Why is training and exercising your Golden so important? Well just imagine lying in bed on any given day trying to get some sleep.
You just bought or adopted your new family member and in the middle of your sleep you hear a loud crash, by the time you get to your bathroom everything is on the floor and your little guy is sitting there with toilet paper all over him looking very innocent while staring at you.
I guess you would agree your rest is over and it's time to start training.
Never forget that these dogs are very energetic and they have a need to be spontaneous.
If you have a baby golden you should definitely start thinking about training him when he is around 8-10 weeks old.
Be prepared for some serious exploration of everything but don't let that discourage you.
You should do your best to get your pup to follow your directions even if it's for a brief moment; this will be the first lesson in getting him to focus on your commands.
You will find that there are 3 additional major phases to their training and exercising based on their age group:

• At ages 2-6 months they will normally respond to your command if you tell them to "sit, stay, or heel," but you must allow them time to do activities that does not require too much of their attention, remember these dogs have free spirits and they can become unfocused in a very short time.
  Allowing them to play as they desire for a little while gives them more balance in their routine.
  
• At ages 4-6 months you will need to take him with you on a few hikes or moderate jogging, this should be no more than half an hour because at this age their legs and heart are just developing.
  Water is very important so be certain to give adequate amounts.
  
• At ages 6 months and forward they will be ready for some major tasks.
  They are by nature excellent rescue and guide dogs so if this is of interest to you, now is the time to develop these skills by adding them to their routine.
  They are highly intelligent animals and will be ready to learn some serious obstacle courses with your help and patience.
  

You may also want to introduce them to other dogs and people as they are very sociable and thrive on attention.
Keeping them connected will lower their territorial attitude as they tend to be very loyal to their owners.
So what's next for you and your furry friend? Be sure to get your pup checked for hip dysplasia or any bone and joint disease as this dog tend to have issues with those illnesses.
You want to be certain that there are no complications because while they can still live happy and healthy lives with these issues you should reduce their activity level and provide special treatment for them.
Don't forget, to own a golden you must be energetic and patient because by nature these dogs are eager to please, highly active and very loving, therefore they can only get along with people who have the same traits.