# My golden has BAD behavior...training tips?



## oliversmomma (Sep 20, 2020)

Hi all,

I have a 7 month old english cream golden retriever. And he is HARD, to say the least. To name a few examples:


-he hates his crate, so we are basically required to stay home or take him with us

-he constantly wants to be outside when he doesn’t have to use the bathroom, and I know most dogs just enjoy being outside, but we can’t always be outside with him and when we leave him alone he digs very badly
-we have to have him on a leash whenever company comes over because he jumps

-he is a TERRIBLE countersurfer. the amount of food he has snatched off the table and counters is insane. It’s a habit now...we leave food on the table or counter, he eats it.

-he has aggression when we take something that he wants but can’t have or when we try to do something that he doesn’t like. He’ll scrunch his nose and show his teeth and growl and snarl and snap.

-he pulls on his leash. His lungs are having issues because he wears a harness when on walks, so when he pulls, it’s on his chests. But he won’t stop pulling.

-he is such a busybody!! He NEVER sleeps throughout the day because he doesn’t want to miss anything. If a miracle happens and he get him to at least lay down, someone lifts a finger and he is up and alert. We can’t get anything done without him chasing us.


Just a few of our struggles. Any tips??


----------



## Dunmar (Apr 15, 2020)

Crate train him and teach him you mean it when you say NO


----------



## pawsnpaca (Nov 11, 2014)

How much exercise do you give him? Have you taken him to any training classes or done any basic manners training with him at home? How much dog experience do you have?

I ask just because what you are describing could have many causes, and many solutions, and the amount of exercise and training he gets, and how much experience you have as dog owners, will have bearing on what we may advise...


----------



## daisy1234 (Jun 17, 2018)

Wow! Sounds like a bratty teenager. Do you have him in any training? Sounds to me like he is in charge. You're going to have to put in a lot of work but it will be worth it.

he hates his crate- what do you mean? What does he do in it? Go back to square one and put him in there. Encourage to go in with treats. Leave some type of noise on tv music etc.

he constantly wants to be outside - yes they love to be outside, you are right though you can't be out there all the time. Digging is a form of boredom. How much exercise is he getting? Will he play fetch with you outside? Can you get him to run. I have taught my dog to run. I will say go run and she will run around the yard and burn off steam. Also walks help greatly as do short training lessons. Have him on a long lead and let him wander off from you, you can teach recall this way.

he is a TERRIBLE counter-surfer - Sorry, this isn't his problem, you are setting him up to fail. Don't leave food out for him to get. Set him up to succeed, you will all be happier.

he has aggression- I personally hate this term put on dogs. I may be wrong, it's just that label that gets put on a dog that tends to stick even though it's not always the case. You are in charge and he sounds like he's trying to be. Don't let him. Again training helps so he understands what is ok and what is not.

he pulls on his leash- My girl went through a stage where she would lunge and bark at other dogs on walks. I was not going to put up with that. I bought a gentle leader. Worked like a charm. No more pulling no more bad walking behavior. As other dogs approached I would tell her leave it. She no longer pulls or lunges on walks. That thing worked like magic for her. Totally worth it.

he is such a busybody- Wow, sorry! Again this would be a good time to put him in his crate so you can all have a chill.
Just a few thoughts if you can get him in a class it would help. If not due to covid work on the basics sit, down, stay, come, wait, leave it. It will help with a lot of the things you listed.

Good luck!


----------



## DblTrblGolden2 (Aug 22, 2018)

You need basic training now.

Crate training starts day one for me. Hopefully someone with experience crate training an older dog will chime in.

Counter surfing - do not leave anything on the counter or table for him to get. Every time he gets something it’s an instant reward for bad behavior.

Have him on a leash when company comes in. Only allow them to pet him if he is sitting nicely.

Don’t leave him outside unsupervised. He won’t be able to dig holes. Instead take him out for potty breaks on a leash. When it’s time for exercise go out and throw a toy. If he doesn’t fetch start teaching him to retrieve.

If he’s starting to growl and snap don’t take things from him, trade him something he can have for the item you want from him. It can be a treat, a toy, heck one of my guys will give up anything for an ice cube.

You really need a puppy manners and socialization class with an experienced trainer. All of this is just him being a brat. It can be fixed through consistent training.


----------



## oliversmomma (Sep 20, 2020)

Dunmar said:


> Crate train him and teach him you mean it when you say NO


Thanks!


----------



## oliversmomma (Sep 20, 2020)

pawsnpaca said:


> How much exercise do you give him? Have you taken him to any training classes or done any basic manners training with him at home? How much dog experience do you have?
> 
> I ask just because what you are describing could have many causes, and many solutions, and the amount of exercise and training he gets, and how much experience you have as dog owners, will have bearing on what we may advise...


He probably walks 6-7 miles a day. LOTS of exercise. We haven’t done training yet but definitely going to. We have very little dog experience


----------



## oliversmomma (Sep 20, 2020)

daisy1234 said:


> Wow! Sounds like a bratty teenager. Do you have him in any training? Sounds to me like he is in charge. You're going to have to put in a lot of work but it will be worth it.
> 
> he hates his crate- what do you mean? What does he do in it? Go back to square one and put him in there. Encourage to go in with treats. Leave some type of noise on tv music etc.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the advice. By the countersurfing, I don’t mean we leave food out for him to get. We don’t. But when we are sitting down eating dinner, he will jump and fight us for our food. And it’s getting for bad that he jumps on the sink to lick dirty dishes. But I appreciate all your advice!


----------



## Jessjack (Aug 11, 2019)

oliversmomma said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I have a 7 month old english cream golden retriever. And he is HARD, to say the least. To name a few examples:
> 
> ...


Take him to a good obedience class. He sounds like a smart dog who needs some direction. You might want to start out with a one-on-one session with your trainer. It will be money well spent.


----------



## oliversmomma (Sep 20, 2020)

DblTrblGolden2 said:


> You need basic training now.
> 
> Crate training starts day one for me. Hopefully someone with experience crate training an older dog will chime in.
> 
> ...


I appreciate your advice- thank you so much! We don’t leave food out for him to get—he jumps when we are eating and fights us for our meals, etc. but thank you so much for the tips!


----------



## oliversmomma (Sep 20, 2020)

Jessjack said:


> Take him to a good obedience class. He sounds like a smart dog who needs some direction. You might want to start out with a one-on-one session with your trainer. It will be money well spent.


Ok! Thanks.


----------



## Kenmar (Apr 28, 2018)

I agree with training ASAP! Our boy is 11 months old now and it has been constant training since the day we brought him home.

i would really suggest some private lessons to start to get control of the situation. Not only will you be happy, but your pup will be happier knowing his boundaries and role in your pack-


----------



## LJack (Aug 10, 2012)

You don’t really have a dog problem, you have a human problem. Which make sense if you don’t have much dog experience. A lot of people get Goldens because they have a great memory of a childhood Golden or they have met wonderful Goldens. What fails in translation is that these dog were adults. Golden puppies aren’t born as adult dog brains in puppy bodies and they are a high energy, high mouth drive breed. 

Most if not all of these behaviors are because he has no boundaries and no one in the house is the leader. So regardless of if he wanted it, he has taken the job. You need to take him to a training class so you can learn how to train him, reward positive behavior and extinguish bad behavior.


----------



## Rex the Rat (Sep 23, 2020)

oliversmomma said:


> We don’t leave food out for him to get—he jumps when we are eating and fights us for our meals, etc


Teach him to go to his bed and whenever he jump on someone or counter surfs, tell him to go there. Make the bed much more rewarding then jumping, and teach him 'leave it' for when he's near food. To teach leave it start with showing him a treat then every time he goes to get it, cover it with your hand, then once he gives up, give him the treat, then work your way up with different foods.


----------



## Rex the Rat (Sep 23, 2020)

oliversmomma said:


> -he is such a busybody!! He NEVER sleeps throughout the day because he doesn’t want to miss anything. If a miracle happens and he get him to at least lay down, someone lifts a finger and he is up and alert. We can’t get anything done without him chasing us.


Teach him a brain game to keep him busy, something like 'find it'.


----------



## Rex the Rat (Sep 23, 2020)

oliversmomma said:


> -he pulls on his leash. His lungs are having issues because he wears a harness when on walks, so when he pulls, it’s on his chests. But he won’t stop pulling.


Teach him 'come' in a low level distraction area, then slowly raise the distractions. Whenever he pulls on the leash say come and if he doesn't, stand still until he comes to you or change directions to force him to follow you.


----------



## pawsnpaca (Nov 11, 2014)

Google “Home School the Dog” for a good, games based Online training Program by a highly respected trainer. Theyre running a great deal on the program right now, so if it looks like something you’d enjoy, I‘d sign up soon!


----------



## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

oliversmomma said:


> He probably walks 6-7 miles a day. LOTS of exercise. We haven’t done training yet but definitely going to. We have very little dog experience


The majority of your problems are summed up with these two sentences. 
1) Leash walking is not exercise for a healthy young sporting dog.
2) Training for a Golden Retriever needs to start the first week home.

Fortunately for all involved, it's not too late to change things at your house. If this were my dog, here's my plan:

1) Do a search TODAY for a 'dog training club' or "obedience club" in your area. First, tell them a quick back story on your situation and then ask them to refer you to a good private trainer to you on the right track with private lessons. You need a minimum of 3 lessons and more would be worth every penny. Get enrolled in the next set of group classes and start practicing every day. Keep a notebook on your kitchen counter and keep track of what you're practicing.

2) Have him wear a 2 or 3 foot leash (cut off a cheap one from walmart if you have to) but have him wear it in the house and use it to control him when he disobeys. 

3) Stop leaving food and stuff on the counters, use baby gates if you have to but stop letting this dog have the run of the house - you're setting him up for failure when you treat him like an adult dog with good manners. He hasn't earned the privilege of full access to the house. 

4) Buy a 30 foot long nylon cord from the hardware store and attach a metal carbiner or clip to the end. Use this to keep control while you start teaching him to retrieve and work on recall. Take him places to kick a soccer ball, chase a frisbee etc. Anything to get him some actual aerobic exercise. He needs a minimum of 30 minutes every single day. If you have a fenced yard, find a puppy play date with a neighbor or friend who has a nice, well mannered young dog of a similar breed and energy level. Network if you have to, but puppy play dates a couple times a week can really help. I am not talking about doggy day care, I am talking about you closely supervising 20 minutes of wrestling and running in your back yard. I have met complete strangers in my neighborhood by introducing myself to anyone walking a young retriever to chat and see if the dog is friendly. It works.

5) Here is a terrific facebook group called "Life With Rune" (here's the link: Facebook Groups ) the woman who hosts it is a long time Golden owner who has trained her dogs to higher levels of competition and also therapy certifications, She has a puppy now who she has been working with this year and she has all her videos broken down by age under the Units section: Log into Facebook | Facebook. 
Use some of her ideas, it will help. 

So, start at the beginning and treat your puppy like a new puppy and be patient. He didn't get this out of control over night and it will take just as long of DAILY work to fix what you've done. This will be a full time project if you do it correctly, so put on your big kid pants and get to work.


----------



## Ffcmm (May 4, 2016)

You need to set boundaries and stick to them. he might not get it at first because he's been running the house on his own terms since puppyhood, but you have to be consistent and firm with him.

If there is an undesirable action or behaviour, there will be a consequence, whether he is sent to a 'place' or bed or crate or made to go into down position.. The fact that he can jump up and steal your food whilst you are eating and fight you with it, is an indication of how he is King of the household. When such things happen you must step up and be very firm. He needs to know the what 'no' means.

like the others said, it will be very helpful to get some professional help via a trainer. Not only will it strengthen your bond, but help you communicate with him properly so that life will be much easier together. a formal group obedience program will be great for socialisation as well, but you might also want some additional private sessions to help tackle his bad behaviours at home too.


----------



## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

My advice:
1. Review crate training and conditioning to crate.
2. Leash for company is not a problem. You might even crate him until he is trained.
3. So what if he wants to be outside? Don't cave in to his demands, that only reinforces demanding behavior.
4. Clean up your counters so that this is not rewarding him for counter surfing.
5. Teach a "give" command and keep it trained.
6. Get another training collar.
7. Give him exercise. Retrieving would be great after training
A. Reliable recall
B. Give command

Do not forget that you are training a dog. He did not come out of the womb with wanted behaviors. As for growling I recommend doing some research on modern, updated views on how to handle this.
Good luck!


----------



## SoCalEngr (Apr 11, 2020)

oliversmomma said:


> Just a few of our struggles. Any tips??


*Disclaimer: I am not a dog trainer, am fairly new to dogs, and am mostly parroting what I've Google-foo'd, or have gleaned from the wisdom of a trainer I employed when we got our Kona.*

Hire a good, personal trainer...to train you to work better with your dog.

First, different dogs have different personalities. So, I am not saying that you do not have a difficult dog. But, if you do, then how you interact with your dog becomes much more important. In working with our trainer, we discovered many things that we were doing that, if not directly causing issues, were definitely not helping Kona to avoid unwanted behavior.

Second, as you may have already surmised, I believe a good trainer will work to train you, to help your dog. It's zero value for a trainer to correct your dog's behavior in a manner that you cannot also do. Our first trainer, while extremely skilled, was in this category. They wanted to employ techniques that we knew we would not follow through on. The second trainer was equally skilled in working with Kona, but much more skilled in working with us. The second trainer worked to give us skills that we were comfortable using, while still achieving the same, desired results in Kona's behavior.

My $0.02.

p.s. If you do desire to go the personal trainer route, put together some questions about their approaches (i.e., use of positive reinforcement, use of negative reinforcement, etc.). You both need to be on the same page.


----------



## Ruthalaska (Sep 15, 2020)

Sorry you are having a rough time with your pup. I think you've gotten some good advice here and working with a trainer is a really good idea for you.

In the meantime, you really need a safe place you can confine this dog. A crate is best (some advice on that below) but you could also get an x-pen (like a puppy playpen) or use baby gates to restrict him to a safe and contained area where there's no mischief he can get into and nothing he can destroy. Put something soft to lie on and some safe toys and something he can chew on in there. From now on, any time you can't be actively supervising him and monitoring his behavior, even for 5 minutes, he should be confined to his crate or pen. It's not a punishment, it's for safety, just like you would put a toddler in a playpen and not let him run around the house eating choking hazards and drawing on your walls. This will also allow you to have peaceful meals without the dog bothering you. 

As an example. my pup also has wanted to steal food from us at the table. That's not acceptable. We have 2 crates for him -- one by my bed where he sleeps at night, and one in the kitchen. I am training him to lie quietly on his bed while we eat, but it's an ongoing process, so if I want to focus on my kids during dinner or just need a break from training, we just crate him during the meal. This way, he's not reinforcing any bad habits and we can eat without him bothering us. 

You say he dislikes his crate, so I would go back to basics and focus on crate training. Your goal is to make the crate a happy place he wants to go. Start by feeding him all his meals in there, with the door open. Put treats and toys in there for him to find. Throw things he likes in there for him to retrieve. Praise and treat him like crazy when he goes in there. Do all of that without closing the door. Once he's happy to go in, you can start closing the door. But go suuuuuuper slowly. First just close the door for like 30 seconds while he's eating, open it before he has a chance to fuss. Once he's OK with that, close it for a minute, then 2 minutes. Go gradually and take it even more slowly if he shows any distress. Most dogs will acclimate quickly, but make sure you're moving at a speed that is comfortable for him. It's OK if you need to throw some treats in there to entice him to go in, but don't ever push him in there by force if he doesn't want to go -- you have to make it a fun & happy place for him. If he balks, you need to go more slowly & lay better groundwork. 

I would also immediately put this dog on a Nothing in Life is Free protocol. Google "NILIF puppy" and you'll find a lot of info. Basically, the dog will have earn absolutely everything he wants with good behavior & manners. Want dinner? Sit. Want to go out? Sit and wait at the door. Want a treat? Lie down. Want me to throw this ball? Sit. Belly rub? Sit. Everything the dog wants, you are in charge of, and he doesn't get it without earning it. 

Carry treats on you at all times and get used to rewarding him any time you like what he is doing -- sitting, lying quietly, chewing on something appropriate. These moments are all opportunities to show him what you want him to do, and that it will benefit him. 

I would also have this dog leashed at all times. When he's inside, either tether the leash to you or have him drag it, so you can easily grab him and gently prevent or correct bad behavior. If you can't actively supervise him, crate or pen him. He is learning something every moment, so if you're not actively showing him what to do, he's making up rules for himself & that's not what you want. He will earn unsupervised time through good behavior. 

You can do it! Good luck.


----------



## daisy1234 (Jun 17, 2018)

Wow! You have gotten lots of great advice.


----------



## daisy1234 (Jun 17, 2018)

oliversmomma said:


> Thanks for the advice. By the countersurfing, I don’t mean we leave food out for him to get. We don’t. But when we are sitting down eating dinner, he will jump and fight us for our food. And it’s getting for bad that he jumps on the sink to lick dirty dishes. But I appreciate all your advice!


Whoa! Are you feeding him enough? If he is doing that while you are eating put a leash on him and latch him somewhere where he can't get to you while you are eating. As for the dishes maybe just a dish towel over the dirty dishes until you can get to them. I read about your walks as well. Wow! Yes I do agree more running free time might help. Again have the long line on him while out in the yard. It's a pain I know, especially since it's getting cold out. My husband takes ours out and throws the ball and makes her run a couple times a day. It makes a big difference in how calm she is in the house. When he jumps on the counter you have to catch him in the act. Make a loud noise or just say No firmly. I also read you can throw a can of coins or something to startle the dog while doing that so they learn to associate jumping up on the counter means a loud startle so I'm not going to do that. I hope you take the time do to all the things people have suggested. It will be worth it.


----------



## jdavisryan (Jan 28, 2018)

You’ve received lots of great advice and I hope you’ll get busy with some serious training for your sassy boy. I’m only going comment on the counter surfing because that to me is the pinnacle of bratty behavior. I’m a big believer in preventing unwanted behavior and certainly clean countertops and restraints are one way. More importantly is to train self control and help your dog understand that he can’t just take what he wants. A strong foundation of the “wait” command, a good down-stay, and an understanding of “leave it” will help your dog gain self-control around food. I think it’s super important to reward these good behaviors with plenty of high-value treats to reinforce that the best treats come when he’s under control in the kitchen. Maybe train “wait” and “leave it” during non-meal times to help him get the idea without the temptation of steak on the table. A good trainer or local training club can help you with these basic obedience skills.


----------



## Peri29 (Aug 5, 2017)

I did not get which party has BAD behaviours....


----------



## jdavisryan (Jan 28, 2018)

Peri29 said:


> I did not get which party has BAD behaviours....


If it’s your intent to be snarky, I don’t think it’s fair or helpful to belittle dog-owners who come here for help, especially first-time Golden owners. We all know that young Goldens can be a handful and not everyone has the experience to figure these things out without some help from more experienced dog-owners. The OP perceives his behavior as unacceptable and I agree. He needs training but the owners don’t need to be made to feel “bad”about their situation.


----------



## Peri29 (Aug 5, 2017)

jdavisryan said:


> If it’s your intent to be snarky, I don’t think it’s fair or helpful to belittle dog-owners who come here for help, especially first-time Golden owners. We all know that young Goldens can be a handful and not everyone has the experience to figure these things out without some help from more experienced dog-owners. The OP perceives his behavior as unacceptable and I agree. He needs training but the owners don’t need to be made to feel “bad”about their situation.


Well, I would not call it BAD BEHAVIOUR. Bad behaviour is one on which the dog has received training and still has some issues. According to the post, the OP is very well aware of what are the accepted / unaccepted behaviours of a dog and must have made a research about it(read about it) in order to write them down one by one with numbers. I also assume they very well know that they should have started training at an earlier age/month and the minute they have started witnessing such undesired behaviours. The dog has no fault and he has NO BAD behaviour. He is just going with the flow as he did till now. If you do not show , they do not learn. The thread should have been named maybe " Suggestion of a dog trainer/behaviourist " in my area.


----------



## Peri29 (Aug 5, 2017)

jdavisryan said:


> If it’s your intent to be snarky, I don’t think it’s fair or helpful to belittle dog-owners who come here for help, especially first-time Golden owners. We all know that young Goldens can be a handful and not everyone has the experience to figure these things out without some help from more experienced dog-owners. The OP perceives his behavior as unacceptable and I agree. He needs training but the owners don’t need to be made to feel “bad”about their situation.


Labeling this dog with BAD behaviour is labeling a child which cannot read & write if you did not send them to a school .


----------



## Peri29 (Aug 5, 2017)

On top of everything, waiting 5 months till those behaviours became a problem for them and opening here a thread on this subject is looking for a short cut. It is being in a very big public library with endless sources & books by great authors but instead of sitting down and reading them, just tabbing on your ipad IN the library and typing on the google "common dog behavioural problems". If one enters on the forum a kew word such as " pulling on leash", " countersurfing", " crate issue", "disobedinece", there are I do not know but hundreds of threads. However, of course it is time consuming by certain pet owners to read them. Just opening a thread on multiple behavioual issues & receiving the replies at once is much easier. This already shows me how much dedication they are willing to give to a dog. And they are very well aware of ( please do not tell me the opposite) that it is already time to consult a trainer . I I wish there would be more threads such as "SELF TRAINING BEFORE BUYING A PUPPY" than " Looking for a reputable breeder with..... clearances". Even better, a section on the forum " BEFORE YOUR PUPPY ARRIVES". You may not find it so, but I personally find this thread an insult to my intelligence & to the dog where the OP very well knows what they had to do & have to do but still trying to cheat on an exam as a short cut.I would have shown more attention to the thread if it was opened under subject " Consistent counter surfing even afte training" . What are your personal suggestions? OR " Where to find a certified dog behaviourist knowing we are already too late" OR "Any experience with dog behaviourist......in .....area"...


----------



## jdavisryan (Jan 28, 2018)

Again, the OP came for advice and several people offered sound recommendations to try and help them. You instead chose to snark on their lack of knowledge or perceived lack of initiative. It may make you feel better to belittle others, but I don’t find it helpful and it’s not in keeping with the general vibe of this forum, which is usually supportive and friendly. If that’s your choice as to how you wish to move through this world, so be it.


----------



## Ffcmm (May 4, 2016)

Please remember to keep the forum rules in mind when posting

-Moderators


----------



## Peri29 (Aug 5, 2017)

jdavisryan said:


> Again, the OP came for advice and several people offered sound recommendations to try and help them. You instead chose to snark on their lack of knowledge or perceived lack of initiative. It may make you feel better to belittle others, but I don’t find it helpful and it’s not in keeping with the general vibe of this forum, which is usually supportive and friendly. If that’s your choice as to how you wish to move through this world, so be it.


Dear Member,it is not belittleing. It is very basically telling the truth to a petowner who very well knows what is the main problem and the solution.The problem is tolerating a pup's behaviour upto a certain age which they cannot tolerate because the pup finally grew in size and those jumps on the people,counter which once were cute are no more desirable because he became huge.Now,he can reach anything on the counter. Now he can knock down people.Now,it is difficult to walk him when he is heavy and dragging them.Now,once what they were calling "cute" and "silly"is no longer cute.Now,finally it became a problem and what once was a cute behaviour is now a BAD BEHAVIOUR which I call undesired behaviour.Any petowner who lists here all these undesired behaviours one by one appearantly very well knows what they were expecting from a dog/child but now since he was not given the appropriate time,enery and dedication to be raised is labeled with BAD behaviour.I am full of rescue dogs abandoned with such excuses because the owners were not trained and the dog never learnt.If someone is very seriously asking to train themselves,this forum is like an Encyclopedia which one can read devoting time (as a preliminary step),than apply to their routine and than ask professional help here or outside by a specialist.However,no specialist on earth can solve these behaviours unless they get involved aswell.You want a trained puppy speaking Japanese .Well,you first learn the language upto a level enabling you to teach & practice at home.One OP who lists down all undesired behaviours of their puppy very well knows what is the solution.It is finding a behaviourist and get trained together and practice together.It is making a question on which you already have the answer.An advice is sound & useful if the student has the will to learn and not to take the shortcut.The forum has thousands of it.And the undesired behaviour is not ONE.Many.One can list here many personal advises and list all the books to read,but if the OP is not going to read ,it will not be effective unless they get professional help both for themselves and the dog.Deassembling a dress ,unsew everything,change the cut and resewing it is much more difficult than to sew a brandnew one. And you have to be a real master in it which takes years of experience.First read all of them,get trained,make daily practices and if the behaviour persists ,ask multiple but multiple questions by listing down the undesired behaviours.The day before on another platform,we had a lady who was willinf to buy a husky with no previous experience with neither the breed or a dog.She was very wise enough to change her mind on the breed as a potential first time potential dog owner.Since 3 days,it is being discussed which breed she shall get and she is involved. She now knows what to expect from a puppy and to which degree she can give it to puppy.And she is a foreigner who has been living in U.S. since very little time with poor English.Opening a thread here on BAD BEHAVIOUR of a dog with endless issues as they claim,shows the main problem.There is unfortunately no shortcut unless one professionaly trains himself.


----------



## jeffscott947 (Jun 9, 2019)

You still do not have to blessed by the tooth fairy to* train your own dog; AND old dogs CAN still learn new tricks and obedience! *
Dogs happen to be quite adaptable.

During my childhood, (the 50's) there were very few, if any PROFESSIONAL trainers (for $$), and my folks trained our family dogs all by themselves..Those dogs did what we trained them to do, and without outside help or expenditures. The times may have changed....but dogs are still dogs.

In these days of potential health peril, it is wise not to have strangers come to the house anyway, or worse yet..go to a training session where you just might catch something from those totally outside your "bubble". I had a mobile vet come in August to give her the Rabies shot, instead of taking her to my own vet . Poor thing hadn't seen another human in months..but after a moment, ran over to the vet to play. She was so excited that she peed on the poor lady's foot, just before she got "poked"..LOL.

With that said, My Golden is now 1.5 yrs old and she was the toughest puppy that I ever had to deal with. (including 8 dogs during my lifetime). She still has her moments, but overall is now pretty obedient. Many say not to use hand clapping, but mine hear the clap and come running as they do not consider the noise punishment; but a way of being summoned from the outdoors. They also have become quite adept at understanding hand signals, + verbally associated commands. Nothing fancy..just the basics , which is what I want. Never wanted a robot dog .. 

The biggest hurdle for me is to keep them from "corrupting" each other. The Golden and the 2.5 yr old Border Collie/lab mix can be difficult together (2 females)..but I have an almost 7 yr old male Aussie that actually helps keep the peace during their play time (like 24 hrsw a day!)

This is my favorite* FREE* trainer ..though I fast forward thru the obligatory advertisements on his videos.









Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution


This is the official YouTube channel of me, dog trainer Zak George! :) In order to get the most out of my videos, I recommend that your order my book here: h...




www.youtube.com


----------



## Jangala (Aug 31, 2020)

Jessjack said:


> Take him to a good obedience class. He sounds like a smart dog who needs some direction. You might want to start out with a one-on-one session with your trainer. It will be money well spent.


Agreed He isn't a "brat" he is a smart, confident dog who needs training, I find I am "trained" as much as the dog... The one on one is a very good way to start with a trainer and build from there.


----------



## Suechrist55 (Apr 29, 2020)

I have a six month old female half English cream and half American golden retriever. Up until three weeks ago, I could have written your entry. This is our fourth golden and I thought I knew what to expect. I was wrong. This puppy digs, chews, nips, jumps on people and pulls on the leash so hard I can barely walk her. Her counter surfing is dangerous. We had a lab die that way by accidental suffocation. Awful. She is also bullying my eleven year old golden. I suspected it was an exercise problem. I found an incredible dog and person trainer. She lives next door to an old friend. She has saved my life. I was going to return the dog to the breeder a week before i went. I also take my dog to a dog park where she can run and run. An idea my daughter recommended Is day care which has helped so much. When she plays hard for a few hours, she’s great. It would have been hard to return her because she is really sweet and affectionate. All the activity calms her enough for me to walk and walk and walk her.
i live in Dallas. If you live near me, I can recommend my trainer. What you need is more than group training. A good trainer with training aids one on one can help you. I am on a four time program every two weeks and all the texts and phone calls we need. It’s $100 per lesson for one hour. The day care is $5.00 per hour.
I hope you find a solution soon.


----------

