[Teddysmom]

This is my first post, so, hello! I have an awesome 16 week old pup, Teddy. After recently losing a Golden to cancer, I spent a great deal of time and effort choosing a good breeder for the healthiest pup. Teddy is gorgeous and healthy. I do have three questions that I am anxious for advice about:
1. Nutrition - we started him on Innova Large Puppy formula which I thought would be perfect. Very high quality, lots of protein, little filler. Problem? Flatulence! Yikes! How so much smell could come out of one little puppy... Any food advice? More than ever, I believe nutrition is THE most important key to good health. Read on before answering.
2. Drippy eyes - Teddy's eyes are always wet - kind of like a poodle or maltese. I've never seen this in a golden. The vet is in a wait-and-see mode at the moment but I am curious to know if others have information on this in Goldens. Should food choice be taking this into account, say for allergy?
3. House training - I have raised many dogs in 50 years and have never had a dog so slow to train. Beyond the usual crate, etc. advise, does anyone have any advice for "advanced" cases?
4. Neutering - I would like to wait until Ted is at least 8 months old to allow for maximum head and bone size. I noticed his "lipstick" (you know what I mean?) is just starting to come out when he potties or sits, but he doesn't pay any attention to it. Teddy is an indoor dog in a newer home. Should I worry about him establishing bad habits if I wait to neuter?

THANKS FOR ANY ADVICE!
​

 

[GoldenJoyx'stwo]

Bumping...

 

[BeauShel]

Hello and Welcome Teddy's mom,
Your puppy is just so cute. As far as the food, I would explore maybe slowly changing his food diet to something else. I use the Natures Variety and have never had problems with the farting. They love it and it is all natural. I dont know about his eye watering but has the vet checked to make sure the eyelashes are not growing inward.
The only advice is can say about the potty training is eat, go potty, drink go potty, playing go potty, repitition is the word when training. Dont worry about the length of time, my eskie took 8 months to finally get potty trained. I think hers was more stubborness. But I won the battle.

 

[Tahnee GR]

OK, here goes. This is just my perspective:

1. Innova is a great food, but it may not be the right one for your puppy. I would advise first looking at his treats-what kind and how many? If they don't seem to be the cause, try another food. I personally wean all my puppies straight onto Canidae All Life Stages, but there are a lot of other foods out there-Eagle Holistic, Solid Gold, Timberwolf, etc. Just make sure to get a good quality food, made with human grade ingredients.

2. It has been my experience that weepy eyes in a puppy are frequently caused by distichia (extra eyelashes) and/or entropion (where the eyelids roll in). If the distichia are soft, the eye won't be damaged but if they are stiff, they can damage the eye. Entropion generally requires surgery but there are some lines where the head simply needs to grow. Has the vet given any indication of what he or she sees as far as his eyes go?

3. Housetraining-not sure what to say here but 16 weeks is still very young for a golden. I would not expect one of my dogs to be truly housetrained until closer to 6 months. Crating and consistency are the best way.

4. Neutering-I actually consider 8 months too early for a male. I prefer that my puppy buyers wait until 12-15 months, in order to allow the long bones to close on their own and for the head to fully mature. In fact, I have altered my contract to nullify the warranty if they are neutered before the time frame listed in my contract. I have noticed that ACL injuries seem to occur more frequently in spayed or neutered dogs, especially those who were fixed young and/or allowed to become overweight. Vets have varying opinions on the best age to neuter although many of them are coming on board to the later spaying and neutering. Of course, my males are always intact since I show them and I have never had issues with marking in the house or aggression. They do tend to "go off" their food when there is a girl in season however

Keep us posted on Teddy-he is sure a cutie!

 

[DelmarvaGold]

This is my opinion.

Innova does not agree with all dogs. I tried it in the past and had terrible diarrhea. It's a good food but I truly do not think it is for every dog.

The watery eyes do not concern me. My Jesse has watery eyes at different times of the year as do I. As long as your puppy is not scratching or chewing himself then I would not be too concerned.

House training...each dog is different and each dog has their own issues. If you have raised dogs for 50 years you most likely have been through it all

Neutering...I tell my puppy buyers to wait as close to 18 months as possible. Just becasue his "lipstick" shows doesn't mean you have to neuter him right away. I would be more concerned if he is marking in the house or showing dominance by humping constantly...not just humping once in awhile.

Good luck and please send lots of pictures

 

[Thor's Mom]

Hello and welcome to the forum! You've gotten some good advice already. Remeber, we love pics here.

 

[RickGibbs]

Hello and welcome!

 

[lovestofly]

My Putz has "weepy" eyes. We took him to a specialist and the bottom line was that the tubes to the tear ducts are small and nothing to be concerned about. He is now 16 months old and has "grown out of it" to some extent. His eyes still weep when he chews or plays real hard. They don't bother him at all, he never rubs them or scratches at them so we aren't concerned now.

Our breeder recommended to NOT neuter him before 18 months - he has the red rocket lipstick quite often but ignores it too - we just figure he's HAPPY! LOL!

Food is a subject that you must decide yourself what is best for you dog. There are so many brands and so many opinions. We feed Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul and Putz does well on it.

 

[kezia14]

Hi....
Welcome to our forum TEDDY...
Sorry about your last dog passing...
I have my lovely 3 years old GR....
Nice to meet u....
Ur dog is so cute and chubby....

 

[Teddysmom]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, ALL!

I am just overwhelmed with all the wonderful responses I got my first time at bat.

I do believe the Innova is a bit too rich for Teddy and will look at everyone's suggestions and do a bit more research to find the perfect food for him. I can't believe how much time I have spent on an issue most would consider to be trivial. I do feel strongly that what goes into their bodies is the most important thing and the best thing that we can do for them as their caretakers. Having said that, my best friend had a GR for 15 years. He was the MOST beautiful, athletic, healthy speciman I ever saw and she only fed him 'Ol Roy from Walmart!

Do you know what I like best about this site/forum? No GR snobs! I love that all are welcome and bound by true love of the breed.

 

[TheHooch]

I don't answer food questions but as far as training goes he is still a you pup. The eyes are another matter. it could very well be distichia but usually a doctor is not going to make that diagnosis until over a year of age generally unless it is really severe.

Good luck with your puppy and welcome to the forum.

Hooch

 

[Heidi36oh]

Hello and Welcome

 

[kalkid]

Daisy had bad gas on Innova Evo and it has since gone away while on Canidae ALS. She has occasional watery eyes as well but I believe it is allergy related as others have mentioned (just like my own watery eyes this time of year).

 

[Tessa's Mom]

what a sweet Teddy "bear" !! He is a fluffy fur ball! Welcome to the best place!!