Top Gun Golden Retrievers 5-Week Written Puppy Training Guide

Welcome to Your Step-by-Step Training Journey!

We’re proud to offer all our puppy families a complete, easy-to-follow 5-week written training program, designed to set you and your golden up for success from day one.

This guide mirrors what we teach in person and provides weekly structure, goals, and practical tips that you can implement right from home. Whether you’re brand new to puppy training or continuing your work with a service or therapy prospect, these resources are built to support your growth every step of the way.

What’s Included:

Each week focuses on key skills, behaviors, and relationship-building exercises:

Week 1: Welcome Home & Foundations

• Behavior, obedience, and socialization overview

• Name recognition, focus work, and sit

• Potty training schedule and supervision tools

Week 2: Impulse Control & Leash Skills

• “Take it” command and gentle behavior

• Calm leash training (Tension → Attention → Treats)

Week 3: Leave It & Down

• Teaching self-control around distractions

• Down from sit or stand, and puppy push-ups

Week 4: Come & Drop It

• Recall games for a happy, reliable “Come”

• High-value exchanges and object surrender with “Drop it”

Week 5: Sit + Stay & Structure

• Combining recall with sit

• 3 D’s of “Stay”: Duration, Distance, and Distraction

How to Use This Guide:

• Dedicate 15 minutes a day to training and 15 minutes a day to exploration

• Follow each week’s focus and build on your pup’s progress

• Practice with love, patience, and consistency

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Example Week for an 8-week old puppy : 

 

✅ WEEK 1: Foundation & Structure

Theme: Structure First, Success Follows

🎯 Goals:

• Establish crate and potty training routine

• Teach Name, Focus, and Sit

• Set household expectations and rules

• Begin impulse control and reward-based communication

• Limit indoor freedom and create consistent structure

🧼 Potty Training:

At 8–9 weeks, your puppy can only hold it for 1–2 hours max when awake.

Take your puppy out:

• Immediately after waking

• After meals or water (5–15 minutes)

• After play, chewing, or training

• Before and after crate time

• Every 30–45 minutes during awake time

Watch for potty signals:

• Circling or sniffing

• Wandering off suddenly

• Pacing or whining

• Disengaging from play

• Moving toward doors or crate

💡 Use the cue “Go potty,” reward with “YES!” and treat immediately after they finish.

Indoor freedom? Not yet. Use crate, pen, or tether until they’re consistently successful outdoors.

🛏️ Crate Training:

• Feed meals inside the crate (door open or closed)

• Use for all naps and downtime

• Start short crate sessions while you're home

• Add heartbeat toy, blanket, frozen Kong, or chew to build comfort

❗ Never let your puppy out while whining—wait for a pause to reinforce calm behavior.

🧠 Commands Introduced:

🗣️ Name Game:

• Say name → Puppy looks → “YES!” → reward

👁️ Focus:

• Hold treat at your face

• Reward for 3–5 seconds of eye contact

• Build to 10 seconds over the week

🪑 Sit:

• Lure from nose → up and back

• Mark and reward when rear hits floor

• Add cue “Sit” once behavior is predictable

📅 Daily Schedule (Example):

TimeActivity

6:30 AMWake → potty → light crate time

7:00 AMBreakfast (crate/pen)

7:30 AMPotty → light training/play

9:00 AMCrate nap

11:00 AMPotty → walk or crate play

12:30 PMLunch (if applicable) → potty

2:00 PMDown time in crate

4:00 PMPotty → training (Sit, Focus, Name)

6:00 PMDinner → potty

7:30 PMCalm time → crate nap

9:30 PMFinal potty → crate for the night

✅ Homework:

• Track potty breaks and accidents

• Practice Name, Focus, Sit (3–5 reps per session)

• Crate for all naps, meals, and unsupervised time

• Reward every outdoor potty with “YES!” + treat

• Limit freedom and reinforce calm behavior

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