Its easier to prevent bad behavior, such as unwanted chewing or jumping up, than it is to correct, so be consistent with the rules from the moment you get your Golden.
If not properly socialized, managed and trained, potentially perfect Golden Retrievers can be guilty of undesirable behaviors such as jumping up, barking, pawing, marking, chasing, chewing and more. You can prevent these annoying habits and help your Golden become the perfect dog he was meant to be by following some basic training and behavior concepts.
Be consistent. Consistency is important, not just in relation to what you allow your dog to do and not do, but also in the verbal and body language cues you use on a daily basis. Dogs are most comfortable when they understand how their world works. Lack of consistency causes stress; stress causes behavior problems.
Be gentle and firm. Dog-friendly methods, properly applied, are wonderfully effective, creating canine-human relationships based on mutual respect and cooperation. Positive training prevents problems, including stress and aggression, which can occur in training programs that include verbal and physical punishment. Positive, however, does not mean permissive. A good training program will set limits and help the dog understand that some behaviors are inappropriate and unacceptable.
Manage Behavior. All living things repeat behaviors that reward them. Behavior that isn’t reinforced will go away. If you manage you Golden puppy well through the use of crates, baby gates, doors, fences, leashes, and supervision, he’ll never have the opportunity to learn that inappropriate behaviors are rewarding. By the time he’s a year old, most of his habits will be solidly formed and he’ll be unlikely to start chewing table legs and shoes. A dog, who missed his early good manners lessons, must be managed even more carefully. It’s more difficult to make unwanted behavior go away than prevent it in the first place!
Provide adequate exercise. A tired dog is a well-behaved dog. Many behavior problems can be avoided, others resolved, simply by providing your dog with exercise. Check with your veterinarian to make sure your canine is physically and medically fit for an increase in exercise. Pups, young dogs that are still maturing, overweight adults and those with problems such as bad hips-should not be asked to overexert.