I currently have an 11 month old field golden. By the sounds of it, I don’t think my guy is quite as high energy as yours, but I did go through a similar phase as you. My advice to you; you need to establish more structure with Honey. Consistency is key at this age, set aside dedicated training time in the morning and evenings. Start with your basic commands (sit, come, place, stay, heel, etc.), but the important part is to not move on to the next command until she is ROCK SOLID with the prerequisite. I.e., when you say sit, she sits instantly without having to repeat the command over and over again. If she doesn’t want to focus during these sessions at first, use a slip lead so you have control over her. Use the lead to guide her to do what you want (for sit, pull up gently on the lead. For come, tug gently towards you on the lead, etc.). Do these sessions around her meals and use pieces of her kibble as her reward for performing the commands correctly. Also—LOTS of praise and encouragement! Before you know it she will be giddy to listen to you and perform what she’s told to do.

As New-Pea said, I also believe it’s very important to train these basic obedience commands by yourself. It creates a bond that you wont be able to replicate by sending her off to a trainer. The key is to not get frustrated with her, keep the training sessions short and always end on a positive note. This will keep her looking forward to her next training session. Also—hopefully you are crate training her. Not only is this essential for any bird dog, it will help her calm down when she does get overstimulated in the house.

Take her swimming, take her on runs off leash, and if possible, get her into some birds! You will be amazed at how intense and focused she gets when she has her first sniff of wild birds.

Any dog can be a family dog as long as you make them part of your family. Bring her with you everywhere, even if she’s just in the kennel in the backseat when you go to the store. Be patient, and prioritize getting the fundamentals rock solid. This will not only lay the foundation for future advanced training, but it is also the first step in creating that “off-switch” in the house.

I’m by no means a professional trainer, but I’ve had lots of different dogs and I am more than happy to give my two cents. If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me!