Updated 5 June 2026
Golden Retrievers are known for being sociable, adaptable, and eager to please, which makes them a great fit for a wide range of households. Their friendly nature and intelligence mean they often enjoy training and learning new skills. Like all breeds, however, Golden Retrievers can develop behavioural challenges without the right guidance, structure, and enrichment. Understanding how they learn - and how to support them through training - helps set both you and your dog up for long-term success.
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Looking for more Golden Retriever care advice? Read our Golden Retriever Breed Guides.
Training Tips for Golden Retrievers
Golden Retrievers tend to be sensitive to handling style, so a force-free, positive reinforcement approach works best. Reward-based training helps your dog understand which behaviours are desirable while strengthening the bond between you and your pet.
To make training enjoyable and effective:
- Keep sessions short and sweet
- Use high value rewards (like treats) and be generous!
- Start sessions when your dog is well-rested and relaxed
- Move at your pet’s pace
- Celebrate the small wins
Training tips for Golden Retriever Puppies
- Start Puppy School early. At Petbarn, puppies aged 8-16 weeks can join classes to learn basic cues and social skills. Find your nearest Puppy class here.
- Practice calm greetings like four paws on the floor before saying hello.
- Teach a reliable ‘Leave it’ cue - as retrievers, Golden Retrievers are keen to put things in their mouths (and don’t always make safe choices!).
- Introduce loose lead walking skills early - large breeds like the Golden Retriever grow quickly and can become strong on lead. Puppies can practice calm loose lead habits at home while awaiting their final puppy vaccinations.
Training tips for adult Golden Retrievers
Training isn’t just for puppies – adult Golden Retriever’s can learn new skills at any age. With consistency and positive reinforcement, unlearning less desirable behaviours is possible.
When training an adult Golden Retriever, remember to:
- Identify what motivates them most - do they find treats, toys, verbal praise, or a combination most rewarding?
- Set them up for success by starting with the simplest version of a new behaviour. For example, is your adolescent Golden Retriever pulling you down the street on a walk? Practice loose lead walking skills in low-distraction environments first, like a backyard, before taking those skills out into busier spaces.
Useful life skills to teach your Golden Retriever
Teaching your Golden Retriever essential life skills can make everyday activities such as vet visits, grooming, and outings, calmer and more enjoyable for all.
Grooming habituation
A Golden Retriever’s coat is striking, but equally, hairy. Keeping them mat-free and looking their best will require regular, dedicated grooming at home.
Introduce gentle handling for grooming when your Golden Retriever is a puppy. Practicing gentle brushing, foot handling for nail trims, and ear checks to help your Golden Retriever feel relaxed toward these routine procedures.
Ramp training
As a large breed, Golden Retrievers may be more prone to joint issues like arthritis later in life. While old dogs can certainly learn new tricks, teaching your puppy or young adult dog to use a dog ramp in place of stairs – or when entering or exiting the car – can help protect growing joints and make mobility easier as they age.
Common Behavioural Challenges with Golden Retrievers
Chewing
Most puppies are known to mouth or chew when young. This normal puppy behaviour allows them to explore their environment, relieve teething discomfort, and release playful energy. Golden Retrievers, with their natural retrieving instincts, are especially inclined to carry items in their mouths – which can increase the risk of chewing or swallowing inappropriate objects.
How to manage chewing
Keep unsafe and valuable items out of reach to prevent unwanted habits
Keeping items out of reach or in secured areas inaccessible to your Retriever pup is the best form of prevention to keep your prized possessions safe and reduce the risk of your pup ingesting something which may cause harm.
Provide a variety of safe chew toys and long-lasting treats
Chewing is a natural, calming dog behaviour that needs to be monitored rather than eliminated entirely. Make sure your pup has a fun rotation of toy options to curb this craving, as well as the occasional chew treat for them to sink their teeth into.
Teach a reliable ‘Give’ cue.
‘Give’ teaches your pup to trade an item in their mouth for a fun reward.
Never forcefully remove items from a dog’s mouth as they could perceive this as threatening, leading to resource guarding behaviour. Instead, teach them that relinquishing an item voluntarily leads to good things, like a tasty treat or some interactive toy play.
Boisterous greetings
Golden Retrievers are typically friendly and enthusiastic, especially when meeting new people. Without guidance, this excitement can lead to jumping or overly boisterous greetings, which may be overwhelming for some people or dogs.
Teaching calm greeting behaviours early is particularly important for large breeds, as jumping can become a safety concern once your Golden reaches adult size.
Tips for teaching calm greeting behaviour
Implementing space management
Start with puppy on a lead or behind a baby gate so they don’t practice jumping on arriving guests.
Teach others how to help
Ask guests and any friendly strangers who wish to meet your pup to avoid patting or engaging with the pup if they are jumping. That way, everyone sends the same message, like ‘four paws on the floor equals attention’.
Prepare your puppy
Set your puppy up for success by ensuring they have had some mental stimulation and gentle exercise before meeting a new person or dog. A calm, sniff walk can help relax a puppy’s mind and body, reducing arousal when the new friend is introduced.
Utilise incompatible behaviours
Teach a calm body position like sit or lay when your pup meets new people. In these positions, your pup physically will not be able to jump.
Separation and Isolation Distress
Separation anxiety/isolation distress occurs when a dog feels worried or anxious when left alone or separated from a bonded human or other pet. Dogs who are stressed or anxious may:
- Vocalise when alone
- Pace and seem restless
- Engage in destructive chewing
- Display escape behaviours in severe cases
It’s normal for puppies to experience some stress when first adjusting to a new home. Golden Retrievers are particularly social dogs and often form strong bonds, which can make them more sensitive to being left alone.
Gradually introducing alone time – starting with just a few minutes – can help reduce the likelihood of separation-related anxiety.
How to help your Golden Retriever feel comfortable home alone
You can help your dog feel more comfortable when home alone by:
- Providing a safe space for your dog to relax, such as a crate or bed.
- Offering engaging activities like food puzzles and a choice of toys.
- Providing gentle environmental stimulation like playing classical music softly.
If you feel your dog is suffering from separation or isolation distress, it is a good idea to visit your veterinarian for a behavioural consultation.
Set your Golden Retriever up for success
The Petbarn and Greencross Vets teams are here to help you troubleshoot training challenges with your Golden Retriever.
To learn more about our training services, visit the Pet School website and explore group and private training options with our experienced force-free trainer network. For veterinary assistance with behavioural concerns, the team at your local Greencross Vets are happy to help. Our store teams are also ready to answer your product questions.
Find helpful occupiers, toys, treats, and more for training your Golden Retriever in-store or online.
Frequently asked questions about Golden Retriever training and behaviour
About the Author
Chelsea SeddonHead Trainer – NSW, ACT and SA, Pet Academy and Obedience
