We don’t blame you for having a Golden Retriever; the dog breed is smart, friendly, and loyal… we could go on and on. The intelligence this dog breed has and the love it has for humankind is scientifically proven. Treating the dog right and spending time with your Golden Retriever will soon make the dog a part of your family.
However, given the talented and skillful nature of the Golden Retriever, what fun it is to have the dog breed and not train it to perform specific tricks. The Golden Retriever is one of the few dog breeds that like to test its intelligence to test and loves challenges. Admiration is considerably higher in these golden balls of fur. To develop a thinking attitude in the dog, it is imperative to challenge and test the dog from a young age.
Just like us humans, it is challenging to train dogs that have come up against no or limited tests throughout their lifetime. This is why we recommend training your dog from a very young age.
Benefits of Teaching Tricks to Dogs
“Oh who cares, they are fine by themselves…’ is one of the statements that are commonly said when you go about teaching a Golden Retriever. People often undermine the positive impact learning tricks and performing can have on the relationship between the owners and the pets.
Therefore, before we go about explaining a few tricks, let’s briefly discuss the benefits of training.
Engaging
A Golden Retriever that has nothing to do and lies idle in a confined space all day long will either look to vent out its excitement at the slightest of things or will become too sad and stressed to do anything.
Therefore, one of the best ways to engage your Golden Retriever’s mind is tricks. It will also give the dog something to look forward to the whole day.
Bonding Session
The time you spend with your dog is great for the relationship you two have. It also sets boundaries and parameters and gives both of you the basic idea of the expectations of each other.
Assert your Authority
One essential perk of training your dog is that it tells them who their master is. We all have instances of untrained dogs around us, loving and taking care of their owners but not paying much heed to their commands.
This happens because of inconsistency in behavior from the owner; when they show too much affection at odd occasions, it gives the dog a feeling of superiority. Since dogs are direct descendants of the wolves, they start considering themselves the leader of the pack i.e. your family and you. They start showing great aggression and discomfort when things are not going according to their wish.
Training the dog helps in reaffirming your status as the master; commanding and treating on obedience will make the dog realize the significance of following the orders it is given.
Dog Tricks to Teach Your Golden Retriever
Now that we have an idea of the significance of training, here is a list of few skills that you can teach your Golden Retriever.
1. Shake Hands
While this is a common trick, it is not easy to teach. This is one trick that you can teach your dog at any stage; it is also quite fun and entertaining. Just like any other trick, the key to teaching this trick is a treat.
The first part of teaching this trick should be to calmly sit in front of your Golden Retriever while asking to shake hands. As you do so, reach out for one of its front paws and tickle the hollow part of the leg. The tickling will cause the pet to lift its paw, and it will appear as if you two are shaking hands.
Once the dog performs the trick, please give it a treat afterward. Repeat the method and the rewards that follow once the Golden Retriever learns to perform the trick on your command.
2. Wave Goodbye
It is imperative to teach the Golden Retriever the art of shaking hands before you go about training it to wave goodbye. Once the dog is aware of the trick to shake hands, you can command it to shake hands. As soon as the dog raises its front leg to reach for your hand, touch the paw underneath and move it in the direction of your choosing.
The dog will continue to reach for your hand; this is where you can combine the new motion to a command. To ensure that the dog mirrors the actual movement, be aware of lifting the paw considerably higher than when it is shaking hands. Again, don’t forget to reward the Golden Retriever until it performs the task on your command.
3. Fetch
While many argue that the game comes naturally to Golden Retrievers, the reality is different. Golden retriever s may not like to share their sport and it can become pretty frustrating very quickly when your pet is not willing to share its game with you.
The key to ensuring that the dog returns the ball or toy you throw at it is the reward you offer. Unlike many other dogs, Golden Retrievers have the drive for playing fetch. From a very young age, you should develop in your pet a feeling of trustworthiness for you. Initially, you should play the game with a leash in hand. As soon as the young pup catches the ball, reel it in and take the ball while rewarding the effort.
As the Golden Retriever becomes more accustomed to the game, you can change the mode of operation and gradually move from the leash to free-spirited playing. It is imperative to enjoy the time you have with your dog as a Golden Retriever often feeds off the energy of its owners.
4. Patience
The one thing that absolutely needs to be taught is patience. There is no better way to teach patience than to train the dog to practice restraint when the food lies right in front of it.
The most common way to test the patience of the dog is to place food on the nose of the Golden Retriever and command it not to react until you order it to eat. You can find many cute videos of well-trained dogs with food on their nose waiting for their owners’ command.
If you want to teach your Golden Retriever patience the popular way, you need to ensure that your dog knows how to sit on your command. Hold the chin up and place the treat on its nose while telling the dog to stay signaling it to eat later. With each successful attempt, prolong the duration of the exercise until the Golden Retriever learns to stay like that indefinitely.
5. Clean Up Your Toys
This is a fun, practical trick. Since Golden Retrievers are not shy of accepting responsibilities, they are the ideal breed for trying out these games.
You will also need a set of props while you train the dog. The first thing is to choose a container for the dog to store all its accessories. Once you have the container and the toys ready, it is essential to get your dog accustomed to the names of each toy. This can take a while. Keeping all the toys in front of the Golden Retriever and calling out the names of the toys will help in developing identification.
Now that the Golden Retriever is aware of each toy, place the container at your lap and hold a treat in your hand. As you do so, call out the names of the toys you want in the container. If the dog follows the command successfully, reward it with a treat.
As soon as all the toys in the box, reward the golden reward with praise after you shout the conclusive instruction such as “clean up your toys” or “put your toys away.” Follow the same routine until the final direction is enough of an indication for the dog to clean all its toys.
Our Final Thoughts: You CAN Teach an Old Dog a New Trick
You can teach your faithful four-legged friend many tricks. With the interest a Golden Retriever has in pleasing its owner, your job will become much more comfortable.
However, as a trainer, owner, and friend, you need to enjoy the process. You might not enjoy it but a dog feeds off your energy, showing irritation and frustration affects the performance of the dog. The results of disinterest and ignoring are not different either; showing enthusiasm and drive during the training (along with treats) will motivate the dog to perform better.
