Potty training a golden retriever puppy isn’t impossible. And it’s certainly not one of those things that are best left to the professionals if you can help it.
Providing you’ve got a dash of patience, a good amount of commitment, and a healthy dollop of time. You shouldn’t have too many problems in potty training your pup yourself.
Why?
Because Golden Retrievers are smart. They’re also incredibly eager to please, a quality that spells great things for your training sessions.
That being said, don’t be tricked into thinking your pup’s natural intelligence and people-pleasing ways are going to make potty training a complete walk in the park.
Sure, it’ll be easier than it would be with a lot of other breeds (I’ll spare their blushes and avoid naming names).
The problem is, a Golden Retriever’s smarts can occasionally work against them… or perhaps more accurately, against you.
Smart and mischievous often go hand in hand…. something you’ll already be well aware of if you’ve spent much time with your new pup. This is a breed that takes playfulness to new heights. While that’s adorable, it isn’t necessarily appreciated in the classroom.
And let’s face it, regardless of breed, potty training always comes with its challenges. It can be messy, frustrating, and time-consuming.
Just when you think there’s light at the end of the tunnel, your pup plants a major poop bomb on your carpet.
Fortunately, there’s no shortage of methods you can use to make the process far, far easier on both you and your pup. I’ll talk about a few of the main ways shortly.
But before that, there’s one thing I’d recommend doing before anything else: watch the Potty Training Made Easy course by Dan Abdelnoor over at The Online Dog Trainer. (see video below)
The course won’t do the hard work for you. You’ll still need to be the one doing the legwork.
But what it will do is hold your hand through the entire process, showing you exactly what to do, what not to do, and the tricks that will make the process easier, quicker, and altogether less frustrating than it’d otherwise be.
Here’s the video link to take a look: Potty Training Made Easy – Get Your Golden Retriever Fully Potty Trained The Quick & Easy Way…
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Potty Training a Golden Retriever Vs Other Dog Breeds
Golden Retrievers are smart cookies.
If there’s one thing that animal behaviorists like to do above all else, it’s to evaluate just how smart different breeds of dog are (because, obviously, there isn’t enough natural competition between pooches as there is…).
Guess which breed regularly comes out as one of the cleverest dogs around? You guessed it – everyone’s favorite family pet, the Golden Retriever.
It’s not just their planet-sized brains that make them such star students. While most dogs like to please, Golden Retrievers take things even further.
They practically live for a kind word and a pat on the head from their owner: if doing A instead of B gets them a good word, you can bet they’ll keep right on doing it.
And then, of course, there’s their voracious appetites. If there’s one thing that Golden Retrievers love almost as much as making their owners happy, it’s filling their bellies.
When you’re desperate for a way to motivate them during training, whip out a tasty little treat, and you’ll soon have them (quite literally) eating out of the palm of your hand.
So, all good, right? They’re smart, they’re eager to please, and they’re willing to do anything for a snack… all of which spells good things for potty training.
But here’s the rub. While a Golden Retriever has all the qualities you’d expect from a star student, they’ve got plenty of others that will push your patience to breaking point.
This is a breed that matures slowly. By the time they’re around 3 or 4 years old, you can expect them to be the dignified, mature dogs you see walking sedately by their owner’s side at the park.
Until then, prepare for a wild ride. Mischievous, playful, and easily distracted, Golden Retriever pups are anything but easy.
If that sounds like hard work, it’s because it is. But before you start googling how to trade your pup in for a goldfish, there’s some good news.
Firstly, Golden Retrievers are a big breed and will naturally be able to exercise better bladder control than smaller breeds in a shorter amount of time.
Secondly, while they’re excitable, there’s plenty of ways you can help contain that excitement and bring their natural intelligence and trainability to the fore.
Lastly, you’ve not alone. ..
Remember that Potty Training Made Easy Course I mentioned earlier?
If you can incorporate the techniques and tips you take from the course into your own training, there’s a very good chance you’ll come out of the experience with your nerves and your patience fully intact.
The Best Age to Start Potty Training
You can start potty training your pup as soon as you get them home at 8 weeks. Even though they can be a little manic at this age, there are numerous benefits to starting training early.
For a start, their habits won’t be hard-wired, so you won’t have to waste time ‘untraining’ them.
Secondly, their brains are like sponges at this age, ready and willing to soak up any piece of information you give them.
But while early training can help minimize any messy accidents around the house, there are a few things to bear in mind…
Until your pup has received its full set of vaccinations, you’ll need to avoid any public places frequented by other dogs or wildlife.
You’ll also need to remember that your pup is exactly that… a pup. And that has consequences on just how long you can expect them to hold their bladders.
At 8 weeks, most pups will struggle to get past two hours without needing a bathroom break.
At 12 weeks, that increases to around three hours. By the time they’re 16 weeks old, they’ll usually be able to hold it for 4 hours.
These guidelines aren’t going to apply to all puppies – some might show amazing bladder control at just a couple of months old; others will struggle to exercise control until they’re at least 6 months old.
But regardless of their age and regardless of how old they are when you start training them, accidents are par for the course.
Obviously, the more times you can catch one before it happens, the better – just don’t get discouraged if you miss a few.
Potty training is a marathon, not a race. Providing you’re taking more steps in the right direction than you are in the wrong, there’s a very good chance it’ll all come good in the end.
Related Post: Solved! How To Toilet Train A Puppy In 7 Days – Housetrain ANY Dog Now!
How to Potty Train a Golden Retriever Puppy
Potty training a Golden Retriever puppy has certain advantages over training other breeds… and certain disadvantages.
Yes, they’re bright, and yes, they’re eager to please. But unless you can get them to focus on you rather than whatever else is happening around them, you’re going to experience challenges…
…. But not impossible ones.
To get your potty training experience off to a flying start, take some time out to watch this Potty Training Made Easy Course.
If you’ve ever wondered what the ideal potty training journey looks like, this is where you’ll get to see it in action – and learn exactly how to emulate it.
Once you’ve finished watching the video, complement what you’ve learned with some of these tried and tested strategies.
Create a Routine
You can’t necessarily set your watch by your pup’s bladder, but you can get a pretty accurate idea of the time.
Essentially, puppies are creatures of habit and will always need a bathroom break after they’ve had a drink, eaten a meal, played, or had a nap.
If you want to make life a little easier on yourself (not to mention on your carpet), it pays to get into a set routine.
Obviously, you can’t account for everything. But if you can create a schedule based around their regular activities and then time their bathroom breaks accordingly, you’ll catch more accidents than you miss.
Set aside specific times for naps, food, and play, then be sure to pay a visit to the yard after each activity.
Consider Crate Training
There are various methods you can use to encourage healthy potty habits in your pup. One of the most popular is crate training.
The premise is simple: dogs hate pooping or peeing where they sleep. By popping them in a crate during naps or unsupervised time, you can encourage them to exercise control.
Crate training isn’t without its challenges. Getting a puppy used to the crate can be a trying experience. And if you don’t get at least a little kickback during the early days, consider yourself lucky.
But proving you introduce the crate to them in a gentle way and proving you make it as cozy and comfy as possible. It’ll soon become their favorite spot in the house to hang out and relax.
If you do choose to use a crate, just remember one thing. While it can be a hugely helpful tool in potty training, it’s not infallible.
If your pup really, really needs to go, they will, whether they’re in the crate or not.
Avoid pushing them beyond the limits of their endurance by restricting crate sessions to the length of time they can reasonably be expected to ‘hold it.’
If you lock them in the crate when you leave for work in the morning and don’t let them out again till evening, expect to be met with a very miserable pup and a very smelly crate.
Related Post: How Long Does It Take To Crate Train A Puppy?
Practice Positive Reinforcement
Golden Retrievers love to please you. If they know they’re making you happy, there’s a very good chance they’ll keep at it.
Work their eagerness to please to your advantage by practicing positive reinforcement.
Whenever they do their business outside, heap them with praise and offer them a tasty little reward.
It won’t take long before the combination of your praise and their satisfied appetite (remember, Golden Retrievers are ruled by their bellies!) convinces them that going to the potty outside is way more profitable than peeing behind your sofa is.
Patience is Key
Golden Retrievers, especially Golden Retriever puppies, get distracted easily.
If they spot a pretty leaf, a squirrel, or even just a fancy-looking cloud, they’re going to forget all about their pressing need to pee until they’re back in the house and it’s too late to do anything about it.
Asides from praying that maturity kicks in sooner rather than later, the best thing you can do to avert a household accident is to give them time…
…time, and a designated potty spot, that is.
If you haven’t already, mark out a specific area of the yard as their bathroom. Ideally, it needs to be in a quiet spot away from distractions.
Then when it’s time for a potty break, pop the leash on your pup and march them over to the area. And then wait. And then wait some more.
Give them a chance to take a note of what’s happening around them, sniff out what they need to, and then remember it’s time to pee.
It might take 10-15 minutes… with very young or very excitable pups, it might take even take longer. Let them have as long as they need. With time, they’ll realize exactly what their designated area is for and get down to business as soon as they’re there.
Revisit the Basics
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you’re potty training a puppy. No matter how smart and clever they are, they’re still pups, and that means accidents are bound to happen.
But while accidents are inevitable, natural, and very much normal, don’t feel shy of asking for help if you need it.
Plodding along in the hope that everything eventually sorts itself out isn’t always the best course of action.
If something isn’t working or if you’re not sure you’re on the right track, take some time to revisit the basics with the Potty Training Made Easy Course.
It’ll guide you through the process from A to Z, highlighting common mistakes and giving you just the kind of inspiration you need to stay on the right path.
Wrapping Things Up
There’s a reason Golden Retriever pups star in so many commercials – they’re adorable. They’re also bright as buttons, eager to please, and ready and willing to do just about anything for a treat.
Does that mean potty training is going to be a walk in the park? …Heck, no.
Potty training can be hard, long, and headache-inducing. But then again, the best things in life rarely come for free.
Seeing your pup potty trained to perfection might not be as rewarding as winning the lottery. But it’s still a mighty fine feeling.
So keep patient, keep persevering, and soon enough, you’ll be enjoying that feeling for yourself.
