Puppy Training Guideline – First Year

Training your puppy should be short, fun, and consistent. Aim for 2–4 short sessions a day, around 5–10 minutes each. Puppies learn best in small bursts, not long lessons. You can also practise during everyday moments, like before meals or walks.

What You Need for Training

Keep it simple — you don’t need much!

  • Small, soft training treats (It can be natural treats like boiled chicken breast cute into small pieces, or bought from pet stores. Probably the best part of selecting puppy training treat flavours available is seeing which they like best. Frantic tail-wagging and outstandingly widened eyes are usually a good indication of this)

  • Your puppy’s favourite toy (for play rewards)

  • A lead and collar or harness ( Lead - long enough to give your Golden Retriever puppy space to sniff the flowers, but too long so they wander off into someone’s picnic. Harness - One that doesn’t pull or tighten on your puppy when they walk is fab. Golden Retrievers are strong (you’ll see) so a harness will be a good friend when you’re teaching them lead walking )

  • A comfy bed or mat (for “Place” training)

  • A calm, quiet space to practise

  • Most importantly — patience and consistency 💛

Optional but helpful:

  • Treat pouch

  • Clicker (if you like clicker training)

🌟 Which Commands to Teach First?

Start with the basics that build safety and focus:

  1. Their Name – attention comes first

  2. Sit – foundation command

  3. Come (Recall) – safety command

  4. Leave It – safety & impulse control

  5. Down – calm behaviour

  6. Stay – patience and control

  7. Bed / Place – settling

  8. Heel / Walk Nicely – polite walking

Focus on one or two at a time — don’t rush 💛

🐾 8–12 Weeks

At this stage, focus on the basics and building attention.

  • Teach their name first

  • Introduce Sit

  • Start Come (indoors)

  • Begin gentle Leave it

  • Work on toilet training

  • Focus on safe socialisation

Keep everything positive and reward-based.

🐾 3–6 Months

Now you build consistency and confidence.

  • Strengthen recall

  • Teach Down

  • Introduce short Stay

  • Start Bed / Place

  • Begin loose lead walking

  • Continue socialisation

Short, regular practice is key.

🐾 6–9 Months

This can be the “teenage” phase — patience is important.

  • Practise commands with distractions

  • Improve walking on the lead

  • Increase stay duration

  • Strengthen Leave it

  • Practise recall in busier areas (safely)

Consistency matters more than perfection.

🐾 9–12 Months

Now you focus on reliability and polishing skills.

  • Practise commands in different environments

  • Build longer stays

  • Aim for reliable recall

  • Encourage calm behaviour around guests

  • Improve walking manners

By the end of the first year, your dog should confidently understand the core commands.

💛 Golden Rules

  • Keep training positive

  • Reward good behaviour

  • Be consistent

  • Stay patient — progress takes time

Training isn’t about perfection — it’s about building trust, communication, and a strong bond with your dog 🐾✨