# Looking to get into something



## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

FIELD TRAINING!!!!!!!!! If you enjoy being outdoors at all, this is more fun than anything else and you will FLIP when you see how much your dog loves it. Hunting Retriever Clubs and AKC Retriever clubs can be found with a google search and you could also see what your local Golden Retriever Club offers, they could be a good place to find a mentor. 

https://www.huntingretrieverclub.org/

https://www.akc.org/sports/retrievers/hunting-tests/


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

We had a blast doing some beginning agility. Just make sure they keep the jumps very low until he's around 18 months.


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## JulesAK (Jun 6, 2010)

We are going to start scent work or nose work with Maggie. She follows her nose everywhere. I think she will really like it. When she was younger I used to hide treats around the room and she was amazing to watch!
Jules


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

What are you working on in obedience?

Have you started working formal retrieves, go-out's, directed jumping (foundation), retrieve over high jump (foundation), broad jump (foundation), gloves (pivots, directed retrieve), and articles? With heeling have you been working on focus/motivation (building up the working drive)? And position changes - have you gotten a good start on getting position changes from a distance????

^^^ If the answer is "no", then I would be looking around for somebody to get you going... 

If the answer is "yes" - then the next thing I would look into going further into is tracking. <= Me personally, I dropped out of tracking classes when I realized that most of the trials are done on Sunday mornings which I can't do. But tracking if you have a dog who is able to search/use his nose independent of direction/guidance/encouragement of the owner - it's fun to do. 

Obedience - if it's just practicing sits, downs, walking on a loose lead, sit and down with food bribes..... it is VERY VERY VERY boring. Unfortunately some places, this is their primary focus...


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## roxygold (Apr 6, 2014)

We compete in lots of canine sports -- agility, nosework, dock diving, and rally. And we are training for tracking and obedience. I think the funnest of the sports (and the least amount of required training) is dock diving. If you are willing to put the time into training, agility is lots of fun. Nosework is fun too. 

Whichever activity you pick, find a good trainer.


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## krist124 (Apr 19, 2019)

Thank you all so much for the help. I very quickly realized that there is a lot left to go in general obedience. I think I may just have high expectations for what my pup can/wants to do than what he is enrolled in. Right now, he is just being trained in being a good house dog rather than more. I may need to look into switching trainers.


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## TheZ's (Jun 13, 2011)

Tricks training is something my dogs seem to love and you can use it to develop skills that carry over into obedience, rally and agility.


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## pawsnpaca (Nov 11, 2014)

krist124 said:


> Thank you all so much for the help. I very quickly realized that there is a lot left to go in general obedience. I think I may just have high expectations for what my pup can/wants to do than what he is enrolled in. Right now, he is just being trained in being a good house dog rather than more. I may need to look into switching trainers.


If you're in MA you should have lots of good options for trainers and training facilities. What area of MA are you in? We might be able to make some recommendations...

You've gotten a bunch of good suggestions here. I personally love agility and rally with my dogs once they have their basic manners down, but any of the suggestions you've been given are good ones to investigate. I'd go with whatever interests you... OR what seems to interest your dog! Hopefully we can find you a facility or trainer that offers classes for several of these options and you can try them out until you find one both you and your dog love!


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

krist124 said:


> Thank you all so much for the help. I very quickly realized that there is a lot left to go in general obedience. I think I may just have high expectations for what my pup can/wants to do than what he is enrolled in. Right now, he is just being trained in being a good house dog rather than more. I may need to look into switching trainers.


My pup is 10 months old and is already working on all of the things I listed off. All those things which are actually fun and exciting to teach and see them happen. 

Some of the basic obedience classes are boring as heck if you have to keep repeating them. I know of people who limit themselves at Puppy class, boot camp, and CGC classes. Once they get to CGC - they just repeat that class until the dog passes the test and that is the extent of obedience they do before they switch gears to agility. 

Which is fine, but the majority of what they are training is already boring... made worse by how the classes are run. And people who never glimpse what is beyond those classes come away with a negative impression of obedience and the people in the sport.


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