goal is to get the dog to like the behavior pattern, create a memory, and be willing to repeat it.
- ⑤ During training, if the dog can urinate on the newspaper each time, he can gradually reduce the number of newspapers, eventually reducing the number of newspapers to one block, and the dog will still go to the bathroom in that spot.
[Ark Review]
Encourage by cueing specific useful phrases. For example, “Be a good pooper,” and your puppy will remember your words as part of his potty training. Are you impressed? These little ways will help your dog grow up with good manners and eat and poop well, so go ahead and try them out.
