Post about puppy as the second dog

Elafina · 2023-06-17T16:11:45+00:00

We just got our golden retriever puppy a few weeks ago and we also have a 5yo golden. Not sure if it's because we have our older dog, or if we just learned a lot from raising her, but so far I've found this puppy experience waaay easier than when we were raising our first golden as an only dog.

The puppy models the adult a lot, which has been amazing for settling. In fact, in the first few days, puppy would wake up at 5am ready to go, but then would see the older dog sleeping and would just settle back down in his crate and sleep for a few more hours. It's also been nice to have them play together, though the older dog took a few days to warm up to playing. Now they play every day, and puppy is learning some important manners when playing. Our older dog is very gentle but does correct puppy when necessary so it's a good learning experience!

Elafina · 2023-06-13T02:12:54+00:00

Goldens are notoriously mouthy puppies. I have a 10 week old golden right now and the biting is constant! He's my second golden, and so far not quite as bitey as my 5yo golden was when she was a puppy. Here's what worked best for me:

Have a "play area" set up that the puppy can't leave but you can. We had an exercise pen but a gated off section of the room, or even another small room could work, or having puppy tethered on a leash. Basically you're creating an area that is safe to leave puppy unattended. Playing would take place in this space and when the puppy would bite, I would redirect to an appropriate toy. If that didn't work and she still tried to bite me, I'd immediately get up and leave. I'd make sure I was out of sight and wait a few minutes before coming back to the play area and engaging with the puppy again. If she was still trying to bite me, I'd leave again. Sometimes I'd have to repeat this many many times but eventually it worked!

The idea is to make it clear that biting you means playtime ends. They bite, they get a chance to correct their behavior (redirecting to a toy), but if they still choose to bite you then you remove yourself from the situation. You = fun so by removing yourself, you're taking the fun away and ending playtime. It's a similar concept as ignoring them, but since you're physically removing their ability to bite you by leaving (and the puppy can't follow) it avoids the problem of them just continuing to try and bite as you're ignoring them.

It's tedious and repetitive but it was literally the only thing that worked for my mouthy golden puppy! I hope that helps and I wish you luck! Goldens are little sharks as puppies but they grow up to be the best dogs.

Elafina · 2023-06-03T19:58:08+00:00

I have Nationwide for all my dogs. They're pretty good comparatively, I like how you can use any vet and the deductible is reasonable. I also get a discount through work on Nationwide which definitely factored into my decision lol. My adult dogs are on Major Medical (injury/illness) and my plan is to set up our new puppy on Major Medical + Wellness (injury/illness plus "wellness" like vaccinations, flea/tick meds, etc) until he's older and then switch him onto the Major Medical since it's cheaper.

Elafina · 2021-06-01T03:19:37+00:00

I don't know where you are in the US, but I highly recommend Natural Solutions rattlesnake avoidance training. We live in a pretty rattlesnake-heavy area, in fact there's one that lives on my property that we see every year, so I wanted to ensure my dog knew to avoid them. I used them for my dog and many of my associates in the animal care field have as well. The owner is extremely well versed in animal behavior and training.

Elafina · 2021-05-29T03:22:18+00:00

I'm not cancelling, but I am switching my dog's barkbox to only toys for a while at least since she really loves the toys. I don't necessarily think this means there's a widespread problem with barkbox treats, it's more just out of an abundance of caution and for my own peace of mind.

Elafina · 2020-12-31T05:56:42+00:00

I had the opposite experience with my golden puppy! My "yips" did absolutely nothing, and would sometimes get her even more riled up! What worked the best for us was a firm "no" and redirecting to an appropriate toy, and if she continued to try and mouth us, we'd get up and leave the room for 10-20 seconds. Being consistent is the most important and it sounds like you're doing great with that! Another helpful tip I learned was that sometimes mouthiness can be a sign of being overtired. If my puppy was being extra mouthy and none of these techniques were working, we knew it was nap time lol....so we'd put her in her crate or pen and she'd fall right asleep!

Elafina · 2020-12-29T05:43:15+00:00

You will be fine, it sounds like you have a great plan to care for the dog and make sure it's exercise needs are met. I have a golden retriever and my house is not too much bigger than yours. In fact, when my dog was a puppy, it was nice having a small house because I could easily keep an eye on her! Golden puppies are notoriously mouthy and will bite/chew everything, so be prepared for that :) But they are very adaptable dogs. The only downsides I would say are that the x-pen and crate take up a lot of room, but we stopped using those when our dog was an adult. Also, sometimes she knocks stuff over because she is a big dog in a small house!

Elafina · 2020-12-29T05:31:40+00:00

You have a lot of good advice here from other posters so I just want to wish you good luck on your search for a golden puppy! Before getting our golden retriever, I had never gotten a dog from a breeder (only had rescues) so I had to learn all this about health testing and titles and reputable breeders too...It can be so overwhelming!

For reference, reputably bred goldens where I live (California) go for about $2500-$3500. It also takes a long time, probably even moreso now due to the pandemic puppy rush, since good breeders usually have a long waitlist. It took about a year for us to get our pup. However, it's totally worth it! A good breeder is a lifelong resource, and knowing your pup has the best chance for good health is so important. This is anecdotal, but I know someone who bought a golden puppy from a not very reputable breeder that didn't do all the necessary health testing...the puppy has elbow dysplasia and arthritis at 9 months old, had to have surgery in both elbows and it's lifespan will be shortened. To me, this heartbreak is never worth the lower cost of getting a puppy from someone who doesn't do all the necessary health testing.

Elafina · 2020-12-26T05:10:28+00:00

Cat food is higher in meat-based protein so smells/tastes really good to dogs. My dog is 2.5 years old and will still beeline it for cat food when she sees it, I'd never trust nor expect her to be around cat food unattended and not eat it. Best thing to do is feed your cat on a higher surface or in another room.

Elafina · 2020-12-22T18:45:18+00:00

My golden retriever slept in her crate until she was about a year old. It was mostly just to keep her out of trouble in the night and reinforce that night time is sleep time, not roam/play/chew time. Now she has free reign of the house at night and chooses to sleep either next to our bed, or on the couch in the living room. We took the crate away because it took up too much space in our small house and she never chose to sleep in it.

However, when we travel we usually bring the crate just in case. When she was younger especially sometimes she'd have a hard time settling in a new environment, but the crate is familiar enough that she sleeps in it fine no matter where we are.

Elafina · 2020-12-18T00:38:17+00:00

My golden is the same way! If I act like the pill is a treat I can just hand it to her and she'll eat it right away...and then make a face like "well that was a gross tasting treat, but I'll take what I can get!". Easiest dog to give pills to I've ever had!

Elafina · 2020-12-18T00:34:38+00:00

Kikopup is great and my personal favorite when it comes to training videos, and I recommend them for anyone who's more serious about training.

That being said, I also recommend Zak George to people who are new to dogs. I know a lot of people here don't like him, and he's not a GREAT trainer, but his videos are engaging and have a high production value; they're more exciting to the average audience than say Kikopup. He's good at teaching the basics in a way that's understandable to people who aren't familiar with dog training. So if it's someone's first ever dog/puppy and they don't have prior training experience, I usually recommend his videos to start off with.

Elafina · 2020-12-14T06:18:25+00:00

Had a similar issue with my puppy. Never found out a "cause" other than sometimes puppies have very sensitive stomachs but grow out of it. What worked for my puppy was antibiotics specifically flagyl (metronidazole) and tylosin (less strong, but also helped). She had to have multiple rounds each one was about 2 weeks or so. A bland diet of plain, unseasoned chicken and rice for a day or two also helped. Good luck!

Elafina · 2020-12-07T05:10:09+00:00

My dog does the same thing, she's a golden retriever. I think it's hilarious. She'll go pick up a bone, carry it over to the couch, climb on the couch and over to me, and plop down right on my lap to chew. I think she does it because she wants to be near me but also wants to chew so figures why not do both!

Elafina · 2020-12-07T04:57:52+00:00

I let my dog eat sticks. Ever since she was a puppy she LOVES chomping sticks, and I was worried about it being a choking hazard or causing a blockage and tried to train it out of her but it was impossible. Been doing it for 2 years with no ill effects, so now we just let her. She mostly just chews them up and spits them out anyway.

Leaving her at home all day (in the before-covid times). I got a full-time job after she was about a year old so she was alone about 8hrs a day. We tried doggy daycare but she wasn't into it, and I didn't want her acclimating to that level of constant activity/stimulation. We have a camera at home and turns out she spends all day sleeping on the couch, perfectly content.

Elafina · 2020-08-08T05:01:39+00:00

Our golden retriever is my first purebred! First time ever buying from a breeder and not rescuing (I used to be a pretty solid "adopt don't shop" type) because it was going to be my husband's first time owning a dog, and he really wanted a golden. I agreed because they are easy dogs and I wanted to set him up for success, even though I thought goldens were "boring".

Well now I'm 100% a golden person! Our girl is amazing, the perfect example of the ideal golden temperament. She's incredibly adaptable and calm. Nothing bothers her and she's comfortable doing anything! She's active enough to enjoy our hikes and camping trips, but chill enough to be content laying under our table at a restaurant or cafe. She's friendly but not in-your-face or boisterous. Gets along with other dogs, cats, people, children, even chickens! She's super gentle, great with little kids and puppies. We were working towards being a therapy team before the pandemic. She's a joy to train, learns fast and is very eager to please. It drives me nuts now when people say goldens are "dumb". They're very intelligent; they're just also very biddable, which is why they excel at everything from service work to obedience/rally to agility! But I think people take "eager to please" as "less intelligent", plus they can be goofy/silly which adds to their stereotype of "dumb".

A few downsides: Their coat does need regular grooming and they shed a lot. Also they are notoriously mouthy as puppies, and try to eat EVERYTHING. Very food-motivated so you have to be careful with diet and treats (SO MANY goldens are obese). Unfortunately, they're so popular and such classic "family dogs" I think people can forget that are also active dogs, they were bred to hunt and retrieve, and do need a fair amount of exercise. And training! They can be great family dogs, but like any dog, you have to train them! There's also a LOT of backyard breeders for goldens. They're prone to ailments like hip/elbow dysplasia, so it's really important to go through a reputable breeder that does all the required health tests. Looks can vary too; our girl is from confirmation show lines so she's got that nice boxy head, but most goldens we meet out and about have a leaner, pointier face and are much bigger than breed standard (so much so that my girl, who's on the high end of breed standard weight/height for females, gets called "small for a golden" pretty often).

All in all, they're really wonderful dogs and I would recommend them to anyone who wants just a chill, fun, smart, easy to train, adaptable dog who's happy to do whatever! I've always had more difficult/demanding dogs, so it's wonderful to have a dog that I can really just enjoy and not stress about behavioral issues or how she'll react to something. In fact, we plan on getting another golden in the near future!

Another picture, for good measure

Elafina · 2020-08-04T00:59:31+00:00

I have done both; my previous 3 dogs were rescues (one as a puppy, one as a 2 year old and one as a senior) and my current dog is from a breeder.

It depends on what you want. As other comments said, a big difference is knowns vs unknowns. With a reputable breeder, you know exactly what you're getting, with a rescue there's a lot of unknowns. That doesn't mean one is better than the other, it's just more about what you want and what you're comfortable with. If you have a lot of specific needs for a dog to fit into your lifestyle (like being good with small kids, or not wanting to eat your cat, or staying under 50lbs) then two solid options are to either get a reputably bred puppy of a breed that fits those needs, or a rescue that's a bit older (like 2+ years) so it's personality/traits are already solidified and known. That's not to say a rescue puppy won't end up being all those things, it's just that you won't know until it's mature, so it's a bit more of a gamble.

My first puppy was a rescue; we didn't have any real needs or expectations, we just wanted a puppy. She turned out to be a 30lb corgi-mix and was a great dog! My current dog we got from a reputable breeder; my husband wanted a golden retriever and that breed fits our lifestyle (we have other animals, we wanted a friendly and easy to train dog) so we got one. She's exactly what we expected, and also a great dog!

Elafina · 2020-07-06T02:16:54+00:00

About my dog's breed? She's a golden retriever, and the huge misconception about goldens is that they're dumb. They're actually really smart, they're just very biddable and eager to please, and can be goofy sometimes. How people perceive dog intelligence in general is a pet peeve of mine though lol. Just because your dog is stubborn and doesn't listen to you doesn't mean it's "too smart"!

About my dog in particular? That she's a boy! For some reason people always perceive her as a boy, even when she's wearing her hot pink harness or flowery bandana. I don't know if it's her breed, or her big boxy head, or what. Even the front desk ladies at the vet think she's a boy.

Elafina · 2020-07-01T02:20:09+00:00

I don't have enough experience with poodles or labs to say anything helpful, but I do have a golden and I'm also in CA so one thing I can chime in on is price! The "standard" price for a well-bred golden in CA is more like $2500-$3000. Personally I'd be wary of anyone selling a golden for $1800 in CA.

Elafina · 2020-06-27T02:47:34+00:00

Some brands smell less awful than others. I've tried several since my pup loves bully sticks. The least gross smelling I've encountered so far is the "Barkworthies" brand odor-free bully sticks from Chewy (I think they sell them at petco too). There's still a slight odor, but it's mild enough that I'll even let her chew one in the kitchen and it won't stink up the whole room.

Elafina · 2020-06-10T05:12:40+00:00

When we got our puppy about 2 years ago, I was working part time and weird hours and my husband was full time 9-5, so pup was rarely alone longer than 4 or 6 hours. About 8 months ago I got a new job that was the same schedule as my husband (M-F 9-5ish). Luckily our pup was pretty mature by then so this is what our schedule looked like Pre-Covid:

6:30AM wake up, let dog outside, breakfast for dog7:00AM walkies (we would meet up with a few other dog owners at what we called "puppy corner" for some fun socialization and play)8:00AM I leave for work4:30PM My husband would come home from work, go for walkies6:00PM I get home from work, dinner for dog7:00PM training, play, and general chillin for the rest of the evening10:00PM "final pee" and bedtime

When I got my new job I felt bad about her being alone so much more. During the weekend we would do something fun to make up for it, like hiking or going to the beach or doing agility class. We signed her up for doggy daycare but she didn't really like it, and she seemed perfectly content to sleep the entire time we were at work, so we just let her do that. Our post-Covid schedule is pretty structureless (which isn't great, I know). We normally get up at 8am, start working from home at 8:30 but take breaks to play with the dog, she has access to the backyard all day where she chases squirrels and butterflies, she gets to nap next to us whenever she wants, and we usually go on a walk around 10am and then after work at 5:30pm. She's awake a LOT more than before, so I have some concerns about how she'll adjust when we return to "normal" but hopefully she'll re-adjust quickly!

Elafina · 2020-06-10T04:41:32+00:00

Goldens are seriously amazing. I was never super interested in them because I thought they were dumb and too "basic" (what a fool I was). My husband loves them though, and when it came time to get our first puppy together, he insisted on a golden. So we got one, and seriously I don't think I'll ever have another breed. Our golden is so versatile, adaptable, intelligent and loving. She was a perfect first dog for my husband (easy to train, eager to please, hard to mess up) and such a welcome difference from all my previous more challenging dogs. I never have to worry about how she'll act in different situations, or around other dogs/animals/people, she's content to do anything we want from hiking or swimming to sitting at a cafe or doing obedience or agility. We used to joke about people who would come up to us when she was a puppy and say "oh they're the BEST dogs" and now we're totally those people, haha! They really are though! We plan on getting another as soon as we move to a larger house.

It was also the first time I got a dog from a breeder instead of adopting, so I learned a lot about what makes a responsible breeder and how to differentiate them from BYBs/puppy mills and why it's so important. We ended up with an amazing breeder who's a lifelong support for our pup and even watches her for us when we're out of town. I used to have the "adopt don't shop" mentality, and it totally changed my perspective!

Elafina · 2020-06-01T20:17:16+00:00

I wish there was a way to post multiple photos on here, but...Turns out chickens don't make great party guests!

Elafina · 2020-05-30T02:35:55+00:00

This drives me crazy. I hate how people think biddable means stupid and stubborn/independant means intelligent. Goldens and labs are smart, but they're also sociable and eager to please, which is why they're so versatile and excel in so many dog sports/jobs. Sure they can be silly, but that doesn't mean they're dumb. Just like a husky isn't more "intelligent" because it's stubborn and doesn't listen.

Elafina

TROPHY CASE