# Are goldens easy to train or...



## Goldiepupster (Nov 22, 2019)

Are they just easier to train *proportional* to other breeds?

You read a lot about how they’re easy to train and eager to please etc...


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## Tagrenine (Aug 20, 2019)

Dogs are ranked based on their bidability. Goldens score high, usually below poodles, border collies, and GSDs. Yes, related to other breeds. For a first time dog parent, maybe not.


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## Dunmar (Apr 15, 2020)

This is my first pure bred Golden. 

She has been very easy to train to sit, lay down and shake. She is food driven.

Potty training is on week 4. We were averaging 1 accident a day for the first week, every other day the second week... every 3rd day the third week and still every three to 4 days. 
Every accident she has now seems to be our fault. Not seeing the signs fast enough or not watching the clock. Right now, we are more trained than she is. She has alerted us a couple times so we are gaining.

We have a submissive piddler. She seems confident most of the time unless hubs is coming home or someone outside of the house reaches to pet her. Then she army crawls and tucks her tail. However she is the one desperate to see them like she is their best friend. So she is excited, but last second she gets submissive. From what I read here, that should go away.

So in a nutshell are they easy to train?? Yes! But they wont train themselves and it requires work.


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## eeerrrmmm1 (Apr 15, 2018)

Goldiepupster said:


> Are they just easier to train *proportional* to other breeds?
> 
> You read a lot about how they’re easy to train and eager to please etc...


To a total novice (like me) I think they're "easy to train" in that they're usually very motivated by food and generally like to make their humans happy. But easy to train doesn't necessarily mean easy to raise. Goldens are a working breed. They require a lot of exercise every day, as well as patience and repetition. They tend to be super mouthy as babies since they are retrievers which means that they not only earn their title of "landshark" but you also have to do an amazing job keeping all things that could cause an obstruction out of their reach. This includes socks, underwear, small toys, tassels on rugs, anything that can fit in their mouth really. Check out the puppy forum for a laundry list of common golden puppy raising challenges.


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## Goldiepupster (Nov 22, 2019)

Tagrenine said:


> Dogs are ranked based on their bidability. Goldens score high, usually below poodles, border collies, and GSDs. Yes, related to other breeds. For a first time dog parent, maybe not.


Thanks - I’m finding the training really difficult (though we have resource guarding issues) and we’re first time dog parents so perhaps that’s why.


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

If it makes you feel any better, I think a lot of puppies are hard to deal with, regardless of breed. Puppies are just baby dogs. They come into our world not knowing anything about it and we have to teach them.

I wouldn’t recommend any of the breeds ranking above Goldens to first time owners. Especially not Border Collies.


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

"Easy to train" hard to define. Intelligent dogs are easier to train than dogs of lesser intelligence.
Being a dedicated and consistent trainer makes it easier to train any dog.
How old is your Golden and what training resources are you using?

Dogs, especially puppies, are always learning. You must be conscious of the fact that you are training whenever your dog is with you.


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## Obedience rocks (Feb 17, 2020)

In terms of food driven? Yes. Toy driven? Absolutely! Intelligence? Yes, although field/sport goldens are more intelligence then, say, a Golden bred strictly for confirmation and looks. Goldens are probably some of the easiest to train because they are more eager to please and catch on quicker than a dog breed such as the Siberian Husky  However, every Golden is an individual and some are more easier trained than others. Think of it as a scale: field Goldens, in terms of intelligence rank very high, while your average pet golden, or an “English cream” type would rank lower. However, in terms of basic “pet obedience” such as loose leash walking and being calm, the calmer Goldens might do those better faster. Field Goldens need a lot of exercise, and without that, they are beasts. But with lots of activity, they ace competition obedience and other dog sports. Me? Give me a field/sport type any day. But that might not be a good fit for others. Is yours a field/sport type? He might not be getting enough exercise. Also, with Goldens, training has to be fun game, or they don’t want to do it as readily. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one whose had any training issues! Mine was a little monster at that age, and he did take longer to house train and liked to play keep away outside. Just keep at it, as consistency is half the job! 
Do you have any trainers near by that could assist you?


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## Tagrenine (Aug 20, 2019)

Goldiepupster said:


> Thanks - I’m finding the training really difficult (though we have resource guarding issues) and we’re first time dog parents so perhaps that’s why.


It’s probably just being a first time parent! Those dogs at the top of the intelligence/trainability list are all AWFUL first time dogs for someone who both hasn’t had a dog before and isn’t ready to put in the work to train.
Resource guarding is tough for any pet parent, but the rest should be good. I start all my puppies (and try to maintain throughout life to the best of my ability) on positive reinforcement type training. I also take about 5 minutes a day to practice at least.
I have 5 Border Collies and I have preferred training every single one of them to my current Golden 😉 he’s a fantastic dog, but nothing like the collies. For me, that just meant I had to adjust my training style and become a better trainer!


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## Goldiepupster (Nov 22, 2019)

Obedience rocks said:


> In terms of food driven? Yes. Toy driven? Absolutely! Intelligence? Yes, although field/sport goldens are more intelligence then, say, a Golden bred strictly for confirmation and looks. Goldens are probably some of the easiest to train because they are more eager to please and catch on quicker than a dog breed such as the Siberian Husky  However, every Golden is an individual and some are more easier trained than others. Think of it as a scale: field Goldens, in terms of intelligence rank very high, while your average pet golden, or an “English cream” type would rank lower. However, in terms of basic “pet obedience” such as loose leash walking and being calm, the calmer Goldens might do those better faster. Field Goldens need a lot of exercise, and without that, they are beasts. But with lots of activity, they ace competition obedience and other dog sports. Me? Give me a field/sport type any day. But that might not be a good fit for others. Is yours a field/sport type? He might not be getting enough exercise. Also, with Goldens, training has to be fun game, or they don’t want to do it as readily. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one whose had any training issues! Mine was a little monster at that age, and he did take longer to house train and liked to play keep away outside. Just keep at it, as consistency is half the job!
> Do you have any trainers near by that could assist you?


Thank you, yes his mum is show line and his dad is working - so believe he’s somewhere in the middle?

With lockdown we’ve really upped the training each day (especially the outside training, as his one outing is at lunchtime where we’d normally be at work).

We do have a trainer, but I’m a bit of a control freak and like to know how long it’ll take for him to become proficient in it - and a lot of the time he picks up basic training or concepts very quickly, but when it’s in a different environment or for example practicing leave and the item we’re trying to teach him to ‘leave’ is high value or novel to him, he struggles and we dont seem to make progress.


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## Goldiepupster (Nov 22, 2019)

Tagrenine said:


> It’s probably just being a first time parent! Those dogs at the top of the intelligence/trainability list are all AWFUL first time dogs for someone who both hasn’t had a dog before and isn’t ready to put in the work to train.
> Resource guarding is tough for any pet parent, but the rest should be good. I start all my puppies (and try to maintain throughout life to the best of my ability) on positive reinforcement type training. I also take about 5 minutes a day to practice at least.
> I have 5 Border Collies and I have preferred training every single one of them to my current Golden 😉 he’s a fantastic dog, but nothing like the collies. For me, that just meant I had to adjust my training style and become a better trainer!


Haha that’s good to know! I follow Zac George on YouTube and his border collie pup is very receptive to him, and I’m like, ‘I’m doing the exact same thing here but you’re not responding in the same way!’. I have dedicated a lot of time each day to his training so I can hand on heart say I’ve put in a lot of effort. I’m also a perfectionist and perhaps have unrealistic expectations of how he should be atm. Mainly as when I ask friends/family how their dogs were as puppies they’re like ‘oh they were fine!’.


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## Tagrenine (Aug 20, 2019)

Goldiepupster said:


> Thank you, yes his mum is show line and his dad is working - so believe he’s somewhere in the middle?
> 
> With lockdown we’ve really upped the training each day (especially the outside training, as his one outing is at lunchtime where we’d normally be at work).
> 
> We do have a trainer, but I’m a bit of a control freak and like to know how long it’ll take for him to become proficient in it - and a lot of the time he picks up basic training or concepts very quickly, but when it’s in a different environment or for example practicing leave and the item we’re trying to teach him to ‘leave’ is high value or novel to him, he struggles and we dont seem to make progress.


How old is he? 

To break it into more technical jargon, we call performing the task in a new environment or with a new item "generalization" and we humans have a hard time sometimes realizing that pups don't speak english. So even though your puppy can perform "sit" perfectly at home, he may not understand the meaning of the word in a new environment. We call teaching a dog to generalize "proofing" and sometimes this requires a combination of practice and age. For my dogs, I practice at home and away regularly, but in small steps. 

For example, Felix walks very well on a loose leash around the property he is familiar with. But if I were to take him to Petsmart, he would struggle and I would be setting him up for failure. So instead, I find a middle ground. I would go somewhere quiet, but new, like a big field, and practice there. Eventually working up to Petsmart level distractions. 

Another thing is, that all dogs are different. Dogs all ranked the same on "intelligence" tests, meaning that all breeds could solve problems the same way, but their trainability varied. The Borders were all constantly eager to train, ALL the time. If I ever wanted to train, it didn't matter how long the session needed to be, they loved it and just wanted to work and work and work. I find my Golden has a much shorter attention span for training and gets frustrated much more easily. The Border Collies generalized much quicker, but he sometimes needs a little bit more support and if I find him getting frustrated, I have to figure out what it is that I'm doing that confuses him. Is my tone of voice different? My body language? Every dog will learn tasks differently.

I would say, Zak George is a great resource, as is kikopup on youtube, Jane Killion has some great books/videos, Patricia McConnell is a favorite behaviorist of mine. It is worth checking out there work too  See if they have methods that may work better for your pup


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## Goldiepupster (Nov 22, 2019)

Tagrenine said:


> How old is he?
> 
> To break it into more technical jargon, we call performing the task in a new environment or with a new item "generalization" and we humans have a hard time sometimes realizing that pups don't speak english. So even though your puppy can perform "sit" perfectly at home, he may not understand the meaning of the word in a new environment. We call teaching a dog to generalize "proofing" and sometimes this requires a combination of practice and age. For my dogs, I practice at home and away regularly, but in small steps.
> 
> ...


Thank you, he’s just turned 9 months old


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## Obedience rocks (Feb 17, 2020)

Goldiepupster said:


> Thank you, yes his mum is show line and his dad is working - so believe he’s somewhere in the middle?
> 
> With lockdown we’ve really upped the training each day (especially the outside training, as his one outing is at lunchtime where we’d normally be at work).
> 
> We do have a trainer, but I’m a bit of a control freak and like to know how long it’ll take for him to become proficient in it - and a lot of the time he picks up basic training or concepts very quickly, but when it’s in a different environment or for example practicing leave and the item we’re trying to teach him to ‘leave’ is high value or novel to him, he struggles and we dont seem to make progress.


What treats do you use? Try upping them to something better like hamburger, chicken, etc. when training, esp in a new environment. In fact, I use really good treats every time I train—his enthusiasm really increased! Also, if you are training on a flat buckle collar, and he isn’t making any progress, you might want to consider a different collar, to give you leverage in managing him. (Martingale, choke, or prong) I myself, however, am not a huge fan of the choke: It can be rough on their neck, and some dogs just don’t respond to it. Prongs are NOT cruel or harsh like some believe. Not pushing this route on you, just putting some options out there for when the going gets rough. 
Also, training is awesome, but try to keep the sessions short and sweet. Stop when he’s still really excited, so he’ll look forward to the next one. If he loves a tug or ball, incorporate it in there. Training also does not suffice for good, hard exercise, like retrieving, running, playing and tugging, hiking, biking, etc. If he is good and tired, he won’t be nearly as apt to act up 🙂 Just some suggestions, I hope they help some.


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## Obedience rocks (Feb 17, 2020)

Also remember, that positive is all fine and good, but you do need to correct at some point. At 9 month old, your pup is growing up into a handsome adult, and will keep getting bigger, not smaller. Zap George is a nice person, but I find his training methods are a little too soft for a lot of dogs, including his own. Dogs will respect and listen to one who is their leader and guides them—nicely, but firmly. Make it fun, yes, but you are his mom and all the treats and praise in the world will not necessarily help with recourse guarding, training issues, etc.


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## Tagrenine (Aug 20, 2019)

I agree with Obedience rocks 😉 I like to start my pups on R+, but do find some dogs do well with balanced training. I don't necessarily think they're needed for simple commands (like Sit) for example until the command is already known to be understood by the dog, as it can be learned just as quickly with positive. But I do find my owners find training tools useful in regards to training loose leash walking, heeling, etc. 

If you are interested in using tools, I encourage you to look into the psychology of why those tools work they way they do (positive punishment/negative reinforcement, etc). Too many times a dog is desensitized to a prong due to improper placement, or it is not used to the best of its ability. 

However, I mostly discourage the use of correctives in regards to resource guarding, as the goal is for the dog to trust you will not take its food. The dog should see you as a source of good around what it is guarding and to encourage trading.

In the end, what I mostly want to say, is that if you want to add correctives for other training (often used in proofing some behaviors or making the behavior "snappy") it is worth looking up how they're properly used. Years ago, the main method of teaching obedience was solely through prongs and choke chains. The last 20 years has seen a huge upswing in R+ only, which, unless done properly from the very beginning, is generally not realistic for every dog. Some dogs (looking at you Malinois), thrive with correctives, as well as R+. My BCs are sensitive and thrive on R+ with verbal correctives, I haven't needed tools with them. Felix is too young for me to comfortably put a prong on, at 8 months, and I do not think he will need it unless I am unable to control him or proof him loose leash walking outside of our complex.


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## DevWind (Nov 7, 2016)

It really depends on the individual. Some goldens are more...um....free spirited? than others. I have 2. One loves to work and would move mountains to do what I ask. The other is more of a free spirit and a little more difficult to train. She needs correction but it has to be immediately followed with a "good girl!" so finding the balance was tricky with her.


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

Obedience rocks said:


> In terms of food driven? Yes. Toy driven? Absolutely! Intelligence? Yes, although field/sport goldens are more intelligence then, say, a Golden bred strictly for confirmation and looks. Goldens are probably some of the easiest to train because they are more eager to please and catch on quicker than a dog breed such as the Siberian Husky  However, every Golden is an individual and some are more easier trained than others. Think of it as a scale: field Goldens, in terms of intelligence rank very high, while your average pet golden, or an “English cream” type would rank lower. However, in terms of basic “pet obedience” such as loose leash walking and being calm, the calmer Goldens might do those better faster. Field Goldens need a lot of exercise, and without that, they are beasts. But with lots of activity, they ace competition obedience and other dog sports. Me? Give me a field/sport type any day. But that might not be a good fit for others. Is yours a field/sport type? He might not be getting enough exercise. Also, with Goldens, training has to be fun game, or they don’t want to do it as readily. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one whose had any training issues! Mine was a little monster at that age, and he did take longer to house train and liked to play keep away outside. Just keep at it, as consistency is half the job!
> Do you have any trainers near by that could assist you?


Have you ever had a conformation bred Golden?


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

ArkansasGold said:


> Have you ever had a conformation bred Golden?


I was being good and NOT SAYING A WORD when I saw that. LOL.


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## Obedience rocks (Feb 17, 2020)

ArkansasGold said:


> Have you ever had a conformation bred Golden?


No, but I’ve known others with them, and been around them. I hope you don’t think I think they’re dumb or lazy...I think they are beautiful, and many of them ARE high energy and excel at dog sports. Eventually, I wouldn’t mind getting one myself. Yours looks absolutely gorgeous! But some are also calmer, then say, a wired field dog that’s bouncing off the walls if they don’t get enough exercise.


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## DevWind (Nov 7, 2016)

Megora said:


> I was being good and NOT SAYING A WORD when I saw that. LOL.


Haha! Me too.....


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## Ffcmm (May 4, 2016)

To me Golden retrievers are one breed, regardless of their lines be it field or english or confirmation. Well bred golden retrievers should adhere to breed standards and be biddable, driven and easy to train.

Maybe certain lines have more 'drive' when it comes to certain things, but it does not mean that any line is less intelligent than another.


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

Ffcmm said:


> To me Golden retrievers are one breed, regardless of their lines be it field or english or confirmation.


One breed by DNA only. The odds of getting a good hunting or trial dog from conformation lines are very poor.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Golden retrievers vary so much in pedigrees. There is no way you'll find a golden to be X in obedience. They are all so different, even in the same litter. But for me pedigree is everything. If I know the parents or grandparents that helps me so much, especially if I've trained with their owners. I know what I'm bringing home in a puppy then, or at least a pretty good idea. Some pedigrees have different traits than others. Some are more birdy, some more drive, some do not want to do what you want, some are very biddable. Find what you need by watching the parents and grandparents. Use referrals also. My current pup came to me by referral, I didn't know the parents or grandparents, but I knew someone who knew them super well and knew what I was looking for. The pup before that was Riot. I knew his parents and 2 of his grandparents, so I what I was getting. I've also trained with dogs that I definitely did NOT want them or their parents in my future pup's pedigree. Get out there and spend time at shows, trials, tests, and get to know the dogs in your area.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Obedience rocks said:


> No, but I’ve known others with them, and been around them. I hope you don’t think I think they’re dumb or lazy...I think they are beautiful, and many of them ARE high energy and excel at dog sports. Eventually, I wouldn’t mind getting one myself. Yours looks absolutely gorgeous! But some are also calmer, then say, a wired field dog that’s bouncing off the walls if they don’t get enough exercise.


High energy or wired is not the secret ingredient for an excellent working dog. Many people get confused along those lines and they have dogs that are more difficult to train because they are so out of control and mentally unglued.

One of the goldens that is near and dear to the hearts of people here in the MI/OH area is a CH/OTCH/MACH/MH (and he has a gazillion MH legs and OTCH points) - people call him a "sleeper", because he lacks the flash and dash of many of the performance bred goldens in the ring today. He just shows up and does everything perfectly. No points off means he usually is very high up in the scoring.

Clean is clean. It's more difficult to tone a very hyper and wired dog down so he's clean when working. Believe me, I have this with my youngest right now. He is very wired and far far away from passing the "are you ready to compete" test.

With the "are you ready to compete" test - the rule of thumb is counting the number of times you do something which cannot do in the ring. IE handling, corrections, rewards, etc.


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## Obedience rocks (Feb 17, 2020)

Megora said:


> High energy or wired is not the secret ingredient for an excellent working dog. Many people get confused along those lines and they have dogs that are more difficult to train because they are so out of control and mentally unglued.
> 
> One of the goldens that is near and dear to the hearts of people here in the MI/OH area is a CH/OTCH/MACH/MH (and he has a gazillion MH legs and OTCH points) - people call him a "sleeper", because he lacks the flash and dash of many of the performance bred goldens in the ring today. He just shows up and does everything perfectly. No points off means he usually is very high up in the scoring.
> 
> ...


Yes, you’re right. Like Alaska7133 said, its all in the pedigree. That’s where I look, at least. You could have a “field” golden who does terrible in the obedience ring, and a “confirmation” golden that does incredible. Dogs are individuals, and they need to have good handlers, as well.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Obedience rocks said:


> Yes, you’re right. Like Alaska7133 said, its all in the pedigree. That’s where I look, at least. You could have a “field” golden who does terrible in the obedience ring, and a “confirmation” golden that does incredible. Dogs are individuals, and they need to have good handlers, as well.


Outstanding success is primarily handler and method based.... and application.


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

Megora said:


> Outstanding success is primarily handler and method based.... and application.


Success in field trials requires;
Many hours of proper and balanced training 
Good handling
Some good luck or at least no bad luck two or three days in a row.
A dog with lots of talent, drive, and physical ability. 

If you are missing any of those components you will be heading home early.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

SRW said:


> Success in field trials requires a dog with lots of talent, drive, and physical ability.


I guess this must be the case? Have not personally met any dogs trained for field trials, much less titled for field trials. 

Speaking of all of the other sports - including field tests, biggest difference between one dog and the next is the person holding the leash + who they train with. That does not mean people shouldn't bother trying because they aren't big people in a sport. It just means that people need to work hard themselves and develop training talents themselves. They need to listen and learn. 

Conformation is a sport where people should not bother if they don't have a dog that has the look and type downpat. It's not just reading the breed standard and checking off where your dog is within the perimeters of each spec. It is owning a dog that has the look. Have seen outliers at shows, but they don't win. 

Field trials - that I've heard, goes way beyond the area where people are in it for fun and love of the sport. I've heard it described as a bloodsport and dog eat dog world in field trials. If you have a regular sweet dog who knows how to fetch and is a natural retriever (something that is pretty rare with show bred dogs), that means that dog will do fine in tests. I've heard. Not so much the case in field trials where you are competing against not only professionally trained dogs, but competing against pros themselves. <= My impression. Again, have not seen field trials (no interest btw) and have never met a dog trained for field trials. I am surrounded by top trainers here in Michigan so that says something there. 

Obedience, agility, etc.... all these other sports have seen a variety of dogs rise to the top. But I will say that the people who are fighting it out amongst themselves over the 199-200 scores and runoffs.... these are all LONG LONG LONG time trainers. Many of them are working with non-obedience breeds, which again puts emphasis on the trainer and the methods they use. Rather than discourage a person from going into obedience training or whatever, it should encourage them to go for it with the dog they own. 

Have definitely known people who buy dogs based on pedigree - and sometimes they have pretty excellent dogs. But sometimes, they have dogs who are bred for only one thing. Which I think is sad. With a breed like goldens, the best part is doing EVERYTHING with them.


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

Megora said:


> That does not mean people shouldn't bother trying because they aren't big people in a sport. It just means that people need to work hard themselves and develop training talents themselves. They need to listen and learn.


I agree completely and encourage everyone interested to participate in field trials. I guarantee they will meet a bunch of welcoming and helpful people. If that is your interest you really need to have a field bred dog.

Even the most experienced trainers need to continue to listen and learn. Many have told me that exactly.



Megora said:


> Field trials - that I've heard, goes way beyond the area where people are in it for fun and love of the sport. I've heard it described as a bloodsport and dog eat dog world in field trials.


You heard wrong. That may describe 2% of field trialers.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

SRW said:


> I agree completely and encourage everyone interested to participate in field trials. I guarantee they will meet a bunch of welcoming and helpful people. If that is your interest you really need to have a field bred dog.
> 
> Even the most experienced trainers need to continue to listen and learn. Many have told me that exactly.


People I know (with many many MH legs on their dogs) are the ones who cringe about the politics and the "dog eat dog" thing with field trials. That's where that stuff comes from. There are a TON of golden people who dabble in field tests and many have excellent dogs who come alive when they are outside and they know there's birds out there for them. But they draw a thick line about field trials. My gut feeling is it's competing against the lab people? But the people I've talked to have griped about competing against the pros at the field trials attached to golden retriever nationals. 

Personally speaking would love to get going in field with my guys. Not field trials. Just WC, WCX, JH tops are what I'd like to do. I've been told that those levels are more all fun for the dog and reliant on instinct. 

My 22 month old is very obedient now - and I think is ready to try out field work again (he wanted to eat the birds alive back at a young dog). Both he and the youngest one have a lot of prey drive which I know we want for fieldwork. So I'd like to try again. 

I dabbled in field 2-3 years ago and it was a very happy thing to see my old dog (the one in my profile pic) come alive when he was actually ALLOWED to go after birds and fetch them. One of those days we trained with him, he lost a wounded bird (it flew into the heavy brush). He would not come back out without that bird. It was hot and buggy - I have anemia issues so I was about passing out (I was seeing stars and the ground kept trying to come up and hit my face). The trainer had me get on his golf cart and ride back up to the barn to rest up and recover. I was riding back up to the barn with my Bertie in my lap and looked back and saw Jacks running up behind with his bird that he found finally (after hunting for a LONG time). Things like that, you remember a long time and are a huge reason why continuing to dabble in field is worth trying with these dogs - if they have those instincts. When Jacks died, I lost any interest in field training because Bertie did not enjoy field work and baby Jovi wanted to eat all the birds. 


The issue that I've found is many of the people who do field are not that inviting and it's tough to find somebody to train with who is close by. The people I want to train with - they are a distance away! One of the people I would LOVE to train with is over in Ontario and about 3 (4 with traffic and border crossing delays) hours away. Not saying I wouldn't give it a try just because I'd want to train with HER. But it's not an easy route for somebody that just wants to "give it a try".


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

People that get a ribbon at every hunt test sometimes have trouble transitioning to field trials. A much higher level of training is required and ribbons are very hard to get.


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

Obedience rocks said:


> No, but I’ve known others with them, and been around them. I hope you don’t think I think they’re dumb or lazy...I think they are beautiful, and many of them ARE high energy and excel at dog sports. Eventually, I wouldn’t mind getting one myself. Yours looks absolutely gorgeous! But some are also calmer, then say, a wired field dog that’s bouncing off the walls if they don’t get enough exercise.


Well I did think you thought that based on the sentence about the scale of intelligence in Goldens, so thank you for the clarification!  And thank you for the compliment about my girl. The reason I asked the question was not to be accusatory or anything. And to your point, some of them ARE lazy. But they are not all lazy, their owners just don't train them for performance. If anyone looked at my girl's pedigree - other than her paternal great-grandfather - there's nary a performance title to be found. Maybe I just got lucky, maybe she's a fluke, but she can be trained in whatever I want to do with her (excepting field trials). I hope to get a UD on her one day. I think a lot of show dogs are like that, they just aren't being trained and shown in anything other than conformation. Pedigree: Arkgold Eeveelution CGC TKN


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## Obedience rocks (Feb 17, 2020)

ArkansasGold said:


> Well I did think you thought that based on the sentence about the scale of intelligence in Goldens, so thank you for the clarification!  And thank you for the compliment about my girl. The reason I asked the question was not to be accusatory or anything. And to your point, some of them ARE lazy. But they are not all lazy, their owners just don't train them for performance. If anyone looked at my girl's pedigree - other than her paternal great-grandfather - there's nary a performance title to be found. Maybe I just got lucky, maybe she's a fluke, but she can be trained in whatever I want to do with her (excepting field trials). I hope to get a UD on her one day. I think a lot of show dogs are like that, they just aren't being trained and shown in anything other than conformation. Pedigree: Arkgold Eeveelution CGC TKN


Yes, I know a confirmation golden named Chase that would make an EXCELLENT obedience dog. His owners, however, focus mainly on dock diving. I love that you are doing performance events with your dog. I think that’s why some people (including me 🥺) tend towards a lesser opinion of confirmation dogs—because there are aren’t enough people like you putting performance titles on them. I think all confirmation dogs should get titles put on them, because Goldens are working dogs. A UD is an excellent goal 😊. She sounds like a willing worker, and I’m sure you guys can achieve anything you put your mind too. I dream of one day getting a UD as well!


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

Obedience rocks said:


> Yes, I know a confirmation golden named Chase that would make an EXCELLENT obedience dog. His owners, however, focus mainly on dock diving. I love that you are doing performance events with your dog. I think that’s why some people (including me 🥺) tend towards a lesser opinion of confirmation dogs—because there are aren’t enough people like you putting performance titles on them. I think all confirmation dogs should get titles put on them, because Goldens are working dogs. A UD is an excellent goal 😊. She sounds like a willing worker, and I’m sure you guys can achieve anything you put your mind too. I dream of one day getting a UD as well!


I agree with you! I actually started out in Rally with my boy and then I caught the bug and here we are. Here's to us both getting UDs!


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