[Kaila]

I'm new to these forums and thought I'd introduce myself.

I've applied to adopt my very own Golden Retriever puppy from a shelter in Georgia. The mother was dumped, pregnant, at a high kill shelter. The rescue that I'm adopting the pup from pulled her from the shelter and nursed her back to health so that she could give birth to seven healthy puppies (four girls and three boys) on December 31, 2011. They'll be eight weeks old and ready to go to new homes on February 25, 2012. Here are pictures of the whole gang:

The thing is.. I've never had a large dog, personally. My family had some large dogs that lived outside on our property, but none of them were Goldens. Since then, I've had a Jack Russell Terrier and a Chihuahua myself. I live only with the Chihuahua now (the JRT was my ex's dog). I'm a pretty petite girl (5'2", 110 lbs) so I guess I'm worried that I'm going to have major issues controlling a big dog. Did anyone else have that fear before getting your first Golden? How do you feel about it now?


EDIT: Oh, I forgot to mention. I applied for Acadia but I can't stop staring at Azera and Avanti. I'm pretty sure I want to stick with a female though. Azera is just gorgeous.

 

[Kaila]

I'm also kind of a dork so I've been planning and making lots of lists lately. I'm trying to avoid repeating the same mistake I made with my Chihuahua (not enough socialization because I was afraid that he'd get hurt somehow). He's not aggressive, but he barks reactively even after greeting a stranger (human or canine). Even though the process of socializing him continues, I suspect that he'll never be where I want him to be. He's two and a half years old now and just couldn't relax after a month of rally obedience because of the presence of large dogs. (To clarify, he'll accept any person or dog if he's given enough time to get used to them.) Since he needs a buddy anyway after my ex's dog left, I looked into getting myself a good working dog companion so that I can enjoy dog sports more easily.

Anyway.. Here's my socialization list so that the new puppy isn't missing any crucial development:

•8-12 WEEKS•
- Not on ground in potentially diseased places; hold in arms
- Meet 100 new people by 12 weeks (25 people each week, or 3 per day)
- Start basic obedience:
day 1 - [name recognition, charge clicker]
week 1 - [sit, down, stand, watch me]
week 2 - [leave it, drop it, take it, bring it]
week 3 - [stay, wait, come]
week 4- [speak, shh, go to your place]
- Build positive experience with leash and collar but don't expect heeling
- Play "101 things to do with a box" game (reward creative/novel behaviors)

•12-18 WEEKS•
- Puppy playgroup once a week (6 weeks)
- AKC Puppy S.T.A.R. Class once a week (5 weeks)
- Dog park once a week
- Keep practicing basic obedience
- Start trick training:
week 1 - [high five, wave, give me your paw]
week 2 - [crawl, bow, say your prayers]
week 3 - [spin right, spin left]
week 4 - [sit pretty, cross paws, give me a kiss]
week 5 - [roll over, play dead, bang bang]
week 6 - [leg weaves]
- Work on loose-leash walking and heeling
- Play "101 things to do with a box" game (reward creative/novel behaviors)

•18-23 WEEKS•
- Canine Good Citizen prep (5 weeks)
- Therapy/Service dog behaviors:
(go visit, settle, tail tuck, turn lights on, turn lights off, open door, close door)

 

[MikaTallulah]

Avanti is going to be a red head- My fave. I would go for him. But all are cute.

Why only a female?

How big is mama, Scarlett?

 

[Kaila]

They didn't say. Her Petfinder listing has her as a "medium" sized dog. I agree with you about Avanti, his red color is gorgeous and unique. I'm considering a female because my apartment is small so a huge male would not be ideal. (We'll be moving to a bigger place once this lease is up too.) Females are likely to be at least a little smaller. That, and my Chihuahua is male. His buddy was a female JRT but she moved out with her owner (my ex). I feel like a female might be a little more sensitive to my emotions, too. My Chi just acts oblivious even if I'm crying, but the JRT always used to look concerned and tried to console me.

 

[dborgers]

Kaila,

Congrats on your pup. You're going to LOVE your new golden. They are the gentlest, loving breed of dog on earth. Treat her like a member of the family. They are incredibly loving and prefer being with those they love.

Almost every golden I've had or known are eager to please and do whatever you want them to do. If you train her properly she won't tug on the leash.

They're big dogs. Big dogs need to run outside. It's good for their spirits as well as good exercise. Since you live in an apartment you might start scoping out places like fenced in football/soccer fields and other fenced but open places like that she can get the wind in her hair and play ball and run around. Playing tennis ball fetch is loads of fun for them. With a racquet or claw thrower they can get some good exercise having fun, and tummy rubs when they need to catch their breath. We live in a house with a 1/4 acre fenced yard, but it's made our goldens happy to be able to get somewhere they can get the wind in their hair.

When it's warm and she'll 'come' every time, find a lake and boat ramp or beach where she can swim. I toss the ball in the water for my golden. Andy, and he swims after it and brings it back. Also, fun and good exercise.

 

[MikaTallulah]

My female yorkies could care less about my emotions. Goldens are very sensitive on general. My Golden have so far been males and absolute luv bugs. A female maybe slightly smaller than a male but will still need lots of exercise. They are an active breed- Okay in apt. as long as they have an out light for their energy. If taught leash manners from the start the size of the dog will not matter in the end. I was 125 (at one point) and my last golden Lucky was 120. He was an angel for me because I worked with him but he did pull my dad over a few times because my dad was breaking the rules. He let Lucky have his leash in his mouth while running down hill- Big oops on his part. I have a friend with Newfie that weight 150 and she only weight 110. She does pet therapy with her Daisy girl.

How is your existing dog with larger dogs? Many small dogs are intimidated by the size of a larger dog- Puppy or not.

In the end I'm sure you will adore any puppy. I just happen to love dark goldens.

 

[Kaila]

Teddy (my chi) is a little intimidated with large dogs but seems fine with the puppies as long as they're around 20-30 lbs or less. Like I said, he will relax and be buddies with them (even the adults), it just takes an hour to get him running and playing! A painter came to my grandparents' house while I was visiting and brought his two (very large) labrador/rottie(?) mixes. They mouthed him and played with him. He'd yelp or nip if they got really rough, but he was submissive after only a few minutes of them being gentle and then he was running all over the yard with them.

Since I live in an apartment, I plan to go running with my Golden. We also live three minutes away from a huge, 15-acre fully fenced dog park. They're the safest one in town because they have an entrance fee and they check vet records at the gate to discourage bad pet owners from coming in. I've never even seen an unruly dog in the park.

I'm also VERY interested in rally obedience. I did it for a month with Teddy but while it was a fun idea for me, he was nervous and stressed from day 1. He'd perform all of the cues, then get to the field and stop caring because he wanted to bark at all the other dogs (and he does. not. stop.) I decided that he was not the dog for it as I felt like I was just trying to force him to like it.

My grandparents have a large screened-in patio with a pool, so we're free to swim there whenever. And my boyfriend and I love taking walks over to the nearby shopping center.

Out of curiosity, do the pups look full Golden to you? I don't know how old they are in those pictures. Must be less than 4 weeks.

 

[CAROLINA MOM]

Welcome, congratulations-how exciting. The pups are beautiful, it I were in your position, I'd have a very hard time deciding on which one. Will you get to meet the ones you're interested in before deciding? For me, it's all about the personality.

Both of my goldens are adopted, Roxy came from a GR Rescue and I adopted Remy from my County Humane Society. I like having one of each, their personalities are very different. They both like attention, but in different ways. Roxy is not a cuddler, she will come to you when she wants attention or affection. Remy is a cuddler, loves to snuggle, he thinks he's a lap dog, he climbs in my lap every chance he gets.

Roxy is shorter and smaller than Remy, she weighs 60-62 lbs, Remy is taller and weighs around 74 lbs.

You won't have any problems handling your Golden, I'm about an inch taller than you are and I have no problems with mine. The key is the training and you've already got your plan laid out.

Enjoy your new pup, looking forward to seeing his/her introduction and lots of pictures.

 

[Blondie]

Congratulations on your puppy! Thank you for opening up your heart and home to a potential jackpot full of joy!

 

[MikaTallulah]

It is recommended golden not go running with their owners til 2 yr. at least not hard surfaces. They can run and play on their own and retrieve but no force running with owner due to hip dysplagia risk.

Good luck with your new puppy. Keep us updated.

 

[Aislinn]

Be very watchful of your GR puppy and your chihuahua. Even in play, a larger puppy can accidently hurt a smaller dog. It looks like you are doing a wonderful job of preparing! You will have a wonderful time with your new puppy and belonging to the forum is a great way to have support.

 

[MikaTallulah]

Be very watchful of your GR puppy and your chihuahua. Even in play, a larger puppy can accidently hurt a smaller dog. It looks like you are doing a wonderful job of preparing! You will have a wonderful time with your new puppy and belonging to the forum is a great way to have support.

I agree supervision will be a must between the 2 til the puppy is old enough to not see the Chi as a toy.

Only Cozy (15 pounds) is always gated with Buddy (75 pounds) and Lucy (7 pounds) occasionally. Both of them put him in his place and are pretty tough and tumble. Zoey and Roxy (both about 3.5 pounds) fit through the kitchen banister so they can come and go as they please if Buddy gets rowdy.

 

[Kaila]

So I just got an e-mail from the foster mom. She said that the mother (Scarlett) weighs 42 lbs! She also said that she's trying to put some extra weight on her, so she's probably a little underweight right now. She told me a little bit about the personalities of all the pups.. I'm having a hard time choosing!

 

[Kaila]

I agree supervision will be a must between the 2 til the puppy is old enough to not see the Chi as a toy.

Only Cozy (15 pounds) is always gated with Buddy (75 pounds) and Lucy (7 pounds) occasionally. Both of them put him in his place and are pretty tough and tumble. Zoey and Roxy (both about 3.5 pounds) fit through the kitchen banister so they can come and go as they please if Buddy gets rowdy.

Oh, yeah. I still crate my chi whenever no one is home. It's usually only 3-4 hours max, but it keeps him from trying to mark anything in the house. (He's housetrained but still likes to "forget the rules" on occasion. Seems like a small dog thing as I've never had problems with any of my previous dogs.) And of course the new puppy will be crate trained until fully housetrained.

Do you recommend letting the puppy sleep in the bed with me at night? Teddy never had any problems when he was a pup, but.. he does have some mild separation anxiety, so I wonder if maybe I just didn't force him to get used to sleeping alone and that was the problem. What do you think?

 

[MikaTallulah]

Oh, yeah. I still crate my chi whenever no one is home. It's usually only 3-4 hours max, but it keeps him from trying to mark anything in the house. (He's housetrained but still likes to "forget the rules" on occasion. Seems like a small dog thing as I've never had problems with any of my previous dogs.) And of course the new puppy will be crate trained until fully housetrained.

Do you recommend letting the puppy sleep in the bed with me at night? Teddy never had any problems when he was a pup, but.. he does have some mild separation anxiety, so I wonder if maybe I just didn't force him to get used to sleeping alone and that was the problem. What do you think?

My little ones all sleep in bed with me but never by big ones. None of my little ones have separation anxiety. Buddy does though due to his previous abuse. I wish I could use a crate with him but he is terrified of them. The crate would keep him out of trouble.

Lucky was crate trained and once he was housebroken would slept next to the bed. When he was an adult he would still sleep next to my bed or in the hallway (cool wood floors in the summer). He would come on the bed and funiture to watch TV but only if invitee. At my parents he never went upstair- He sleep in the family room (was not allowed on the furniture), kitchen, or laundry room- He never seemed to care. The same rules apply to Buddy.

Do you want to sleep with an adult golden? I know I don't care but others might so I don't allow it.

 

[Kaila]

As it gets closer and closer to the 25th, I'm getting more excited. ! I can't wait to pick up my baby. The foster mom sent me an e-mail back about the personalities of the pups at 5 weeks:

"They definitely have their own personalities. All are sweet and loving and playful but the differences are: Avalon is laid back and will play but doesn't mind being alone. The other blonde boy, Aston, is the biggest kisser and comes running. Reddish girl Azera is feisty and plays hard. Reddish boy Avanti was the runt but has caught up and is very sweet but will hold his own. The blonde girl Armada wants to be with you immediately, and Acadia and Azure are just sweethearts and go along with the pack. They want to be right on you and play rope but each one loves to explore on their own. Scarlett is about 42 lbs. Still trying to get some pounds on her but she is getting there. Those are the distinct personalities I have noticed so far, hope it helps.

PS: I nicknamed the big boy "Chunk," lol. He's always the first to start napping!"

 

[Kaila]

Do you want to sleep with an adult golden? I know I don't care but others might so I don't allow it.

My boyfriend said that if I insist on the dog being on the bed, she can sleep at the foot of the bed and that'd be fine. Otherwise she'll have to sleep beside the bed on her own doggy bed if it gets too cramped. Personally, I love snuggling into a pile of dogs on the bed.. but I might be weird.

 

[MikaTallulah]

My boyfriend said that if I insist on the dog being on the bed, she can sleep at the foot of the bed and that'd be fine. Otherwise she'll have to sleep beside the bed on her own doggy bed if it gets too cramped. Personally, I love snuggling into a pile of dogs on the bed.. but I might be weird.

My bed gets pretty crowded with 4 yorkies, 2 maine **** cats, and at least 1 people. Not very comfy once big boy spreads out. I have been pushed out of bed before when I feel asleep with Lucky on the bed. Good luck getting her to stay at the foot of the bed. Right now there is a yorkie wrapped around my head, 1 on my hip, 1 on stomach, 1 at my knees, and 2 cast sleeping at my back. Too crowded for Buddy he has opted for the floor in his bed. Plus the big boys always seem to get overheated.

So have you made your decision yet over which puppy will be your's?

 

[Kaila]

We're thinking of Acadia, but it sounds like I'll get the pick of the litter since no one else has applied yet. The foster mom thinks that more applications will be coming in, but I'll have to meet the puppies before I make my final decision. So far, Acadia seems like she's not clingy/too submissive or too in-your-face/dominant. A puppy that is happy to be with you but is also curious about the world around her seems more like what I'm looking for.

 

[Bentley's Mom]

Here's a link to a puppy socialization checklist that's pretty thorough, Puppy Socialization Checklist just in case you wanted another list I LOVE lists.