|
I don't know if this is the right thread for this, but I'll post anyway. I've been thinking about getting a dog for a while and have finally decided to get a dog. I just want to make sure my plan is sound, and also try to get some recommendations on books etc. on owning a dog/getting a puppy. I've read the extremely good and helpful OP of this thread and am reading through the 'before you get a puppy' book. My situation: Single 30 something guy, self-employed, set my own hours, a dog fits in my budget well. I've got a ~1200 sq. foot house and large for a city backyard. Grew up with 3 dogs-a terrible jack russell, a Very Good husky/shepherd mix, and a pretty good, very independent knee-high and black dog that definitely had some sort of herding dog in her. This would be the first dog I have had on my own. The plan: I'd like to take my dog to work with me most days, at least for part of the day. I usually come home for lunch and could pick up/drop off dog then. They would probably be crated when I wasn't home. My parents live around the corner from me and my dad works from home-I know they miss having a dog and I'm sure they would love for a dog to come hang out sometimes, though maybe not as a puppy. The dog: I will probably get a puppy from a breeder. As time to actually get dog comes closer, I'll look around more at local shelters, but most all the shelter dogs here are some mix of pitbull or hound/cur and I don't think I could handle that energy level. I'm currently leaning towards a Golden Retriever, maybe a lab. My aunt always had goldens and they were always sweet dogs. The internet tells me they are a little lazier and more chill than labs-is that indeed the case? I basically want a friendly, healthy, handsome companion that can learn to do some stuff maybe. I've looked around at breeders and there seem to be a few good options semi-locally, but if anyone has breeder recommendations for Goldens or Labaradors on the gulf coast/deep south, I would be very interested. Any other breed opinions are also welcome. Potential problems: While I would like to take the dog to work, I use alot of loud machinery in my work. Planers, routers, saws, etc. There is an office area the dog could hang out in, but I'd hate if the noise made the dog anxious or scared. At my old job, my boss had two dogs who weren't at all bothered by the machinery. I guess this is a question of desensitization? I'm also a bit of a goony hermit. I want to make sure the dog is well socialized, but I don't have that many friends locally for the dog to hang out with. What's the best way to socialize the dog? Just go hang out at the dog park? I do take walks around the neighborhood and would certainly do that with the dog-does that all count as good socialization or is it important for that socialization to happen in the dog's home so it gets used to other people in its space? I'd also like to make sure the dog is good around children, but again, don't really have any friends/family with children locally for the dog to meet. Anyway, if any of that jumps out as an insurmountable problem, please let me know-I overthink and am just trying to get a sanity check. Any training/'how to'/whatever youtube/book recommendations are very appreciated! Pics of the knee-high and black dog Casey, who is sadly missed: Showin off the goods:  Pleading for her dinner 40 minutes before dinnertime:  Growling at me and demanding something: 
|
#
¿
Jul 6, 2022 01:20
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 9, 2024 15:04 |
|
|
Does anyone have opinions on this c.1998 breeder website? http://jcmdogtraining.com/copperfieldgoldens.html They're semi-local and wanting to hold on to the dogs until 4 months or so looking for potential show dogs. That suits me fine because I won't really be ready for a dog until September/October. Her health guarantees in the contract seem very good and they've been breeding a long time. I spoke with her on the phone and liked her alot-she said there were some dogs in this litter that seemed pretty chill. The price is steep but not really out of line with what I've seen for other golden puppies from good breeders. Any red flags? Any problems with getting a puppy at 4 or 5 months instead of 8 weeks?
|
|
#
¿
Aug 2, 2022 17:28
|
|
|
I mailed a check for a deposit on a golden retriever puppy Friday 
|
|
#
¿
Aug 14, 2022 20:37
|
|
|
After some chaos with the breeder I had originally contacted (said she never got my deposit check, the co-owner of the dam saw the litter and decided she wanted some puppies out of the litter after all. Breeder was sure there would still be some for me, but it just became a little too complicated for me and I abandoned ship and stopped payment on the missing check), I found a different breeder that's a little closer, a lot less expensive, seems to have a great attitude and approach to things, has thoroughly tested the parents, and I think is doing a better job of socializing the pups with children etc. than the other breeder. Put down a deposit with him on a golden retriever puppy to pick up at 8 weeks in mid-october mom:  dad:  Dad is from more of a field line, but not a super hyper-driven field line, mom is from more of a show and pet line, and the breeder says the puppies seem to have a good mix of temperaments so far. I really love the mom's darker/redder coat, and the puppies look to be a little lighter than her but darker than the father.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 15, 2022 02:20
|
|
|
also post pics of your perfect pup
|
|
#
¿
Oct 5, 2022 18:10
|
|
|
I'm getting my puppy tomorrow and I'm real nervous! But the breeder sent me a picture and he's real handsome!
Kaiser Schnitzel fucked around with this message at 02:19 on Oct 16, 2022 |
|
#
¿
Oct 16, 2022 02:14
|
|
|
Just brought this little boy home:   Not sure what I'll name him yet, but so far he is a very good and sweet and brave boy.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 16, 2022 18:47
|
|
|
Finally decided on a name for this guy: Abraham Darby, going by Darby. He really loves to chew plants, as you can see. No toy can compare with the resistance offered by a nice tall fern or any of my many plants. It would be cute if I didn't love my plants. I've mostly been trying to wave some other toy at him whenever he starts attacking the ferns and I can usually get him distracted so he plays with the toy. Any other tips? He also loves the tassels on my oriental rugs, I guess because they are similar solo tug of war thing. I guess I should try getting some rope chew toys and tying them to his crate or a doorknob or something?
|
|
#
¿
Oct 18, 2022 00:53
|
|
|
Do puppies get cranky/disobedient/bad when they’re tired? My 9 week old golden retriever was going bananas earlier-would not stop digging in the grass, ignored every ‘no’ and squeaky toy attempt at redirection, went right back to it even when I picked him up and moved him away, tried nipping at me when I eventually picked him up and carried him inside etc. When we got inside he immediately went and laid on my pajamas like he was going to nap. I’ve realized he had a very busy day. I was working outside on my house and he was out there with me much of the day and I don’t think he had much nap time. He’s otherwise always very sweet and this just kind of scared me-I’ve never seen him so completely obsessed with something and so totally ignoring me.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 22, 2022 01:12
|
|
|
I could use some advice on my puppy Pickwick. 9wk old male golden retriever, I’ve had him for 10 days or so. Overall he is really great, and inside he really is fantastic. He’s a very quick learner, learned the rules of tug of war in about 10 minutes, sits relatively reliably, pretty good for a baby puppy Imo. He mostly learned not to chew on the rugs or furniture in about 3 days, he’s pretty content to play with a toy and lie on the floor next to me, loves to snuggle, all that good stuff. Gets in his crate when told for a treat, usually sleeps through the night, the two accidents he’s had were definitely my fault, not his. Good boy. Outside though, it’s a different story. He’s not bad, and again he has learned to mostly not eat the bushes and dig holes, but it’s kind of like I don’t exist outside. Inside he usually follows me around from room to room and will respond to my voice or squeaky toys to get his attention, but outside he pretty much ignores all that. There’s lots of smells (and he definitely has a good nose) and he really likes to go find acorns under my oak tree. Nothing wrong with any of that really, that’s just dog stuff, but he won’t come inside when called or come to me and I have to go pick him up and bring him inside. He gets so distracted he forgets to go to the bathroom. He’s not so bad about it in the mornings, it’s mostly in the evenings/at night. He wasn’t like this the first few days, and he’s definitely gotten worse over time-there was a day I was working outside and he was in the yard all day lightly supervised and I think that’s when he learned there were no consequences if he didn’t listen. I’m just not sure where to start. Should I work on a ‘leave it’ command? Recall? He’ll come if you get down and act excited, but that doesn’t work when he’s on the prowl for acorns or investigating a smell. Start leash training him and take him outside on a leash? The two times I’d put a leash on him to drag around and get used to he bites it and thinks it’s a toy, need to read up on preventing that. He doesn’t know his name yet because I not decided on one two days ago. Anyway, just not really sure where to start on this. Puppy tax:   
|
|
#
¿
Oct 25, 2022 16:05
|
|
|
Well, about a dozen 'come's with tiny bits of freeze dried beef liver this afternoon and recalls and attention outside for Pickwick are 400% better. He still has to be able to see me and it still takes a call or three, but he no longer completely ignores me when he's rooting for acorns. We'll see how it goes tonight in the dark. That beef liver is like doggy crack he gets so excited.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 26, 2022 01:20
|
|
|
I feel very very lucky that my 9 week old golden puppy can make it through the night usually without having to pee. The first night when I had to get up three times was rough and I couldn't be doing that for weeks or months on end. OP I would strongly recommend crate training. I would also strongly recommend reading this: https://www.amazon.com/Before-After-Getting-Your-Puppy/dp/1799975894 It really helped me get in the right mindset in dealing with this puppy. It's short (4 hours on audible if you do audiobooks) and really helpful. I wasn't so sure about crate training at first, but it works great and when you have a young puppy that doesn't know the rules yet, they have to be under supervision ALL THE TIME or they will find something to destroy. I put Pickwick in his crate when I take a shower, because otherwise he starts chewing a rug instead of all his many toys. He wines for 3 minutes and then he takes a nap, and he's usually much better behaved after the nap. Even when he is under supervision, it's pretty exhausting-he's chewing his bone at the moment while i eat lunch, but I can guarantee in about 5 minutes he'll start chewing on my desk chair or finding some cords to nibble on or whatever else. If I didn't care about my yard and it was just grass I would leave him out there more often when I was home, but I have lots of plants I don't want torn up (some of which probably aren't good for doggies to eat) and grass I don't want dug in, and I don't want him barking all the time because he's bored or lonely and pissing the neighbors off, so he's mostly been supervised outside too. He also really likes ot be with me, and he'll hang out outside by himself for 5 minutes or so after I come in, but then he wants to come inside and doesn't want to be outside by himself. Where's the dog gonna hang out when it's really cold or wet or whatever and you aren't able to be home to supervise him?
|
|
#
¿
Oct 28, 2022 17:58
|
|
|
For nuisance digging, someone told me to put some of their poop into whatever holes they dig. It has worked really well for Pickwick. He dug into one of his little holes, hit poo and immediately ran away and wants nothing to do with that spot. He’s pretty quickly figured out that digging anywhere but the pile of leaves he’s allowed to dig in gets a hole full of poop.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 29, 2022 19:28
|
|
|
My 13 week old puppy Pickwick has gotten off his poop schedule in the last few days, probably from being out of town visiting family etc. He has gotten up the past few nights between midnight and 5am and had to go out, and then won’t go again until mid afternoon and then again maybe 8pm. He used to always go right after meals. He’s had a bit looser stools than usual, especially at night, but not really what I’d call diarrhea. There’s been lots of deer poop and new kinds of sticks and acorns to eat and lake water to drink and he’s had a few ticks. He’s perfectly perky so I haven’t been worried about the loosish stool but can take him to the vet Monday if needed. How do I get him back on schedule? If he barks in the middle of the night to go out, can I just ignore him and leave him in his crate and try to make him hold it until morning or is that a bad idea? I was staying with family so didnt want to wake the whole house up letting him cry it out, but am back home now and have hardened my heart to whimpering. Up until now he’s really always slept through the night. He cute tho: 
|
|
#
¿
Nov 27, 2022 04:00
|
|
|
Yeah he was up every 2 hours last night with smallish, loosish stools so I guess we’ll check in with the vet tomorrow.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 27, 2022 16:57
|
|
|
How the heck do I keep a 3.5 month old puppy with a great nose from eating unknown mushrooms in the yard?!
|
|
#
¿
Dec 3, 2022 01:00
|
|
|
Those are some very serious ears
|
|
#
¿
Dec 6, 2022 22:47
|
|
|
My golden retriever pup hasn’t been around many children and when he last was at thanksgiving he was pretty nippy, but he’s doing incredibly well with a bunch of 0-7yr old nieces and nephews. Maybe it’s just the difference between 3 and 4 month or if doggy day care really helped but he’s great and doesn’t mind being poked and prodded and doesn’t get way too excited if someone lays on the ground.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 19, 2022 15:54
|
|
|
My golden definitely didn’t see completely well at 12 weeks either. Took him a week or two to start to really see things far away. He was always very interested in chasing sudden movement though and he’s always liked balls. And sticks. And leaves. Nothing could possibly be more interesting to him than a leaf for the first 2 weeks I had him.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 23, 2022 05:14
|
|
|
H13 posted:I mean I'm giving you guys the benefit of the doubt for the time being, but it'd help if somebody could be specific about what I should be preventing him from doing? The point is that even if you don't care about the things he is destroying and the things he is destroying are harmless, he is learning that destroying things is a fun way to pass the time when dad isn't paying attention and eventually he will destroy something something that is either dangerous or you care about because you taught him that destroying things when you're bored is A-okay and dad thinks it's cute. That's bad, and it's much harder to correct the bad behavior than it is to never give him the opportunity to learn it in the first place. If you need some you time (and of course you do!) put him in his crate with a Kong or other chew toy filled with food or peanut butter or w/e so that he learns non-destructive ways to deal with aloneness. If keeping him in his crate feels too small, get a fenced playpen or gate off a 'safe' room where there is nothing in it he can learn to destroy. For me, that was my kitchen because it had a tile floor and no plugs or cords or rugs and I could put his bed, water and toys in there and he had some space to move around. As pitiful as it is to hear him whine when he's in his crate alone, and it's much less pitiful than having to give the dog up to a shelter because he barks for hours when you leave him in his crate or destroys things. He needs to learn to be confined alone and be happy doing that-it's better for him AND YOU in the long run, even if it is hard right now.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 3, 2023 03:27
|
|
|
Can teething cause puppies to lose their appetite? My 5 Month old golden has had frequent loose stools since last night and only ate 3/4 of his dinner and really wasn’t very excited about it when that’s usually his favourite part of the day. I gave him a Costco greenie toothbrush thing last night which I think his stomach may not agree with, but the not eating all his food is very unlike him. I’ll switch to chicken and white rice in the morning I guess. E: he threw up too so I guess it’s more than just teething! Kaiser Schnitzel fucked around with this message at 02:36 on Jan 8, 2023 |
|
#
¿
Jan 8, 2023 00:56
|
|
|
His normal kibble is chicken based and he does fine with it. I’m actually wondering if it might be salmon he has a problem with? I’ve been giving him some salmon-based treats lately for the first time in a while. I definitely think he ate something when we were visiting a friend earlier today. Nothin more pitiful than a sick puppy.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 8, 2023 05:13
|
|
|
Dropping a ball in the toilet was how Pickwick learned he could drink from the toilet. Why does toilet water taste so much better?!
|
|
#
¿
Jan 12, 2023 18:27
|
|
|
 When you want to stay in bed but also want that buffalo horn waaaay over there
|
|
#
¿
Feb 26, 2023 18:53
|
|
|
The AKC website is pretty good too
|
|
#
¿
Mar 3, 2023 16:16
|
|
|
Do dogs get seasonal allergies? It’s heavy pollen season here and Pickwick has a bit of a runny nose and occasional wheeze/cough.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 8, 2023 16:59
|
|
|
He also probably doesn’t recognize your house as his house yet. It took a while for pickwick to get reliably housebroken at my house and even longer at my parents’ house when they keep him. It’s a bigger house with lots of areas he didn’t really identify as ‘his’ space so they were fair game to use the bathroom in, whereas at my house he doesn’t want to soil his own home. Now that he’s spent more time at my parents’ and stayed there a few times, he definitely thinks of it as his space and hasn’t had an accident in a while.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 3, 2023 15:12
|
|
|
grill youre saelf posted:Quoting this because I'm experiencing almost the same thing with our 4 month old puppy. Whenever we open up the gates to let him chill upstairs with us while we get the kids ready for bed he will most likely pee. Even if we just went outside with him beforehand. He very rarely has an accident elsewhere! I haven’t had that problem with Pickwick but I remember the puppy book suggesting only adding one room at a time to their ‘space’ so it all becomes their home they don’t want to soil. When you give them free run of the house that’s familiar but not somewhere they spend a whole lot of time they make think it’s okay to pee there. Whereas adding one room at a time their home gets slowly bigger and they slowly think of every room in the house as their space they don’t want to soil.
|
|
#
¿
May 5, 2023 19:51
|
|
|
Having some minor trouble with my otherwise great 9 month old golden retriever that I’d love any advice on. Basically, he’s very slow to obey sometimes, and I think he may be intentionally doing it to get treats. Bedtime is the worst-he’ll be snoozing while I’m watching TV, and getting him up and out is a chore. But if he hears a treat hit the floor, suddenly he’s not tired anymore. Once we get out he wants to do anything but pee-chew sticks, find rocks, etc. Again he definitely knows what ‘go teetee’ means-I don’t think he suddenly forgot that in the last 2 months. Treats here seem to be counterproductive as gets focused on me having a treat and sits next to me instead of doing his business. Getting out of the car is another difficult one. I use a ramp for him to get in/out which he is used to, but getting out can be a slow process. I think some of it is that he’s sort of cautious and likes to check things out, but he’ll stand at the top of the ramp looking around for 5 minutes before finally deigning to come out of the car. Again a treat on the bottom of the ramp helps, but even that doesn’t always work. Sometimes he stares at, continues looking around, and then comes and gets the treat. He knows he’ll get the treat, so what’s the rush? Any advice? I’m certainly not opposed ‘just give him more treats when you want him to do stuff’ but I’d also like for him to do the things quickly and do them when I don’t have a treat.
|
|
#
¿
May 12, 2023 18:56
|
|
|
The trick is to get a puppy every time a dog you own turns 5. Sorry for your loss  
|
|
#
¿
May 19, 2023 02:39
|
|
|
My golden retriever gets all dirty and stinky and greasy at day care sometimes. I have some doggie cologne deodorizing spray that works fine for the smell but he still feels kinda gross even after a good brushing. He haaaates getting a bath-is there like a dry shampoo or some kind of powder I could brush/towel him with occasionally between real baths to help with the greasy feeling? It’s kinda gross when I pet him and can feel som residue on my hand and feel like I need to wash it.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 2, 2023 03:42
|
|
|
HootTheOwl posted:Have day care wash him
|
|
#
¿
Jun 2, 2023 13:54
|
|
|
Ragnar Gunvald posted:Holy poo poo, all this biting is driving me bonkers. I keep redirecting her but nothing is apparently as tasty and appealing as my fingers and forearm.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 2, 2023 21:24
|
|
|
Yeah the lesson here should be ‘if you bite, I don’t like it and also playtime ends’ the thing puppies want more than anything is playtime. You don’t have to end playtime for very long for them to learn the lesson. I would get up and turn away or go out of the room and close the door for 30 seconds or a minute. Don’t forget to give lots of praise and pets when you’re playing and they DONT bite too. Praise the good behavior, even if the good behavior is as basic as ‘play like a civilized puppydog’ E: it’s also helpful if everyone in the family reacts the same way, and ideally tell any guests who meet the puppy to do the same thing to reinforce is. You want the dog to learn ‘if I bite anyone too hard, they yell and playtime ends’ not ‘if I bite grumpy dad/mom playtime ends but it’s okay to bite anyone else.’ It’s not a bad thing to let them mouth some when they’re young so they learn bite inhibition. Start with only yelping and stopping playtime when it really hurts and then slowly move on to anytime they nip at all. Kaiser Schnitzel fucked around with this message at 23:50 on Jun 2, 2023 |
|
#
¿
Jun 2, 2023 23:40
|
|
|
My 9 month old golden retriever suddenly is weird about eating his breakfast. It’s like he just wants to play instead of eating. I did change our morning routine a little bit lately and I suspect that’s what caused it, but this morning he didn’t eat it at all, although we did leave home for daycare earlier than usual. He also doesn’t finish his dinner right away either anymore either, but will go back to it. Is any of this normal or is my dog broken?!
|
|
#
¿
Jun 6, 2023 15:05
|
|
|
I think I might have the only dog in the universe that doesn’t like cheese or cheese flavored treats
|
|
#
¿
Jun 19, 2023 23:31
|
|
|
Pickwick, my 10 month Golden Retriever, is apparently causing some problems at daycare because of his intact status. Some of the fixed males don't like him, and he himself has been aggressive with some other dogs/humping and has had to go to time out a few times. The daycare people are great and not at all pushing me to get him fixed, just trying to manage the issues, but three separate people there have now very politely asked 'are you gonna get him fixed and if so when, xyz has been happening etc?' He was also a totally loving mess at obedience class last night, but that probably has more to do with 'OMG PETSMART/THE TEACHER I LOVE THIS PLACE I LOVE HER WE HAVEN'T BEEN HERE IN 6 MONTHS HEY LOOK AT THESE OTHER DOGS IN THE CLASS I WONDER IF THE TEACHER LADY HAS MORE TREATS SORRY DAD IM GONNA LAY ON THE FLOOR AND LOOK AT EVERYTHING BUT YOU' In previous conversations with my vet, she's recommended waiting until a year. I've looked at some of the studies that support this and especially for goldens and there are definite health benefits to waiting until a year as far as cancer and joint problems risk. Anyone else have thoughts/opinions on this? How much of a behavior difference does neutering really make (both in my dog and the way other dogs interact with him)? How long is the recovery process? I've signed up for an obedience class for the next 5 weeks-would he be missing one class or two if I went ahead and had him neutered?
|
|
#
¿
Jun 20, 2023 19:01
|
|
|
Instant Jellyfish posted:With the rate goldens get cancer I'd really be waiting as long as possible, at least until he's a year old. Neutered males absolutely treat intact males worse and will often target them in social settings. Personally I wouldn't keep an intact dog in a daycare setting because if something happens they will always blame the one with balls and it only takes one bad experience to end up with a dog reactive dog.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 21, 2023 03:41
|
|
|
WhiteHowler posted:
|
|
#
¿
Jun 21, 2023 15:39
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 9, 2024 15:04 |
|
|
My golden retriever gives no fucks about bitter apple spray at all and will happily continue devouring whatever I spray with it.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 21, 2023 23:55
|
|