When Do Golden Retrievers Calm Down and 3 Ways To Train Them To Be More Chill

The energy of your golden retriever is a large part of their charm, but sometimes it can be too much and you’re left wondering; do Golden retrievers calm down? and if so, when?

Days, weeks, and months pass by and your pup don’t seem to ever want to just chill. It’s as if they are always cranked up to 11 and there is no off button on them.

Well, the good news is that Golden Retrievers do calm down.

So, when do golden retrievers Calm down? Golden Retrievers start to calm down when they are 2-to-3 years old when they are turning from puppies into adult dogs. They often become much calmer at the age of four, but their energy levels can still be high compared to other dog breeds.

When Golden Retrievers are puppies, they have all this pent up energy that needs to go somewhere, and it often goes everywhere. From jumping on new people to chewing everything they can reach, they always find ways to release this pent up energy.

Even more, some golden retrievers can keep this level of energy through all their lifetime. As much enduring as this is, it can take a lot to keep up with them at all times. However, there are things you can do to help your puppy chill down.

Let’s talk about them more…

How to Help A Golden Retriever Calm Down

Think of your golden retriever as a really energetic kid. They have so much pent up energy that needs to go somewhere. They also get bored pretty quickly since they have nothing to do all day long.

And just like with children, you should start the training as early as possible as it will be more effective and long-lasting.

So, here are some ways to help your golden retriever calm down;

1. Tire them out With Exercise

The easiest and most effective way to help your golden retriever calm down is to help them get all this energy out in a healthy way. This means regular exercise and play.

Golden Retrievers need daily walks, but they can also go with your on runs. It’s a great idea to combine your exercise time with theirs, and this way you hit two birds with one stone. They will also motivate you to keep pushing yourself since it’s far more likely that you will start feeling tired before they do.

Need some ideas?

• Running. Your Golden Retriever can start running when they’re 12 to 18 months of age, and with practice, they can keep up on long runs with you.
• Walking. The daily walk is a must with golden retrievers. Try going for long walks or even for walks more than once per day to help them expand their energy. My pup is usually quite sleepy at the end of the day if we go for two moderate to long walks per day.
• Playing. Take them to a dog park and really play with them. Fetch is a great way to help them expand their energy while not tiring you out as much as running.
• Swimming. Do you have access to a pool or a lake you can swim in? Awesome. Your Golden will absolutely love it. Pro tip: train your golden to fetch tennis balls without chewing them and bring a couple with you while swimming and let them fetch while swimming. This never fails to get my dog very sleepy at the end of the day.
• Cycling. Train your golden to run by the side of your bike and go cycling around the block with them by your side. Cycling is a less intensive workout for you but your dog will still get the benefits of a good run.
• Go Hunting. If you can go hunting, you should definitely take your golden with you. They were basically bred to do this. The outdoors, the running, and the retrieving will not only help them expand their energy but will also put them in such a great mood!

2. Teach Them Routines

One of the greatest qualities of Golden Retrievers is that they are incredibly smart and fast to learn routines. You can start training your dog to learn when to be excited and when to be calm.

This can be a lot of things, you can teach them that staying calm in the morning is rewarded with a morning walk or that to stay is rewarded with play time.

Teaching your dog routines, especially if you combine them with commands, can be incredibly beneficial for when you really need them to calm down such as when you have visitors or are working from home.

Even though most of people reading this are probably quite comfortable with the formula, here are the basics of teaching your dog any routine.

1. Start by establishing the routine and the rewards clearly
2. Regularly follow those routines. Never break your own rules.
3. Always reward them with praise or treats when they do as desired.
4. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Take it slow and never get disappointed by setbacks.

This basic formula should be enough to help you train your dog on most things quite easily.

3. Keep Them Busy – Even While You’re Not Around

Let’s to be realistic; you can’t always keep up with your dog. For one, you actually have to work, go get groceries, and do all kinds of other activities that will take up your time and energy.

The good thing is that you are not alone at this. There are many smart solutions to this issue, and here are some that I have tested and proven to be excellent;

1. Get Them Some Durable Toys. Get your dog some durable toys that they can chew on and play with when you can’t take them out for exercise.
2. Get them some interactive toys. Interactive toys and puzzles can keep your dog mentally intrigued, helping them expend their energy in ways other than running.
3. Set up playdates. This way you can let the dogs play with each other while you sit down and chat with a friend. Keep your eye close on your dog at the first couple of playdates to make sure the dogs get along well.
4. Hire a dog walker. Even though I personally don’t like leaving my dog with strangers, many of my friends are perfectly happy with their dog walkers. You can even hire one through an app like Wag. Find one you can trust and that already has plenty of positive reviews.

[su_box title=”Pro Tip” box_color=”#ec7050″]Separate your dog’s toys into groups. Never give them access to all toys at once, just one group at a time.
Once they’re bored with it, change it to another group. This way you keep the novelty and keep them excited for the toys. [/su_box]

4 Steps to Teaching Your Dog To Stop Jumping on People

Golden retrievers are very people-focused breed. They require and actually need attention, but they need to learn how to control themselves. Jumping on children, seniors, and strangers that are scared of dogs will always result in trouble, so you need to take this into consideration quickly.

Here are 4 steps to train your golden retriever to stop jumping on people.

1. Negatively reward the bad behavior.

When your dog jumps on someone and you (or that person) tries to push off the dog or tell them “no” or “down”, you are actually rewarding their behavior.

Your dog is jumping on this person because he wants to become the center of attention, and when you direct your attention to them, you have basically given them exactly what they want.

Instead, you need to completely ignore him. You also need to tell your friends and family members (and anyone else that may meet the dog while in the training phase) to do the exact same.

[su_box title=”Pro Tip” box_color=”#ec7050″]Make sure everyone understands why, too, as this is more likely to make them help you instead of thinking you are punishing the dog and being cruel to him which may lead to them ignoring the rules. [/su_box]

2. Replace the bad behavior with a good one.

Most dog trainers will tell you that the best way to stop your dog from jumping on people is to tell them to “sit”. They are right, your dog can’t jump and sit at the same time.

What I found to be great is to give them the “sit” command just after the door bell rings and seconds before I open the door. This way they can still be rewarded for sitting down if they stayed put or just ignore them completely if they stood and jumped on the person.

If they stayed down and didn’t jump, you should immediately reward them with praise, treats, or both.

Hint: It might be worth it to keep the dog on a leash at the beginning of the training for more control, especially if working with an adult dog.

This way you can take them to another room and leave them until they calm down before taking them out again and repeating the process.

3. Ask another person to help you

Ask a friend to come by and practice with you. Ask them to ring the bell, enter, leave, and then repeat as much as needed. However, don’t do it too much in a single sitting or the dog will quickly become uninterested and go find something else to do.

4. Never Punish the dog because you’re frustrated.

Never, never, ever, punish the dog because they’re slow to learn or because you’re getting too frustrated with them. Dogs are like children, they take time to learn things, and you need to keep your patience with them at all times.

Never yell at the dog, yank them, or physically harm them in any way. I don’t believe the dominance or the alpha training methods work, and they do more harm than good.

If your dog becomes afraid of you, it will be much harder to train them on good behaviors, and instead, they will start developing bad behaviors and sneakier ways of doing bad things behind your back.

Related Questions

When Do Female Golden Retrievers Calm Down?

Female golden retrievers start to calm down around the age of 2 to 4 years and they become calmer at they grow up more.

Some Female Golden Retrievers stay hyper-active throughout their lifetime, but even those lovely pups can be trained to be calm when you need them to.

You can still use the methods discussed in this article to help your golden retriever calm down and train them to be a bit more chill.

Are Golden Retrievers Hyper?

Golden retrievers are, generally speaking, energetic dogs, not hyper active dogs. Your dog may become hyper active from the stress of lack of exercise and lack of attention.

With Regular exercise, early socialization, and proper training, your dog will become much more easier to manage.

Are Golden Retrievers puppies calm?

Golden Retriever puppies are energetic and people-loving creatures. They have a need and desire to explore the world around them and spend time with people.

Socialization and training will play a huge role in controlling your golden retriever puppy’s energy levels and bring them to a controllable level.

Why is my golden retriever so calm?

An unusually calm golden retriever could be a sign of lack of exercise, too much stress, or a health issue. They also may not be getting enough food or enough nutrients from their food.

Try to take them exercise more and preferably in a new place and see if it excites them. If it doesn’t, it may be time to take them to the vet and check if there is an issue with their health or their diet.

Sources

1. Effects of 2 training methods on stress-related behaviors of the dog (Canis familiaris) and on the dog–owner relationship – StéphanieDeldalle^aFlorenceGaunet