Greetings, fellow Golden Retriever lovers!

In a previous article, I wrote about the signs of fearful Golden Retrievers. Today I will expand on that and offer my Golden Retriever Training Tips on how to begin working with these dogs.

It is very important to have patience with a fearful dog. A Golden Retriever that has been hurt or has experienced any kind of abuse will require some special handling. Use a gentle approach, and remember to go slow.

The first of my Golden Retriever Training Tips I will offer today is this: reinforce the positive behavior you see in your dog. This is crucial to Golden Retrievers, because like most breeds, they love praise! Your Golden Retriever wants to please you, but he or she may need extra encouragement and lots of gentle handling. I know it’s hard to ignore bad behavior, but you will find it’s much more effective to encourage the good stuff and ignore the bad.

You may need to alter how you pet your Golden. Approaching your dog from above his or her head with your open hand may make your dog feel threatened and afraid. To lessen this, I recommend approaching below the head, and gently petting his or her chest or chin. You may want to try cupping your hand slightly, palm down to appear less threatening. Your dog may only tolerate a quick rub or scratch at first, but as he or she learns you can be trusted, you should see more acceptance.

Be aware of how you approach your dog at all times. Find out when your dog seems most comfortable around you. You may need to alter your position or posture until your Golden becomes more desensitized. (If sitting down while speaking to your dog seems less threatening to him or her, it is okay to do that.)

Avoid carrying your dog. Unless your Golden is in imminent danger of being hurt or attacked by a larger dog, have him or her walk. Stay close to home and make walks brief at the beginning. Know your neighborhood, if possible, to avoid any unwanted confrontations while your dog is learning and gaining confidence.

Finally, remember to praise your dog often for behavior you want to see continue. This is one of the best Golden Retriever Training Tips I can offer you! When your dog is calm and appears confident, reward him or her with tons of praise! If you see negative behavior, such as I wrote about in yesterday’s post, ignore it and do not give in to comforting at that time. This will be difficult, no doubt, but it is best. This way the process of gaining trust and seeing more positive behavior from your dog will not be delayed by reinforcing negative behaviors! Always give your Golden lots of love and attention when he or she is behaving well.

Sunny, my Golden, is patiently waiting for me to put aside my laptop and give him some attention! He has come a long way and is one of the sweetest dogs I have ever owned. I wouldn’t have believed I would say that when I first got him! Since he is being so good, and so patient, I will reward him with a favorite of his – a game of fetch in our backyard.