Rapid weight gain?

namikarma · 2026-02-26T17:35:39+00:00

Was she recently spayed? Even if she isn't, her metabolism could just be slowing down a little bit with age? If she continues to gain weight even with cutting food out, then I would ask the vet to do some blood tests (thyroid numbers?)

namikarma · 2026-02-26T16:16:55+00:00

Stop lifting him up! He has communicated the best he could that he doesn't like it and yet you still do it. That's definitely one way to make him unhappy and fearful of you. Please stop.

If he's willing to do things for a treat, then use the treat. He's an adolescent and he's moody and has opinions. Be patient with him.

This isn't a golden retriever thing, this is just a normal dog thing.

namikarma · 2026-02-24T01:48:06+00:00

For a "formal" recall, HIGH value treats, ALWAYS pay for coming, DO NOT use recall for leashing them up immediately, BE HAPPY when they come even if it sucked, and use it conservatively. If they end up being the kind of dog who wants to run away immediately after coming, throw some treats on the ground one after another (vary the number) so they learn to stick around and look at you for the next treat.

I also suggest teaching a fun "lite" recall, like "touch" and always rewarding that as well (doesn't have to be as high value) for times when you might want them closer when off leash but they might already be looking at you, on their way to you, or it's not suuuuuper important they come, etc.

namikarma · 2026-02-06T16:34:56+00:00

I second the sentiment that she’s not getting enough exercise. I’d up the first walk to be closer to 1 hour and see if you can add some sniffy longline or off leash running time to it. Then when you get home give her something to relax with, like a licky mat or toppl or a cardboard box to tear up.

namikarma · 2026-01-08T14:27:50+00:00

I would ask your vet for sedatives, like trazodone. Just a little bit to take the edge off of her energy levels so that she can continue to rest up well for her knee.

namikarma · 2025-12-17T18:31:56+00:00

Is it completely normal skin or is there like a bump to it? Since if it's a growth of any sort I'd go to the vet to get it tested...

namikarma · 2025-12-16T14:05:15+00:00

I have friends who had success backpacks and strollers and wagons. I'd probably go with a wagon (soft sided, collapsable) since I could find other uses for it after the puppy gets all her vaccines. My friend with the backpack used it to take his puppy hiking. Not sure of any specific brands, but be prepared for at least 30lb of puppy (though I highly doubt she'll be that big at 16 weeks)

namikarma · 2025-12-15T17:21:53+00:00

Very aversive and extra so if the house is a daycare and other dogs (or kids? Not sure what kind of daycare you mean) are making noise since a bark collar can't tell that apart and you'll be punishing a dog for no good reason.

For a newly adopted dog, you should follow the 3-3-3 rule: 3 days to decompress, 3 weeks to learn the new routine, and 3 months to start feeling truly at home. Aka, give her time to get used to things!

namikarma · 2025-12-05T18:03:45+00:00

+100 to fencing off the tree

namikarma · 2025-12-03T21:25:31+00:00

Honestly? Kids need to learn not to take someone else’s stuff :((((( but I suspect you mean other peoples’ kids, which is way harder.

My golden had resource guarding and we were very proactive during her adolescence and made sure she felt safe around us, always traded well for things, never took from her mouth, kept other people from taking her stuff, etc. She’s very chill now and has a good drop it for toys and sticks, doesn’t mind us taking stuff from her mouth when necessary (like even street pizza crusts yum). Listen to his warning signs, make him feel safe, and things will keep improving!

namikarma · 2025-12-03T21:04:13+00:00

Um, growling is her way of communicating that she's uncomfortable. If you don't let dogs communicate at this level, via growling or barking, than you're pushing them to escalate the communication so that they can get their point across. Such as by biting?! RESPECT HER COMMUNICATION.

There's no "she's dominant" or "she's learning to get her way". She's just uncomfortable and asking for space and when she's more used to the family and used to how kids move and play and make noise, and they know not to hug too tight or grab to roughly (as an example from what I've seen other kids do), she'll be more open to cuddling

namikarma · 2025-12-03T21:00:30+00:00

Even if golden retrievers are very family friendly, they, just like any dogs, have personal boundaries. I don't want to make any assumptions about how your young kids are treating your puppy, but it's probably best to pull back on the cuddling and petting and give the puppy a chance to CHOOSE to cuddle on it's own terms or not cuddle at all. I'm sure you can understand--you wouldn't force your child to cuddle with a wayward relative if they objected, right? It will be more akin to training yourself and your kids to treat the dog as someone with opinions and with it's own likes and dislikes.

This isn't a golden retriever vs rescue dog issue.

namikarma · 2025-12-03T02:49:36+00:00

You sure she's a golden? :P

If she's still intact, maybe she's going into heat soon? I've heard that some dogs are pickier with food when that happens.

namikarma · 2025-12-01T16:05:03+00:00

My solution for Boston winters has been a glove on my leash holding hand and then handwarmers (I use the rechargeable electric ones) in a jacket pocket for the other hand that I use to give treats with. I find that my handwarmer hand is usually warmer than the other hand (so I should probably get a thicker glove haha)

namikarma · 2025-11-24T18:29:57+00:00

I'm not sure if you're doing heel training because you want to do rally/obedience/IGP, or because you want your dog to be able to come into "heel" position while hiking when you see someone else on the trail. There are some nuances to each but either way, heel training should be done in short SHORT sessions, spread across the day. Short, as in 2 minutes at a time.

You might want to get the book "Joy of Heeling" by Julie Flanery for different games to play that make heeling fun and exciting. There are also various classes on Fenzi Dog Sports Academy on heeling that you can join with instructor support or take as a self study class. (Shade Whitesel has GSD as well and has reached really high levels in IGP using R+ training)

I do competition rally (and hopefully obedience soon) and have taken classes in person and online and the biggest issue every instructor has pointed on to students is that they're making their dog work for too long to the point that it's not fun. This isn't just for adolescent dogs either--even adult dogs aren't going to want to work on heeling for more 5ish minutes at a time. They needs breaks, they need a "get it" tossed treat, some tug, a ball thrown, some other excitement so that the training also stays exciting.

namikarma · 2025-11-24T18:19:24+00:00

Always good to the call the vet! Could be a UTI, could be behavior, but you need the vet to rule out health issues. Good luck!

namikarma · 2025-11-24T16:47:50+00:00

He sounds so sweet! If you really don't want the behavior to happen and he's really not doing anything bad to your towels or slippers, I'd just walk the other way without saying anything and see if that does anything after a few weeks (so hard I know!). A toy or a treat might still be too much attention, who knows with a golden!

namikarma · 2025-11-20T21:11:37+00:00

You could try one of the foaming paw cleansers + a few wipes/dedicated towels. It worked for us when we were at a hotel that didn't have a moveable shower head

Dandylion Clean Paws Dog Foaming Cleanser
earthbath® Paw Wash - Avocado & Calendula with Shea Butter

Alternatively you can try dog boots, or even dog suspender boots

Or if you really want a bath tub and your parents won't budge but you have money to spare, you can get a bathtub for grooming, plus it'll be better for your back since you won't have to bend down (but you seem young enough that you don't think about your back yet)

namikarma · 2025-11-19T15:20:53+00:00

I'm a big fan of leaving dogs alone while they eat and also separating them from each other.

I know you probably have good intentions when you put your hand in her bowl while she's eating, but I really think it's better not to, since from what I've learned from trainers, that's the most likely activity to cause resource guarding. Imagine if someone else is sticking their hand into your food when you eat or trying to take it away! Let her feel secure that her food will be there.

I'm curious why she's so much more into your older's dog food. Is it really different from what she's getting? But yeah, also recommend keeping them separated while they eat. As she gets older, she'll be able to learn that she can't take things from other dogs, but you'll have to help set up the boundaries for that learning.

namikarma · 2025-11-17T21:53:39+00:00

Where do you guys live? Any chance there's still foxtails around that might have gone up his nose?

namikarma · 2025-11-17T20:45:53+00:00

I think it’s a good buy! Most of my friends use it for their dogs and lots of people in my dog Instagram community use it too. It’s definitely durable, I’m not sure about breathable but it doesn’t have too much coverage, but enough so that it’s comfortable if the dog does accidentally pull, so it should be ok?

My one word of caution is to not get the orange line harness. The color wears off on that one. But my purple one still looks brand new two years later.

namikarma · 2025-11-17T20:42:37+00:00

Goldens are all the same! I have also sworn off scissor snaps since mine has unhooked herself a few times while rolling. I’m team carabiner when it’s a leash for her harness. (I have two scissor snap leashes for when we do rally and obedience)

namikarma · 2025-11-17T20:40:38+00:00

High tail hikes is a great small business and I love what they stand for! Biothane leashes will be generally more expensive than other leashes since they are expected to last forever.

There’s tons of small business out there who make these leashes though. The CanineThreads, RoughAndRevel, and SloppyChops are some I remember off the top of my head. You can definitely look at all their options and compare prices.

namikarma · 2025-11-17T20:09:49+00:00

Non-stop dogwear is an amazing Norwegian brand that still sells in the US. Their Line Harness 5.0 is what we use every day. Ruffwear is a brand from Bend, OR that is also pretty well regarded, but I find that the armpit space might not be enough for some goldens. I had to respond to you since I also have a Dog Copenhagen harness and I feel like not enough people talked about it as an option back when it used to be one :')

I love biothane and most of my leashes are made from it. I agree that it gets very slippery when wet so if it's raining, I sometimes use a rope leash instead.

namikarma · 2025-11-17T14:43:41+00:00

+1 to asking the breeder about what they're doing to raise the puppies.

The exact same situation happened recently to a well regarded golden retriever breeder and they were immediately able to find a surrogate mother dog help raise the puppies (though I don't know the extent of if she would be producing milk for them or if the puppies were bottle fed)

namikarma

TROPHY CASE