Retriever Puppy Training Tips

Retriever Puppy Training Basics

Retriever puppy training works best when you keep things simple, positive and consistent from an early age.

Training your retriever doesn’t need to be complicated. At Westhouse Retrievers, we believe the best results come from keeping training simple, positive and consistent from an early age.

Retrievers are intelligent dogs that generally love to learn and work with their owners. Starting with the basics can help build good habits and create a confident, happy family dog.

Start Training Early

Puppy training can begin as soon as your puppy comes home.

At first, keep training sessions short and simple. A few minutes at a time is plenty for a young puppy.

Some of the first things we like to work on are:

• Responding to their name

• Coming when called

• Sitting

• Walking calmly on a lead

• Waiting before food

• Settling quietly in the home

There is no need to rush. Building a strong relationship with your puppy is more important than trying to teach everything at once.

Keep Training Positive

Retrievers usually respond very well to positive training.

Food rewards, toys and praise can all be used to reward good behaviour. When your puppy gets something right, reward them straight away so they begin to understand what you are asking for.

Training should be enjoyable for both you and your dog.

Practise Recall From an Early Age

A good recall is one of the most useful things you can teach a retriever.

Start somewhere quiet with very few distractions. Call your puppy back to you and reward them when they arrive.

As they become more confident, you can gradually practise in different places and around more distractions.

Try to make coming back to you something your dog always enjoys.

Get Your Puppy Used to Everyday Life

Training isn't only about commands.

Young retrievers also need to become comfortable with normal family life and different experiences.

This can include meeting new people, travelling in the car, hearing different noises, visiting new places and learning how to relax around other dogs.

Taking things slowly can help your puppy grow into a confident adult dog.

Be Consistent

One of the biggest parts of successful retriever training is consistency.

Try to use the same commands and rules every day.

If everyone in the family follows the same approach, it makes things much easier for your puppy to understand.

Training Our Retrievers at Westhouse

At Westhouse Retrievers, our dogs are part of our family and live alongside us at our home in the Yorkshire Dales.

We believe good breeding, early experiences and consistent training all play an important part in raising confident, well-rounded retrievers.

Every dog develops at a different pace, so training should always be enjoyable and suited to the individual dog.

For more information about our dogs, our approach to breeding and future litters, explore the Westhouse Retrievers website.