One of the first steps in training your golden is to establish yourself as the "alpha dog" or "pack leader". This is especially important when raising a large breed dog, as many people are afraid of large dogs. It doesn't matter that goldens are not aggressive watch dogs. Good training will make your dog more welcome wherever you go.
Pay attention to your dog, and make eye contact often. When your dog does something right, look him in the eye, give verbal praise, and offer a treat, in that order. For example, when your dog sits (whether by command or not), make eye contact, say "good sit" and give him a treat, or "good stay", etc.
Goldens are sensitive, they do not do well with scolding or punishment. It's better to identify the good behavior and reward that, rather than use negativity.
Your dog can learn to stay from any position, lying down, sitting or standing. Eventually you will want to train him to stay from any of these.
With your dog on leash, stand to his right, place your hand in front of his face, palm towards him, and say "stay". Step away from your dog with your right foot first (stepping with the left foot encourages the dog to move too); take two steps, and turn and face him.
Give him the hand signal again, hand right in front of his face with the fingers pointing up, and repeat "stay". Return to his side, say "ok" and then say "good stay" and give him a treat.
Over time, increase the length of time you hold up your hand, and increase the distance you walk away from him. Eventually, walk away the length of the leash, hold your hand up, and repeat "stay".
Always return to his side and reward if he continues to do as he is told.
Little baby steps that you can reward with a "good stay" and a treat are much more valuable at first than trying unsuccessfully for a longer time or distance.
Are you worried about spoiling your dog with too many rewards? Are you concerned that he won't obey without them? As long as you never show the treat to your dog before he exhibits the desired behavior, you don't need to worry. A rule of thumb with goldens, since they are so sensitive and so eager to please, is pick your battles and bribe shamelessly.
You can overdo training, so if you can alter circumstances (like you would to childproof your home for a toddler) rather than discipline...do it. Keep your counters clean so your dog isn't tempted to clean them for you, but insist upon sitting and staying instead of jumping on people and licking children's' faces. Young children are easily knocked over by happy goldens!
When you feel your dog has learned to stay well, vary the circumstances. Make sure he can stay from a sitting, lying down, or standing position. Practice inside and outside, around other dogs and other people. Try to distract him with a rolling ball or have someone else call him. You aren't being mean; you aren't trying to trick him. You are simply helping him to understand better what you mean by "stay", and he will be deliriously happy when he knows he's got it right.
Here's a bonus tip, specific to golden retrievers but you be the judge if it's appropriate for your dog, retriever or not. Retrievers like carrying things in their mouths; many of them have favorite toys they don't like to be without. If your dog is having trouble concentrating during a training session, you can try letting him hold his favorite stuffed toy in his mouth. If he thinks it's playtime, it won't work; but oftentimes it gives him a focus.
With these few tips and techniques under your belt, your training sessions with your sunny-tempered golden can be quite fun and pleasurable for both of you.
A working knowledge of the dog's nutritive requirements and how to provide them is essential to intelligent dog care. Your dog's health and longevity will depend a great deal on your ability to feed him properly. There's an old saying: "The eye of the feeder fattens the cattle." Of course, you are not especially interested in fattening your dog. But you can apply to your dog-feeding program the basic principle of this old saw: Feed your animal well and observe the daily results.
THE VARIOUS DOG FOODS
Your dog will maintain normal growth when fed a commercial dog food or a combination of commercial dog food and meat or wholesome leftovers. However, if you read the pamphlets put out by the dog food companies, you will be told that there is nothing like prepared dog foods for your dog.
Prepared dog foods
There are three types of prepared dog foods sold today:
Canned dog foods are a mixture of meat or meat by-products (or both) and cereals (corn, oats, soybeans, wheat, barley, etc.), vitamins, minerals and fat. They are generally high in moisture, about 72% (moisture is in the meat products and is also added), and low in solids, about 28%.
Dog biscuits are a mixture of unbleached wheat flour and other cereals, dehydrated meat by-products, vitamins, minerals, fats, and water or skim milk. Dog biscuits are baked. They are low in moisture (about 10%) and high in solids (90%). The fat content is low.
Dog meal is available in three forms: "old-fashioned meal," containing cereals and meat by-products (usually tankage or blood meal); homogenized meal, containing cereals, meat products, vitamins, minerals and fat (these are blended, cooked and dehydrated); and the newer meal-and-gravy foods which are homogenized meals with a dehydrated gravy added for palatability.
Meats, vegetables and wholesome leftovers
While your dog is basically a carnivorous animal, feeding him solely on meat is neither economical nor nutritionally sound. Meat is expensive today and a balanced diet consisting of meat alone is not feasible.
Then how do the wild dogs manage to get a balanced diet? Simply by eating various parts of their victims. When the wild coyote or wolf kills a rabbit or bird, he eats the muscle meat for proteins; the heart, lungs and other organs for vitamins; the contents of the stomach and intestines for carbohydrates (present as vegetable matter eaten by the bird or animal) and bones for minerals.
Despite his selective eating, however, the wild dog is not as well fed as the domestic dog. The wild dog eats only when he is able to bring down game; his existence is one of either a feast or a famine.
Beef, lamb and pork livers, kidneys, hearts and muscle meat are all excellent sources of proteins and vitamins. The glandular organs of cattle, sheep and swine, such as brains, tripe, spleen, are also nutritious. Pork should be cooked because of the danger of trichinosis, an infestation of worms in the muscles and intestines. Fish and chicken are also good meats. Fish should be boned and cooked, especially trout and salmon.
Vegetables, especially the green and yellow varieties, may be fed for bulk and vitamin value. Vegetables are more easily digested by the dog when cooked. Avoid feeding cabbage, lima beans, peas or other legumes.
Stewed, dry or raw fruits (peaches, apples, pears, prunes or apricots) may be added to the ration or fed alone. Not all dogs will eat fruit. Citrus fruits are not necessary, and are rarely relished by the dog.
Soon you will learn how to feed your dog well, and he will remain healthy and happy.
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