[BeomSu]

Hello members please read my short story below as I need some guidance/opinions.

I just received my new Golden Ret. On Friday night (3 days ago).
It is 8 weeks old now and it is my first large size dog.
Previously I had a long haired Chihuahua and a Pomeranian for my wife.

I have searched the forum for a while and not all my questions were answered clearly. I know the search button, but I hope some members can just chime in and provide your personal feedback/advice/opinions to my thread.

I currently bought her a crate with a divider and cushion for her to sleep in her area. I have a extreme kong small size, dog chew toy tennis ball and nyla bone for teething also.
Since I got her the past 3 days, here is what I have done:
1. My wife and I feed her 3 times a day.
a. 7am, 1pm and 8pm.
2. I bring her out to go pee and poo in the morning when I wake up or when she wakes up ( 530am – 630am)
a. I bring her out about 30 minutes after every meal
b. I also bring her our after a good play time.
3. When we are supervising her, she is roaming around our room (hardwood floor) playing the with toys and/or lying on the cool wood floor.
a. She sleeps a lot and take good long naps.
4. When we need to do something, we put her in her crate to play with toys or take a nap
5. We try to reward her each time she does something good. Sit, going to her crate, playing fetch, making pee and poo outside and other good things.
a. When she does something wrong, biting on things she should not or barking for no reason, we kindly but firmly say “no” or “stop”

She has only had an accident 1 time when we first got her and other than that, she pee’s and poo’s outside all the time. We even already went out for 3 hours and no mistake or anything.
Without going into greater detail than I am; we are giving her Royal Canin mixed with yogurt and cottage cheese, treats are pet botanics unprocessed and fresh chilled water.

Here are my questions:
My wife is pregnant and her and I always clean. With our previous Chihuahua and pomeranina, it was so easy. When we go outside for walk or play, I bring them inside, wash their feet and belly for dirt, mud, anything dry and done. With a 10-15 lb Golden, it is not easy in any way.

So far in just 2 days I have gone through 3 toilet papers, 2 packs of baby wipes. When I bring her outside to make pee or poo, sometimes she steps in her pee and her poo and most of the time, she lies down in the leaves and gets wet from moisture in the morning and her belly and feet are all dirty. It is my natural instinct to ALWAYS clean her as I don’t want my house and especially our room to be covered with mud, dirt or even pee/poo.

Am I a clean freak or am I normal?

I went to PetSmart and the trainer thought I was crazy and a dog is a dog. But is there something wrong that I don’t want pee/poo on my floor? I also found bugs in my room due to her lying in grass and leaves and actually a tick.
I do not want to risk these risks of dirty to my wife and new born soon.

What do you all dog when your dogs go outside to pee and poo? Do you also clean? If so, what steps do you use so I don’t waste baby wipes and other things on a daily basis?

Also, what do you all usually do when they play outside? So far she has only eaten, I think, 1 leaf and maybe some other leaf thing, is this ok?
I don’t want her to eat stones or something really dirty or anything. I believe she only received 1 shot as I am waiting for the paperwork to come in so I can check what she has so far?
I don’t want her to pee/poo in the house for training purpose, but with Chihuahua and Pomeranian, they pee and poo in weewee pad and that’s it.

Please help new owner of a lovely Golden puppy
Thank you! :wavey:

 

[beccacc31]

Goldens are big and hairy... They make your floors dirty. You will be cleaning in all of your off time. I had a golden for almost 14 years and we would say to our guests before serving a meal "don't mind the Mitchell hair, it's a condiment in our house".
It's almost impossible to keep up with the hair that comes with owning a golden. With that said.... Our house is empty without Mitchell and our new puppy comes home mid December. I am looking forward to another 14 years of the mess! LOL

 

[MorningGlory]

We vaccuum ALOT!
While potty training we restricted her to the kitchen floor and the carpet areas when we could watch her...closely. I freaked out!!! when she went to the bathroom 3-4 times in the computer room--always the same spot. So much for watching closely.

We have grass in the yard so messy paws was not a problem, still isn't. My biggest mess is when she finds a kleenex or papter towel and shreds it!!! Arg. SUch a puppy! We phased out of the digging in the water bowl and water went everywhere.

Maybe you can adopt a bigger the dog, bigger the love attitude. Nothing will make you happier than your GR loving you to pieces. Good luck and enjoy the puppy days...it goes so fast.


Just re-read your post--the pee pads may cause confusion. Not sure how to help with that one.Again, enjoy the greatest dog in the world.

 

[Brentski]

Let's see......how do I put this nicely? Whatever is ABOVE a clean freak.....that is you!! LOL

First, to only have one accident in the house so far is remarkable. Yeah nothing wrong with wiping poo or pee off of dogs feet but all the other stuff is a bit much. Do you have a mud room or laundry room the pup can go into first before entering the rest of the house? The the mud room collects the dirt. Even when goldens grow they shed like crazy. I vaccum once a day and I'm NOT a clean freak.

Oh and dirt and bugs will not hurt a pregnant woman. I hope you have a little girl becasue me and my 3 brothers were pretty messy as kids!!! LOL

Seriously, get a couple of towels. Let the dog in the garage or mudroom first.....give him the once over with the towel and call it done. Otherwise you're gonna go crazy. : )

As far as the other stuff you listed, you're doing a great job with your pup, probably better than most owners.

 

[Laurie]

Yeah, I agree with the above. If you have a golden, you're going to have hair, mud, twigs, bugs, etc. We have 3 goldens, 2 of which are puppies. We have gone through puppy wipes, dirtied 3-4 towels from 1 outing, wipe up water from the floor after our 1 puppy drools it all over the place, we vacuum regularly. Yes, puppies can be messy but honestly, just enjoy them - they grow so fast. However, the problems won't be eliminated..the bigger the dog, the bigger the mess!!!!! We love our boys and wouldn't have it any other way!!!

 

[Murphysmom]

Our pup is 9 weeks, and steps in his own poo all the time, lol. I just let him run around in the grass to get it out. No biggie. They clean themselves pretty well. And on the leaf issue, he has been eating leaves since we got him, even though we try to deter him from doing it. I think it's a natural thing. It hasn't hurt him. Leaves are natural, kinda like the "God made dirt, so dirt don't hurt." saying. Good luck and enjoy your pup!

 

[Mssjnnfer]

Honestly, for not wanting any dirt/bugs/poo/pee or anything else of nature in your house... a golden wasn't the best choice.

The fur. Oh LAWD the fur. All over. Everywhere.

And just wait until she ROLLS in poo.

As for saving baby wipes, maybe just use a wet towel. But that's gonna get really old really fast. Once your little 10-15 pounder becomes a 60-65 pounder... it will be hard to give them a quickie bath each time they come in.

 

[Ljilly28]

I have to chime in with everyone else, and say that with normal immune systems, it's okay to relax. Your baby and wife will be just fine with normal standards for cleanliness while sharing life with goldens, and you do, lol, sound pretty over the top on the neat-o -meter. The pup is an infant in every way, and good practice for your human infant who will be even messier!

 

[mylissyk]

Goldens are big hairy dogs, they shed year round, and they love water and mud. I don't think there is anything wrong with wiping her feet when you bring her in, but I would just keep a bath towel handy and use it. If you want to continue making the effort to clean her off when she comes in I would also keep a brush with the towel, give her feathering a quick brush after wiping her down (when she's bigger her feathering will grow in).

Just be prepared for your Golden to bring dirt and other things into your house, their coats can gather things like leaves, twigs, grass, dirt, etc.

Studies have proven that children that grow up with pets are less prone to environmental allergies, I would relax and not worry too much about your forthcoming child getting dirty with the dog, they will and it will be fun!

 

[BeomSu]

thanks everyone for your time to read my thread and reply.
I am a dog lover and bought a great golden out of the blue for me and my wife.
I guess I might have to get used to her, but the shedding year round is bothering me quite a bit and as most of you said, it is fine with my wife and future baby, I am still nervous of my wife and new born with all the hair and other potential things our golden might bring in.

our Goldens crate is in our bedroom and I cant let her around the house as I am staying with my parents while we save money for our new home. My parents would throw a fit if all the hair goes all over the house.

Thanks again and other questions, I will be sure to ask.

I will post up pics tonight when I upload.

 

[Oaklys Dad]

If dog germs were dangerous we would all be dead long ago. : The shedding can be dealt with by frequent brushing and vacuuming regularly. (I personally do neither) Best of luck to you and Marley.

 

[momtoMax]

I'm going to be a Debbie Downer and tell you this.

number 1. You know that your wife is pregnant - this was not the time to get a puppy. Puppies take a lot of time and energy as will your baby when he/she comes. I've seen too many postings - Wife just had baby, we don't have the time for our dog. Small rehoming fee. Well, it's too late now so may I suggest strongly you do NOT become one of them. It's going to be hard and tiresome and you're going to have to keep the baby and your golden baby apart but still have the time to spend with each of them. When your puppy grows up, I'm sure she'll make a great best friend to your son or daughter but you'll need to remember that she needs time and understanding to grow up.

number 2. Wow, a golden is so not for you if you don't want a dog makes messes. They shed like crazy, are super active dogs that get into everything and make mess after mess after mess growing up - even when they aren't trying to. It's a natural gift. That being said, well, that ship has sailed. So I suggest you find positive ways to get less sensitive about messes and come up with strategies to deal with them that do not include making your golden an outside dog. If it comes to that, please rehome your puppy - goldens need to be a part of your family- they are not outdoor dogs and to do that to your golden IMO is equal to abuse. As for mud and dirt - did you know it's better for kids to be around/in/ingesting germy stuff as it builds a super immune system. Within reason that is.

You and your wife got a golden and now you get all the stuff that goes along with it. It's a dirty, exhausting road but it's worth it in the end. I hope everything works out in your home.

 

[LuckyPup]

I am a clean freak like you are (yes it is ok to admit you are a clean freak...lol). Luck luckily does not get muddy or is too bad outside. He certainly does not step in his poo. But we adopted him at the age of 9 months.

A few suggestions: pick up the dog poo immediately after your new pup goes. This way he will not bring poo in the house! Also, I do not bother wiping Luck's feet (mainly they are not too bad) BUT I keep him contained to wood floors only rooms (which is almost all of upstairs). Then at the end of the evening I do my floors (obsessive I know). In regards to the hair, I can not say enough praise for the Furminator. I brush Luck twice a week with it. It works wonders. He still has tons of shedding (nothing abnormal) and that is something to get "used" to. Since I am a clean freak I have learned to get lighter colored sheets (harder to see the hair) and does not bother me near as much.

Good Luck! I am sure it will work out in good time! Also congrats on the puppy and baby!!!!!!!!

 

[pt83]

I agree with everyone, you can't really keep your house spot-free with a golden (or more) in the house.
There will be fur everywhere, underneath the bed, couch, etc...oh, and paw prints during wet season (we only have dry/wet season out here). Even on dry season, the moisture from his paw plus the dirt/dust outside would leave prints sometime. Just make sure cleaning their feet with damp clothes often
My puppy would step on his poo and pee all the time too.. i always try to get him away from his pee as soon as he finished doing his business.
I'm not sure if its age thing or female/male thing, but my previous golden always avoiding her pee/poo! So if she has her poo in front of her, she would go around rather than stepping on them.
That said, it is incredible that your pup has just 1 accident in the house!

 

[Finn's Fan]

It is actually not good for your soon-to-be newborn's immune system to keep everything sterile. Babies exposed to normal germs (including those from a pet) tend to have fewer allergies and immune-mediated conditions like asthma. Please do decide whether you can live with some normal messiness from a dog, and if you cannot, find your puppy a new home while she is still a puppy.

 

[Florabora22]

As everyone has said, goldens are messy dogs. They love mud, water, sticks, leaves, bugs (at least Flora does), and did I say mud? They shed like MAD!!! We have tumbleweeds of Flora fur everywhere, and I just vacuumed on Saturday. It's ridiculous.

One way I clean off Flora's paws is to get a small bowl or pan of tepid water and dip her paws in the water, massage off the dirt, and then dry her paws with a towel. Since I did it with her when she was a pup, she is very well behaved as a young adult, and will sit nicely and hand me her two front paws when I'm cleaning her.

It's totally possible to keep things clean and tidy with a golden, but I think you might have to loosen up a little bit and accept the fact that your sweet puppy is going to make things a little more messy than you'd like. The biggest thing you'll have to get used to is the fur. After your pup blows its puppy coat, frequent brushings will help with the pet fur inside.

 

[Elisabeth Kazup]

I don't know that we've ever had pee or poo tracked in but we sure get our fair share of leaves, grass and twigs caught in the feathers.

Like everyone has said: they are big, hairy dogs who love to be outside rolling in everything imaginable, exploring everywhere and then sleeping at your feet in the house.

Goldens are way more loveable than the mess they make. And your baby will be healthier if he's exposed to some plain old 'life' germs. Sterile isn't good.

Relax and enjoy. You're starting on a wonderful adventure with a new puppy and a new baby. Makes this old grandmother tired just to think about it.

 

[Willow52]

Do you mean dirty like this??? Seriously, this picture isn't a typical day of playing when Hank's brother comes to visit, but this past Sunday Hank did have 2 baths that day.:doh: Since the weather has been mild and the door is open, his new thing is to bring twigs in and tear them to pieces on the rug by the sliding doors. That's pretty tame compared to what the cat attempts to bring in....dead chipmunks, birds, mice, etc.

I learned with my first golden, to worry about keeping the house free of dog hair and dirt is futile.

 

[jwemt81]

Wow. Okay. I honestly have to agree with everyone else who is saying that it sounds like a retriever probably wasn't the best breed choice for you. They are sporting dogs, which means that they are very active, love water, and will find any mud puddle or body of water to roll in or swim in. I think that the baby wipes on the dog's feet is a bit over the top. We just keep an old towel in our entry way for the wet and muddy days and give the paws a quick wipe when they come in. It gets used for a good month before it gets washed. You will very quickly learn that it's almost impossible to have a totally spotless house all of the time when you have a large, active dog, such as a Golden, who blow their coats about 3 times a year and leave hair just about everywhere. Regular brushing can help to minimize this, but they are still going to shed regardless. We do what I call maintnance cleaning. We vacuum the carpeted rooms daily to every other day and wash the floors with vinegar and water 1-2 times per week. That's basically it. I would just try to relax. It's not like your house is going to be one big incubator for bacteria. Everything will be fine.

 

[Brentski]

Ok, I agree with MomtoMax, after reading your second posts, a Golden is not for you, at least not at this time. Rather than have you and the puppy (that is crated all the time while indoors) suffer, place her in a good home now!! Then if you really think you need a pet, get an older trained SMALL HOUSE dog.

When my daughter was 3, I thought it would be cute to get her a kitty. I heard some hissing and went into the frontroom to see my daughter walking around holding the kitty upside down by her tail. I made a mistake and placed the kitty in a nice home. You made an honest mistake, a golden at this time will NOT work for you and your family and your current living condition. Fix the mess before everyone suffers. Just my opinion and sorry to be so harsh but better to place a puppy now than 9 months down the road. Good luck!!!!