Puppy 101
2-6 Months
Training begins immediately with group-based Puppy Kindergarten and basic obedience. Goldens are eager to please, easily trainable, and classes provide the opportunity to meet their physical, social, and mental needs. It is critical to establish a working relationship from which to build a foundation of solid obedience skills to successfully meet the challenges of the budding teenager. This is the time to bond with your dog, develop trust, explore their instinctual potential, and learn which dogs your puppy will like as playmates.
6-18 Months
In this phase, you will find yourself struggling as your once-perfect angel's emerging hormones send her/him into cranky, feisty, subdued, and reclusive moods. Now is the time to find your puppy's BFFs. Ones with whom they can enjoy frolicking, wrestling, and Zooming. While teething is usually finishing now, Goldens maintain a need to have something in their mouth which should be channeled with commands such as leave it, drop it, give, and go fetch.
Potty Training: Crates
Many people who are new to dogs cringe at the idea of confining their puppies in a crate, but the reluctance to use this tool generally evaporates after a few days of living with a new pet. Dog crates make life easier. It's a good idea to get your dog accustomed to one for many reasons, such as vet visits, travel, convalescence, and safety. Dogs are den animals and will seek out a little canine cave for security whether you provide one or not. That makes it relatively easy to train your dog to love her crate. The principle behind using a crate for housetraining is that dogs are very clean creatures and don't like a urine-soaked rug in their living spaces any more than you do. It's important that the crate is the right size—just large enough for the dog to lie down, stand up, and turn around. If it is too large, the dog will feel that it's OK to use one corner for elimination and then happily settle down away from the mess. Many crates come with partitions so you can adjust the size as your puppy grows. When she feels an urge, the puppy will usually let you know by whining and scratching. That's her signal that she has to go and wants out of her little den. Now! Don't delay because if you let your pup lose control in her crate, she'll get the idea that it's OK to mess up her living space. Then she'll think nothing of leaving little packages around where you live, too.