Retriever Training Tips

Retrievers are amazingly trainable due to their eagerness to please and their intelligence but a few retriever training tips will not go amiss.

Training a dog is a big responsibility and his success will be due more to your approach than to his talents.

The Best Time to Train

The best time to train a dog is now. In other words, training is not separate from your relationship with your dog, but very much a part of it.

• Puppy training.  Begin training the moment you bring your puppy home.
• Age appropriate training. Rome wasn’t built in a day and your puppy will need time to learn and develop new skills, so be patient. Treat your puppy like a toddler and don’t expect more than he is capable of.
• Crate training. A crate trained puppy is easier to control and is out of harm’s way.
• Consistent training. Use short commands and always be consistent with your dog to build a good relationship.
• Schedule. Retrievers like routine, so make training a regular schedule instead of a haphazard affair.
• Train for success. Use positive reinforcement rather than punishment for a confident, happy dog. Praise him for every little achievement and he will try even harder to please.
• Retrieving. Play retrieving games often with your puppy to develop their innate ability to bring things back. Start with rolled socks in a passageway that has been blocked off to minimize distractions.
• Tug of war no-no. never play tug of war games with a retriever of any age.
• Keep it fun. Retrievers have been bred to be active working dogs, but if you force the issue and overdo the training before he is ready you could spoil this and make it seem like a chore.
• High quality diet. Retrievers are high energy dogs and need a diet that supports this.

Retriever Training Tips For Water Dogs

If you want to train your dog for hunting purposes, the following retriever training tips will also be useful:

• Gunfire. You will need to carefully introduce your dog to gunfire at an early age to acclimatize him to the sound.
• Game. The same applies to game in that an early introduction is better.
• Commands. Make sure your dog understands and responds to Come, Sit and Stay as all retriever commands are based on these three.
• Join a dog club. This can give you and your dog invaluable experience and practical knowledge as well as socialization for the dog.
• Read good books. There are many good books around that cover retriever training tips in great detail and it would be worth investing in one or two.
• Connect with other dog owners. There are many forums available on the internet to chat to other retriever owners to discuss problems, get advice and offer suggestions.

Whether you are training for general obedience or for sport, the retriever will reward you with his quick mind and obedient personality. I hope these retriever training tips will motivate you to learn more about this wonderful dog.