# 8 month old male - feel close to giving up



## Dunmar (Apr 15, 2020)

Just love him! Train him to sit when meeting new people.

My girl jumps all over new people and we are working on it! If it never was corrected, I still love her. She would just get kenneled when company came over. I don't believe this is an unbreakable habit though. I just keep her on a short leash and tell her "Down" when meeting someone. She will learn. I'm sure yours will too


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

One suggestion I have as somebody who has been around the block lots and lots of times..... 

I think people who expect young goldens to be well behaved and perfect when meeting and greeting are asking too much of these young dogs. Let them be young dogs. You have some kind of excuse for the craziness - just remind people that your dog is a puppy and he's completely out of control - and smile or laugh. 

By the time they get closer to 15 months, they start relaxing a little and becoming less excitable and over the top. 

Keep doing the obedience training - you, doing the work. Don't hire trainers since this is about you learning how to work with your dog.

Harnesses are garbage. You put those on a dog - they will train him to pull.

And only collar a young dog should have on is a simple buckle collar. No prongs, no zap collars to electrocute him, etc.

Do not suggest daycare.... unless the issue is you work 9-12 hours a day and need to keep him from destroying your house. In which case, I guess dog walkers, family, or daycare - you need to do what you need to do.  Daycare will make him a little more excitable and dog-focused around other dogs which will make dog training more of a pain.. if you are home during the day though - no, do not suggest daycare.

I do suggest you going out for walks - or just spending time with him. Now is the time you should be bonding with your dog and really falling in love with him. If you are stuck at home because of the C virus, then take advantage and just take him everywhere.


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## Jmcarp83 (May 4, 2018)

My 7.5 month old female is honestly the most well mannered girl but when I let her out of the kennel i. The morning she acts like I’m a new face and is a jumping bean. I just ignore her and she stops within one to two times. Tell her outside and she goes and places her head on the door.

dogs get excited when they see people. They (people) greet them before they’re even near them. Rule in my house is: Ignore/do not acknowledge the dogs until you are ready. And you’d be surprised how that has really changed greeting. They know no one is going to pet them until they’re ready to do it. No bombarding people who come in the house.


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## eeerrrmmm1 (Apr 15, 2018)

Megora said:


> I think people who expect young goldens to be well behaved and perfect when meeting and greeting are asking too much of these young dogs. Let them be young dogs. You have some kind of excuse for the craziness - just remind people that your dog is a puppy and he's completely out of control - and smile or laugh.
> 
> By the time they get closer to 15 months, they start relaxing a little and becoming less excitable and over the top.
> 
> Keep doing the obedience training - you, doing the work. Don't hire trainers since this is about you learning how to work with your dog.


Yep. This ^. Most puppies aren't wonderfully behaved little angels. Don't compare him to other people's wonder puppies, there are just as many (but most likely far more) people struggling to keep their golden puppy from going crazy when someone comes over. Over excessive greeting disorder is common with goldens and honestly, there are worse problems so I just accepted it as another sign that Luna is one of the happiest little creatures on earth which in turn makes me incredibly happy. 

If it's a small child or an elderly person, keep him leashed until he calms down so he can't accidentally knock them over. Otherwise, ask your guest to turn around and calmly ignore his antics while you work with him using high value treats to sit down. With time and consistency, he will get better. His impulse control right now is nearly non-existent. Luna is 2 now and is doing much better about calmly greeting people when they arrive... if it's my in-laws with their dog (her favorite playmate) then she's still going to lose her mind so we have the dogs greet loose in the fenced in yard so they can immediately commence bitey face time. If she acts a little crazy I say "I hear golden's calm down around 3..."  

On walks I use a harness and a gentle leader. The gentle leader is key for Luna when seeing other dogs. She went to daycare a lot and thinks everyone is a potential playmate. I'm usually jogging with her so I just make sure I remove the slack in the line to the gentle leader and pick up the pace a little to keep her interested (this is usually before she's even seen the other dog) and after a few learning sessions, now she calmly keeps moving. Unless the other dog is going nuts in a electric fence yard so there's no actual barrier between us. That can be challenging but with repeated exposure it's starting to get better even under those circumstances. It really is just consistency and time.


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

I'm sorry for your frustration. It's hard when the second Golden is not as easy as the first one was. He has only lived with you for 6 months and he hasn't had socialization (you will not be alone with this issue) and exposure to people coming over during most of that time. Covid was responsible, you can't change that, but it's not your puppy's fault either. 

I hope you don't mind giving us a little more info about his schedule with you. You mentioned that he's been thru two training classes now? How long were the classes? How have you completed 16 weeks of training classes when everything has been shut down with Covid? I live in the Charlotte area and we weren't hard hit in the spring but our classes shut down. I'm trying to understand clearly what you've done with him? I tell everyone on this forum who wants a Golden puppy to expect to invest the first year or two with their puppy in fulltime obedience classes. It's a lot of work. There is no way that your puppy is ready to go to a public event or gathering of people after he's had such a short time of training. A dog walker is helpful but if they are taking him out for a 30 minute walk every day (has this been going on his whole life?) they most likely aren't holding him to training standards and he's spent time every day un-learning any manners you've been teaching him. Was the dog walker training him during the walks or just walking him for a certain time? That could be a piece of the puzzle.

My other question is about his exercise routine. You mentioned that your puppy is "out each morning before work, noon and evening to get to new places and train." You don't mention what you do for him to get exercise? By the way this is worded, I am guessing it's leash walks before work, at noon and then in the evening. Leash walking in a neighborhood is exercise for your grandmother, not an adolescent Golden Retriever puppy. He needs a *minimum of 30 mins *every day of aerobic activity that leaves him tired and panting. Usually a playdate to wrestle and run with another young dog, swimming or off leash hiking, formal retrieving or kicking a soccer ball around etc. is what is required to get this. It is not easy at this age. Are you doing this with him? If you're at work and he's sleeping 8 hours while you're gone and 8 hours over night he is going to be brimming with energy. 

I suspect that if you sat down with a calendar and tracked exactly what you've done with him to help him learn to be a good boy, since the day you brought him home 6 months ago, you'd see that you're being very unfair to your puppy to expect him to have the self control of an adult dog with such a short amount of time spent with training. I know it's exhausting to have a 60 pound toddler on a leash but you are not allowed to give up no matter how tired you are. You made a commitment to this puppy and you owe it him and to yourself to see this through and give him the extra work he needs to be a good member of your family. 

I second the advice given to make an effort to play and enjoy him and lower your expectations a bit. He deserves that and so do you. You didn't even tell us his name. We'd love to see a photo of him and have you tell us his name and some of the fun things you do with him. Hang in there, it will get better with more time and more work.


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## GoldenLight (Jul 17, 2020)

Simba, he is with his other owner for most of the day when I work. He swims almost everyday. I play fetch with him until I feel he is about to lose interest or take off. I hide toys and treats around the house so he can find them and bring them back. We are increasing our hike distances. I do gentle tug with him. The soccer ball is a great idea.

Many of my friends have not met him because would he could almost harm someone with his jumping. 

Thank you for reminding me to be patient and have fun and it's not all about the training.


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## GoldenLight (Jul 17, 2020)

nolefan said:


> I'm sorry for your frustration. It's hard when the second Golden is not as easy as the first one was. He has only lived with you for 6 months and he hasn't had socialization (you will not be alone with this issue) and exposure to people coming over during most of that time. Covid was responsible, you can't change that, but it's not your puppy's fault either.
> 
> I hope you don't mind giving us a little more info about his schedule with you. You mentioned that he's been thru two training classes now? How long were the classes? How have you completed 16 weeks of training classes when everything has been shut down with Covid? I live in the Charlotte area and we weren't hard hit in the spring but our classes shut down. I'm trying to understand clearly what you've done with him? I tell everyone on this forum who wants a Golden puppy to expect to invest the first year or two with their puppy in fulltime obedience classes. It's a lot of work. There is no way that your puppy is ready to go to a public event or gathering of people after he's had such a short time of training. A dog walker is helpful but if they are taking him out for a 30 minute walk every day (has this been going on his whole life?) they most likely aren't holding him to training standards and he's spent time every day un-learning any manners you've been teaching him. Was the dog walker training him during the walks or just walking him for a certain time? That could be a piece of the puzzle.
> 
> ...





nolefan said:


> I'm sorry for your frustration. It's hard when the second Golden is not as easy as the first one was. He has only lived with you for 6 months and he hasn't had socialization (you will not be alone with this issue) and exposure to people coming over during most of that time. Covid was responsible, you can't change that, but it's not your puppy's fault either.
> 
> I hope you don't mind giving us a little more info about his schedule with you. You mentioned that he's been thru two training classes now? How long were the classes? How have you completed 16 weeks of training classes when everything has been shut down with Covid? I live in the Charlotte area and we weren't hard hit in the spring but our classes shut down. I'm trying to understand clearly what you've done with him? I tell everyone on this forum who wants a Golden puppy to expect to invest the first year or two with their puppy in fulltime obedience classes. It's a lot of work. There is no way that your puppy is ready to go to a public event or gathering of people after he's had such a short time of training. A dog walker is helpful but if they are taking him out for a 30 minute walk every day (has this been going on his whole life?) they most likely aren't holding him to training standards and he's spent time every day un-learning any manners you've been teaching him. Was the dog walker training him during the walks or just walking him for a certain time? That could be a piece of the puzzle.
> 
> ...


Joined 18 h ago
·
2 Posts
Discussion Starter • #7 • a moment ago
Simba, he is with his other owner for most of the day when I work. He swims almost everyday. I play fetch with him until I feel he is about to lose interest or take off. I hide toys and treats around the house so he can find them and bring them back. We are increasing our hike distances. I do gentle tug with him. The soccer ball is a great idea.

Many of my friends have not met him because would he could almost harm someone with his jumping.

Thank you for reminding me to be patient and have fun and it's not all about the training.


*Attachments*


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## Dunmar (Apr 15, 2020)

I finally got Molly's other crate mat in the mail today. Our new training started immediately for "Spot "

So far it is me taking a treat to spot and putting it low so she lays down. She will do it 100% of the time with a treat and with me leading her. This took 10 minutes. I am hopeful that with time, "Spot" will be used for manners. 
Make sense?


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## GoldenLight (Jul 17, 2020)

Yes


eeerrrmmm1 said:


> Yep. This ^. Most puppies aren't wonderfully behaved little angels. Don't compare him to other people's wonder puppies, there are just as many (but most likely far more) people struggling to keep their golden puppy from going crazy when someone comes over. Over excessive greeting disorder is common with goldens and honestly, there are worse problems so I just accepted it as another sign that Luna is one of the happiest little creatures on earth which in turn makes me incredibly happy.
> 
> If it's a small child or an elderly person, keep him leashed until he calms down so he can't accidentally knock them over. Otherwise, ask your guest to turn around and calmly ignore his antics while you work with him using high value treats to sit down. With time and consistency, he will get better. His impulse control right now is nearly non-existent. Luna is 2 now and is doing much better about calmly greeting people when they arrive... if it's my in-laws with their dog (her favorite playmate) then she's still going to lose her mind so we have the dogs greet loose in the fenced in yard so they can immediately commence bitey face time. If she acts a little crazy I say "I hear golden's calm down around 3..."
> 
> On walks I use a harness and a gentle leader. The gentle leader is key for Luna when seeing other dogs. She went to daycare a lot and thinks everyone is a potential playmate. I'm usually jogging with her so I just make sure I remove the slack in the line to the gentle leader and pick up the pace a little to keep her interested (this is usually before she's even seen the other dog) and after a few learning sessions, now she calmly keeps moving. Unless the other dog is going nuts in a electric fence yard so there's no actual barrier between us. That can be challenging but with repeated exposure it's starting to get better even under those circumstances. It really is just consistency and time.


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## GoldenLight (Jul 17, 2020)

Thank you yes I have had to stand on his leash too because he lunges so much. He has 'place' with treats and stand on leash for now but am going to ween him off of that. Glad yours is doing better.


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

Megora said:


> And only collar a young dog should have on is a simple buckle collar. No prongs, no zap collars to electrocute him, etc.


Come on, lots of very happy, obedient, well trained dogs wear e-collars every day and none get "electrocuted". Prong and choke collars only cause discomfort when a dog is disobedient. The discomfort stops the instant the dogs chooses to obey.
Any training aid can be misused. People have so many problems teaching and maintaining obedience with their dogs. At the same time they reject or are cautioned against using many of the training aids that would help. 
Go to a field event sometime. You will see scores of happy dogs that love what they do. It is unlikely you will find any that don't wear e collars in training.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

SRW said:


> Any training aid can be misused.


In the hands of people who don't take their dogs to obedience - yep. It happens most of the time.

But I also got a big eyeful at a fun match where somebody (really BIG TIME OTCH trainer) was giving a private to a student with a bouvier after the match was over. The dog was having problems with the broad jump - as in, he kept going around. The OTCH trainer strapped an ecollar on the dog and they were working on zapping the dog the instant he balked about taking the jump. This was a trained and obedient dog and this was a situation where most of us would have used positive methods - or called it a day when the dog kept refusing to take the jump. Among else, one reason why a dog might refuse a jump is if there is something physically bothering him - which is a big reason to "listen" to your dog and not force the dog through an exercise when he's repeatedly balking or refusing.

Instead, I had to watch (I was clean up crew) as they put the collar up on the highest settings and pressed that button and held it while the dog screamed.  

And that's not the only time I've seen something like this happen.

In the hands of a pet owner walking her mutt around the block here in my neighborhood as I went past with my dogs - she pressed the button and held it. Her dog was screaming and spinning trying to get away from the pain.

Is that not enough?

How about another example.

Was walking my dog more recently and passed by a house where the people leave their territorial sharpei outside in the electric fenced yard even though everyone complains about this dog charging to the edge of the property when they walk past. The guy apparently decided to fix the charging by electrocuting his dog when he went out to charge the property line when I walked past. Dog started screaming and spinning to get away from the pain.

I once accidentally held an electric fencing collar in hand (took it off the dog and had a regular collar on him so I could drag him home across the efence line). I got electrocuted as I passed the line. The sensation was exactly the same as the time I got electrocuted at home by a malfunctioning appliance (fridge). Would not have killed me, but felt the shock go through my entire body until I dropped the collar. Imagine being a dog with that strapped around your neck and having that shock happen. 

I don't care if people use ecollars, but I hate when they go around encouraging EVERYONE to use them. And certain trainers out there sell them. It's awful. Keep it in field if you want. But it does not need to be in any other sports. It does not need to be in the hands of pet owners.


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## diane0905 (Aug 20, 2010)

I have an eight month old Golden named Logan. He's exuberant and gets oh so excited when he sees people and other dogs. He really loves children. 

I train him and train him and train him. I will continue to train him. It will all pay off. Eight months is young and Goldens love other animals and people. 

I think the best thing to do is not reinforce the behavior. If he pulls and acts friendly excited on a leash, lunging, and such -- I don't let him get to the object of his desire. I stay still -- I don't pull against him. I just hold steady and work on redirecting his attention to me. 

I do a lot of impulse control training and keep him away from things as best I can that make him lose his mind and focus. If he jumps up, I teach him to immediately sit. Logan doesn't jump on me because he knows I don't allow it. I will sit on the floor and hug him like crazy though and he loves it. He leans his body into me enjoying every minute of it.

He'll sometimes jump on the counter, but much, much less because I've been working with him to not to do that. He sometimes tries to jump on other people. I stop him and tell them he's not allowed to do it so they will not reward him for the behavior. Luckily, he doesn't try to jump on children. 

Put a leash on him if he can't contain himself when people come to your home. He'll figure it out if you are consistent over time. 

I find leave it to be the best thing to teach mine over and over and over again to get him to be less excited about lunging at other people/dogs.

I don't expect perfection because I'm not going to get that from an eight month old Golden Retriever. We have advances and setbacks -- lately it's starting to feel like more and more advances. Eventually with all the work/time put in, a well behaved dog will emerge. 

Mine has a flat collar and a four foot leash. He's doing better and better with each passing week with his loose lead walking. I work with him on it every single day. I've been excited to see him coming along. He's headstrong and confident. Smart as heck. It takes a lot of work to come to a place where the relationship is more in unison. 

I'd stop switching out between countless collars and harnesses if I were you. Give him time to adjust to one. 

I get it can be frustrating. He senses your frustration. Try to stay calm as best you can. It sounds like you are doing a lot of fun stuff with him -- like swimming him and hiking. That will help your bond.

I hope things look up for you soon. It will all be worth it.


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## Ffcmm (May 4, 2016)

I have a 9 month old and he is really really really excited when people come over. We do have a jumping problem, so I always tell my guests to ignore him 100% literally, no eye contact, no petting, just pretend he is invisible and he soon loses interest. 

You can try getting one of your friends to help you with training. get them to pop over for a visit with this in mind and work on getting him to calm down and being ignored etc ( and then maybe buy your friend dinner for helping you out!)


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

Ffcmm said:


> I have a 9 month old and he is really really really excited when people come over. We do have a jumping problem, so I always tell my guests to ignore him 100% literally, no eye contact, no petting, just pretend he is invisible and he soon loses interest.


A 9 month old dog should know better. Training your guests how to behave will not correct the behavior of your dog.
If a friend helps in training they should be adding to the dogs excitement, petting him, talking to him, doing exactly what people do. The dog has to learn to behave and not jump regardless of what other people do.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

I'm sorry you are struggling. This may sound harsh but you are responsible for how this pup is behaving. The positive side of this is you also have the ability to change this behavior. If he is an over greeter it is because you have allowed him to be one. So find a good training class for YOU and the pup to attend and learn how to communicate effectively with your pup. I realize there are limited classes available right now but many trainers are offering online or one on one classes. kikopup has some really great youtube videos on how to teach your pup to keep feet on the floor. But ultimately it's up to you on how much time you are willing to train. Connie Cleveland has nice online videos and training courses. Petra Ford does good online webinars, Janice Gunn also has some great online courses. 
It's up to you, how hard do you want to work at this? The pup can't do it alone... you can't pay someone else to do this and expect the pup to listen to you. 
I for one do not let my pups greet people, on walks or at home. It's far too rewarding to encourage this excited behavior. I teach the behaviors I want so by the time I let them greet people they know how to sit politely to receive the reward of being loved on. We train at home, then progress to the hardware store, Lowes nursery. Teach them to ignore people. The more time you work at this the faster your dog will learn, be positive and consistent and anytime you can avoid a situation where you don't have control (like visitors & out of control behavior) the better. Put the pup in a crate BEFORE opening the front door. Once the dog has settled, COMPLETELY settled, put a leash on and expect your pup to remain calm & by your side with people in the house. If they begin to get excited, put them back into the crate to settle themself. They can't know how to behave if you don't show them what you want. Encourage the behaviors you like, ignore the stuff you don't by putting them in the crate. The time out is for you to take a deep breath and begin again when you are calm and in control.


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## JulesAK (Jun 6, 2010)

Ffcmm said:


> I have a 9 month old and he is really really really excited when people come over. We do have a jumping problem, so I always tell my guests to ignore him 100% literally, no eye contact, no petting, just pretend he is invisible and he soon loses interest.
> 
> You can try getting one of your friends to help you with training. get them to pop over for a visit with this in mind and work on getting him to calm down and being ignored etc ( and then maybe buy your friend dinner for helping you out!)


I have the same issue. Some dogs are just more exuberant than others. Maggie is not yet 2 but I have never had a dog that loves people as much as she does. She only tries to jump now when someone doesn't start petting her right away after she sits. It will still take training and reinforcement but we will get there. Some dogs definitely take longer than others 
Jules


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## Ffcmm (May 4, 2016)

SRW said:


> A 9 month old dog should know better. Training your guests how to behave will not correct the behavior of your dog.
> If a friend helps in training they should be adding to the dogs excitement, petting him, talking to him, doing exactly what people do. The dog has to learn to behave and not jump regardless of what other people do.


there are different training methods of course, but my trainer taught me that calm guest = calm dogs, and that has worked well for me. Dogs match your energy levels and excitement, and I do not reasonably expect my 9 month old to control his excitement and jumping behaviour if my guests are excited as well and super enthusiastic about petting him and encourage him to jump. I prefer a less chaotic entry, so my guests interact with me, and ignore the dogs. when the dogs are calm they reward them with affection and attention, and no one gets jumped on. if they are pet when they jump, that just encourages them and reinforces the behaviour. some dogs get all frenzied and riled up once they are over excited and over aroused and then it becomes hard to bring back their energy levels so I prefer the calm approach.


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

Ffcmm said:


> there are different training methods of course, but my trainer taught me that calm guest = calm dogs, and that has worked well for me. Dogs match your energy levels and excitement, and I do not reasonably expect my 9 month old to control his excitement and jumping behaviour if my guests are excited as well and super enthusiastic about petting him and encourage him to jump. I prefer a less chaotic entry, so my guests interact with me, and ignore the dogs. when the dogs are calm they reward them with affection and attention, and no one gets jumped on. if they are pet when they jump, that just encourages them and reinforces the behaviour. some dogs get all frenzied and riled up once they are over excited and over aroused and then it becomes hard to bring back their energy levels so I prefer the calm approach.


Train however you please but it doesn't sound like it is working very well. 
I train for field trials and hunting, obedience is a very important prerequisite. We cannot duplicate every situation a dog will encounter in the field so we train on concepts. Dogs know difference between training situations and hunting or field trials. The level of excitement at an event presents a big challenge for a dog and handler. Training in a calm atmosphere will not prepare either to do anything except fail. 
The reality is, your dog will encounter people that don't behave the way you want them to. Train for that concept and you and your dog will succeed in overcoming it.


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## 3goldens2keep (Feb 13, 2019)

Megora said:


> "Instead, I had to watch (I was clean up crew) as they put the collar up on the highest settings and pressed that button and held it while the dog screamed. "
> 
> This person should be turned in for cruelty to animals! Anyone who knows anything about training with an ecollar or pinch collar would tell you that this person is crazy and should be outlawed from having a dog!
> 
> ...


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

OP if it helps you my girls have lots of crazy too, I actually encourage it as I want them fully engaged in the training. The younger one jumps to shoulder height when excited but NEVER jump on me or anyone else. Excitement isn't your problem, lack of consistent training is. If you are new to training you need to get some help to learn how to speak the language your dog understands. Right now your pup is speaking puppy and you are speaking people. No or stop are not in the puppy vocabulary until you teach them what those words mean. Until you teach the behavior you are wanting it's not fair to expect the dog to perform those behaviors when they are excited. Like most kids the ears stop working when they are focused on something else... like a video game or a sporting event.... in a pup, visitors or dinner time.

I'm not opposed to e-collars, they can be an effective training tool. Although I will never have one on my dogs. I don't use prong collars on a golden or ear pinches/toe pinches or forced dumbbell training. But e-collars are not a short cut for teaching your puppy manners. Without the knowledge of how to use them correctly you can create far more bad behaviors from using one than you already have. 

Teaching the basic obedience behaviors sit/down/come/stay & walking nice on a leash are not that hard to do but it does require consistency and time/dedication from you. FWIW by 9 months my dogs can earn a CD in obedience competitions and can take them into any store. They wait quietly beside me while I shop and pay the cashier and never approach people. Your pup can do this with your help.


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

_"These collars are only used on the dog AFTER THEY HAVE *completely* LEARNED THE COMMANDS!" _
Agree, and the same can be said of any form of reprimand.

_The amount of shock they receive is *NEVER* set high enough to cause the dog to 'jerk', 'bark' or 'cry'! _
Usually true but some dogs are very accomplished actors. A friend has a dog that will sometimes squeal at the top of her lungs at the lowest level nick from the collar. If you touch the prongs on that level you cannot tell if it is working. Other times we wonder if she can even feel pain as she hurls herself through brush on the way to a bird.


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## Dunmar (Apr 15, 2020)

SRW said:


> _"These collars are only used on the dog AFTER THEY HAVE *completely* LEARNED THE COMMANDS!" _
> Agree, and the same can be said of any form of reprimand.
> 
> _The amount of shock they receive is *NEVER* set high enough to cause the dog to 'jerk', 'bark' or 'cry'! _
> Usually true but some dogs are very accomplished actors. A friend has a dog that will sometimes squeal at the top of her lungs at the lowest level nick from the collar. If you touch the prongs on that level you cannot tell if it is working. Other times we wonder if she can even feel pain as she hurls herself through brush on the way to a bird.


I hate to even admit this but my youngest son and his friends apparently but these collars on and zapped themselves. Apparently they were very intense and painful. 
Of course they didnt have a good answer for me when I asked them why on earth they would do such a stupid thing as adults....


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

3goldens2keep said:


> This person should be turned in for cruelty to animals! Anyone who knows anything about training with an ecollar or pinch collar would tell you that this person is crazy and should be outlawed from having a dog!


This was somebody who also did field with his dogs (performance bred goldens).

You and SRW send your dogs out to be trained by professionals. Do you know how they are being trained? Just curious....


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## diane0905 (Aug 20, 2010)

puddles everywhere said:


> OP if it helps you my girls have lots of crazy too, I actually encourage it as I want them fully engaged in the training. The younger one jumps to shoulder height when excited but NEVER jump on me or anyone else. Excitement isn't your problem, lack of consistent training is. If you are new to training you need to get some help to learn how to speak the language your dog understands. Right now your pup is speaking puppy and you are speaking people. No or stop are not in the puppy vocabulary until you teach them what those words mean. Until you teach the behavior you are wanting it's not fair to expect the dog to perform those behaviors when they are excited. Like most kids the ears stop working when they are focused on something else... like a video game or a sporting event.... in a pup, visitors or dinner time.
> 
> I'm not opposed to e-collars, they can be an effective training tool. Although I will never have one on my dogs. I don't use prong collars on a golden or ear pinches/toe pinches or forced dumbbell training. But e-collars are not a short cut for teaching your puppy manners. Without the knowledge of how to use them correctly you can create far more bad behaviors from using one than you already have.
> 
> Teaching the basic obedience behaviors sit/down/come/stay & walking nice on a leash are not that hard to do but it does require consistency and time/dedication from you. FWIW by 9 months my dogs can earn a CD in obedience competitions and can take them into any store. They wait quietly beside me while I shop and pay the cashier and never approach people. Your pup can do this with your help.


I've worked with Logan every day and spent lots of time doing it. He still gets over excited when he sees people and other dogs. He does better if it's just people. Without a doubt I've put in time and consistency. I've tried high value treats. Tons of "with me" type exercises to get him to think I'm the cat's meow. There's no way in the world he would do what you are describing. Now, once he gets over his moment he will settle down and just sit or lie down and wait. Initially, however, it can be quite the attempt to greet.

I agree with you sit, down, come and stay came easily. Walking on a leash without reacting to others, not so much. It will come, but we aren't there yet and it's not from lack of effort.

Logan will never be in an e-collar or a prong collar. Not a fan, nor do I care for invisible fencing.

I think each dog is different and some take longer than others for certain behaviors. Today's distraction was a white squirrel. He also gets worked up about birds. Thank goodness, he's not interested in cars or golf carts.

On a funny note, I signed Logan up for adolescent obedience. I'm hoping the more we go, the more he will get used to being around other dogs without acting like he needs to energetically meet each one. We'll see. The funny part is I told the lady he's super smart and up to about 22 tricks now. She said she doesn't think it helps to teach them tricks. I resisted the urge to say, "Oops, we are 22 tricks in the hole." lol Why would it be an issue to teach a dog tricks?

This is the first class I've been able to find available. Where I'm from has been shut down as far as the local obedience clubs, etc. since the virus situation started. I'm in North Carolina for the summer and finally found someone offering classes.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

diane0905 said:


> I've worked with Logan every day and spent lots of time doing it. He still gets over excited when he sees people and other dogs. He does better if it's just people. Without a doubt I've put in time and consistency. I've tried high value treats. Tons of "with me" type exercises to get him to think I'm the cat's meow. There's no way in the world he would do what you are describing. Now, once he gets over his moment he will settle down and just sit or lie down and wait. Initially, however, it can be quite the attempt to greet.
> 
> I agree with you sit, down, come and stay came easily. Walking on a leash without reacting to others, not so much. It will come, but we aren't there yet and it's not from lack of effort.
> 
> ...


I know how hard you have worked! See if this offers any help. 



This excited greeting is why I never let people pet my pups. I have no problem telling people no, we are training. I've had to tell well meaning people by stepping in front of the dog to say I do not want you to pet the dog while they are this excited. I will not have my dogs receive a reward for behaving badly. Did they leave offended? Probably but don't really care, my concern was with the dog not the stranger.
Leerburg.com has some really great focus training videos but focus needs to happen at home 1st, then progress out to other locations. If you can't get their attention you need to go back to the location where you could, they aren't ready for that location yet. My pup doesn't have the focus I would like for precision obedience trials but jumping up or approaching people has never been a concern. 
She was 4 months old when I picked her up and when she and her sister were let out it was a circus with all the leaping and jumping, biting at the pants. As soon as she got close enough I positioned her into a sit... when she looked up, then gave kisses. This is how I start and never had to tell her, she understood. No quiet sit, no attention. She is a half sister to your pup. These guys are so smart, they are so sensitive to body language.


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## diane0905 (Aug 20, 2010)

puddles everywhere said:


> I know how hard you have worked! See if this offers any help.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I will check that out. Thank you. I love her videos.

People can be obnoxious in this situation. I tell them no also. Yes, I've seen offended people. I just say, "I'm working on him not getting this excited and it will reward him if I let him get to you to be petted. Please do not pet him." I've heard everything from, "He's just a puppy! He wants to meet people!" and so on. There's this one woman in this neighborhood who knows I'm training him -- I've told her -- and she slows down and rolls her window down and says things like, "There's my Logan! You're a good boy!" in this high pitched voice and laughs when he gets excited. Tasing people is against the law, right? lol The lady is clueless.

Agree about the smarts. That part makes me happy. Logan doesn't miss anything and he catches on so quickly. He really is a joy. I love they are related. 

Logan pays attention like crazy when I'm working with him one on one. To be honest, I haven't been carrying treats with me in the mountains like I did at home. This is bear country and there are quite a few in our neighborhood. I saw a huge black bear recently strolling down the road. I'm not sure if I should be smelling like a treat factory. lol 

He's not bad about jumping up. He's made a lot of progress there. He does have issues with wanting to lunge toward the objects of his desire. I turn around and go the opposite way when I can if I see something approaching I know he is going to find impossible to resist. I can tell by his body language -- he perks up if he sees something along those lines coming. There's a woman down the road who walks her little dog off leash. He just wanders all over the place. She hollered today, "I'm probably not helping you with this one off leash."

I don't mean to be taking over this thread. I'll let you know when I see some marked improvement with this issue.


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

Megora said:


> You and SRW send your dogs out to be trained by professionals. Do you know how they are being trained? Just curious....


I have never and will never send a dog to a pro trainer. I have no problem with others doing so but I enjoy training every bit as much as hunting of field trials, maybe more.

None of these ribbons are particularly impressive IMO. In fact most represent some degree of disappointment.









They are what Jake and I earned and hopefully indicate we are on the right track.
If I had made excuses for his disobedience and attempted to modify the behavior of others to compensate for my dogs behavior we would still be at square one.
I stand by my belief that the e collar is the most humane training tool available. It is not that difficult to learn how to use an e collar or any other training aid. Common sense, intelligence and dedication are all that is required.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

@SRW - It's probable that in the past here or on another forum you'd said something about training with a pro, and I apparently remembered that as "sending your dog out to be trained". My bad memory. Sorry about that.


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

Megora said:


> @SRW - It's probable that in the past here or on another forum you'd said something about training with a pro, and I apparently remembered that as "sending your dog out to be trained". My bad memory. Sorry about that.


No offense taken. I have trained with some very experienced people but no pros. Some surely could be and a couple were at one time. Drawing on the knowledge of experienced trainers is a tremendous asset. Many in the field trial world that are very happy have new people in the sport and will gladly help them.
I really wish more people would discover what a rewarding experience it is to train their own dog.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

SRW said:


> I really wish more people would discover what a rewarding experience it is to train their own dog.


My take is that a huge part of training your own dog is learning how to "Read" your dog and building that bond with your dog. You don't get that when you send your dog out to be trained by somebody else or if you are always handing your dog off to somebody else to work with. 

I'll never forget being in a comp obedience class with a young couple with a yellow lab that was sent away to be professionally trained for field. This was a dog who in classes was not fetching anything for the couple and blowing off his owners on recalls. They were frustrated because they'd spent thousands on professional training with this dog.

The instructor is somebody who has claimed she's 99% positive only, but she will use corrections. The instant she took that dog's leash, he became a completely different dog. It was like she'd turned on the power button with him. Some of that is experienced trainers know how to use voice, body language, movements + dog reading skills to get a dog to pay attention, listen, and "do". Some of that was her knowing what correction to do at the right time to nip the nonsense in the bud. 

This was a case of a dog that was fully trained - but the owners did not have the dog's respect + did not know how to handle him. They were disconnected from the dog. I've said before, they didn't even know the right commands to use with their dog. 

Other side of it...whether you send your dog away for conformation or field, be careful.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

diane0905 said:


> I will check that out. Thank you. I love her videos.
> 
> People can be obnoxious in this situation. I tell them no also. Yes, I've seen offended people. I just say, "I'm working on him not getting this excited and it will reward him if I let him get to you to be petted. Please do not pet him." I've heard everything from, "He's just a puppy! He wants to meet people!" and so on. There's this one woman in this neighborhood who knows I'm training him -- I've told her -- and she slows down and rolls her window down and says things like, "There's my Logan! You're a good boy!" in this high pitched voice and laughs when he gets excited. Tasing people is against the law, right? lol The lady is clueless.
> 
> ...


Your funny! Sounds like you are doing great. I totally agree about the bears, yikes but pretty sure taser might be called for for the neighbor  The little chihuahua type dog next door is always loose too... I also have cats and one raccoon that likes to get involved during training. The raccoon was a real challenge, must have a death wish as she almost got this critter in the back yard during a potty break. We just consider it a great distraction. I know you will enjoy when classes return. Thanks for the laugh.


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## GoldenDude (Nov 5, 2016)

Don't allow your dog to greet other dogs with overaggressiveness that's due to either friendliness or aggression. You may encounter a grumpy old man like me who will advise you to train your dog. I am mystified by people who take their dog for a walk in a public area and simply tolerate their dog lunging at other people. It's rude and unacceptable. If I see you trying to use the moments as a training opportunity, I'll give you lots of leeway. But I have no patience for folks who simply allow the behavior to occur without making any attempts to correct it.


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

Megora said:


> My take is that a huge part of training your own dog is learning how to "Read" your dog and building that bond with your dog.


That is true, also be conscious of how closely your dog is reading you.



GoldenDude said:


> I am mystified by people who take their dog for a walk in a public area and simply tolerate their dog lunging at other people. It's rude and unacceptable. If I see you trying to use the moments as a training opportunity, I'll give you lots of leeway. But I have no patience for folks who simply allow the behavior to occur without making any attempts to correct it.


Even worse is hearing the excuses that follow such behavior.


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## 3goldens2keep (Feb 13, 2019)

Megora said:


> This was somebody who also did field with his dogs (performance bred goldens).
> 
> You and SRW send your dogs out to be trained by professionals. Do you know how they are being trained? Just curious....


Of course we do! Our training involves lots of training for the dog owners, especially for those of us that will actually run the pup in field events to earn titles...out trainers have 'training weekends' which we attend! We also spend a week in Texas in the winter to work with the trainers and dogs.....train the trainers! Dog never stop training, when we get him back, training will continue at home...


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## Kenmar (Apr 28, 2018)

Luna66 said:


> I am starting to wonder if I made the wrong decision by getting a Golden puppy back in January. I did so because I loved my last one so much. He has not been socialized properly due to Covid19 and his excitement when meeting new people is over the top. 2 trainers now, 2nd obedience class(he has to be tethered) out each morning before work, noon and evening to get to new places and train. Hired a dog walker/handler to come to the house because nobody else can. Countless harnesses & collars. He was recently neutered and starts daycare if they agree he is a good fit. He starts an outdoor obedience class in 2 weeks. This is all fine but the reality is no one can step foot in my house unless I pay them and I cannot bring him to any sort of gathering. So no close exposure means we will never get over that hurdle. I am starting to feel tired and resentful and now wonder if he is picking up on it. Any others have gone through this?


Hi,
Just wanted to chime in as we also have an 8 month old male that we brought home in January. He has a very sweet disposition under all that energy😊. It can be a tough age. 

We went through Puppy1 class before the shelter in place and Puppy2 via zoom. We also did private lessons via zoom. A month ago we started outdoor private lessons and that has been a turning point as everything is clicking with him now. BUT...he still gets super excited meeting new people which is our next project. When we first got him I carried him everywhere with me in a sling until he was 15 weeks and got too heavy. That was before covid his so he met a ton of people but obviously since then meeting new people is a challenge under present circumstances. It truly is a unique situation that most of us will probably be dealing with concerning our pups meeting new people. 

Like I said, it is a tough age! But we feel we are making headway after all this training under these circumstances. I highly suggest finding a private trainer to work with just you and your pup. It made a huge difference for us!

Take care🐶


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## GoldenLight (Jul 17, 2020)

Thank you Kenmar, your situation sounds almost identical to mine. We have worked with a private trainer and the hard reality is he just needs the exposure to new people so it can be put into practice. We had some success over the weekend with 'place' when people come to the door but it takes a long time for him to settle. The dog walker/trainer I hope will help. Some of it is me because I really do not like those first several minutes. The outdoor distaction is a great idea and we are starting next week with other people and dogs in the group. It should be crazy and hard but I hope to see a turning point like you. Thank you.


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## jomiel (Feb 15, 2019)

8-10 months was really tough for us too. (Actually we're still in a challenging stage at 1 year 4 months, but the problems have shifted haha)

Tomo has also regressed a bit with door greetings, I think because we haven't had friends come over or we would avoid people on walks. So now he's back to being really excited and jumping on people. Would it help if you did a walk around the neighborhood for 20 min, or even a quick training and play session before guests come over? I noticed that if he expended his energy a little and kept busy for a while before we need to get down to business, he is a little more focused.


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## cashm00la (Feb 6, 2020)

SRW said:


> A 9 month old dog should know better. Training your guests how to behave will not correct the behavior of your dog.
> If a friend helps in training they should be adding to the dogs excitement, petting him, talking to him, doing exactly what people do. The dog has to learn to behave and not jump regardless of what other people do.


This. Gotta train the dog. Not the people.


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## california gold (Feb 28, 2014)

Luna66 said:


> I am starting to wonder if I made the wrong decision by getting a Golden puppy back in January. I did so because I loved my last one so much. He has not been socialized properly due to Covid19 and his excitement when meeting new people is over the top. 2 trainers now, 2nd obedience class(he has to be tethered) out each morning before work, noon and evening to get to new places and train. Hired a dog walker/handler to come to the house because nobody else can. Countless harnesses & collars. He was recently neutered and starts daycare if they agree he is a good fit. He starts an outdoor obedience class in 2 weeks. This is all fine but the reality is no one can step foot in my house unless I pay them and I cannot bring him to any sort of gathering. So no close exposure means we will never get over that hurdle. I am starting to feel tired and resentful and now wonder if he is picking up on it. Any others have gone through this?


Don’t give up on him yet. He is still a puppy. The more time you spend with him, training him it will be worth it. Something I did with my boys who always seemed to be 100 pounds is I really taught them the sit command and shake. I would have people come over, put him on a leash and have him sit. Then shake the persons hand. I also kept a ball in a pouch on me. After the introduction I would unleash him and throw the ball. Distract him until the initial OMG you’re here to see me phase passed. They will try to jump up but just be vigilant and bring him down to the sit stay. You can also use treats if he is food motivated and is more interested in the treats then your guest. The more you do it the better he will get.


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## Dogsport (Mar 8, 2020)

My dogs don’t greet guests. I keep them in a separate room and once the greetings are over, ask the guests to sit and then let the dogs in one at a time. I trained my dogs to always sit on command. If they are sitting, they aren’t jumping. My younger dog is big and more likely to jump, so I taught him a solid Place command. When I say Place and point to a spot, he must go there and lie down. It is not negotiable.

I agree with the posts on getting plenty of exercise and learning manners. Obedience is good training but our dogs must also learn being around people is a privilege they have to earn. I try to make training sessions short and fun with a lot of praise and rewards.

Whenever I see a chat about prong and e collars, someone always points out how painful they are and says they will never use one. Then there is always an example of a tool being abused. I agree that some dogs never need aversives and they could be harmful if used incorrectly or on a sensitive dog. My goal with any dog is to use the least intrusive method or device that works. So I try to work with the dog’s individual personality and genetics. A dog that is bred to retrieve should enjoy carrying a toy in its mouth. I train not only to carry a toy but that when the dog has the toy, they must behave nicely. If they jump the toy is taken away. If if they don’t jump, they get a toy as a reward. I have found in years of training my own difficult dogs, that toys work better than treats for most behaviors. Treats disappear right away but a single toy can be used over and over again and become a reward in itself.


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## Kenmar (Apr 28, 2018)

Just wondering...does anyone have foolproof ways of teaching not jumping up at people?

We have another private class coming up with the trainer and that is all we are going to focus on. To be honest, we haven’t had people over with Covid so don’t even know how much of a problem it will be at home. But he does get beside himself with excitement when we are on walks and anyone pays the least bit of attention to him. We immediately tell him to sit but in the moment he cares only about getting over to say hi! Have been working a ton on impulse control and do pretty well in other situations.


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## Kenmar (Apr 28, 2018)

Dogsport said:


> My dogs don’t greet guests. I keep them in a separate room and once the greetings are over, ask the guests to sit and then let the dogs in one at a time. I trained my dogs to always sit on command. If they are sitting, they aren’t jumping. My younger dog is big and more likely to jump, so I taught him a solid Place command. When I say Place and point to a spot, he must go there and lie down. It is not negotiable.
> 
> I agree with the posts on getting plenty of exercise and learning manners. Obedience is good training but our dogs must also learn being around people is a privilege they have to earn. I try to make training sessions short and fun with a lot of praise and rewards.
> 
> Whenever I see a chat about prong and e collars, someone always points out how painful they are and says they will never use one. Then there is always an example of a tool being abused. I agree that some dogs never need aversives and they could be harmful if used incorrectly or on a sensitive dog. My goal with any dog is to use the least intrusive method or device that works. So I try to work with the dog’s individual personality and genetics. A dog that is bred to retrieve should enjoy carrying a toy in its mouth. I train not only to carry a toy but that when the dog has the toy, they must behave nicely. If they jump the toy is taken away. If if they don’t jump, they get a toy as a reward. I have found in years of training my own difficult dogs, that toys work better than treats for most behaviors. Treats disappear right away but a single toy can be used over and over again and become a reward in itself.


Just read this after I posted my question below. Very helpful info!


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## DianaJ (Jun 22, 2020)

We are on our 2nd golden and have found that each of them are wonderful and talented in their own way. Our first one, Max was motivated by treats while Cody is not at all unless it is a piece of meat! This has made us beginners again with the training and we are just getting the hang of how to get motivation out of Cody in a positive training mode. Cody is 14 months old and almost 90lb without an ounce of fat on him. He is just now getting some control on his excitability. He was absolutely awful on a leash until one day I found the gentle leader (which Max rejected - laid down and wouldn't get up until it was removed). We put it on Cody and had a totally wonderful pup! It was the beginning of really helping Cody be successful. Dont give up on your golden. Use routine things they do in their everyday life with you to give casual praise. Then catch those moments when you know they have responded to your key words to give more exuberant praise. The better they respond, the better the praise and I've never met a golden that doesnt love praise - all they can get. Cody has a long way to go in training to catch up to where Max was at even a year old, but he will get there because we wont give up. One thing for sure is he will never replace Max nor will he ever be another Max. Cody is his own wonderful and independent personality and we are just as blessed to have him grace our life.


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## Gunny (Feb 21, 2009)

Luna66 said:


> I am starting to wonder if I made the wrong decision by getting a Golden puppy back in January. I did so because I loved my last one so much. He has not been socialized properly due to Covid19 and his excitement when meeting new people is over the top. 2 trainers now, 2nd obedience class(he has to be tethered) out each morning before work, noon and evening to get to new places and train. Hired a dog walker/handler to come to the house because nobody else can. Countless harnesses & collars. He was recently neutered and starts daycare if they agree he is a good fit. He starts an outdoor obedience class in 2 weeks. This is all fine but the reality is no one can step foot in my house unless I pay them and I cannot bring him to any sort of gathering. So no close exposure means we will never get over that hurdle. I am starting to feel tired and resentful and now wonder if he is picking up on it. Any others have gone through this?


He's still a pup, and will be for a while yet. You can't expect him to be well mannered all the time - no pup is at 8 months. Having had a number of pups, here are my suggestions. First, you need to drain his gas tank a bit more. Walking is fine, but unless you're doing 10 miles, he's just going to be warmed up by the time the walk is over. Playing ball or some other outdoor game where he's running can get some of the energy out. Remember a tired puppy is a happy puppy. 

I also recommend checking out Ian Dunbar's website Dog Star. I had a trainer who had been trained by Dunbar work with my wild child field golden, and within 4 sessions, she had my dog and I on the same channel and we could continue on our training without here. Consider using an Easywalk halter - our trainer suggested it and it really helped my rascal learn to walk with me. The clasp to the leash fastens in the front of the chest. When the dog pulls, you pull and the dog is moved around to face you without pain. The dog soon learns that pulling results in going the opposite direction, and decides that that pulling is not going to get him where he wants to be. It took my gal 1 time of being turned to face me to learn that pulling was unrewarding. Also, when the dog learns that when the harness is on, it's work time, not play time. I would even put the harness on her when people came to visit until she learned that if she jumped toward someone, she ended up back with me - not the desired result! Despite being a total ball of energy, when we went on our daily walks, people always commented on how well-behaved she was - she always made me proud. Off the harness, it was a whole different ballgame.

Also, there are little activities that you can use to teach the pup self-control - check it out on the site. The first thing the trainer did with us was to focus on that by having my dog sit - treat - and then I held a treat in my fist. She didn't get the treat until she stopped nosing/pushing my fist. When she did, I said "Yes, take it" and opened my fist. Only took her about 2 times to figure out that sitting still was the desired behavior. Whenever she started getting too hyper, I go back to this maneuver.

Don't give up on your boy! Some of the hardest dogs to work with are the brightest - once you figure out how to channel that intelligence, you'll have a great dog!!! Patience, consistency, and very short training sessions (3-5 minutes) are really helpful with a pup. He'll get there and so will you!!! (I once asked our trainer: "So basically, you train me and the dog comes along for the ride?" Her answer: "Yep, that's it')


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## Magnificent Max's Mom (Jun 10, 2020)

Luna66 said:


> I am starting to wonder if I made the wrong decision by getting a Golden puppy back in January. I did so because I loved my last one so much. He has not been socialized properly due to Covid19 and his excitement when meeting new people is over the top. 2 trainers now, 2nd obedience class(he has to be tethered) out each morning before work, noon and evening to get to new places and train. Hired a dog walker/handler to come to the house because nobody else can. Countless harnesses & collars. He was recently neutered and starts daycare if they agree he is a good fit. He starts an outdoor obedience class in 2 weeks. This is all fine but the reality is no one can step foot in my house unless I pay them and I cannot bring him to any sort of gathering. So no close exposure means we will never get over that hurdle. I am starting to feel tired and resentful and now wonder if he is picking up on it. Any others have gone through this?


Hi Luna66,
Your frustration is understandable. Baby steps. Just try to be as patient as you can every hour of every day. Raising a puppy is definitely a journey - one we forget after they grow up. We are on our 4th Golden and I certainly forgot how much work this is. Our puppy is 4 months now. It's okay.....I know someday, somewhat soon, we will have a wonderful dog (you should be getting glimpses of this now when he's rested).

When you've given him adequate attention with play, exercise (30 minute walk every morning and 15-20 minute at night), love, petting, food & water, & potty time, lure him to his crate with some kibble. It's time for him to rest - You're the boss, you've set the stage, you know best....be confident.....he may sleep for 2 hours after being played with and walked. 

If he gets obnoxious jumping up and nipping, he may be overtired, have to poop, or feel your frustration....just distract the jumping up with a scatter of kibble on the floor, then get down on the floor and talk sweetly to him and give him hugs and kisses.....sometimes, they feel a little insecure; this will snap him out of it. Always leave non edible safe chews in the crate as well as durable stuffed animals and a pail of water, and a flat crate bed with a little bit of cushiness. Going to the crate is a good experience. (Although sometimes I tell him if he can't be nice, he will go to the crate - he knows what I mean and very often straightens out). 

I have learned this time around to praise and then treat immediately after the good that you want to happen again. Clickers are effective - but I don't always use mine because using my voice comes easier to me and I never used one before. If he seems really active, he may just need a good run every morning. Also, I have bought some mind games for Max - those tire them out as well. If Max feels I am irritated at him, I will have to assure him that everything is okay before he will calm down. They don't like Momma mad. ha ha....

I have NEVER had good luck with using a harness. I don't know why I keep trying them..... When our dog gets a little older, I will use a Martingale collar.....not sure if you are familiar with this - ask your trainer how to get the right fit and how to use it. But never keep the Martingale collar on the dog except for walking because when you pull it, it will tighten around the neck - in a controlled way. Be careful. Each one of our Goldens has had a different personality. But I think if you keep working with your puppy, you should see some improvements - although small - that will begin to add up and make a difference. Sounds like you are trying very hard - I hope my input helps in some way. Your dog is getting socialized, although at a distance.....and with people he comes in contact with....it is helping....he just might need more exercise. Also, they will do anything for food; so keep working with him and immediately praising & treating with small bits of very tasty treats.....
Chris (Max's mom)


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## trish6866 (May 22, 2018)

Hi Luna. You have a similar situation as I have. My first Golden was pretty easy. My current golden is more of a challenge. We have done 3 obedience programs. Lots of collars and harnesses. I understand how you’re questioning things. Some thoughts:

He is a puppy. Mine is too. My friends have to continually remind me to cut her slack
Try to project your love for him in your words. I was doing a lot of comparing my two dogs, and friends told me that she likely was picking up on my criticism
He will calm down. This may suck right now, but in several months, he will likely chill slightly. And there will be a day when you look in his eyes and you’ll really feel that connection
Raising a pup isn’t a linear thing. Two steps forward and one back. Just when I think Graycie Mae is learning to chill, I’m reminded that she’s still a pup and still full of zoomies and crazies and energy and curiosity and stubbornness. I’m learning to just sit back and laugh at her antics instead of getting angry at her. Eventually she will calm down. In the meantime she provides lots of entertainment

Good luck with things. You’ve got this. 
Trish


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## Dogsport (Mar 8, 2020)

Kenmar said:


> Just read this after I posted my question below. Very helpful info!


Another suggestion if sitting doesn’t work, to keep a drag line on a puppy when guests are around. A big dog always gives a jump signal. They usually bend down to get enough spring to jump. So if you have the dog on a leash, see the pre jump signals, give a little tug on the leash. It doesn’t hurt but it reminds them not to jump. Then you can put the dog into a sit.


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## Dogsport (Mar 8, 2020)

Swimming is also good exercise if you have a place where your dog can swim. Stonnie Dennis uses a short course for retriever puppies that teaches them to move on different surfaces, different heights, and balance while moving which requires concentration and provides mental exercise. He has a lot of youtube videos on Labs and other dogs which are very good. Watch the whole video as he throws in little hints and examples that are things you may never have thought about. There is a good series on the differences between labs that has the benefit of showing him working with all kinds of different personalities. Before filming a video, his dogs always get at least 30 minutes of exercise. He trains a lot of puppies, so most of the dogs in his videos are puppies.


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## Sammy's Mum (Sep 13, 2014)

Megora said:


> .
> I don't care if people use ecollars, but I hate when they go around encouraging EVERYONE to use them. And certain trainers out there sell them. It's awful. Keep it in field if you want. But it does not need to be in any other sports. It does not need to be in the hands of pet owners.


Over the course of a year, I watched an ignorant neighbour slowly drive a beautiful golden completely insane using one of them. I'm not joking, they had the dog put down because they said the dog was the problem. The problem was the stupid owner who stood inside and held down the button on that collar whenever someone went past the house. They literally murdered that dog with that collar. Broke my heart and there was nothing I could do to stop it or help. The man said he wanted his dog to behave like mine, I explained how to do it..he brushed off my advice with "I don't have time for that"... I even offered to buy the dog. ..


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Sammy's Mum said:


> Over the course of a year, I watched an ignorant neighbour slowly drive a beautiful golden completely insane using one of them. I'm not joking, they had the dog put down because they said the dog was the problem. The problem was the stupid owner who stood inside and held down the button on that collar whenever someone went past the house. They literally murdered that dog with that collar. Broke my heart and there was nothing I could do to stop it or help. The man said he wanted his dog to behave like mine, I explained how to do it..he brushed off my advice with "I don't have time for that"... I even offered to buy the dog. ..


I can't "like" this - but I agree. 

Heavily push tools like prongs and ecollars into the hands of people who want quick results vs steady/careful/considerate training.... and stuff like this happens.


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## Karento5 (Nov 22, 2017)

Luna66 said:


> I am starting to wonder if I made the wrong decision by getting a Golden puppy back in January. I did so because I loved my last one so much. He has not been socialized properly due to Covid19 and his excitement when meeting new people is over the top. 2 trainers now, 2nd obedience class(he has to be tethered) out each morning before work, noon and evening to get to new places and train. Hired a dog walker/handler to come to the house because nobody else can. Countless harnesses & collars. He was recently neutered and starts daycare if they agree he is a good fit. He starts an outdoor obedience class in 2 weeks. This is all fine but the reality is no one can step foot in my house unless I pay them and I cannot bring him to any sort of gathering. So no close exposure means we will never get over that hurdle. I am starting to feel tired and resentful and now wonder if he is picking up on it. Any others have gone through this?


I think it just takes time and he’s still so young. I’m sure your trainer has taught you not to react when he jumps up? Practice having a friend or family member knock on the door and teach them to not pay any attention to him till he’s calm. Have them give a treat when he’s calm. Turn around if he jumps up and ignore him. Also my trainer always said a good dog is a tired dog! Don’t give up this will pass!


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## SRW (Dec 21, 2018)

Karento5 said:


> I think it just takes time and he’s still so young. I’m sure your trainer has taught you not to react when he jumps up? Practice having a friend or family member knock on the door and teach them to not pay any attention to him till he’s calm. Have them give a treat when he’s calm. Turn around if he jumps up and ignore him. Also my trainer always said a good dog is a tired dog! Don’t give up this will pass!


If you want a dog the will behave when the circumstances are just right and people are following your instructions, this might work.


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## Michael 299 (Jul 22, 2020)

Luna66 said:


> I am starting to wonder if I made the wrong decision by getting a Golden puppy back in January. I did so because I loved my last one so much. He has not been socialized properly due to Covid19 and his excitement when meeting new people is over the top. 2 trainers now, 2nd obedience class(he has to be tethered) out each morning before work, noon and evening to get to new places and train. Hired a dog walker/handler to come to the house because nobody else can. Countless harnesses & collars. He was recently neutered and starts daycare if they agree he is a good fit. He starts an outdoor obedience class in 2 weeks. This is all fine but the reality is no one can step foot in my house unless I pay them and I cannot bring him to any sort of gathering. So no close exposure means we will never get over that hurdle. I am starting to feel tired and resentful and now wonder if he is picking up on it. Any others have gone through this?


Samantha is a young 11.5 years old. She is a therapy dog and behaves very calmly when visiting patients, children in hospitals or schools, and when approaching folks in stores. However, if someone’s comes into our house, she still gets super excited for about 2 or 3 minutes. If they have issues I will put her on a leash and keep her is sight of the guests but talking softly as I calm her down for a few minutes. Once she calms down, I keep her on lead and keep her on lead as I let her approach the guests if they want to say hi. If they don’t want anything to. do with Sam, that’s okay because I probably don’t like them either.
Goldens are love. They just want to be loved and give love. I have only had 4 goldens so am not an expert, however, I believe that for the first. 7-9 months of a Goldens life, they are PUPPIES. While training at those ages is essential, the puppies have difficulty determining what part of the training is serious and what part is just fun. Consistency is so important, particularly until 1.5 years old. Just like small children Goldens just want acceptance and love. Sometimes they just have trouble understanding what they are supposed to do.
Whenever I get Ready to get a new Golden I ask myself, “can I handle a puppy for 1.5 to 2 years”. If the answer is yes, I will be in for 8 - 10 additional years of unquestioned love.

nd


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## Lake Life (Jul 23, 2020)

Luna66 said:


> I am starting to wonder if I made the wrong decision by getting a Golden puppy back in January. I did so because I loved my last one so much. He has not been socialized properly due to Covid19 and his excitement when meeting new people is over the top. 2 trainers now, 2nd obedience class(he has to be tethered) out each morning before work, noon and evening to get to new places and train. Hired a dog walker/handler to come to the house because nobody else can. Countless harnesses & collars. He was recently neutered and starts daycare if they agree he is a good fit. He starts an outdoor obedience class in 2 weeks. This is all fine but the reality is no one can step foot in my house unless I pay them and I cannot bring him to any sort of gathering. So no close exposure means we will never get over that hurdle. I am starting to feel tired and resentful and now wonder if he is picking up on it. Any others have gone through this?


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## Lake Life (Jul 23, 2020)

SRW said:


> If you want a dog the will behave when the circumstances are just right and people are following your instructions, this might work.


I have a 9 month old male Golden, I agree he is full of energy and jumps on people who come over, he’s just so excited he can’t contain himself. He brings us so much joy though. We started back to obedience classes last night, they were closed due to Covid . I know with lots of work, patience, love and socialization he will be a wonderful dog. It takes time, this is our 2nd Golden.
I understand what your going through but hang in there it will be worth it once he matures more.


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## GoldenLight (Jul 17, 2020)

Thank you ALL for your posts. I read each one. Up for the challenge and love for the next several years but one day at a time.


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## NMcCarthy (Feb 22, 2019)

nolefan said:


> I'm sorry for your frustration. It's hard when the second Golden is not as easy as the first one was. He has only lived with you for 6 months and he hasn't had socialization (you will not be alone with this issue) and exposure to people coming over during most of that time. Covid was responsible, you can't change that, but it's not your puppy's fault either.
> 
> I hope you don't mind giving us a little more info about his schedule with you. You mentioned that he's been thru two training classes now? How long were the classes? How have you completed 16 weeks of training classes when everything has been shut down with Covid? I live in the Charlotte area and we weren't hard hit in the spring but our classes shut down. I'm trying to understand clearly what you've done with him? I tell everyone on this forum who wants a Golden puppy to expect to invest the first year or two with their puppy in fulltime obedience classes. It's a lot of work. There is no way that your puppy is ready to go to a public event or gathering of people after he's had such a short time of training. A dog walker is helpful but if they are taking him out for a 30 minute walk every day (has this been going on his whole life?) they most likely aren't holding him to training standards and he's spent time every day un-learning any manners you've been teaching him. Was the dog walker training him during the walks or just walking him for a certain time? That could be a piece of the puzzle.
> 
> ...


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## NMcCarthy (Feb 22, 2019)

No one said it was easy raising and training a pup. And now with COVID, it makes everything so much harder. I too have a golden pup, Scottie, who is 7 months now. So I completely understand what you are going through. But, it will get better and one day you will look back at this and laugh about it. Do give your pup more exercise as the others also mentioned and remove the resentful lens. Stay focused and determined to work with your boy. He needs you, and you need hime (but don't know it yet).


Warm regards,
N McCarthy


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## cashm00la (Feb 6, 2020)

Kenmar said:


> Just wondering...does anyone have foolproof ways of teaching not jumping up at people?
> 
> We have another private class coming up with the trainer and that is all we are going to focus on. To be honest, we haven’t had people over with Covid so don’t even know how much of a problem it will be at home. But he does get beside himself with excitement when we are on walks and anyone pays the least bit of attention to him. We immediately tell him to sit but in the moment he cares only about getting over to say hi! Have been working a ton on impulse control and do pretty well in other situations.



I'm currently working to curb this too with my trainer via the 'place command'. It'll be a lengthy process, but an unbreakable 'place' command looks to be an invaluable skill. IE: giving a place command when guests coming over, needing dog to stay put if I'm sweeping broken glass, etc.


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