Puppy advice needed

[Maxlee]

Picking up golden retriever puppy in a week. I have t had a dog since I was a kid. Looking for any recommendations (safe toys, training methods, books, anything else you can think of). Thanks!!

[dogmom]

Picking up golden retriever puppy in a week. I have t had a dog since I was a kid. Looking for any recommendations (safe toys, training methods, books, anything else you can think of). Thanks!!

If it's a young puppy it's mostly: sleep in crate, wake up, outside for pee break, play, sleep, repeat with food thrown in. The two best pieces of advice I got were: if a puppy wakes up it's going to need to pee, and crate, limit access in house, crate, crate, crate. It's so easy to fill bad putting them in one, but the need a safe spot to have down time and the kids need to learn to stay out of the crate. As far as dog toys, you can't go wrong with a kong!
The ASPCA is a great site for info, and even has some training videos.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care

What a great Mothers Day!

[Kindra178]

Get a crate big enough for the puppy to grow into, probably either 42 or 48 inches. Use the crate divider at first to make it smaller and more den like for the puppy. PEr recs here, we got two 48 inch Midwest double door crates from Amazon. They came with a divider. I ordered Midwest crate pads from Amazon too. Costco online also sells crates with a crate pad.

Join a golden retriever board for more specific golden information.

Really look into food. I recommend grain free kibble. Puppy food is usually not necessary. We started our dog on Orijen, which is probably the best kibble on the market. We switched her to Acana (same company) because it has less protein and it's working out well so far. Fromm is another good option. Call of the Wild or Earthborn Holistic are more reasonably priced grain free options.

[hellokitty]

Puppies chew a lot! Get your pup plenty of toys, esp Kong type of toys where you can put their dog food in it to keep them busy. When they aren't busy, they are going to get into mischief and chew your shoes, furniture or other items. Also, get lots of pet enzyme cleaner, for accidents. I agree about getting a crate that they can grow into. I'm selling a crate at my garage sale that my pup outgrew.

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[twowhat?]

Nature's Miracle and a lot of it (the gallon jug) :)

[wendibird22]

Nature's Miracle and a lot of it (the gallon jug) :)

Yes but do some research online. The original Natures Miracle is now made under another name. The current version is made by another company and online reviews say it's not the same formula and doesn't work as well.

[erosenst]

We got two (!) puppies last September. A few suggestions:
* Definitely crate train
* If you don't have enough towels to line the crate with, get some cheap ones at Target/Walmart/Goodwill/wherever. It's sort of like having a baby - if you know you'll be doing a ton of laundry, it's slightly less stressful if you have extras til you have time to do a load. (They will quickly learn to not go in the crate, but accidents happen. Think potty training.)
* Start by letting them have access to very small areas, and then increase the space. They will feel more secure, and likely have fewer accidents.
* Puppies are very similar to toddlers - they need to be watched *constantly* at first to learn what is, and is not, ok. Don't leave anything valuable/irreplaceable where the puppy can get it.
* Risking flames here - but they're also like babies who are being sleep trained. Don't start what you don't want to continue. The puppy may whine the first few nights, but don't sleep in its room/take it in yours. You can get a white noise app with a heartbeat sound, and/or warm their crate towels, which will help. Once it learns the crate is safe/gets used to it, it should be totally happy there.
* Puppies can usually go one hour past their age in months (so 3 months/4 hours) at *most* without going out - which means you need to get up and take it out in the middle of the night if you want to encourage crate training. (Every 15 minutes at first when not in the crate during the day.) Good news for you is that bigger dogs generally are housebroken much more quickly than small ones (we have small - took the 6-7 months we were told that it would take).
* Definitely agree about stocking up on Nature's Miracle :/
* One that I almost missed - they grow VERY VERY quickly at first. Set a day of the week to check the collar to see if it needs to be made bigger so you don't miss doing it.
* Especially with a dog that size, make sure that you do obedience training. If you can afford it, get a private trainer to come to your house. Not only will he/she focus on what *you* think is most important, they will have tips on how to housebreak, etc. I was amazed at what ours learned in 3 sessions. If a private trainer isn't in the budget, sign up for a group class.

Most importantly - have fun!!! I'm sitting with both of ours sleeping next to me - what a great feeling.

[ray7694]

I agree with crate training and you have to get up at night the first few weeks. I would take him out and say go potty. Our golden chewed up everything the first year. If you leave it on the floor it will be chewed. I also recommend a good dog food. We like blue buffalo. The first year of vet bills are expensive.

[MaiseyDog]

We just got a labrador puppy last month and it's been a blast. We are using a crate at night but let her stay in our master bath during the day. We have a dog walker come around lunch every day to let her out to play and potty and that has been the best! Rolled up the rug in the family room. The puppy can go between the family room and the kitched when we are home. We have baby gates up to keep her out of the rest of the house. That makes cleaning any messes easier. We have used just about every pet stain spray out there and my favorite is a product called "My Pet Peed" horrible name, but great product.

We use Pooch Pads (http://www.poochpad.com/poochpads.html) in the crate for the first few weeks, but she hasn't had any accidents in the crate so we have stopped and put a foam pad in there to make it a little more comfy. I like the pooch pads because they dont' soak through. We still have a couple from our last puppy that still absorb and have used them for a ton of stuff besides the dogs like when kids are sick with stomach virus.

For toys, ours really likes the Kong Knot animals (http://www.kongcompany.com/products/for-dogs/knots/wild-knots-bears/wild-knots-grey-bear/) and they have held up well. We also have several kongs that we stuff and keep in the freezer. She gets one every day when we leave for work and it seems to keep her occupied for a good long while.

On last tip I learned from my first two dogs. Start very early getting them used to having paws handles, ears looked in, being brushed, etc. I have a routine we do every single day with the puppy. My last lab hated having his nails trimmed and his ears handles and I think a lot of that was because we never handles then until there was a problem and then it was a fight.

[mmsmom]

For a Golden you need a Furminator brush & a lifetime supply of lint brushes :). The Furminator does help lessen shedding if you use it often. Do not shave/cut a Golden's fur! They need it for sun protection and they are actually hotter without it. Dogfoodadvisor.com is a great site for food info. Puppies are a lot like toddlers for discipline; ignore/redirect unwanted behavior, praise wanted behavior. For example if they are chewing on something they shouldn't, just quietly take it away and give them a toy they can have. If you scream no & make a big deal about it they will think it is a game & lots of fun. Good luck! Goldens are the best!