The Good Golden
The Complete Golden Retriever Guide. A calmer, happier life with the sweetest, silliest dog you'll ever share a sofa with.
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The Good Golden
130 pages · 17 chapters · troubleshooting index$37
Bonus 1 · Puppy & Teen Survival Plan$14FREE
Bonus 2 · The Calm Home Plan$14FREE
Bonus 3 · Walks Without Pulling$14FREE
Bonus 4 · Health & Grooming Handbook$14FREE
Every chapter, the same easy pattern
Most training advice is written for "a dog". This guide is written for a retriever, built to carry, to stay close to its people and to search all day. Each chapter turns those drives from problems into outlets.
Built on the Calm-First Method
Calm pays: reward settled choices, never chaos. Set the scene: stop old habits getting practice. Feed the drive: give the mouth, people and search drives a daily job. Plus a few two-minute games a day.
17 chapters, chapter by chapter
Start with Part 1 (about 30 minutes to read), then jump to whatever bothers you most. A "find your problem fast" page and a troubleshooting index take you straight there.
What Makes a Golden Tick
The job Goldens were bred for, the three built-in drives, and whether yours leans field or show.
The Calm-First Method
The three rules, your dog's "energy budget", why 6 pm goes wild, and a calm daily rhythm.
Trust & Clear Communication
The "Yes!" marker, rewards your dog actually values, and reading relaxed vs worried body language.
Jumping on People
A door plan, scripts for guests and kids, and how to make four paws on the floor the fastest way to get loved.
Mouthing, Nipping & Carrying Everything
Teething vs mouthing, the over-tired "crocodile", swap and tug rules, and why you never chase the sock.
Pulling on the Leash
Why pulling works for your dog, gear that helps (and gear that hurts), the reward zone, squirrels and other dogs.
Stealing, Counter-Surfing & Swallowing Things
Closing the "slot machine", leave it and swap, a job while you cook, and the signs that mean an emergency.
Barking, Whining & Demanding
Which bark is which, the bark that trains you, windows and fences, and the "thank you, I've got it" routine.
The Velcro Dog & Home Alone
Clingy or struggling? Boring departures, the alone-time ladder, and when it's true separation anxiety.
Coming When Called
Why "come" stops working, a fresh recall word and a fair deal, and the four-rung recall ladder.
Crate, Sleep & the Settle Mat
How much sleep Goldens need, the crate as a den, puppy nights, and teaching an "off switch".
The Right Kind of Exercise
The "athlete trap", joint-safe puppy play, sniff walks and swims, and a daily mix by age.
Surviving the Teenage Months
What changes and when, sudden spooks and fear periods, and a teen plan that keeps your training intact.
Kids, Visitors & Other Pets
Five family rules for the fridge, quiet stress signals, busy houses, and introducing a new dog or cat.
Health Basics for Golden Owners
Joints and weight, ears, skin and hot spots, lump checks, the toxic-food list and "call the vet" signs.
Coat, Shedding & Grooming
The double coat, the right tools and rhythm, bath-dry-tidy, why you never shave, and calm grooming.
The Senior Golden
A home that's easy on old joints, checkups and the aging mind, and gentle games for golden oldies.
Plus: welcome & how to use the guide · "Find your problem fast" page · Quick troubleshooting index (A–Z)
Four focused bonus guides
Short companions you can open on your phone or print, each paired with chapters of the main guide.
The Puppy & Teen Survival Plan
Two years, four stages: the bedside setup for the first night, a sample potty day, a teething menu, waiting games, and the "teen wobble". Ends with a ready-for-adulthood checklist.
The Calm Home Plan
Teach a Golden to switch off: the energy dial, the full settle-mat protocol, three ways to unwind, a two-week plan for alone time, and the signs to call a professional.
Walks Without Pulling
Choosing and fitting a harness, the reward zone, a 21-day plan, pattern games, a plan for each trigger (squirrel, dog, person) and walking two dogs at once.
The Golden Health & Grooming Handbook
A calm nose-to-tail check, a lump map, body-condition and rib checks, a coat calendar, nail and teeth routines, household hazards and "call your vet now" signs.
One guide. Four bonuses. One price.
- The Good Golden: the complete guide$37
- The Puppy & Teen Survival Plan
$14Free - The Calm Home Plan
$14Free - Walks Without Pulling
$14Free - The Golden Health & Grooming Handbook
$14Free - Bought separately
$93
Is this guide right for you?
It's for you if…
- You have a Golden Retriever at any age: puppy, teenager, adult or senior.
- Jumping, mouthing, pulling, stealing, demand barking or evening zoomies are wearing you down.
- You want kind, modern, reward-based training, in short sessions that fit a busy day.
- You'd like the whole family using the same words and rules.
- You like to understand why, not just follow orders.
It's not for you if…
- Your dog has shown aggression, guards things from people, panics when left or has suddenly changed behavior. Please see your vet and a qualified behavior professional first.
- You want punishment-based methods, prong or shock collars. We don't teach them.
- You're training for field trials or competition obedience. This is for family life.
- You want a printed book. This is a digital PDF.
- You're hoping for a one-day fix. The method works through small daily habits.
In your hands in under a minute
Check out
Pay securely on Polar's checkout page (card, Apple Pay or Google Pay). The guide and all four bonuses come in one purchase.
Download instantly
Download links appear on your receipt page straight away, and arrive in your email too.
Read on your phone
Every page is shaped like a phone screen, so it reads comfortably without pinching and zooming. Opens on any phone, tablet or computer. Print it if you like.
Lost the email? Sign in to the customer portal with the email you paid with and download again, any time. Or write to hello@goodpawpress.com.
60-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked
Read it, try the games, live with it for up to 60 days. If it isn't right for you and your Golden, email hello@goodpawpress.com within 60 days of purchase and we'll refund you in full. No forms, no proof, no hard feelings.
See our Refund & Guarantee policy.
Frequently asked
What age of dog is this for?
All of them. The main guide runs from the first night home (Chapters 5 and 11) through the teenage months (Chapter 13) to the senior years (Chapter 17). Bonus 1 adds a week-by-week plan for puppies and teens.
How much time will it take each day?
The method is built on two-minute games, three to five times a day, slotted into things you already do. Most chapters ask for 5 to 15 minutes in total per day, plus a few home set-up changes you make once.
Will it work for a puppy, an adult and a senior?
Yes, with sensible differences the guide spells out: puppies get joint-safe play and lots of sleep, teenagers get a refresher plan, adults usually just need old habits to stop getting practice, and seniors get gentler games and comfort changes at home. No guide can promise how fast an individual dog will change, but the method is the same kind, reward-based approach at every age.
My Golden is a field type, a show type, or a "mini Golden". Does it still apply?
Field and show Goldens are the same breed with different energy levels. Chapter 1 helps you tell which way yours leans, and Chapter 12 adjusts exercise to match. "Mini Goldens" are usually crosses (often Golden with Cocker Spaniel and/or Poodle), so they may inherit traits from the other breeds too. Most of the guide still applies, because the reward-based method works for any dog, but it is written with the Golden Retriever in mind.
Is it printable?
Yes. It's a standard PDF, so you can print any page. It's designed first for phone reading, so pages are phone-shaped and print smaller on a Letter sheet. If you want full-size printables for the fridge, tick the Printable Training Pack (+$12) just above the buy button.
Is this veterinary advice?
No. Good Paw Press is not a veterinary practice, and the guide is general education. The health and grooming parts help you spot changes early and have better conversations with your vet. They never replace a vet visit, and the guide clearly lists the signs that mean "call your vet now".
My dog has shown aggression or panics when left alone. Will this help?
Please start with your vet and a qualified behavior professional. Pain and medical issues can cause behavior changes, and serious fear or aggression needs one-to-one help. The guide covers everyday problems and tells you clearly when to call in a professional.
Do you use punishment or special collars?
No. Everything is reward-based and force-free: no leash pops, no "alpha" rolls, no prong or shock collars. The guide explains why harsh methods tend to backfire with a sensitive breed like the Golden.
How do I get the files? What if I lose them?
Download links appear on your receipt page right after payment and in your email. You can re-download any time from the customer portal by signing in with the email you paid with, and we're happy to help: hello@goodpawpress.com.
What if it's not for me?
Email hello@goodpawpress.com within 60 days of purchase and we'll refund you in full. No forms, no proof, no hard feelings.