He is still a puppy - all puppies will chew and try to destroy stuff regardless of breed.

 

My previous puppies were not as bad as this one - hence the reason I was asking about the 'soft mouth' of goldens.

 

Let me clarify; I know that puppies (goldens especially) are very mouthy. But I was told that goldens have these soft mouths that dont really chomp down, they carry things gently in their mouth. However he's very aggressive with his toys, more than any other breed I've had (including Akitas). Basically my question is, is my definition of a soft mouth correct?

 

My girl seems to know the difference between something living and a stuffed toy. She's almost two now and will rip apart any stuffed animal we give her but has a soft mouth when it comes to people or other animals.

My solution is just to wait until garage sale season and pick up stuffed animals then for $.50 or a buck so it's not a big deal if she rips it apart. Just wash them first.

 

My Ella at 14 months will destroy any stuffed you, but I've seen her carry a live toad into the house without any harm done to it. I've also seen her carry a live gigantic moth into the house.

I think the soft mouth more of means for people, live things, and when retrieving in hunting (bring birds back without additional damage). Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Yes that definition is correct. Having a soft mouth can be totally separate from how they play with toys though. I hunt with my golden and he has a great soft mouth. Never damaged any type of bird. He can even carry around tomatoes without puncturing them. But he also destroys stuffed toys like a mad man. His favorite is to hold the toys down with his paws and then rip them up with his teeth. But again, he would never ever do that to a bird. And I have a family member whos hunting curly coat has been known to step on a downed pheasant and tear the wings off. That's what you don't want.

 

More than well said!! That is my understanding of "soft mouth" as well...carrying things with a "soft mouth", however that has nothing to do with how our Goldens' play with their toys.

My Yaichi, whom I lost at 12 + years, ripped apart every stuffed toy she had until the day she passed. Her favorite part was ripping all the stuffing out!! At the same time she had a very soft mouth when carrying things, taking my hand with her mouth etc. Brisby is very much the same.

Your boy is still a baby. He may or may not grow out of it LOL!! Try getting some of the more undestructable toys. Kong and Jolly make some good ones.

 

Thanks so much for the responses guys! Totally makes sense!

 

Yes, I agree with ArchersMom, Goldens play hard and can be a terror on toys. Bentley was doing some "counter surfing" last week and found one of my eggs, that I was having for breakfast. I turned around and he was gone, but also was one of my eggs. He had taken the egg into our Den, on the other side of the house, and was rolling it around on the couch. Lucky that I found it before he decided to play with it. He is a gentle giant (105 lbs) when he wants to be.

 

Is this destructiveness a trait they develop later? My six-month-old Summit has never torn up anything except paper towels that I let him have.

 

I don't think so. I think some do it, others don't. One of mine did, the other two, no.

 

Rusty is 28 months old, and he tears toys apart in mins haha. I don't think they ever out grow it

 

Beautiful pup you have there!

 

Every golden is different. My last golden, Bentley, was gentle with everything and I still have his first stuffed toy that he played with from the day I brought him home until he passed. I couldn't believe it lasted 11 years as a few did get destroyed.

My new pup has already destroyed 2 in the last few weeks and I have been sticking to my tougher stuffed toys.

Dawn

 

I was thinking of this thread this morning as I was cleaning out Ella's toy box and threw about 3/4 of a trash bag full of destroyed toys. I knew there was a reason I hadn't been buying stuffed toys recently.

The only toys I've found that are holding up to Ella's chewing are the Kong extreme toys (she has a tire and a bone shaped one) and the rubber Chuckit balls.

 

Riley hadn't met a plush he doesn't rip apart in under 10 mins! He used to have a long squeaky giraffe that he just tossed around. Then, he ripped it and that was it! He has only Kong and Nylabone products for powerful chewers! But....he has snagged peaches and tomatoes from the kitchen with barely a tooth mark in them.


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Zelda never shredded a stuffy until recently. My roommates two dogs do it and she learned it from them. UGH.

On the other hand, she loves to steal kleenexes. She'll shred them if I'm not there, but if I am she'll drop them instantly with no marks in them. She also thinks it's great fun to pretend she's going to chomp on my arm, but I can barely feel her teeth when she does it.