How to Crate Train and Build Up Impulse Control for Two Golden Retriever Puppies

For this Omaha dog training session we were asked to train two seven-month-old Golden Retriever puppies, Marley and Joey, and an eight-year-old Golden Retriever, Astro, to teach them self control and crate training.

After I arrived I sat down with the guardian to chat with her about her main puppy behavior concerns. I learned that the puppies didn’t have a lot of rules in place. When puppies don’t have a lot of rules in place it can create some unwanted behaviors because the puppies are trying to understand what is okay and what is not okay to do in the house. As I watched the puppies I noticed that they didn’t have a lot of impulse control. To help them build up self control I suggested a few new rules such as sitting before going through the door and waiting to be released from their kennel.

To help the two puppies with kennel training and wait to be released I taught the guardian a crate game for Marley and Joey. To see how I accomplished this, watch the video below.

When you have more than one dog a great dog training tip is to have the dogs compete with each other for being the best behaved dog. When the guardian comes home to let the puppies out of their crates, she should work with the calmer of the two puppies first, this way she is reinforcing them to be calmer quicker and work to be the best behaved puppy.

By the end of this dog behavior session Marley, Joey and Astro were looking to their guardian for leadership and direction. They were learning how to be calm dogs and regulate their impulse control. To keep up with this good behavior I want to encourage the guardian to use our Petting with a Purpose technique to reward them for good behavior and use our Escalating Consequences to disagree with them. We wrapped up this puppy behavior session with their Roadmap to Success video, which you can watch below.