Been a while since I had a puppy AND small kids. I think the last time I had a puppy and small child was when my daughter was 3 years old. It is difficult but you will get thru it. As for when a golden puppy is housebroken/trained. I have an almost 1 year old Golden now. Bailey was reliably housebroken by 6 months and trusted to be free range at night (in other words he stopped sleeping in his crate) at 9 months. The mouthiness that goldens are known for ended about the time he got his adult teeth. The "destructive phase" (in other words the point when no shoes were safe from my little land shark) lasted a bit longer. Am happy to say that at nearly a year I have a well behaved little boy who circles like a maniac to go outside, no longer jumps on people and who when he feels that old mouthy urge coming on will now run to his toy box and get a toy to put in his mouth. Patience, redirect and the word no will get you thru this time. Puppies, like children take time to raise but the joy that comes from it makes it worthwhile. And you aren't crazy for having a puppy and small kids. As they grow your kids will be glad to share their house with the dog who will, in all likelihood, become their best friend. It will get better, I promise. And you picked Gigi for a reason. I don't know what it was but I suspect you are meant to be together. Best wishes

 

Here is what we did and ur experience. My nephew was six and my niece was three when we got Chloe. We babysit all the time so they are here often. Up until about six months of age she had to be on a leash in the house or behind a gate when the kids were over. Not that she was aggressive but she got way to excited and a nippy puppy with a toddler needs to be controlled. From six months on it has got so much better. At one she still gets excited but she doesn't have to be leashed or gated. We still have to watch closely. With a baby you would never leave the room unsupervised. My nephew at seven can now get her to do anything and he can control her pretty good.

As far as house breaking. You want to limit their freedom. They must be gated or crates when not supervised. Take them out every thirty minutes, after eating, napping, and exercise. Chloe had her last accident at about 3.5 months. By four months she was consistantly going to the door. Usually by 12 weeks they can hold it longer and their bladder control starts to develop.

Biting stops about the four to five month age. Chloe does the same thing with getting a toy.

 

G-bear
Thank you so much for posting! Your words helped me very much. It brought a tear to my eye when u said we might be meant to be together.

 

Cpc1972
Thank you for your advice and reassurance.

 

I gaurantee in six months you will start to see vast improvement. You will probably look back and laugh just have some patience.

 

Can u tell me where I can find some? Haha I'll be patient. I'll try.

 

Cpc1972
I'm looking forward to seeing my girls enjoy her friendship. There have been a few moments.
The other day my daughter was blowing bubbles and Gigi was watching her and then they both tried to pop all the bubbles. My daughter was laughing and I swear Gigi was smiling.
Thanks for helping me remember this good moment - I look forward to many more.
Gigi seems to be an awesome pup so far. She had a great day today. She was quiet last night when I was up with my baby who is sick. I find I'm often surprised by Gigi... in a good way.

 

That's good. Just keep reminding yourself of the good things your pup does.

 

I too look for those moments(right now the one that keeps me sane is my kid telling her he loves her)I look forward to 6 months from now when I can actually see my son and her having fun and interacting right now he's just petting and talking to her from the gate. Right now she's very bitey and doesn't play real good yet. My son is 9 1/2 but he is special needs and he's a lot of work sometimes so although i don't have very small kids I can feel you.

 

Hi Iris,
I wanna hug you through my iPhone right now.
We will get there! And our kiddos will benefit so much from our GRs before we know it. I believe. I do get overwhelmed at times, I do have "puppy remorse" sometimes - I admit it. It helps me to know this is normal and due to real challenges that will fade.
I'm with u- six months!!!! Hurry up six months I need my sanity back.

 

It will get better. When we got Hank, our granddaughter (she & our daughter lived here at the time) was 4 y.o. It was hard at times but we got through it. DGD no longer lives here, but she's 10 y.o. Hank is 6.

I managed it with baby gates. When DGD was eating in the kitchen, he'd be gated in the great room, when she was playing, watching TV or had a play date in the great room, Hank would be gated in the kitchen. We also didn't let Hank on the second floor where their bedrooms were. That kept stray toys and clothing safe and out of reach.

Training sessions were hard to schedule, we just did the best we could. We've been blessed wit 3 more grandkids, and even though no children live here now, Hank is great with kids. No jumping or nipping them but lots of kisses

 

This is how we managed Chloe. It keeps everyone from getting frustrated. We still use one baby gate sometimes if the kids have a lot of stuff out in the playroom.

 

When we brought River home I was working on potty training my daughter and had to also potty train a puppy. My older dog was also having accidents on occasion. Some days I was at my wits end with making sure everyone was getting to the potty. I was determined to only have River in a kennel for bedtime and 15 min after my daughter first woke up because she is a grump when she wakes up. I kept River on a lead and have her follow me around or drag her lead. We used a bubble machine for both my daughter and the puppy was good play for both of them. My daughter was confused with all the attention the puppy got and would try to act like a puppy during the day. They would find trouble to get into together especially if my husbands was kind of watching them. They worked together and dumped a whole container holding the other dogs food that day. It does get better with time. Mine are really bonded and play together a lot. When my in laws call and hear my daughter laughing crazy they know she is playing with River. The joy on my daughter's face during the adolescent stage of the puppy made it worth any of the rough patches along the way. Hang in there soon you will be posting the one year photo and be thinking I need another one.

 

....Hang in there soon you will be posting the one year photo and be thinking I need another one.

Oh boy! At first I was gonna ask if you might be nuts - then I realized that you are probably right:grimacing:k_woman:

 

I'd like to add that the puppy we got when my daughter was 3 years old did in fact become my daughter's best friend. When my daughter left for college her best friend, her dog which she named Rina, was 14 years old. The dog was simply heart broken. The highlight of the dog's week was when my daughter would call home, always on a Wednesday night. How that dog knew it was Wednesday I will never know but she would began to wait near the phone every Wednesday evening at 5 PM and when my daughter called, usually around 7 PM, Rina went simply crazy with barking until the phone was laid on the floor so she could hear my daughter's voice. She would curl up next to the phone with the most intense expression on her face. As if she was absorbing every word. Rina died when my daughter was a sophomore in college. My daughter came home to be with "her" dog when she went to the bridge. So Rina spent her last moments in the arms of the person she loved most. Children really do bond closely with their puppies. And tho my daughter is now an adult with a career and another dog her memories of Rina hold a very, very special place in her heart. So, the insanity of small children and puppies is well worth it

 

How old is your pup?

 

I think she's about 12 weeks
Of course in order to know her age I'd have to know what day it is and I don't. Haha sad but true.
Her DOB is Oct. 7, 2015

 

Ok about 3 weeks older then mine she will be 10 weeks on Thursday, she was born 10/29

How's house training?

 

Today's been a good day!

Only 1 pee accident - way less biting
And kisses! I got lots of kisses today. She waits outside the door for me when I'm in another room... Rather than hang with other people in the house she just waits for me.

She's mine.

How's ur lil pup?

 

Shes ok i still feel a bit "like what did I do???" lol the boys are attached and im told my attachment will come at some point. Hubby worked today and it was my 1st day with her alone.

She was ok while i dropped my kid off at school she slept in her pen.

Then i was home for awhile I played with her took her out several times and gave her breakfast, she had one pee accident.

At 10 i had to leave for a doctors appointment, i was gone less then 2 hours and she had 1 accident on her pad.

Then I was home till 230 when I left to go get my kid from school she ate, slept and I took her out several more times.

For the 1/2 hour i was gone to pick my kid up I crated her and she did well no accidents and she slept.

 

I hear you. I've had that sinking "What Did I Do" feeling multiple times since December 13th.

In fact, the moment she came thru the door I felt it.

And the 3 weeks have been mostly hard. I lost weight from all the work involved with caring for her!! Baby weight - so it's all good!! But it's tough for sure.

I also hear you about attachment. I can honestly say I haven't attached to her... Although the last few days my attachment has been slowly growing. She connects with me now more - meets my eyes and listens to what I tell her and I listen to her too... It is beginning to get better.

The relief I feel is so wonderful. I have said to myself "it's gonna be okay" multiple times over the last couple of days... Previously I didn't think it would be okay - I thought I had ruined my mostly beautiful life.

I recently quit my psychotherapy job so I could spend more time with my girls ---- and then Gigi seemed to be keeping me from that -- so I seriously questioned why I got her. I can't explain why I had to have her - I just did. I had to have her. I wanted her to be ours to love. I wanted her to help mend my 4 year old's broken heart after our doggie died in January.

I am feeling more hopeful today. I'm still very tired and I expect more challenges - but I'm definitely feeling better. I wish that for you too.

 

My mom lost like six pounds when we got Chloe.

 

Awesome!!!

 

Iris
You r not alone. I've heard this puppy trauma is a real thing.

 

Gigi seems to want to interact with baby while baby is in playpen. But Gigi is mouthy on the soft part of the side of the playpen and scrapes her giant paws and claws on it. I redirect all the time...

 

I need to work on training Gigi not to jump up on my 4 year old. Yesterday she did it 2 times. I'm always right there to prevent injury - but it needs work for sure.
I was thinking using the lead and some treats and having my oldest come out of her room and let Gigi learn if she stays on the floor she gets a treat and if she tries to jump she will not get anything ---

 

So far things have been manageable.

I'm still wondering though - how'd u get ur dog to stay behind a gate?! My pup jumped the gate on the 2nd day she got here 9.5 weeks old!!
I've been using the crate....

Baby goes in playpen when Gigi is in livingroom for about 30 minutes and then Gigi becomes unruly and goes back to crate. Baby goes into floor of living room while Gigi crated for about 30 minutes, then I let Gigi go potty outside and be free in the living room again. During this time I am holding baby or feeding her. At times I will go outside with Gigi and my 4 year old and encourage Gigi to run around - trying to tire her out. (This is while baby takes a nap). Or we go on the deck and blow bubbles - Gigi and my oldest daughter. I have heard tired dogs are good dogs.

I give Gigi ice to distract her. I do obedience training and involve my 4 year old in "sit" and "paw".

I'm trying to do all the right things bc it is my greatest hope that Gigi will become a well behaved member of the family - I am holding to hope! She is a PIA sometimes but I know she is a lil baby and just needs me to be patient and teach or or train her.

She made me bleed today, that lil stinker!!!

 

Sounds like you have it under control, a little busy lol


Its been a tough day here she refuses to pee for my hubby outside when i take her out she goes right away half the time he has to call me to get her to go. She's peed 3 times inside already decided to flip over her food bowl and her water my hubby had a heck of a time cleaning it up she tracked in poop we had wash all her bedding lol my kid has been kinda feeling sick with a cold so he's been extra clingy, plus I'm on my 3rd round of meds and now doing breathing treatments every 4 hours I haven't been well for almost a month.

Its been busy and we have to go out tonight so she will be in her xpen for about 2 hours.

Fun times huh?

 

Oh dear. Tough times. Hugs.
Hang in there. Maybe one day soon things will get easier...
Ruff day again

 

Ha you have a gate jumper. Chloe has never attempted and the rare times we use one now she still don't try. Just a hint is the bar on the gate on the outside or inside. Jake could climb it if we put the bar on the inside.

 

She jumped it without the aid of a bar. Whacky huh? I figured all GR did this... She's trouble haha

 

Today Gigi pounced into the soft part of the baby playpen and it gave way to her huge doggy paws. Baby was safe - but it freaked me out to see that. I told Gigi "no!" And then she put her open mouth on the playpen. "No!" And then she rubbed her body on all ththe sides of the playpen nipping the air. This has happened one other time.

What's she doing?
Suggestions to ensure Gigi learns this is unacceptable?
Just "no!"...? What else?

Thank you!

 

Have you taught Gigi leave it yet? I love Victoria Stilwell's method. She uses positive reinforcement and honestly, only took 5 minutes to learn. You have to reinforce constantly, like anything else, but you can use that command, in so many instances.

As soon as she learns it, anytime she goes near the playpen, you say leave it. Gigi will quickly learn, to stay away. I use it, for forbidden items in the mouth, attempting to go near anything, I don't want my pup to get close to etc. Invaluable tool!

Hope this helps!

 

Thank you!
Googling "Victoria Stilwell's method" now...
I've tried to teach leave it but she hasn't gotten it yet so I'll def try your suggestion. I appreciate it so much

 

I've never had a puppy and a baby at the same time, but my Chumlee is a rescue dog who was surrendered by 2 different families who had small children because he was too rough with the kids. The rescue group said that neither family spent any time working with Chumlee and teaching him to behave appropriately around the kids.

It sounds as though you have this figured out by giving the puppy and the kids a way to have a break from each other. Gates and crates, along with a huge dose of patience will get you all through this. I'm sure you will be rewarded for your hard work with a well-behaved dog and happy kids!

 

I've never had a puppy and a baby at the same time, but my Chumlee is a rescue dog who was surrendered by 2 different families who had small children because he was too rough with the kids. The rescue group said that neither family spent any time working with Chumlee and teaching him to behave appropriately around the kids.

It sounds as though you have this figured out by giving the puppy and the kids a way to have a break from each other. Gates and crates, along with a huge dose of patience will get you all through this. I'm sure you will be rewarded for your hard work with a well-behaved dog and happy kids!

Thanks for the vote of confidence! I am working on training daily multiple times a day. I am being open to suggestions. And posting here for moral support and advice. I'm hoping that will be what is needed. I wouldn't wanna have a crazy rambunctious dog and I wouldn't want to give her up. So I gotta try to do all I can to make things work out for the best for my lil girls and for Gigi too!

 

It's all good progress, we're all learning as we go, and it's definitely not an easy juggling act when you have kids, a husband, a household to take care of and maybe a job.

I think we're all kicking butt and our puppies are much loved.