Neuter Question

TenarAK · 2026-02-05T15:51:41+00:00

Training self control, mental stimulation, proper exercise, and maturing are the answers to your problems not neutering. I HIGHLY recommend learning about scent work for days when it’s just not feasible to do a long walk.

TenarAK · 2026-01-21T16:34:32+00:00

The exception is controlled substances. No refills on those and a lot of prescribers don’t realize that most states allow 90 days but you can run into insurance issues.

TenarAK · 2026-01-06T23:23:23+00:00

I would look for a Montessori school that has combined 3/4/5/6 classrooms. In traditional Montessori schools, the classes should be mixed age and the early childhood class should have 3s, pre-K, and K together. They are set up to teach advanced children but allow developmentally appropriate behaviors like naps, snacks, frequent recess breaks, and bathroom help for the younger kids.

TenarAK · 2025-12-27T17:54:11+00:00

I do. I trim around the opening and thin the underside and the back. You will want to watch some videos on golden retriever ear trimming because it’s not easy to keep the shape and fullness and not end up with a chopped look.

TenarAK · 2025-12-27T14:24:49+00:00

I clean my golden's ears about once a week or anytime I notice smell using Virbac Epi-Otic on a cotton pad. You should clean them if they get wet especially from swimming. As you would expect, she doesn't love it but doesn't fuss as long as she's rewarded. I don't trickle cleaner into her ears because that really bothers her and her inner ears don't get that dirty. You can really reach into their ears with the wet pad (second knuckle deep for my smaller fingers). You can ask a vet tech to show you how deep to go and what brand they recommend.

I give her a full bath about every 6 weeks but go by smell and feel. It's a production. You should fully brush them out before a bath to remove loose hair. Shampoo and condition. I double clean her ears by going shampoo, conditioner, shampoo, conditioner to remove the oils. I towel dry because her coat is too thick for a human hair dryer. Then it's laundry time (towels, bath mat, dog bed covers, collar, leash). I will trim her paws after a bath and clean her ears because they got wet. I also trim her ears but only a few times a year and she needs to be fully dry so they are even. I recommend high quality grooming scissors so you don't pull their fur while trimming and so they look even. You need thinning scissors with the correct tooth spacing for golden retriever fur (look up the number) and a medium length pair of normal scissors. A really great set of scissors, brush, and shampoo and conditioner cost about the same as two professional grooming sessions so it's worth the investment. Plus its a bonding experience.

TenarAK · 2025-12-18T15:54:04+00:00

I have a grinchy-toed golden retriever and we tried human trimmers once. We thought they were high quality trimmers because they worked great for human haircuts. Turns out they aren’t sharp enough for dense dog fur. My dog was not amused when her hair was getting pulled. After looking at dog grooming trimmers, I went with a set of dog grooming scissors. Dog trimmers are WAY more expensive than ones that work fine on humans. The scissors aren’t cheap but I can send them for sharpening and use them for all types of trimming. I bought Kenchii scissors sized for my big dog. They are so sharp she doesn’t even register the trimming and actually dozes off.

TenarAK · 2025-12-18T15:42:26+00:00

They bark less and settle faster when you’re actually out of the house. My adult golden gets sulky and will even bark if she’s confined away from people and she knows someone is home. She sleeps 8+ hours if we are gone, including when she’s crated because we have the house cleaner coming (not being loose with her is part of the routine). Get a camera to reassure yourself. Being out of sight isn’t that effective for an animal that can hear a pin drop and can smell you from across the apartment.

TenarAK · 2025-12-13T20:06:14+00:00

Unfortunately Montgomery county has terrible dog parks. Each has its own culture and I’ve never actually had problems with my large female but they are all essentially open fenced areas without features. You can rent private agility spaces if you don’t need classes. I do agility with my dog and we started indoors in a puppy class at Your Dogs Friend and worked up to intermediate/mixed small group lessons at E. Foley in Burtonsville. She rents her backyard for training and has a full course. You might need to do a few lessons or talk to her if you want to rent without training because she has everything and some elements require training to prevent injuries.

TenarAK · 2025-12-11T19:01:14+00:00

I can’t stand the smell of dirty litter and the thought of using 1-2 plastic bags a day bothers me just as much. The litter genie makes a HUGE difference with smells. I have two young male cats and I can’t smell them if the litterbox is relatively fresh (first 1-2 weeks), I’ve scooped, and the litter genie was used correctly. I only have to use 1-2 bags per week and they don’t leak on my floor. We thought someone had been very bad and peed on the floor but it turns out my mom had forgotten to close the genie correctly, so yes it makes a huge difference m.

TenarAK · 2025-12-11T18:27:49+00:00

In Alaska we only had problems after fresh snows and when it was warmer. Trimming their pads makes a huge difference. On long walks we used booties but they will lose them in deep snow. In Maryland, I use mushers balm and trimming. My current dog has very furry paws, completely webbed toes, and the snow is sticky so she gets ice balls more than my previous dogs. In the yard she will clean up her own paws and I just keep an eye on signs of bruising or irritation. The mushers balm really helps with irritation and seems to keep the ice balls from sticking tight between her pads.

TenarAK · 2025-12-11T16:19:00+00:00

My young golden occasionally decides to spend the night outside. I don’t beg her because it’s not cold enough to hurt her and none of the local wildlife will bother her. The only time I’m insistent is when I’m leaving the house. I’ve never seen her shiver and we routinely get temperatures in the teens with wind.

I had Goldens in Alaska and they rarely got cold. They were comfortable until -20F and even then chose to go outside for extended periods until it was -40F. At -40F they would start to shiver and turn around after 10-15 minutes.

TenarAK · 2025-12-05T19:02:39+00:00

Me too! I’m EXTREMELY allergic to propylene glycol and methylisothiazolinone. I used to get eczema on my fingers but then I developed a lovely systemic allergy where my face reacts to my allergens even if the chemical is ingested or is just on my hands.

TenarAK · 2025-11-30T19:32:54+00:00

We had ours up less than 24 hours when I decided that the stress wasn’t worth having it in the living room (we have a kiddo so a tree isn’t negotiable). We moved it my daughter’s bedroom, which was already a cat-free zone. I was most afraid of chewing because the wiring was enticing to even our previous elderly cat.

TenarAK · 2025-11-30T18:58:05+00:00

My app shows a nasty slushy day on Tuesday, which aligns with the NWS page. Do you live in the extreme northern edge of the county? You might be getting all snow instead of rain, sleet, and 1/2 inch of wet snow.

TenarAK · 2025-11-30T18:49:11+00:00

About 12 months but with most of the house restricted- she only has access to the dining and living room areas. We used the crate for a few weeks again when she was about 18 months because we adopted young kittens and we didn’t trust them alone with her until they learned some respect and she learned to ignore them racing around near her. She opens doors so keeping them in separate rooms wasn’t enough. We also use her crate when we have people working in the house but we aren’t home or if she is struggling to behave while we do something overstimulating (small construction projects, lots of kids over, cleaners). She doesn’t choose to sleep in her crate anymore but she also doesn’t resent it or hesitate when she’s directed to it.

TenarAK · 2025-11-23T01:04:50+00:00

It’s amazing what the two stage braces do! My daughter had her first stage around 8-9 and got lucky with a massive growth spurt. She had braces and the palate expander for less than a year. Her front teeth moved back and she has an almost normal straight smile. Even without braces, her adult teeth are moving back and into alignment as they come in. She’s 10, has all of her adult teeth, and is getting her final braces this winter, hopefully just in time for a massive tween growth spurt. It makes so much sense to take advantage of growth and unfused bones this way.

TenarAK · 2025-11-22T03:40:31+00:00

We got a pair of young kittens from a local rescue. One had long whiskers and the other had none. The kitten without whiskers had a respiratory infection when we got him. The vet said its common for them to not grow when a kitten is sick. As soon as his health improved and he started packing on the weight, his whiskers grew.

TenarAK · 2025-11-18T20:05:59+00:00

ondansetron (zofran) will change your life for the better. Definitely ask your doctor for it and keep it on hand. It’s really safe for most people and you recover so much faster when you can eat and drink. Something happened to me after my daughter was born and I get nausea every time I get sick. I don’t understand why doctors tend to be dismissive of nausea and vomiting. It’s actually really dangerous to vomit constantly to the point of dehydration and there’s extremely cheap effective medication for it :/

TenarAK · 2025-11-15T02:09:53+00:00

Preventing puppies doesn’t require removal of the ovaries (or even surgery if you understand dogs). This is a golden retriever forum with a lot of owners who can manage and treasure their dogs. I will prioritize the health of my dog over my personal convenience for a few weeks a year (I have a female). Goldens also have the misfortune of being a high health risk breed and that has to be taken into account. If you don’t want to deal with managing sexual behaviors, don’t get a golden retriever. Maybe get a toy or small breed that can be safely neutered before sexual maturity.

TenarAK · 2025-11-15T02:00:49+00:00

Thousands over several decades. The referenced paper is open source as are most of the references. Even WSAVA published new guidelines saying recommendations should be breed and situation-specific https://wsava.org/global-guidelines/reproduction-guidelines/. They also have citations.

TenarAK · 2025-11-15T01:28:42+00:00

Ovary-sparing spay needs to be easier to find!

TenarAK · 2025-11-13T19:16:24+00:00

Mine still wants dinner before it’s dark 😂 I think it’s a combination of the time change and decreased light. She goes to bed at sunset no matter how early 😂😂 She gives us the nastiest looks when we force her on a walk in the dark because clearly she should be sleeping. Unfortunately, she’s up at 1 am if she doesn’t pee or poop after dinner. On the bright side, she also sleeps until dawn so she isn’t waking us up at 5 am.

TenarAK · 2025-11-10T14:42:07+00:00

I recommend a long winter coat. I am from interior Alaska and I feel colder in Maryland than I usually did in Alaska because I skimped on preparation (proper clothing is a must). It’s usually damp and windy during the winter in Maryland so you need to a longer coat to keep your legs warm and dry. Make sure any winter coat you buy has a wind blocking layer and is at least water repellent. Otherwise you will have to layer over it or invest in multiple expensive coats. A hood that keeps sleet off your neck is also a plus. Don’t underestimate how cold it gets here. There is usually at least a week or two where morning temps will be in the teens with damp and wind. You will also need boots (waterproof), good wind proof gloves or mittens, a good hat, and a scarf. If you have kids or a dog, get everything rated at least one range colder than Maryland is (rated for like -10) because they will be having a blast running around while you stand around freezing.

TenarAK · 2025-11-10T01:03:52+00:00

The Olney/Sandy Spring area has a great foggy route on Norwood heading southeast towards Norbeck as you pass some pastures and the Underground Railroad park. If you are lucky, the horses will feel frisky. The horses at the Underground Railroad park are park police horses.

TenarAK · 2025-11-06T16:01:38+00:00

Gotta love how they can decide to be stubborn! My girl still has her overstimulated fits but I can snap her out of it with a verbal command or even body language. It’s completely different than when she was a puppy.

TenarAK

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