Training an older dog

Hi Folks,

Could anyone recommend a good trainer for my 4 year old Golden Retriver which I rescued in April. I am hoping mostly to help him learn some basic commands, "Sit", "Heel" etc. This will hekp a lot when we are in a park and he gets excited seeing another dog, while he is on leash. Buddy is a good boy, but when he is on leash, and sees another dog in the distance, sometimes he just goes nuts. Off leash, he is fine! I think that some professional training might help. Any suggestions where I could take a four year old (he is a pretty big boy now). I am afraid that he would stick out like a sore thumb in a room fulll of puppies! :o

You're not alone, Dwight. When Bear was about 6 months old, he was already 80 lbs, we took him to puppy training. He failed. Twice.

Anyways, we decided when he was about 1 1/2 yrs to take him again. We took him to Puppy Tails in Orangeville, and he did very well. What we missed was that he was extremely food motivated. Part of the training involved using some treats, then less and less, but Bear always had the "hope of a treat" motivating him. Look into your local area, talk to other pet owners, talk to your local humane society, see what is recommended.

Good luck. Retrievers are smart and should be fairly easy to train.

I had a good experience in Kitchener-Waterloo with Bark Busters. They claim to be the world's largest in home dog training organization and they guarantee it. Buddy wasn't listening to me and was always pulling and growling when other dogs came close. He's a very different dog now, so I would check to see if they have someone near you. www.barkbusters.com. Buddy is 5 years old and I wish I had of done it years ago. I did other classes, but definitely not near the results.

Hi Dwight. The CAPPDT now has a searchable, sortable on-line database.
http://www.cappdt.ca/
Maybe you can start your search there? Sorry I can't recommend anyone in your area.

Good luck!