| Golden Retrievers are one of the most trainable | | | | competition, though the battery of tasks that must |
| breeds out there. They are extremely intelligent, | | | | be performed are no laughing matter. Commands |
| athletic, and eager to please the handler. This is why | | | | include healing on the leash, walking the figure eight |
| Goldens excel at obedience trials, and have numerous | | | | on the leash, heeling off the leash, recall (the typical |
| times been champions of the American Kennel Club's | | | | owner's "come" command), standing still (as if for an |
| official obedience trials. | | | | examination by a show judge or veterinarian), and |
| Obedience competition is a fun way to bond with | | | | staying seated or in a lying down position for an |
| your dog, as well as add some useful commands and | | | | extended period of time. |
| tricks to your handling. Every owner should start with | | | | The open level is the intermediate level of |
| basic obedience commands, such as "sit", "stay", "lie | | | | competition, including several of the novice tasks that |
| down", "come", and "release". If you are experienced | | | | are performed on the leash being performed without |
| with training dogs, these early commands can be | | | | a lead at all. Other commands include dropping on |
| taught at home, so long as the environment is | | | | recall, retrieving, retrieving over a jump, the broad |
| structured and training is regular and strict. If you are | | | | jump, and the extended sitting and lying down |
| new to obedience training, it is best to enroll your | | | | exercises for a longer period than the novice |
| dog in a class with a certified trainer to learn the | | | | category. |
| most effective methods of getting your dog to learn | | | | The most advanced level of obedience trials is the |
| and obey commands. | | | | utility competition. Among previously included tasks, |
| There are several types of obedience trials you can | | | | utility requires that a dog responds to hand signals |
| enter your Golden Retriever into. The largest and | | | | alone (as opposed to vocal commands), the ability to |
| most renowned obedience trial is hosted by the AKC, | | | | find their handler's scent (usually achieved by placing a |
| which allows any AKC-recognized breed to compete | | | | belonging of the handler's in a collection of other |
| in the same competition. There are also various | | | | items), directed retrieval (where the dog fetches |
| retriever clubs and, more specifically, Golden | | | | something specific the handler has asked for), |
| Retriever clubs, that host obedience competition, as | | | | standing still after the owner has walked away, and |
| well. The largest club for Goldens is the Golden | | | | directed jumping, in which the handler indicates which |
| Retriever Club of America, and they have many local | | | | obstacle the dog will jump over before returning |
| branches. Finding one close to you should be easy. | | | | immediately to the handler. |
| Obedience trials include a large battery of commands | | | | Obedience trials can sound tricky and difficult at first, |
| and tricks, which get more difficult and are judged on | | | | but if you love to spend time with your dog, it is a |
| a stricter set of rules as you progress through the | | | | fantastic way to bond and teach new and useful |
| three levels of competition: novice, open, and utility. | | | | commands to your pet. |
| The novice level is as it sounds. It is for entry-level | | | | |