Golden Retriever: temperament, training and care

At a glance

Temperament

• Gentle and eager to please
• Mouthy: loves to carry toys
• Slow to mature, puppyish until about 3

Training tips

Give that mouth a job: teach a solid Take It and Drop It early.

Golden Retrievers usually pick things up quickly, which also means they learn bad habits quickly. Keep sessions short and varied, and reward the calm behavior you want to see more of.

Start with a marker word, sit, come and leave it. For a puppy, see the puppy training guides.

Common challenges

• Mouthiness. Goldens were bred to carry game, and many love having something in their mouth. Puppies can be very bitey. See stopping puppy biting, and teach take it and drop it.
• Jumping up. Friendly Goldens greet everyone with enthusiasm. Start calm greetings early.
• Pulling. A big, strong teenager who wants to say hello to everyone. Practice loose-leash walking while they’re small.
• Stealing food. Their love of food helps training and challenges your counters.

Puppy training

Start with a marker word, name, sit and recall games while your puppy follows you everywhere. Give that mouth jobs: chew toys, tug with rules, fetch. Protect naps: an overtired Golden puppy is a bitey one.

Lifestyle

Goldens usually thrive with active families who include them in daily life. Many love swimming and retrieving games. They tend to dislike long periods alone, so build alone time gradually.

Exercise and energy

A healthy adult Golden Retriever typically needs around 60 to 90 minutes of activity a day. Walks alone rarely cover it: add sniffing games, training and play so their brain gets tired too. Puppies need much shorter sessions while they grow.

See how much exercise a dog needs and our games and enrichment ideas.

Health to watch

Things the breed is known to be prone to. Ask your vet what to check for your dog.

• Hips and elbows. Prone to joint problems: keep them lean and ask the vet to check the joints each year.
• Heart. Heart conditions run in the breed: a yearly listen at the vet catches them early.
• Ears. Floppy ears trap moisture: check and clean them weekly, and dry them after swims.
• Weight. Gains weight easily: measure meals and count the treats.