# Welcome Home Champ (includes pictures)!



## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Woooo...it's been a whirlwind so far and it's only 3:15pm! I've been so busy I forgot I needed to eat!

So we got Champ this morning and we briefly went over paperwork with the breeder, and then we all said our goodbyes. We were only there for a little over a half an hour. Champ was the only clean one and he was getting restless and running around her yard, so we got him in the car and on our way. The breeder is probably going to keep red, but she is still unsure and so she made the other puppy families wait until tomorrow to come and pick up their dogs. She said Champ would make a great show dog, but he's a little short in the legs and looks really similar to their other show dogs, and she wants something different this time. I'm glad she does because I think her show dogs are beautiful!

Anyways, he was really squirmy in the car, I'm not sure if he was hot or he had to pee, but he couldn't sit still and the car ride felt like it was taking forever. Luckily no car sickness though!

We got home and took him out right away, and he peed and we made a huge deal about it. Since then he's peed 4x's outside and pooped once. He hasn't had any accidents so far but I've been really diligent about taking him outside. His poop was a little runny so I'm only semi-concerned about that since it seems pretty normal for that to happen, and the breeder said it could from all the excitement. He also seemed hungry and was due to be fed in a couple hours anyways, so I gave him some food, which he ate. He only ate half the amount though and I just briefly went through the paperwork that the breeder gave us and we were supposed to soak the kibble in warm water, so I will do that once he wakes up and the plumber leaves. He's taking a nap now but I never know when he's going to get up. He's also done a fantastic job with the cats. He just sits and stares at them and lets them walk by...doesn't chase them at all but they have met face to face and all has been fine. 

Champ is such a great dog so far! He's got a great personality and I love how confident he is and how he's already made himself at home. He is also so observant and stands back to watch things. I think he's a great mix of everything so far. I introduced him to the plumber when the plumber came in the house and Champ seemed a little hesitant, although he was also really tired at the time, but I figure it's a good time to socialize, and now Champ is sleeping while the plumber does his job, which is nice too because he's getting used to people being in our house and making loud noises. 

I keep trying to call him by his new name and he's been following me around the house already, which is sweet. But he also likes to go off and play by himself too. He seems to really love being outside, but also loves our shag carpet...maybe it reminds him of his siblings!

I'm curious to see how tonight goes with him in his crate. I also need to start tracking how often he is peeing, so then I know how long he can go. I'll take him out again to pee once he wakes up from his nap. Anyways...that's been my day so far! Champ is doing great and I already love him so much...I'm not sure why I was so nervous yesterday, he's been a wonderful dog so far and I cannot wait to spend many happy healthy years with him!

Here are some pictures of my little polar bear that we took today:


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## vcm5 (Apr 20, 2011)

He is PERFECT! I love it!


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

Wow. He is so cute. Love the tongue.


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## vcm5 (Apr 20, 2011)

Its sounds like you had a great first day! He must be exhausted!


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## njoyqd (Oct 20, 2012)

Oh my goodness! Congratulations! 
What a beautiful, sweet boy! I know you are IN LOVE!
I Absolutely adore him!
Sounds as though you are both doing great!
Good luck tonight. And, um, MORE pictures when you can. 
Selfish, but I need my puppy fix! Just sayin'.
Dale


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Thank you all!!

Yes, it's been a pretty big day so far, and he seemed to be quite exhausted right now, as am I Now I can already tell my paranoia is creeping back up as I am wondering how long he is going to sleep and whether he is okay...I should be thankful he's sleeping so long My friend is coming over around 6 tonight, so I'm hoping he has a lot of energy for her. She wants a puppy so now she can see what she would get herself into...

That picture with him sticking out his tongue is so funny...I've seen him sleep like that twice now!

It's almost 4 now...we still have many more hours to go in this day...I need to eat something haha! Puppies are good for weight loss


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## FeatherRiverSam (Aug 7, 2009)

SMBC said:


> Thank you all!!
> 
> Yes, it's been a pretty big day so far, and he seemed to be quite exhausted right now, as am I Now I can already tell my paranoia is creeping back up as I am wondering how long he is going to sleep and whether he is okay...I should be thankful he's sleeping so long My friend is coming over around 6 tonight, so I'm hoping he has a lot of energy for her. She wants a puppy so now she can see what she would get herself into...
> 
> ...


My bridge girl Sammie used to sleep like that with her tongue sticking out of her mouth...I'd almost forgotten that...

Your Champ is one very handsome pup...looks like you'll have many years to build a bond of a lifetime...hopefully you'll be kind enough to share some of them with us.

Pete


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## Davidrob2 (Dec 10, 2012)

So glad you got him home OK and no car sickness. He is a beautiful boy.


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## Zakov (Jan 19, 2013)

Congrats! Hopefully he won't be too much trouble.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

He's adorable! Congratulations! 

As someone with an almost 18 week old puppy, my best advice is to sit back, take several deep breaths and relax. It's all going to work out! Enjoy him! .....keep the camera batteries charged and take lots of photos (then share them with us!).


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Thanks everyone! So far so good..

He got a little energy after the plumber left, played a little, and is now sleeping again. Jeez how much are they supposed to sleep? 

He's really easy going, and is great with the cats so far. He's pretty bitty, but it doesn't hurt yet. I've been redirecting him to the toys I bought but so far he's only been interested in 3 toys..out of many! He also periodically goes and eats some good from his food bowl. I know it's not a good habit to get into but it's his first day and I'm sure he's still adjusting!

I'm exhausted and want to take a nap! I'm looking forward to the hubby waking up so I can get some stuff done!


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## Nairb (Feb 25, 2012)

Very nice! Congratulations.


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## MercyMom (Dec 19, 2011)

SMBC said:


> Woooo...it's been a whirlwind so far and it's only 3:15pm! I've been so busy I forgot I needed to eat!
> 
> So we got Champ this morning and we briefly went over paperwork with the breeder, and then we all said our goodbyes. We were only there for a little over a half an hour. Champ was the only clean one and he was getting restless and running around her yard, so we got him in the car and on our way. The breeder is probably going to keep red, but she is still unsure and so she made the other puppy families wait until tomorrow to come and pick up their dogs. She said Champ would make a great show dog, but he's a little short in the legs and looks really similar to their other show dogs, and she wants something different this time. I'm glad she does because I think her show dogs are beautiful!
> 
> ...


Wow! He's a beauty!


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## GraceG (Feb 14, 2013)

Congratulations! What a beautiful little bear :O)


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## Donatella (Jan 21, 2013)

:--crazy_love: he is sooooooo cute!!!! 
Yay he is home!! I loved reading about your day, helps me to imagine what ours may be like! Keep us updated!


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## SandyK (Mar 20, 2011)

Champ is a real cutie!!! I see that you won and got to hold him on the way home while your hubby did the driving. I am so happy for you!! Enjoy!!


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## PeggyDL (Dec 9, 2012)

Wow!!!!!! Finally Champ is home. I am sure you are over the moon. He is so cute! He looks big. I can't wait to see mor updates. Try to sleep...hahaha


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

Champ is adorable!!! Welcome, little guy. 


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## Barkr (Dec 23, 2011)

SMBC said:


> Thanks everyone! So far so good..
> 
> He got a little energy after the plumber left, played a little, and is now sleeping again. Jeez how much are they supposed to sleep?
> 
> ...


What a beautiful boy congratulations Like a newborn, he will sleep a lot and don't worry there will be no shortage of energy( at least on his part) enjoy the wee pup they grow so fast:wave:


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## vcm5 (Apr 20, 2011)

For the first few days after I brought Winston home he was a little overwhelmed at meal times and didn't eat everything. I found it worked much better to feed him in his crate with the door closed so he had his own space and quiet to eat. I found he ate a lot more that way. I gave him fifteen minutes to eat what he wanted and then took the bowl up. You might also mix some warm water and let it mush a little before giving it to him!


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## Always51 (Feb 19, 2012)

congrats!! he is beautiful!!!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Congratulatons, Champ is adorable and sounds wonderful. Hope his first night went well.

Love the picture of him sleeping with his tongue out-too cute.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Thanks everyone!!

I made it through the first night with Champ...barely

I gave him his last remaining deworming pills last night in yogurt, and he ate it like a Champ. I then ended up giving him more food in warm water and he barely touched it, I'd say he didn't even eat half. I was so tired last night and so was he, so by the time 9:30 rolled around, I wanted to go lay in bed and he was fast asleep on the ground. I took him outside to potty and he just laid down outside, poor thing was so tired. I knew though that since he didn't potty before bed it would most likely make for an interesting night. 

I brought him upstairs and he got a little more energy since it was new. He explored our room a bit and then I gave him treats and introduced him to his crate. When I closed the door, he started whining but only for a couple minutes and then went to sleep. About an hour later, he started whining like someone was inside his crate trying to kill him. I took him out to potty, he passed out on the ground and didnt go, so then back upstairs we went. I put him back in his crate and again he went nuts, so loud I thought the neighbors would hear. I know this wasn't the right thing to do, but I took him out and he went right to sleep on the ground. A few minutes later I put him in his crate and he was fine. Then an hour later again he started screaming, so I took him out, this time he went potty, and then I put him back in his crate. This time the screaming didnt stop so again I took him out. My husbands clothes that he was wearing that day were on the ground (shame on husband but Champ really liked laying on them. Champ has been such a good boy with not getting into things and has had no accidents, and always tells me when he needs to potty so I decided to leave him out of his crate out of my own tiredness, frustration and because I felt so bad when he whined (I know...I caved). It ended up being fine, he slept until about 4:45, then I heard him moving around so he went out to potty, and then when he came in, he was a ball of energy. We played for about 30 minutes and then he went back to sleeping on hubby's clothes, so I went back to sleep too. He got back up at 7:15 and was whining, so I took him out to potty and he went. Now we are back downstairs where he can run around and expend some energy. 

He's been such a great boy so far, minus the crate issue but its more my fault. He tells me when he has to potty, he's been great with the cats and when I tell him no, like when he's biting me or something else he's not supposed to, he listens. 

I'm not really sure what to do about the crate issue. Hubby suggested bringing it downstairs so he just gets used to seeing it and being around it during the day. Do you guys have any suggestions?

I'm really tired but hoping to take naps with him today!

Here's a picture from this morning when I was making my tea:









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## Davidrob2 (Dec 10, 2012)

I wondered how Champ's first night at home was going when I got up to let Harry out around 4 a.m.! Sorry you didn't get much sleep. It does get better night by night. As I mentioned earlier, we used the snuggle puppy with the heartbeat and hand warmers for the first several nights -- no whining at all. To get him used to the crate, we would put some kibble/treats in each time we put him in. As he grew, all we would have to say was "in your crate" and he went happily (he's out of it now). 

Champ is an adorable ball of fluff!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Davidrob2 said:


> I wondered how Champ's first night at home was going when I got up to let Harry out around 4 a.m.! Sorry you didn't get much sleep. It does get better night by night. As I mentioned earlier, we used the snuggle puppy with the heartbeat and hand warmers for the first several nights -- no whining at all. To get him used to the crate, we would put some kibble/treats in each time we put him in. As he grew, all we would have to say was "in your crate" and he went happily (he's out of it now).
> 
> Champ is an adorable ball of fluff!


I really should have gotten the snuggle puppy. Can you find them at pet stores, like petco? I gave him the treats but that didnt seem to help, and actually made him more interested in my hands. I really want him to like his crate, and hopefully time will help. How old is Harry? 

I also made another puppy mistake. I desperately wanted him to cuddle and when I've been sitting on the couch he looks at me and whines. I'm not opposed to him going on the couch when he's older and can, but I picked him up and brought him on the couch. Big mistake. He was running around and I was afraid he would fall so I put him back down, but now he keeps trying to jump up when I'm sitting on the couch. Oopsies!! 

I guess it's a learning process...I just need some sleep so I can even function and think clearly

Here's the Champ as I'm typing this....
















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## Davidrob2 (Dec 10, 2012)

We ordered Harry's online. Several sites carry them if you do a search. I think a couple dog boutiques here carried them as well, but we specifically wanted the golden puppy. Harry still loves it even though we no longer use the heartbeat and warmers. He carries it around and snuggles with it all the time.

Harry's just over 5 months. My son made the same mistake of allowing Harry on the couch early on (I have a no dogs on furniture policy here!). It was pretty easy to correct. David would lay on the sofa and have Harry lay on the floor right next to him so he could give him a rub. It took a few weeks of us telling Harry 'no' each time he tried to jump on the couch. But now the arrangement seems to satisfy both boy and dog.


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## FeatherRiverSam (Aug 7, 2009)

You must be exhausted...it sounds like Champ is just being the normal mischievous puppy. There have been several threads regarding crate training which you might find helpful...this is a link to one of them...

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com...ld-like-walkthrough-his-first-night-here.html

Champ is so cute and it sounds like he's found the perfect home...your pictures are priceless.

Pete


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Thanks for sharing the thread Pete! So from what I gather, I can't give in to the whining. It's just so sad. Anyways though when hubby gets home he is going to bring the crate downstairs, and we are going to put treats in it and also when he's tired, I'll put him in there with the door open so he gets used to it. He definitely seems like a normal happy go lucky puppy and we've been really fortunate that he's been telling us when he needs to go out and seems to have such a great temperament. I got a kick out of him trying to figure out what the door stopper was this morning. He was bouncing around it and then hit it, and it make that funny noise "boing" noise and he just stared at me like what is this thing?

I'm also going to search online for the puppy smuggler. Nothing can hurt at this point. Thanks for the suggestions!

One other thing...he's only eating about half or less than half his meals. Should I try forgoing the warm water to moisten it? He seemed more interested in it when it wasn't wet but he also had a harder time eating it. What about chicken broth? Thanks!!


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## Davidrob2 (Dec 10, 2012)

Here's the link to the Snuggle Puppy company site. 

Snuggle Puppies - Snuggle Puppy - In Stock


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Davidrob2 said:


> Here's the link to the Snuggle Puppy company site.
> 
> Snuggle Puppies - Snuggle Puppy - In Stock


Thank you so much!!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Today Champ started his socialization. First, his future dog walker came over to meet him. She brought her dog too but at this point I think Champ is too young and small to meet him. Maybe in a week or two, but I'm totally over protective. I also carried him over to the neighbors house to meet them as well, and they aren't really dog people but they really loved Champ. My neighbor even offered to come and feed him or take him out, which I really appreciate and may utilize! Then I saw the mail man pull up and carried Champ out to meet him. He thanked me for doing so and said its great that I'm socializing Champ like that. 

Everyone commented on how good looking Champ is! I happen to agree, but what's most important to me is that he's healthy. What's funny too is that when Champ meets these people, he's so calm and looks tired...boy is he milking his cuteness! They haven't experienced the bitey bitey like we have!!

I'm also currently watching the animal planet so Champ gets used to seeing dogs on TV. Our old dog Monte broke a television when he saw a dog on it...that is not going to happen again!!

Tomorrow the cleaners are coming over and one is bringing her daughter. The breeder had three daughters but I want Champ to be great with kids! We will also bring him to Home Depot tomorrow and some other places, where we will carry him and put him in the cart, so that he meets more people. I'm also going to sign up for puppy class that starts in 2 weeks!


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## Donatella (Jan 21, 2013)

It sounds like you are doing a great job!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Thank you! That's really nice to hear and I deeply appreciate it!

Today has been pretty uneventful. We had visitors and everyone enjoyed Champ. He's still sleeping a lot so he will play with whomever comes over for a few minutes and then takes a nap. He had his first case of puppy zoomies tonight and that was fun to watch. We also had to break out the bitter apple...he wouldn't leave the cat structure alone. He hated the bitter apple, so I guess it works for him but we don't want to use it often. Still no accidents in the house...I think he's a puppy prodigy but I'm biased

I, on the other hand, am not so good. I think all the anticipation, anxiety and sleepless nights caught up with me. I've had a bad headache all day and haven't eaten much these last couple of days. It's very hard taking care of a puppy by yourself and hats off to anyone that does. Even though I'm married, my husband has a very strange schedule (he's a police officer) so many days I'm taking care of everything myself. My hubby decided to call in sick tonight because he could tell how horrible I was feeling. I really need some uninterrupted sleep tonight, and so thankfully hubby is home tonight to help out. And you know what, I can't even blame it on Champ. He's a great, really easy dog. It's my own paranoia and nervousness that caused me to feel rundown. I'm hoping I can feel better and enjoy Champ more now that hubby is on duty tonight!

When my neighbor met Champ, he said it's good practice before we have our human baby. I told him it was good birth control

Here's a couple pictures from today:





















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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

Champ sure is cute! Sounds like you have a great puppy on your hands.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Max's Dad said:


> Champ sure is cute! Sounds like you have a great puppy on your hands.


Thank you so much! He is so great!

I just snapped this picture of Champ going over to cuddle my husband. I think my husband has found his new best friend...









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## love never dies (Jul 31, 2012)

Champ = adorable + adorable 
Love all the pictures - what a nice doggie


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

Hang in there It sounds like you're doing a great job. Re: the crate--you can't cave. You have to ignore him. Sorry! It's hard to hear them whining but if you know he's been out to pee recently and you know he's tired, he's OK in there and it's the best place for him. You will get to recognize the whine/sound that means he genuinely has to go outside. It's different from the "woe is me, I don't want to be in here alone" sound. LOL. Try the crates games stuff with him. If your husband will move the crate around for you, go for it. The more he's around it, the better. You can put an ex pen around it in your living room and you've got a puppy play room.  Even thought he's doing well with the house-training, be sure to praise him or give him a treat when he does his business outside and in the right place. At some point, you'll be glad he got the message loud and clear. 

He sure is cute! Most puppies can sleep through the night at about 8-10 weeks, so pretty soon you should be able to get a good night's sleep. And I looked it up once because I was worried--puppies can sleep as much as 23 hours a day! They seem to go full bore then drop in place, and repeat.  

Love the pictures!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

CHAMP SLEPT IN HIS CRATE ALL NIGHT!! Yay!!!!

I know, I caved the first night, but I guess it's easier not to when you have reinforcements. At first we were going to let him stay out like the first night but Champ quickly turned into a land shark and nothing was safe, including him. So I knew I had to stand my ground. We put him in his crate and the whining lasted about 5-10 minutes, but then he went to sleep. Phew!

He got up about an hour later (around 11:45) and whined again. We just told him he was okay and the whining only lasted a couple minutes and we knew he didn't need to go out to potty because he holds it for a pretty long time. Then he whined again at 1:45 and hubby took him out to potty, and he went and then went back in the crate. We gave him a couple of treats when he went back in and the whining only lasted a couple minutes. 

Then at around 4:45 the whining started again, and this time wouldn't let up. Hubby laid on the floor in front of Champs crate and that stopped the whining, which is a change from the previous night. Maybe he's learning to depend on us

Then he got up at around 7 and I knew that he was wide awake. I took him to potty and since then he's been playing and land sharking around our room. 

My husband said it looked like he got bigger today...it's probably all the sleeping

I really do appreciate all the advice, even if it is saying I can't give in and need to be strong. It worked, so thank you for the gentle reminder!!


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

hahahaa - Animal Planet! Rose loves it too. This morning she has been watching the 101 Dalmatians movie. The funny thing is how she keeps on looking around the TV and then to the window to figure out where all those dogs come from.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Champ is adorable and yes, you are doing a fantastic job with him! The fact you are getting him socialized while you feel so bad is a testament to that. I too got sick a few days after we flew Yogi home from his breeders. I thought it was the flu, despite a flu shot, but went and got the test at my internist and it was negative. Apparently everyone in his waiting room that morning also tested negative with the same symptoms. He called it a flu-like viral infection. My husband too has a strange schedule and fortunately he was home during the days I felt my worst and he took care of our boy. It's hard raising a puppy with four hands, and when he went out of town a few days later, I learned just how hard it is raising one alone! It's all worth it though in the end! Hang in there! I hope you feel better soon! You've got the perfect remedy- Champ!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Dallas Gold said:


> Champ is adorable and yes, you are doing a fantastic job with him! The fact you are getting him socialized while you feel so bad is a testament to that. I too got sick a few days after we flew Yogi home from his breeders. I thought it was the flu, despite a flu shot, but went and got the test at my internist and it was negative. Apparently everyone in his waiting room that morning also tested negative with the same symptoms. He called it a flu-like viral infection. My husband too has a strange schedule and fortunately he was home during the days I felt my worst and he took care of our boy. It's hard raising a puppy with four hands, and when he went out of town a few days later, I learned just how hard it is raising one alone! It's all worth it though in the end! Hang in there! I hope you feel better soon! You've got the perfect remedy- Champ!


Thank you so much! Ugh I cannot imagine having flu like symptoms while taking care of a puppy! That would be miserable! Thankfully you've made it through and it sounds like Yogi is such a great dog!

I'm feeling SO much better today. I really just needed some sleep. I am the type of person who just needs their sleep. I can deal with 6-7 hours of sleep, but not 3-4. I'm not sure how I'm ever going to have a human baby!. I think having him in his crate helped me to sleep too knowing that he was safe and contained. I really couldn't take another night trying to sleep with one eye open. 

Champs had an exciting morning. He's had a lot of energy and my hubby's dad came over and was running around with him. Now he's fast asleep..it's only 10am but it feels like 3pm!! I'm just going to hang out on the couch until I'm called to duty again Tomorrow we plan on taking Champ out to socialize. I think we will go to Home Depot and the pet store (he will be carried at both) and maybe we will hang out outside Starbucks with him in my lap so he can see people there's too.

We also had our first potty accidents today. I knew it was bound to happen! He ate and I was finishing up washing dishes and hubby was reading a text message and in the span of less than a minute he managed to pee and poop a little on the throw rug. I saw him just as he was about to squat a second time to poop and I ran him outside. I guess we got complacent because he's been so good about going to the door when he needs to go out. From now on he's going outside right after his meals.

So the breeder told me to feed him 3/4 cup 3x a day. I have been but he's only eating about half of what I put down. Any suggestions on what I should do? I'm not worried, but should I be? He's got a ton of energy, is drinking a normal amount and has been pooping about 3x a day. Any suggestions welcome

Here's a pic from this morning...









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## FeatherRiverSam (Aug 7, 2009)

He sure is cute! I don't think I'd be to concerned about his eating unless he's having diarrhea or not eating at all. I would allow him the twenty or thirty minutes to finish his food and then remove it. He'll eat as much as he needs.

I'm glad to hear the crate is working out and you're finally getting some sleep. It sounds like you're doing a great job and hopefully there won't be any more surprises on the carpet.

Pete


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

I would continue with the same food amount. Give him time to eat, then pick it up.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Thanks guys! He eats the half portion at one time, then doesn't go back to it. Then I'll tell him it's time to eat again when it is, and then he eats the half portion again. I'm not really concerned, he's got tons of energy and no diarrhea. Regular poop although a couple times it's been a bit loose, but moreso not. It is important for me to wet the food to soften it? He seemed more interested when I didn't do that...

I guess I'll try it out and see what happens. He's been napping for about 2 hours now, and he goes back and forth between laying on the tile and then laying on me. Such a cute cuddle bug. 

Trying to save my energy for when the sharkie reappears


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## Davidrob2 (Dec 10, 2012)

Harry liked to eat a little and then take a snuggle break at that age. Sometimes he would go back for more, some times not. Sometimes I would have to hand feed him a little to remind him it was there. Like the others said, leave it for about 20/30 minutes and see he gets interested in it again. P.S. Nowadays he snarfs his food down in a few minutes!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Davidrob2 said:


> Harry liked to eat a little and then take a snuggle break at that ages. Sometimes he would go back for more, some times not. Sometimes I would have to hand feed him a little to remind him it was there. Like the other said, leave it for about 20/30 minutes and see it gets interested in it again. P.S. Nowadays he snarfs his food down in a few minutes!


Haha okay thanks good to know! I think it just brings back memories of Monte for me. He was anorexic at several times in the last three years of his life and we had to constantly worry about his food intake. Any sign that he was not eating the usual amount meant he was getting sick again. I know Champ is not sick, but I worry that he's not getting enough to eat. I just put more food down since it is around his second meal time. I didn't wet it this time, and no change. Still only ate about half, actually less than half. I think he's getting bored at home. So, we are going on our first adventure to petsmart right now. I will carry him, but it'll be interesting to see how he does!


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Yogi wasn't eating much when we brought him home. It got to the point I was very worried and called my breeder. She reassured me and told me sometimes with the change the dog's digestive system needs a few days to work things out. She was right, of course, and before long I got this maniac jumping for joy in his x-pen when he heard food being prepared for him! I'm sure Champ is going to be just fine if he misses a meal or two or doesn't eat as much in those first few days.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Champ*

Champ is so PRECIOUS! Congrats!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

So we just got back from Champs first adventure to petsmart. We had a couple people come up and pet him, including a few kids. He LOVED the kids and one woman, and for everyone else he put on his I'm just going to lay here and be cute face, but for the kids and that one woman he almost jumped out of my arms trying to give puppy kisses. There was also a kid running around with a noisy cart outside of Starbucks (where we also stopped) and Champ didnt even move a muscle. It's good for him to get used to the loud noises.

What was weird though is that every single person asked me what kind of dog he is. I live in an area where dogs, and in particular goldens, are super common so I thought it was rather strange. One guy asked me and when I told him Champ was a golden, he couldn't believe it and said that Champ looked too big to be a golden, especially his face. Also most people thought he was 10-12 weeks old and were surprised when I said 8 1/2 weeks. 

At one point today my husband said Champ could pass for a husky, but he was laying upside down at the time (Champ, not the hubby. I wonder if people think he's a Great Pyrenees due to his size and furriness. To me, he looks like a golden retriever. I know goldens come in all different shapes and sizes but our breeder shows dogs, so I assume show dogs have to meet a certain standard which means they have to look pretty similar. 

Oh well, people still thought he was cute even though they didnt know what he was. I should have told them he was a baby polar bear


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

Rose was never a big eater. It used to take her quite awhile to finish her food. I was in fact glad that she ate slowly. Bloating comes to mind and maybe that is the reason the breeder suggested to moist the kibble. I did not wet the food but made sure she had water right next to her bowl. When she turned 6 months I switched her to the adult food and mixed it with canned food. OMG does she love it. Of course I spoiled her and also make her the rice and ground beef once a week and mix it with her kibble.


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## FeatherRiverSam (Aug 7, 2009)

I think you'll find you will get a lot of that...you'd think something as easy to identify as a golden retriever wouldn't get so many questions and it's the "dog people" who'll really throw you some loops.

Pete


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

LOL - I used to mess with people and say that I think the breeder used to have great pyrs in the wood shed.


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## Davidrob2 (Dec 10, 2012)

SMBC said:


> What was weird though is that every single person asked me what kind of dog he is.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


We used to get that all the time too. Harry is a very light cream color - unusual in my part of the world. People used to think he was a yellow lab. That's beginning to change now that his feathering is coming in. Now they ask "Is your dog a golden? I've never seen one like that." :doh:


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

I think that's so strange! I can spot a golden from a mile away, and could even before I got really interested in them. I was thinking next time someone asks I should say, he's a daschund, can't you tell?


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## njoyqd (Oct 20, 2012)

Champ is "all Golden" and perfect! 
I can't imagine anyone thinking he was anything else. Really?
I keep coming back to look at his pictures. 
Thank you again for sharing them and all his adventures!
LOVE him!
Dale


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## SandyK (Mar 20, 2011)

Sounds like Champ is keeping you busy. I am glad he is doing so well in public. I can't wait until you tell someone he is a daschund!!!LOL


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## bruinball (Sep 26, 2011)

Hi there,

I wanted to say hello b/c I recognized the background as Osprey Goldens. My wife and I just picked up our little guy Friday evening from Jan and she mentioned that Mr. Blue had been picked up that AM so I am thinking that must have been you and your husband! We ended up with Mr. Mint and we couldn't be happier. We got him a little Potty Porch for the backyard and he has been great about letting us know when he needs to go outside. As a matter of fact, he hops onto the Potty Porch even while we are playing to use the restroom.

We are located in San Francisco, but we are lucky enough to have a decent sized backyard where he can roam.

They really look like such cute polar bears - we would love to trade stories with you guys!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

bruinball said:


> Hi there,
> 
> I wanted to say hello b/c I recognized the background as Osprey Goldens. My wife and I just picked up our little guy Friday evening from Jan and she mentioned that Mr. Blue had been picked up that AM so I am thinking that must have been you and your husband! We ended up with Mr. Mint and we couldn't be happier. We got him a little Potty Porch for the backyard and he has been great about letting us know when he needs to go outside. As a matter of fact, he hops onto the Potty Porch even while we are playing to use the restroom.
> 
> ...


Hey there!! I'm so glad you found me! We took Mr Green, he was our first choice and we picked him up on Friday morning! Last week when we went to visit Jan was saying that a couple really wanted mint and that must have been you guys! I actually have a great picture of him when I went to visit one week and I'd be happy to send it to you! 

I'd love to trade stories and hear how things are going, and get the boys together. We are in Marin so not far at all and my husband and I both are in San Francisco all the time for work. 

I'll send you a private message with my email! I'd love to keep in touch and hear how Mr Mint is doing! What did you name him? He was so adorable, and had great coloring! Can't wait to hear more about how things are going for you and see more pictures of him! 


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## Pixie (Jun 13, 2012)

SMBC said:


> Puppies are good for weight loss


 
 I lost three kilos the first week I got Pixie! But I guess I voercompensate it afterwards with chocolate..! ooppsss :uhoh:


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## Barkr (Dec 23, 2011)

Looks all Golden to me, funny because Roxy has a huge melon head everyone thinks she is male even to the point of saying "are you sure"? LOL


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Barkr said:


> Looks all Golden to me, funny because Roxy has a huge melon head everyone thinks she is male even to the point of saying "are you sure"? LOL


haha! That made me laugh! What's your response? "Last time I checked...!"


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## FeatherRiverSam (Aug 7, 2009)

SMBC said:


> Hey there!! I'm so glad you found me! We took Mr Green, he was our first choice and we picked him up on Friday morning! Last week when we went to visit Jan was saying that a couple really wanted mint and that must have been you guys! I actually have a great picture of him when I went to visit one week and I'd be happy to send it to you!
> 
> I'd love to trade stories and hear how things are going, and get the boys together. We are in Marin so not far at all and my husband and I both are in San Francisco all the time for work.
> 
> ...


Oh you're in Marin...I was wondering where you were located in Northern Ca. I used to spend a lot of time down there as my parents had a house in Kentwoodlands. Unfortunately when they passed we had to sell the house. It's sure a nice area...the only thing I don't miss are the ticks...they seemed to be everywhere.:yuck: 

And that's great to be able to hook up with someone who also has one of the pups from the same litter...how about a picture of the two of them together.


Pete


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

FeatherRiverSam said:


> Oh you're in Marin...I was wondering where you were located in Northern Ca. I used to spend a lot of time down there as my parents had a house in Kentwoodlands. Unfortunately when they passed we had to sell the house. It's sure a nice area...the only thing I don't miss are the ticks...they seemed to be everywhere.:yuck:
> 
> And that's great to be able to hook up with someone who also has one of the pups from the same litter...how about a picture of the two of them together.
> 
> ...


Kent woodlands is such a nice area with beautiful homes! Also great hiking trails! Hopefully we don't have a tick infestation on Champ anytime soon! Marin is a great dog friendly place with a lot of open space where we can go out with Champ, once he gets old enough! 

Where in Northern CA are you? Somewhere beautiful judging by your pictures! I think I assumed you live by a beautiful lake somewhere in a cabin...maybe from your pictures..and it makes me very jealous!!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Just wanted to give another update on Champ...

He's doing really great and I've officially fallen in love. He's doing better in his crate and wakes up about 2-3x at night to potty, but he's not whining as much. I have it right next to my side of the bed so maybe that's helping. Potty training is a mixed bag. He has about 1-2 accidents a day, which is odd because for the first couple of days he didn't have any. And, it's always on one particular rug, except tonight when he peed on my bath mat. My husband and I are going to move the rug, and throw it away, that he mostly goes on and we are hoping that helps. Aside from the 1-2 times, he goes to the door to tell us he has to go out, so I'm not really sure what happens when he has the accidents and why he's not going to the door then. Is that normal or no? Champs eating has also improved thanks to bruinball's idea to add a little wet food...now he's eating everything!

We took Champ out yesterday to Montes old vet and to Home Depot. The surgeon that saved Montes life asked if we drugged Champ because he was so calm. The nurses, doctors and staff were all taking turns holding Champ and the office administrator was holding him while standing next to me, and he almost jumped out of her arms to get to me. It really warmed my heart and made 
me think that he's starting to really become connected to me. 

Our Home Depot trip was interesting. I held him the whole time, he didn't like being in the cart and looked like he wanted to jump out. A few people came up to pet him, but not many. EVERYONE asked what kind of dog he was...ugh!! One guy asked if he was a chow chow, and another guy said Champ was much bigger and furrier than normal goldens. I can't wait until I don't have to answer that question anymore!! I should just make him a sign that says "golden retriever!"

Champ is also itching a lot so I'm wondering what that's about. We go to the vet on Saturday so I will ask her then. Hopefully not a hot spot or anything. 

I've also been walking around the house with Champ while his leash is on. At first he just sat down and was biting the leash, but with treats and encouragement he is now walking beside me. I can't wait to try it outside. I'm also looking forward to starting puppy class soon, in about a week. It'll give us something to do and I'm looking forward to socializing him with other dogs. 

I went back to work today and it was so hard to be there. I was really tired but I also really missed my boy. He spent the day with his father so they got good bonding time, but I loved coming home to a puppy that was so excited to see me and showered me with many puppy kisses!


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

Sounds like Champ is doing great. Max always comes with me when I have to go to Home Depot.


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## FeatherRiverSam (Aug 7, 2009)

SMBC said:


> Kent woodlands is such a nice area with beautiful homes! Also great hiking trails! Hopefully we don't have a tick infestation on Champ anytime soon! Marin is a great dog friendly place with a lot of open space where we can go out with Champ, once he gets old enough!
> 
> Where in Northern CA are you? Somewhere beautiful judging by your pictures! I think I assumed you live by a beautiful lake somewhere in a cabin...maybe from your pictures..and it makes me very jealous!!
> 
> ...


I'm about an hour north of Lake Tahoe in a little cabin along the banks of the Feather River and yes it's a beautiful area. I'm very lucky. But Marin is also very nice with great weather, lots of lakes and trails, beaches, entertainment...it's hard to beat as a place to live.

I don't get down there much any more and I do miss it. What part of Marin are you in?

Pete & Woody


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## Donatella (Jan 21, 2013)

Oh I was hoping for a Champ update!!  he is SO cute! I'm soaking up your knowledge lol So you were saying that he is eating better now that you added a little wet food, did you actually add a canned food or just wet the dry food with water?


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## Mayve (Aug 21, 2012)

Love all the pictures of Champ, sorry haven't been on much the last week, trying to catch up on the posts...He is a cutie and it sounds like things are going well.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Donatella said:


> Oh I was hoping for a Champ update!!  he is SO cute! I'm soaking up your knowledge lol So you were saying that he is eating better now that you added a little wet food, did you actually add a canned food or just wet the dry food with water?


Awww thanks, well I'm glad to help! When do you get your little one?

I added actual wet food. I tried wetting the food with water but that didn't help. Mixing in a spoonful or two of the wet version of his food helped though. He is eating better but still not finishing the food...well I guess he was finishing his food but not today for some reason. 

Champ has continued to be great! I've been trying to teach him to walk on leash (throughout the house) and we practice other commands. He's great at sit but as far as leash training goes he bites his leash and runs off with it. He will walk nicely if I have treats in my hand though. But you know what, Champ still doesn't even seem to know his name. We try saying it and when he looks at us we give him treats...but I'm wondering if this is normal and how long it takes them to know their name?

We start puppy class on the 28th and he will just be 10 weeks. From my understanding, puppy class is to learn the basics so hopefully he's not the only one that can't walk on leash. I'm looking forward to bonding with him through this class, and also getting him out and doing something together. 

We took Champ out yesterday to go get some food. He is so squirmy in the car if we are sitting in the front seat, so I tried sitting in the back with him and he just fell asleep. I think the car makes him tired, and he must take after me because I'm the same way! Hopefully he will grow out of that...I know I never did!

Champ has also been doing great in his crate at night. Last night he slept through the night, but I woke up around 5:30 and made hubby take him out to potty, even though he didn't tell us he had to. Tomorrow is the first day that both hubby and I won't be home so the dog walker is coming over to feed him and play with him for an hour at home. I'm really nervous about this! I trust her but I'm super protective of my animals! I know there's not much that can go wrong and he will have to start getting used to her because she will be walking him when he's able to. I just hope he's going to be okay being alone for longer than he's used to!

We finally got rid of the rug that Champ feels the need to pee on...maybe it was his way of telling us he didn't like it! Hopefully getting rid of it prevents him from wanting to pee inside...I guess time will tell. 

People say puppies are a lot of work but I think Champ has been pretty easy. I think it's probably a more accurate statement that puppies take a lot of effort if you want a puppy that listens and that is trained. Sure Champ isn't completely potty trained and he's biting like crazy when he has energy, but he also seeks us out to cuddle when he's tired and he loves watching us do things around the house. He also plays follow the leader with our cat so I'm looking forward to seeing how he is with other dogs at puppy class. He's a really great, laid back dog that is very curious and does well with all people and is very tolerant of loud noises and unknown things around him. I think we really lucked out!! I just have to keep reminding myself that he's a baby and learning things will take time! 

Here's some more pictures of my ragamuffin!





















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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

I don't really have an update other than to say Champ is doing well and we are going to the vet tomorrow for the first time. Looking forward to our vet meeting Champ!

I just wanted to post some more pictures from today. Our dog sitter took a couple and then I took one from tonight when mr champ was cuddling me!




























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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

We just got back from the vet with Champ and all is well!

Champ weighs a little over 13 pounds! They put him on the big scale at first and it said 10 pounds...I knew that wasn't right. When we were in the room waiting for the vet I put him on the cat scale and he was 13 pounds, so I told the vet when she came in and she said that was more accurate. Phew...I thought our boy was losing weight!

Champ got a clean bill of health, and they gave him a good first nail trimming experience. Our vet suggested staying on his food for the time being, but if he progressively turns his nose to it then we will try switching to something else. He got his second round of vaccinations, and our vet said we should start walking him on concrete areas. She said parvo isn't common in our county, and it's more important to socialize him to people than it is likely for him to contract parvo. We have a lot of outdoor malls where dogs are allowed so we will start going to those this week. When we got home from the vet I put his leash on and walked him down our cul-de-sac, and he loved it! He was super excited, and walked really well if I had treats in hand. He's already getting so good at "sit" and our dog sitter worked on his name with him, as well as "find it." I didn't think of the "find it" game but it sounds like fun and something I'll continue with. I'm glad the vet gave us the go ahead to walk him on concrete...I think he's getting bored of his toys and the house and this is a good way for him to burn some of that puppy energy, which will hopefully decrease the biting!

When we were in the vets office the vet tech said she just got a puppy that was around 6 months old and that Champ and the puppy should meet. I kind of just blew her off and said uh huh that would be nice, thinking that they wouldn't, but then when we were in the room she brought her dog in! And...it was a pit bull. Now, let me say, I am the first one to defend breeds that have bad reputations but I am also human and prone to making a snap judgment...something I'm not proud of, especially since our last dog was a Rottweiler and he was as sweet as can be. But I think it might be semi ingrained into us...well maybe, I don't want to make any excuses. Anyways, she brought the puppy in on leash, and he was a lot larger than Champ, and I got so worried. Luckily though, she had it under control and everything was fine. Champ seemed a little timid at first, and sat in between my husbands legs, and then laid down in a submissive position. The other dog was just rolling around on his back and then Champ started to bite his tail and play with his legs. Once Champ warmed up, he went around to sniff his face and the other puppy got a little hyper and knocked Champ over. It wasn't intentional, Champ is just so small...well compared to bigger dogs. She took him out of the room after this but it ended up being a great opportunity in a controlled environment for him to meet another dog. Now I'm more comfortable having him start to socialize with other dogs and I'll have the dog sitter bring over her dog so they can play. In some ways Champ doesn't seem all that interested in other dogs, which I knew was a possibility since he was weaned early from his mom and then bottle fed, which inevitably made him more socialized to people. Thankfully though we start puppy class in 2 weeks, and this will give him a great opportunity to be around other dogs. 

That was a big adventure for Champ and now he's pooped out, thankfully! We will see how long that lasts for...


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## Davidrob2 (Dec 10, 2012)

Glad you got the go-ahead to broaden Champ's horizons and that he is doing so well. We started introducing Harry to our neighbor's dog about that age. They are the best of friends nows.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Davidrob2 said:


> Glad you got the go-ahead to broaden Champ's horizons and that he is doing so well. We started introducing Harry to our neighbor's dog about that age. They are the best of friends nows.


Thanks ya me too! I'm getting a little antsy being cooped up in the house, although right now I'm watching steel magnolias and I'm perfectly content on the couch. I'm glad to know that Harry has been good with dogs and I'm hoping Champ will be too! He needs a best friend too!!


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## Newman'sKeeper (Feb 10, 2013)

I'm loving this thread. Your pup is SO adorable and fluffy! 
I love seeing all the pictures as he experiences his new home and family


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

I am so glad you have the go ahead to get out on concrete with Champ. We live in parvo and distemper central this year so we were not as fortunate as you. I live in a dog friendly area of town, but unfortunately some of the owners are less than responsible and don't vaccinate or don't scoop poop, even from sidewalks! So we were greatly limited in what we could do. Champ will enjoy the outside so much! 

As far as meeting the pit bull, my feeling on this is it's good for Champ to meet as many different types of dogs as possible; however, if it makes you uncomfortable in any way, listen to your inner second sense/voice and follow it. As you described it and had I been in your shoes I probably would have told the tech thanks but not today, or picked up Champ as soon as it got more active between the two. It's not the breed, but the fact you don't know the tech very well (at least I'm assuming that) and that particular dog may have issues that she/he didn't disclose. One moment of aggression on the other dog's part could set Champ up for a long lasting fear. I'm glad it all ended up well, and yes, I'm very protective of Yogi, just because I want to keep his first few months as easy and stress free as possible when it comes to other dogs. He's getting to know a lot of different breeds of dogs at his training class and that's good. It's in a controlled setting with a dog behaviorist/trainer right there to read signs and assess. As we were leaving training last week a lady was in the vet clinic reception area with a very large and assertive Rottweiler- lunging at his lead. She asked if her dog could meet Yogi as she was trying to see how he would react to a small dog. My husband immediately grabbed Yogi up in his arms and took him to the car as I told her no, we don't know your dog, his body language is such that I am getting bad vibes, our puppy is impressionable and we do not want him to experience anything negative such as dog aggression for as long as possible. She was miffed but I really don't care. The male receptionist nodded his head in agreement with me!


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

I am like that with pits and rotties. I have met both well behaved ones and also some that I stayed away from. I personally have a fear of GS dogs. I overcame that quickly though when one attacked Rose. I charged towards him while he had her pinned down ready to bite. Since then I tried to socialize Rose with other GS dogs at Petco and Home Depot as much as possible. 
Her "best friends" are a french bullmastiff (same age) and a two year old shihpoo (sp?). When she first met Brutus, the bullmastiff I was worried because he was already twice her size, Rose picked up on my emotions, it was like she knew I wanted them to meet but I was uncomfortable. 
I would bet Champ reacted to your reservations towards the pit. 

PS: Champ looks like an adorable little rascal.


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## DogsRule1234567 (Sep 5, 2012)

Oh my. He is a bundle of amazingness!!!! Congratulations! 


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Thanks guys!

Ya I was definitely more than freaked out when she brought the pit bull into the very small room but I also knew I couldn't be anxious or he would pick up on it. Luckily the vet was in the room too and her eyes were locked on them. I felt very protected because she seemed so vigilant and aware, which I appreciated, and I'd assume she would say something if things started to get a little too rough. The tech and the vet made the pit bull stay in a laying down position, which I assume was to make him submissive and calm. I'm looking forward to starting puppy class with Champ next week since I know a large part of it is the socialization and learning about appropriate play. Dallas Gold, I cannot believe someone would want to use Yogi just to see if their dog is good with younger dogs. Yogi is not an experiment! I'd be so mad, but I'm glad nothing happened! Claudia M, that's horrible and I would be so scared. I do not know what I would do if a dog tried to or successfully attacked Champ. It happened with Monte and I've never seen my husband so furious, and I just was stunned and cried. I have a friend whose dog is not aggressive per say, but he humps every dog he comes in contact with and has a more dominant personality, and I won't even let Champ be around him. Too risky!

Well anyways in other news, Champ is doing really well! I realized today that he's starting to know his name more and we've also been practicing sit and lay down, and he's gotten really good at those commands too. He's very food motivated and happens to love his treats so that helps. We are giving him Zukes as training treats, and then his crate treats are pure bites chicken. Now, when we go up to the room, Champ automatically goes right in his crate, even though he's not tired, in order to get a pure bite chicken treat. We are saving those for the crate since its such a high value treat. His crate training is going okay...he wakes up twice in the middle of the night, usually 11:30 and 3:30 and then is up at 6:30 and won't go back to sleep. It's fine though because that's the time I wake up during the week but now hubby has no choice. 

We have decided to switch Champs food. I'm still convinced he doesn't like taste of the wild and if we have to add wet food in order for him to eat it that should say something, especially since this dog loves food! We got a sample of the new food and gave him some at his lunch meal, and he gobbled it up! Lets hope it stays that way!

We took him out to Starbucks yesterday and just sat there with people walking by and some stopped to say hello. It's become obvious that Champ LOVES children. Every time he sees a child, or adolescent, he goes crazy and wants to get their attention. The breeder has three young daughters, so I think that's why he loves kids so much. I see this as a positive thing, especially since the hubby and I will likely have children in the next year or two. 

Well we are off to Starbucks again. It wore him out yesterday and hopefully will do the same today

Here's a couple new pictures:






















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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

We asked our trainer to do a personal in home training session before Yogi could go to classes and she taught us a fun game for Yogi called the name game. Basically two people are in the room and each takes a turn calling the dog's name. The second the dog stops and looks at that person the person says YES and treats. It helps them recognize their name and look at you when you say it! 

I'm glad the vet was right there too! After all, if anything happened she would be responsible!


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## Davidrob2 (Dec 10, 2012)

SMBC said:


> Thanks guys!
> 
> We took him out to Starbucks yesterday and just sat there with people walking by and some stopped to say hello. ...
> 
> Well we are off to Starbucks again. It wore him out yesterday and hopefully will do the same today


Starbucks is one of Harry's favorite places to go too! So many new people to meet and most of them seem to be dog lovers. I swear he's learned to recognize the cups. If we come home with one and have left him behind on that trip, I think sometimes he is giving us the stink eye.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Davidrob2 said:


> Starbucks is one of Harry's favorite places to go too! So many new people to meet and most of them seem to be dog lovers. I swear he's learned to recognize the cups. If we come home with one and have left him behind on that trip, I think sometimes he is giving us the stink eye.


Haha that's so funny! Harry joins the crowd and is addicted to Starbucks. 

This trip we didn't have many people come up and pet him, only a young, very precocious girl. She was very nice and Champ was so excited!

Here are pictures of Champ at Starbucks:
















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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Champ has had a really exhausting day today.

Our pet sitter and her dog came over and it was definitely a good time! Her dog is a mix, but a big dog and he is only 14 months but he's extremely calm and set a good example of appropriate play for Champ. At first, Champ seemed a little hesitant and sat by me, and didn't want to go near the other dog, but after a few minutes he warmed up and they played with toys together, and then chased each other around the back yard. It was scary for me when they were chasing each other around, Champ is so small right now and her dog is so big, and her dog would put his mouth on Champ, but our sitter said that is normal dog play and nothing to worry about. She was pointing out how her dog would also adjust his play according to how Champ was doing, and when Champ was laying down her dog would walk away, and once Champ got back up and was running her dog would resume play. Champ expended so much energy he was starving after they left, and he ate all of his food, and then has been laying down since then. I think it really wore him out..which isn't a bad thing

Champ has also been doing really well with his training. I've taught him sit, lay down, kisses and now we are working on "come" and "inside." I've periodically been doing "shake" as well, but he has yet to really pick it up. We are also still working on his name, but he has gotten pretty good at paying attention when we say his name. He isn't very good at the "find it" game, but it isn't a necessary game to play with him. He is also really good at leash walking, and really enjoys being outside. I can't wait until he has all of his shots and we can take him wherever we want. He is getting quite heavy, and hard for me to carry around for a long period of time. 

Champ just woke up for a few minutes, and Space Buddies happened to be on TV. I turned it on for him and he was watching it. Now he's back to napping! I took the day off because hubby had to work during the day today...maybe now would be a good time for me to take a nap too!


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## FeatherRiverSam (Aug 7, 2009)

Sounds like Champ is doing great...I had to smile with one of the commands you're teaching Champ...shake. I taught my bridge girl Sammie to shake but it was to shake off water or snow before coming inside. It was a great command on those wet or snowy days. But everyone thinks shake means paw...the little kids from next door would come over and ask Sammie to shake so of course she'd shake...they'd look at me like what she doing...I told them to ask for her paw which Sammie happily gave them.

Enjoy your nap...as you know they really can be a handful at times.

Pete & Woody


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## Donatella (Jan 21, 2013)

Love the updates! He is such a cutie! We are picking up our puppy on Monday! Can't wait


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

FeatherRiverSam said:


> Sounds like Champ is doing great...I had to smile with one of the commands you're teaching Champ...shake. I taught my bridge girl Sammie to shake but it was to shake off water or snow before coming inside. It was a great command on those wet or snowy days. But everyone thinks shake means paw...the little kids from next door would come over and ask Sammie to shake so of course she'd shake...they'd look at me like what she doing...I told them to ask for her paw which Sammie happily gave them.
> 
> Enjoy your nap...as you know they really can be a handful at times.
> 
> Pete & Woody


Awww what a cute thing to have taught her! How did you even do that? I know people usually associate "shake" with a dog giving you their paw, and that's the reason why I started teaching him that command. Our old dog Monte used to give us his paw when we said "high five." It is actually more of a high five than it is a shake, but shake just seems like the universal word for it. I want to teach Champ something cool, like how you taught shake. I tried to get him to roll over today...that didn't work. He does lay on his back quite often and he was in a pose today that looked like he had "surrendered" (hands in the air by his head) and I thought that would be something funny to teach him. Now if I can only figure out how...



Donatella said:


> Love the updates! He is such a cutie! We are picking up our puppy on Monday! Can't wait


Thank you! I bet you are so excited!! How far is the breeder? Get some sleep now before you bring your puppy home! I cannot wait to hear updates from you and see pictures! Please keep me updated and good luck! I know the waiting is so hard but the days will go by fast! Looking forward to hearing how it goes!!!


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## Donatella (Jan 21, 2013)

The breeder is about 1 hour away so not too bad of a drive! I will definitely start a thread about our new adventures


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## FeatherRiverSam (Aug 7, 2009)

It's not hard at all to teach this command but the conditions surrounding your dog, particularly for this command, do make a world of difference. As you know I do a lot of fishing which of course means I'm around a lot of water. My dog is always with me which means he's around a lot of water. The first thing most dogs do after being in the water is shake and there begins the training.

All you need to do is tie in the shake command so the dog recognizes it and a significant reward and you're done.

I 'd really recommend watching this video on Reward Based Training with Michael Ellis. I think you'll find it very helpful with training your pup and understanding the most effective technics and why they work. If you stick with it you could probably even teach Champ to set the dinner table.


Michael Ellis' Philosophy of Dog Training

Pete & Woody


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Donatella said:


> The breeder is about 1 hour away so not too bad of a drive! I will definitely start a thread about our new adventures


Oh not bad at all! That's how far our breeder was from us as well. Champ was really squirmy on the trip home, and that's how he's been since then when we take him in the car. Make sure to bring some water, and towels, in case your puppy gets car sick...Champ didn't, but I've heard several do. Can't wait to hear all about your gotcha day!



FeatherRiverSam said:


> It's not hard at all to teach this command but the conditions surrounding your dog, particularly for this command, do make a world of difference. As you know I do a lot of fishing which of course means I'm around a lot of water. My dog is always with me which means he's around a lot of water. The first thing most dogs do after being in the water is shake and there begins the training.
> 
> All you need to do is tie in the shake command so the dog recognizes it and a significant reward and you're done.
> 
> ...


Thanks so much for the information! It sounds like you did a really great job at training, and it's a pretty cool trick! That is how I taught Champ "kisses," I would just say kisses every time he was licking me, and now I can get him to "kiss" me on command.

I was going to start teaching "inside" to get him to come inside when he is outside causing trouble, but it dawned on me yesterday it made more sense to deal with whatever he is doing to get into trouble. For the last couple of days, he has been chewing on rocks and eating leaves and dirt. Last night I thought that instead of just trying to get him to come inside when he has a rock in his mouth, it would be much better to teach "drop it." So now, that's our newest thing. I've been trading him a treat for whatever inappropriate object he has in his mouth. We just started so it's a work in progress, and I figure that although I've already started teaching him sit, lay down, and his name, those are things that will get reinforced in puppy class and we will be doing a lot of the sits and lay downs and have plenty of time to work on those in class. We have his first class tonight, but it's an introduction class and dogs can't come to this first one, so we will leave Champ at home. Hopefully we have a good trainer!


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## Mayve (Aug 21, 2012)

Sounds like Champ is doing really well...he's so cute.

Our cocker's knew the command shake. After their baths I would close the shower doors and when they shook, I would say good shake, it got so I could tell them to wait while I closed the doors and then say shake...yep saved me a few times...lol


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Mayve said:


> Sounds like Champ is doing really well...he's so cute.
> 
> Our cocker's knew the command shake. After their baths I would close the shower doors and when they shook, I would say good shake, it got so I could tell them to wait while I closed the doors and then say shake...yep saved me a few times...lol


Thank you! And by the way, I'm so glad you're back!

It sounds like teaching a dog to shake, as in shake their body, would be a great way for the human to stay dry! I know it always happens at the worst times! Maybe I'll change the command to "high five" or "paw." He doesn't have the shake, as in paw, thing down anyways and isn't even close to, so I could change it and reserve the "shake" to when he's wet. I can tell he's going to love the water! I've sprayed down the backyard where he pees and he tries to bite and play with the water. He also tries to come in the shower whenever anyone is in there. I have yet to take a bath yet, but I have a feeling how that's going to go

I started teaching him "drop it" today, especially because I get afraid when he puts things in his mouth, which he does often. He's been really good at it so far! He drops whatever is in his mouth right away and I give him a treat! He's a natural...well actually I think he's just a little piglet that loves food


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

It's been a little while since I've updated but my grandmother passed away about a week ago and I left for out of town right away, and just got back last night. The hubby stayed behind to watch Champ as there was no one else available, and I cannot believe how much he has grown since I was away!

We weighed him last night and he is now 18 pounds, and a little over 11 weeks. Last night when I came home, he was so excited to see me that he peed himself, which has never happened before. Whenever we leave the house though and then return, he gets so excited when he sees us, and he puts an article of clothing that we are wearing in his mouth and whines and whines and whines. It's actually really cute, and it shows how excited he is to see us. 

Champ continues to do really well. He sleeps throughout the night, but still wakes up every morning at 6:30. We are hoping that we can start extending that soon...waking up that early on weekends is definitely not ideal! He hasn't had any accidents in the house in about 1-2 weeks (minus him peeing on himself when he saw me). He's getting along well with the cats, has been playing with our pet sitters dog, and has already met a lot of people. The mouthiness is still very present, but I notice he goes easy on our hands, but rougher when he bites us through our shirts and sweaters. I think it's teaching him bite inhibition and hopefully it'll improve with time. Champ also really knows his name now, and comes when called. Tonight is his first puppy class so it'll be interesting to see how that goes. Both hubby and I have no interest in going and feel like we can train him on our own, but I guess it'll be a good way to socialize him and bond. We also have now completely switched his food from Taste of the Wild to Wellness Puppy and we haven't had any issues with his eating. He is eating all of his food with no problems, and since he is a big growing boy we are increasing his food, and he eats everything we put down without us having to add wet food. We plan to give him a bath this weekend...he's becoming one stinky boy and his hair is starting to get a little matted. That will definitely be an adventure and I'll try to take pictures.

All in all...things are great with him. He's a great dog, very affectionate, listens well and everyone loves him. My husband is taking me out of town in a week and a half for my birthday, and my mom is going to watch him. I am a little nervous about it, but we are only going for a couple of days and I am sure my mom can handle it.

Here's some recent pictures!


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## Davidrob2 (Dec 10, 2012)

I'm sorry for the loss of your grandmother. I was wondering how Champ and you were doing. It sounds and looks like he has settled in nicely. The pictures are adorable.


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## jsdorsey (Dec 8, 2012)

Thanks so much for relaying all your experiences with Champ. He is adorable. We are getting our new pup next Friday, so I was very interested in your posts. I am curious though - why you were so concerned about carrying Champ on your first trips out to PetSmart and Home Depot?

Thanks,
John


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## Mayve (Aug 21, 2012)

Champ is such a cutie, glad to hear it is all going well for you!!! Sorry for your loss!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Thank you everyone!



jsdorsey said:


> Thanks so much for relaying all your experiences with Champ. He is adorable. We are getting our new pup next Friday, so I was very interested in your posts. I am curious though - why you were so concerned about carrying Champ on your first trips out to PetSmart and Home Depot?
> 
> Thanks,
> John


Hi John,

I bet you are so excited to pick up your new puppy! Are you getting a girl or a boy? Have you picked out a name yet? 

The reason for the concern about letting Champ walk on the ground at places like Petsmart and Home Depot has to do with the risk of parvo. Although in our area parvo is not prevalent, a lot of people bring their dogs to both home depot and petsmart, and there is a greater chance that an unvaccinated dog has come through and since Champ hasn't been fully vaccinated yet, we are only allowing him to walk on surfaces where dogs don't normally frequent. I guess the chance of him getting parvo from home depot or petsmart is low since most dogs don't defecate on the ground in these stores, and I'm sure petsmart has to keep their floors clean, but our vet said that he can walk in places that are kept clean where there isn't a huge amount of dogs. For instance, we've let him walk on the ground around our local starbucks and strip mall. There are dogs that hang out at starbucks but not a lot. Tonight he had his puppy class and we were instructed to carry him into the building since it's at the humane society. After we left his class my husband and I went to pick up dinner and I let him walk in the middle of the street (no cars around) near the restaurant where we were picking up food. For us, it's better to be safe than sorry and carrying him around to places where a lot of dogs frequent still provides him with proper socialization and he's getting well socialized to a lot of people, as well as other dogs.

I hope that answers your question but let me know if you have any others! Good luck with your new puppy and can't wait to hear more about it!


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

I was wondering where you were. So sorry about your loss!


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

Champ is absolutely adorable - keep the pics and stories coming! How did he do in class?


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## Buddy's mom forever (Jun 23, 2011)

I am very sorry for the loss of your grandmother. Finally I have a few minutes to post and welcome Champ, a big little boy now, into your life. Reading thru your posts I can see he is an awesome puppy and you guys are doing great with him. Wish you long and healthy life full of happiness with your sweet Champ. And I have to confirm what many already have said, they do grow unbelievably fast. Hugs.


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## SandyK (Mar 20, 2011)

Sorry for the loss of your grandmother. So cute to read how happy Champ was to see you when you came home. He is such a cutie and I was happy to see updated pics!!!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Claudia M said:


> Champ is absolutely adorable - keep the pics and stories coming! How did he do in class?


Thank you! It's been difficult but my grandmother suffered from Alzheimer's for many years and although her death was really unexpected and sudden, she hasn't been the same for a long time and it was nice to be around family and the community that were really supportive.

Thanks for saying that about Champ! He is growing into such a great looking dog! Tonight at puppy class another owner called him a little q-tip, I think cotton ball is more appropriate People still ask what kind of dog he is though...and even tonight one of the trainers asked if he was a golden retriever mix and I said no, pure bred, and she was like huh, but he's so furry...ugh:doh:

Class went pretty well....Champ really liked this very tiny, 7 pound, designer dog but they played together really well. But they were sitting next to us and the owner kept letting her dog come over into our area when we were trying to train Champ and it was semi-annoying. Maybe next time if she does it again I'll say something because it is distracting...or maybe that's a good thing! The trainer wanted the puppies to play first and had the "small" dogs in a pen, and then the "big" dogs in the rest of the area. She had two small dogs, and then a golden doodle the same age as Champ go into the pen, and I wasn't sure why she didn't ask us to put Champ in the pen either since he was only slightly bigger than the golden doodle. Although all the dogs are puppies, all the other puppies were significantly bigger then Champ because they are all older. At first Champ could care less about the other dogs and just went around exploring, but then he started to get trampled by the "big" dogs and I decided it was too overwhelming for him and I think the other trainer picked up on it too, and she asked me to bring Champ into the pen for the "small" dogs. He did well in there and had a great time playing with the tiny designer dog. 

Afterwards we worked on find it, their name, sit and lay down. Champ did pretty well, but was very distracted by the other dogs and it made me realize we need to continue to work on his name, especially in distracting situations. He really hates his leash and I think he feels very constrained by it, but hopefully he will get used to it. There were a couple dogs there that were relatively standoffish, and then a couple dogs that were really rambunctious, wild and a lot to handle and I felt that Champ was a good mix of playful, yet not annoying and could titrate his play based on the body language from the other dogs. The golden doodle didn't seem too interested in him, or other dogs, and Champ just went up to her and licked her face, and then layed down right in front of her, and then with the tiny dog he was able to rough house because the other dog wanted to as well. It's funny that one of the reasons we picked Champ was because he was outgoing, curious, yet calm, and his personality that we loved at such a young age has really stayed the same.

All in all I think it was good, and although we can teach all those commands at home, it's good to be in that distracting environment. The only other thing that I am hoping will either go away with time or training is that whenever he greets people, he bits an article of their clothing, usually their sleeve and just hangs on and wags his tail and gets so excited. He's not biting hard, or maliciously, but I think he just gets so excited that he doesn't know what to do with himself. He did it to the trainer tonight and she tried to "yelp" loud and it didn't get him off of her, and then she sort of pushed him off which I thought was a little strange, but I also know it's not appropriate for him to be doing that. He does this when he gets excited when we come home, and I guess I will have to start telling him no, or redirecting him somehow, but I also just think it's a behavior that a baby is doing and will probably go away with age and maturity.

Anyways, thanks so much for asking about it! He's pretty pooped tonight...hopefully he will sleep past 6:30!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Buddy's mom forever said:


> I am very sorry for the loss of your grandmother. Finally I have a few minutes to post and welcome Champ, a big little boy now, into your life. Reading thru your posts I can see he is an awesome puppy and you guys are doing great with him. Wish you long and healthy life full of happiness with your sweet Champ. And I have to confirm what many already have said, they do grow unbelievably fast. Hugs.


Thank you very much! I have to say the first week with him was tough, and I know you can relate...I was really missing Monte and kept thinking that he would never compare to Monte. But then we had a moment together where I knew he had already bonded to me, and I fell in love. He is definitely a handful but is so worth it, and he's just unbelievable sweet. He's got such a great personality and disposition, and I am getting used to his independence and robustness that Monte didn't have. Monte was way less independent and was so fragile, and so it's nice to have a dog that I don't feel like I need to wrap in bubble wrap, although I am still extremely protective. How's Charlie doing? I need to go check out your thread because I haven't seen any updated photos recently! I bet he's getting to be such a big boy!



SandyK said:


> Sorry for the loss of your grandmother. So cute to read how happy Champ was to see you when you came home. He is such a cutie and I was happy to see updated pics!!!


Thank you! I think the pictures really show how much he's grown! Before I left I weighed him and he weighed 14.5 pounds, and when I got home we weighed him and now he's 18 pounds!! They grow so fast, and the pictures are a nice way to track that growth! It was a very warm welcome from Champ, and my husband, and it was nice that he got so excited, although I felt bad he got so excited he peed himself Hopefully that doesn't happen again...although, we are going out of town in a couple of weeks!


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## jsdorsey (Dec 8, 2012)

SMBC said:


> Thank you everyone!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks. I'm kinda new to these parvo concerns. As I said we're getting our new pup Friday evening, and we're taking her to our vet the next morning. So I'll quiz them for more info on parvo. We are getting a female and her name will be Zoe. We currently have a 9 year old miniature dachshund, so we anxious to see how that relationship develops.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

jsdorsey said:


> Thanks. I'm kinda new to these parvo concerns. As I said we're getting our new pup Friday evening, and we're taking her to our vet the next morning. So I'll quiz them for more info on parvo. We are getting a female and her name will be Zoe. We currently have a 9 year old miniature dachshund, so we anxious to see how that relationship develops.


It'll be great! Please post some pictures and updates after you get her! Definitely ask your vet about parvo in your area and the best ways to avoid parvo, yet socialize your puppy! Good luck and keep us updated!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

*Champ update*

Champ is being a royal pain in the a** today. He slept through the night, and although he woke up again at 6:30, I stayed in bed until 7 and he whined on and off until he went crazy with the whining, and then I took him out to potty. I fed him right away and the day was off to a pretty regular start. But then, I decided to vacuum and Champ has been weird ever since then. He was so scared of the vacuum, and hovered in the corner. I tried giving him treats while I was vacuuming, and he would come close to the vacuum when I had the treat, but then would run back to his corner. I decided to stop vacuuming, but then he was still acting strange. I left the vacuum out and he wouldn't even walk by it at first, but then eventually he did. Then, he broke through the makeshift gate blocking the stairs, and I found him sitting on the 3rd stair whining because he couldn't get down and was scared to keep going up. I carried him back down the stairs and decided we needed to go for a walk. During the walk, Champ just placed his bottom on the ground and wouldn't budge. Sometimes luring with treats worked, and sometimes it didn't. I finally just decided to carry him home because I didn't want to pull and tug on him. Then he went into the back yard and was putting EVERYTHING in his mouth..leaves, rocks, dirt..you name it. I tried using "drop it" and trading with a treat, and that didn't work even though it's worked in the past. By this time I thought maybe he was hungry so I gave him lunch, and he seemed to calm down after that and slept most of the afternoon. When he woke up about an hour ago, I decided to take him on another walk right away and he was better on this walk, but it was really windy and he was chasing after everything that was blowing and wouldn't listen to me at all. Then since we've been in the house he keeps asking to go outside, and when I let him out again he just puts things in his mouth rather than going to the bathroom. He won't drop it and I end up pulling things out of his mouth. He is good about coming inside when I ask him, but it's been a pain to keep getting up to let him out for no reason, and it took me so long to do anything today and I didn't even finish unloading the dishwasher because he just keeps asking to go out!

I cannot wait until my husband wakes up so I can finish things around the house, and so I can get a mini Champ break. Champ is sleeping again now, so I am getting a little reprieve. He did go to puppy class yesterday and I am noticing that he is way more rambunctious and harder to handle after he plays with other dogs..which happens after the pet sitter brings over her dog too. 

Hopefully tomorrow will be easier!


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## FeatherRiverSam (Aug 7, 2009)

Some day when Champ is all grown up and sitting by your side you're going to look into his eyes as you scratch behind his ears and say do you remember when you used to eat everything you could get your mouth on, do you remember when you'd plop down on your bottom and refuse to move on a walk and do you remember that big old mean vacuum cleaner...you'll probably get a tail wag and a look that will melt your heart and say it was all worth it cause you're the love of my life...thank you.


Pete & Woody


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## Jingers mom (Feb 10, 2012)

Champ is a beautiful pup!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

FeatherRiverSam said:


> Some day when Champ is all grown up and sitting by your side you're going to look into his eyes as you scratch behind his ears and say do you remember when you used to eat everything you could get your mouth on, do you remember when you'd plop down on your bottom and refuse to move on a walk and do you remember that big old mean vacuum cleaner...you'll probably get a tail wag and a look that will melt your heart and say it was all worth it cause you're the love of my life...thank you.
> 
> 
> Pete & Woody


Thank you for saying that, and for the reminder that one day he will no longer be a crazy puppy! When he wakes up I'm going to tell him that one day he will no longer eat everything, he will not be scared of the vacuum, and he will enjoy going on long walks with me...and then he will probably bite me! But...I do love him!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Things with Champ are going pretty well! 

I'm realizing he sleeps 8 hours at night, no matter what time you put him to bed he will wake up 8 hours later!

Today, we took him downtown in one of the beautiful downtowns and walked around. At first, Champ was scared and hid under a bench. When he finally came out, everyone was stopping to pet him and ask me about him. One guy asked I he was a Samoyed, and others recognized that he's a retriever but said they had never seen one so light, and/or fluffy. He was very friendly toward everyone, although only slightly bitey but less so than before. He met a very calm older lab and Champ really fed off of her energy and was very gentle with her. Afterward we walked him a bit and I realized we needed a harness, so we went and bought one immediately. He was so tired and worn out after our outing he hardly ate his lunch. Since then he's been sleeping! The only thing I'm concerned about is I've noticed he's been shaking his ears, and I took a look and there's some brown buildup and I know that's normal, so I think I'll try cleaning out his ears later and see if that helps. 

The other thing is my husband and I are debating whether to continue with puppy class. I got to thinking about his first class last week, and I feel like he learned more bad manners then he did good. The dogs were so nutty and he was really intimidated by them. I also feel like he learns the commands better when I've been teaching him versus the style they are requiring us to teach it to him. He's had a tummy ache ever since class too, probably because of the amount of treats we have to give but also, when we were at class, the dogs were socializing and two of the puppies had diarrhea right where all the dogs were playing. Although they are all vaccinated, I'm worried about him catching something or getting sick. I know that puppy class is good for socialization and having them learn while distracted, but my husband and I are really good about training him and socializing him and I've noticed more bad behavior after he goes to class and when we take him out to socialize him, he's so wonderful. 

I'm going to decide by next Thursday but I'm just not sure it's the best thing for him. We took our dogs to puppy class when I was young, and then my husband and I took our dog, and all the times it was only semi helpful. I feel like it would be more helpful to get him out there in the world and train him in real life circumstances rather than a big warehouse. 

Well anyways, those are my thoughts for the day!


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## sharonvk927 (Jan 13, 2013)

Congratulations. He is so cute.


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

Sounds like Champ is doing well. Try not to forget that he is still a very young puppy. As far as puppy class is concerned, Max did not go to a class until he was around 6 or 7 months old. But he is well socialized because we have always taken him out and about. Also, you are correct to be concerned that he could catch something from the other puppies at class.

How about some new photos?


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## Davidrob2 (Dec 10, 2012)

We are holding off starting Harry in formal classes until late this summer or fall -- mainly because of scheduling conflicts. However I am finding that between this forum and online videos, Harry is much better trained at this age than our previous golden who attended classes early on was. I'm sure it's because I am not raising two little boys and a puppy this time around! But I also think I am more consistent in our training sessions because I know I don't have a class to fall back on (if that makes any sense).


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Max's Dad said:


> Sounds like Champ is doing well. Try not to forget that he is still a very young puppy. As far as puppy class is concerned, Max did not go to a class until he was around 6 or 7 months old. But he is well socialized because we have always taken him out and about. Also, you are correct to be concerned that he could catch something from the other puppies at class.
> 
> How about some new photos?


Thanks for saying that! Sometimes I wish we can pass over this puppy stage so that we can have some fun together! Luckily he gets his last round of shots next week so we can begin exploring together even more! He was so great with everyone that he met today, and I know it is so good for him to be socialized to all different people. We wanted to go somewhere where we knew people would come up to pet him, and we were thankful so many people did. And, I'm so glad that people also let him meet their dogs, and other people just kept on walking by with their dogs too, and I feel like that's important so he know that he cannot and will not be able to greet every dog. And ya, I am concerned about him catching something, even though the other dogs all have at least their second round of vaccinations, but with two dogs having diarrhea right there during class, it worries me! 

I'll attach more pictures to this post!=)



Davidrob2 said:


> We are holding off starting Harry in formal classes until late this summer or fall -- mainly because of scheduling conflicts. However I am finding that between this forum and online videos, Harry is much better trained at this age than our previous golden who attended classes early on was. I'm sure it's because I am not raising two little boys and a puppy this time around! But I also think I am more consistent in our training sessions because I know I don't have a class to fall back on (if that makes any sense).


That is really good to know, and it's nice that you are taking the initiative on your own to make sure he is trained. We are like that too, which is why I am feeling like puppy class is a waste, and a bad influence! I have found that with my previous dogs what they learned in class didn't always translate to the real world, no matter how much we practiced. This time around, I feel like we need to spend more time out in the real world, as opposed to a classroom, where he can learn all the commands, especially his name and to come when called and to socialize with people and other dogs. How's Harry doing by the way? I'd love to see more pictures!

Here are some more recent pictures of Champ! Love the one by the toilet...that was taken today. It looks like he partied too hard last night


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

I did not take Rose around other "unknown" dogs until she was 15 weeks and had all her shots. We did all the training at home and in our back yard. After all, IMHO it is better to start without distractions and then slowly introduce to distractions for all the training to "stick". I used and "abused" Petco puppy play time on Saturdays. I noticed that the trainer had classes before puppy play time so I went there and trained Rose to sit and wait while the trainer was working with other dogs. Rose became the "distraction" in his teaching and at the same time he and the dog he was training was the "distraction" for Rose. There was a nice guy in a training class and I asked him if he would step on Rose's leash while I walked away from her if she broke the lay/wait command(I did not want my daughter there because Rose knows to listen to her - I needed a stranger).


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Claudia M said:


> I did not take Rose around other "unknown" dogs until she was 15 weeks and had all her shots. We did all the training at home and in our back yard. After all, IMHO it is better to start without distractions and then slowly introduce to distractions for all the training to "stick". I used and "abused" Petco puppy play time on Saturdays. I noticed that the trainer had classes before puppy play time so I went there and trained Rose to sit and wait while the trainer was working with other dogs. Rose became the "distraction" in his teaching and at the same time he and the dog he was training was the "distraction" for Rose. There was a nice guy in a training class and I asked him if he would step on Rose's leash while I walked away from her if she broke the lay/wait command(I did not want my daughter there because Rose knows to listen to her - I needed a stranger).


Thank you for bringing up something I didn't even think of before. I agree that it would be more beneficial for him to actually learn the commands before we try to distract him while teaching the commands. It didn't and doesn't seem helpful to try to distract them initially when they don't know the command really well! 

Plus, since we had puppy class last Thursday, Champ has had on and off loose poop. Right afterwards it was really loose, probably from all the treats (or that's what I suspect), and then I gave him rice with his food, it subsided, and now it's back again. I am really hoping he didn't pick something up at puppy class since like I said there were two puppies that had diarrhea at the class. Luckily his appetite and attitude are fine, and so I am not too concerned right now, but I was trying to figure out if I should let it run its course, give a little pumpkin, or give him a bland diet. I don't have chicken on hand in the house, so I just decided to give him a teaspoon of pumpkin and hope that helps. I'll give him another one at his dinner time. It's not like really bad diarrhea, just loose and he's gone about 5 times today, but only a little each time. He is supposed to go for his last distemper on Saturday, so if it continues I can also ask the vet then.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

I would check with the vet before the vaccination if the loose stool continues. Also check with him/her about benadryl before the vaccination time (how long before and how much to give to avoid any reaction to it). Stick around the vet (if they are far from you, mine is only 5 min away) for about 30 minutes after the vaccination. 
You may also try to reduce the food intake on the days you go to training, treats on top of regular food may cause loose stools - too much food for their tummies to handle.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Claudia M said:


> I would check with the vet before the vaccination if the loose stool continues. Also check with him/her about benadryl before the vaccination time (how long before and how much to give to avoid any reaction to it). Stick around the vet (if they are far from you, mine is only 5 min away) for about 30 minutes after the vaccination.
> You may also try to reduce the food intake on the days you go to training, treats on top of regular food may cause loose stools - too much food for their tummies to handle.


Thanks! This is his third round of shots and he did fine with all the other rounds, so hopefully this one will be no different. I will ask her about the loose stool before the vaccine though, but I'm hoping it subsides by then. He's been really energetic tonight and I decided to cook him rice and chicken. Well he was going crazy by his food bowl and I wasn't finished with the chicken so I decided to give him some rice mixed with his kibble and a tablespoon of pumpkin. He LOVES pumpkin!! He was so excited when I gave it to him first one a spoon to try, I swear he wanted to eat the spoon. Then he went nuts over his food and devoured it! I'm just not really sure how much pumpkin to give him that will help the loose stool but that also won't contribute to the looseness. 

We've decided to stop the puppy class. We want him to be able to learn the commands without a distraction first, and then work up to the distractions. I also didn't like the way the class was handled and the puppies were just able to roam free and weren't really carefully watched by their owners or the trainers. And I've noticed that Champ likes reinforcement when we praise him more than food, and we were told not to praise. 

Tonight Champ got his first bath. When he's wet, he looks like a little rat haha!! We were worried he would never be fluffy again, but we dried him off with 4 different towels, and thankfully his fluffiness came back. 

Here's a picture right after his bath...









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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

Champ is so adorable!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Max's Dad said:


> Champ is so adorable!


Thank you! I happen to agree


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## Davidrob2 (Dec 10, 2012)

I love after-bath pictures ... especially the sad puppy eyes!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Davidrob2 said:


> I love after-bath pictures ... especially the sad puppy eyes!


Ya too bad the picture doesn't show how soft and fluffy he is now! 

I called the vet today about the loose stool. They said to give chicken and rice for a day and if it doesn't improve they will prescribe something. They also said if it continues we will hold off on his vaccine. 

I made chicken last night so when I got home today from work, for his lunch meal, I gave him some chicken and rice. This was his first time eating chicken, and my god he went crazy for it! He ate the whole thing, then kept jumping around the area I was cutting the chicken, I think he could smell it. I then trained him for about 10 minutes with some more chicken, and since then he's been sniffing all over the house to find more. He's become obsessed! 

It's been interesting to see what foods he really loves, and which ones he doesn't really care for. So far he goes crazy for chicken and pumpkin, and doesn't care much for peanut butter. 

I am really starting to get worried about the loose poop. His poop today started off normal but then turned to mushy again. His energy and appetite continue to be great, so it doesn't seem to be effecting him. Hopefully we notice a difference with the chicken and rice, and if not I guess we will go the medicine route. Anything to make my little boy as good as new!

Here's him begging for more chicken, taken about a minute ago.









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## FeatherRiverSam (Aug 7, 2009)

I know the lose poops can be very distressing...hopefully the chicken & rice will solve the problem. He sure doesn't look under the weather...just as cute as can be. 

Pete & Woody


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

FeatherRiverSam said:


> I know the lose poops can be very distressing...hopefully the chicken & rice will solve the problem. He sure doesn't look under the weather...just as cute as can be.
> 
> Pete & Woody


Thank you! He's definitely not acting or looking under the weather. 

For some reason he acts different with me then he does with my husband. He's way more mouthy with me, and wants to play more. When my husband comes home Champ finally goes to sleep! All day today he's been mouthy and rambunctious. The "no bite" doesn't seem to be working as well anymore, a squeal doesn't work, so now anytime he bites I get up and stop playing with him. 

Even though he has loose poop, he's still acting like his normal self, so I'm glad he's not feeling or acting sick. He hasn't pooped since giving the chicken and rice so hopefully it's helping!

Champ finally sat still on the couch!









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## Davidrob2 (Dec 10, 2012)

SMBC said:


> For some reason he acts different with me then he does with my husband. He's way more mouthy with me, and wants to play more. When my husband comes home Champ finally goes to sleep! All day today he's been mouthy and rambunctious. The "no bite" doesn't seem to be working as well anymore, a squeal doesn't work, so now anytime he bites I get up and stop playing with him.
> 
> 
> View attachment 160314
> ...


That's funny. Harry is the same way -- except he will cuddle with me and play more vigorously with my husband. He was (and still is sometimes) more mouthy with me. I think it has something to do with the different pitches in our voices. I made sure I always had a toy in hand to stuff into Harry's mouth. The "stop playing" would work for a minute or two but he would be right back at it shortly after play resumed. Harry will still mouth some but now it is always very soft. 

I hope you can get the soft stools under control. I know it's worrisome. We went through a phase like that with Harry. We finally had to change foods to get his system back to normal.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

My husband and I just got back from a mini vacation and Champ looks like he's grown so much! Now I feel like he's starting to finally look and act like a real dog!

We've had some problems with him sleeping at night which I've detailed in another thread. Hopefully we can figure this out soon. 

Other than that he's been pretty good! He's growing to be so big, and he's so lovable! He loves to cuddle and sit in our lap while he plays with a toy. It'll be interesting if this continues as we will have an 80 pound lap dog!

He continues to torment the cats, one in particular and the other one he stays away from because he knows better. But he follows one around all the time and tries to play with him like he'd play with another dog. Luckily, the cat tolerates it and I think semi enjoys it as well

The mouthiness continues but I notice there are times when he likes my hand in his mouth but he's not biting, but when he gets really insane is when he bites hard. He also often tries to bite our faces and this is something that we really try to discourage, for obvious reasons, and I hope stops soon. 

Today we are going to take him out to our favorite trail. The trail is about 3 miles each way, WAY too long for him now. But, there is a field in the beginning of it so we plan on taking him around the field. There are always dogs there, and lots of people, so it should be interesting and fun, and will hopefully help to burn some energy. 

Here's the latest pictures of trouble





















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## drofen (Feb 2, 2013)

Oh my goodness, he really is a little polar bear, isn't he!

Great pics!


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

Champ is getting so big. He has some pretty big feet to grow into.


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## Davidrob2 (Dec 10, 2012)

He looks like he has something mischievous in mind in the second picture.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

He is my little polar bear! A lot of people ask if he's an English Creme golden, and he is not, his dad is just really light. But he does look like a little polar bear, or our neighbor called him a cotton ball. Right now he's a dirty cotton ball though!

And I wouldn't be surprised if he did have something mischievous in mind! Trouble is his middle name!

I just took a couple pictures of him with me on the couch...see the cat behind him...Champ tries to lay where the cat is but the cat just hissed at him, and thankfully Champ backed off right away






















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## Brinkleythegolden (Jun 18, 2012)

Oh my goodness, he's cute! We are on a list for puppies to be born next month--so Champ is giving me puppy fever! What a cutie pie he is!


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

Love the pix! Especially the one of him on his back...very cute fuzzy belly.  I bet he is mischievous. He'd be hard to discipline because he's so cute!


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## daisydoo79 (Jun 26, 2008)

He's adorable. I love looking at puppy pictures!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Thank you all!

Today we had a great outing with Champ! He got his third round of shots on Friday, so today we took him out on our favorite trail. The trail is long so we just took him to the beginning of it where there is an open field, and walked a little further to another open field. Champ met a few dogs and some people. We also brought his lunch with us and used it to train him. He did such a great job! I even dropped his leash on the open fields and my husband and I took turns walking away and telling Champ to come, and he would run toward us and we'd give him kibble. We also just strolled along the open field not holding his leash and he does a great job of following us. He literally stayed right next to us or walked right behind us, following our footsteps. We were both so impressed with how well behaved he was and how good he listened. We had dogs running around us too and he would still only pay attention to us. 

Then we took him to our outdoor mall. He was tired by this point but I needed to run an errand and it was another good socialization opportunity. I kid you not, we couldn't get anywhere, every other step we took someone would stop us to pet Champ and ask about him! People are still asking what kind of dog he is. There are a lot of people with goldens around here, and most of those owners know right away he's a golden, but other people keep asking if he's a malamute. Today when I told someone he is a golden they asked if I was sure, I said yes, and they said well its also possible there's something else in him. I assured them I've seen his lineage a few generations back and they are all golden retrievers. Most comments that we get from people include that he's either too fluffy or light/white to be a golden. A couple people asked if he was an English Creme. It's a little annoying, especially when people ask if I'm sure. I want to make a sign that Champ can wear saying "golden retriever." At the mall Champ got to play with a cocker spaniel puppy and also got lots of good socialization with kids. There was a young girl who was barely walking and Champ did such a great job with her. He sat there nicely while she touched his head and giggled. I was so proud of him! What's weird too is that we've had a couple people come up to pet him, and make a comment about how they want to steal him. I never know how to respond to that..all I've done is laughed and said please don't!

He was pooped when we got home but it gave us a great opportunity to take a family nap. My hubby and I fell asleep on the couch, and I awoke to find Champ laying next to the couch. After we all got up we gave him a bath. He was a dirty boy, and because he's so light you can see any spot of dirt. But also, one of the many women that played with him today must have been wearing really strong perfume because when we got home I could smell it on him and it made me nauseous! Now he smells like puppy shampoo and wet dog!

It was a great day and I'm now starting to feel like I have an actual dog. I was so impressed with him today and can't wait to go on more outings with him!


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

Glad you had such a great day with Champ. We also get tired of the "are you sure he is a Golden Retriever" comments.


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## Tennyson (Mar 26, 2011)

We'll always get that "Is he a golden lab?'

Great pictures! He really is a good looking pup. He'll have no problems living up to his name.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Thank you!

Did people speculate what else Max could be? We did see a 4 month old golden today, a month older than Champ, and they looked nothing alike! The other golden was taller and a lot thinner, his hair wasn't as fluffy and he was darker, but maybe in a month Champ will look like that too? Guess its just different lines...


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

Most say "he must have something else in him" or "Lab." Possibly because he is a big Golden.


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## Davidrob2 (Dec 10, 2012)

What a great day for you and Champ. Isn't it a wonderful feeling to wake up and see them laying right next to you?


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## Neeko13 (Jul 10, 2010)

He sure is a beauty.....love all his pics.....


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

I do find the coats on the goldens have a lot of varieties. I didn't realize that. Ours is very fluffy but he has some curly/wavy hair. I heard a woman call him a golden doodle and I know people who have them and he's nothin like them. People ask me too what he is and a lot start with golden but not everyone. We say he looks like a fuzzy bear. His hair is actually different at different areas of his body too. I'm so glad he likes the loving because I'll bury my face in his neck at his soft wavy coat and then give him kisses all over his face. Love his muzzle.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Ksdenton said:


> I do find the coats on the goldens have a lot of varieties. I didn't realize that. Ours is very fluffy but he has some curly/wavy hair. I heard a woman call him a golden doodle and I know people who have them and he's nothin like them. People ask me too what he is and a lot start with golden but not everyone. We say he looks like a fuzzy bear. His hair is actually different at different areas of his body too. I'm so glad he likes the loving because I'll bury my face in his neck at his soft wavy coat and then give him kisses all over his face. Love his muzzle.


As he's grown do you feel like his coat has changed? I'm wondering how and if Champs coat will change. I kind of want it to stay the same so he's unique and will then look like a big polar bear. I noticed this morning that although he is fluffy, his hair is pretty thin, at least it's starting to be on his back. It'll be interesting to see if he ever goes through the skinny leggy rat tailed stage because right now, he's the total opposite...my husband and I call him a wide load because he's so wide and short


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

SMBC said:


> As he's grown do you feel like his coat has changed? I'm wondering how and if Champs coat will change. I kind of want it to stay the same so he's unique and will then look like a big polar bear. I noticed this morning that although he is fluffy, his hair is pretty thin, at least it's starting to be on his back. It'll be interesting to see if he ever goes through the skinny leggy rat tailed stage because right now, he's the total opposite...my husband and I call him a wide load because he's so wide and short
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Their coats go through all sorts of changes while they're growing... Typically, the true coat will emerge in a stripe down their back, and then extend around their body. It's a lot of fun to watch. Tucker did the growth pattern where body parts grew at different rates... One day he looked all legs, and then I'd look at him from above and think his torso was huge, etc. I just kept hoping they'd all fit together well when he was done, and they did!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

OutWest said:


> Their coats go through all sorts of changes while they're growing... Typically, the true coat will emerge in a stripe down their back, and then extend around their body. It's a lot of fun to watch. Tucker did the growth pattern where body parts grew at different rates... One day he looked all legs, and then I'd look at him from above and think his torso was huge, etc. I just kept hoping they'd all fit together well when he was done, and they did!


Thank you so much for the information. Funny you should mention the stripe down their back, because just yesterday I pointed out to my husband that there is a stripe down Champs back that is different from the rest of his fur. It's now shorter and the roots of it are a different color. My poor white baby is getting darker:/ He's going to grow out of his polar bear stage....

Anyways though, Champ continues to amaze me. We took him out to a college campus by us that is surrounded by nature and open space. It was deserted and so we walked around on the fire roads and sidewalks and went to an open field. We dropped Champs leash while on the open field and again, he stayed right by us, never left our side. This is something I want to continue training as I think it's really important!

Champ had a great night in his crate last night. I was tired and hubby had to work, and anytime hubby works I go to bed early. I put Champ in his crate at 9:50, and he slept until 7:10! New record! He did bark when I first put him in the crate, and the last time hubby worked and it was just Champ and I we had the horrible night when he wouldn't stop barking, so when he started when I first put him in there I got worried. Luckily, he stopped in about 5 minutes and I got to watch the rest of my movie in peace

He's still bitey but I've been stepping up efforts by bringing out the bitter apple more often. Now when he sees me grab the bottle, he stops whatever he is biting that he shouldn't (me, the blanket, etc). I've also used a squirt bottle a couple times. Champ has now figured out how to jump on the couch, which I don't mind as long as he has nice couch manners, but he likes to take stuff off the end table when on the couch. I used the squirt bottle for this and it worked. 

There are two concerns/questions I have though..

First, Champ is jumping and barking a lot on our kitchen cabinets (can't reach the counter yet). We just got new cabinets and not only am I afraid he's going to scratch them, but it's a habit I don't want him getting into. When he does it now, I say off and gently push him down (maybe that's not the right word, I don't push my dog, but I get him off the cabinets). But, I have to do this 5-15 times in order for him to stop but when he does stop I praise him for being quiet and sitting nicely). He's not getting it or he doesn't care, and he's barking the whole time too. Anytime I'm cooking something, he does this. Any advice?

The second thing is I'm having concerns about our dog sitter. She's a friend of a friend, and we know a lot of the same people. She has a dog running business, so she primarily takes dogs on runs. Her dog is 14 months, and runs like 5-10 miles a day, which I've heard isn't the best thing since his growth plates aren't fully formed. Anyways though, that's not my main concern. Her dog played with Champ the day he had the horrible night, and every time she brings him over she doesn't have them play or not play at their own pace, but rather keeps telling the dogs to "get" each other and also will sometimes pick Champ up and put the dogs face to face. I know she wants them to play, but I would think letting them do it at their own pace is best, although I could be wrong. So I get a little concerned about this. I want Champ to be the one to decide whether or not he wants to play, and how he wants to play, rather then being forced to play. I am so uncomfortable saying this to her, but I realize I may need to do something about it. Thoughts?

Here's a couple new pictures...





















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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

SMBC said:


> As he's grown do you feel like his coat has changed? I'm wondering how and if Champs coat will change. I kind of want it to stay the same so he's unique and will then look like a big polar bear. I noticed this morning that although he is fluffy, his hair is pretty thin, at least it's starting to be on his back. It'll be interesting to see if he ever goes through the skinny leggy rat tailed stage because right now, he's the total opposite...my husband and I call him a wide load because he's so wide and short
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Bentley's coat hasn't changed a whole lot yet but he's only 14 wks old. I notice a section of his tail has developed the coarse hair. It's just a small section towards the top. Weird, above and below it aren't like it. Here's a picture from a week ago at the puppy class where we met a light colored GR that is 2 days older than Bentley. Not sure if you can see the size difference in the picture but she's much smaller and obviously much lighter than Bentley.









You can kind of tell how fuzzy Bentley is too in the picture. Sorry it's not the best picture, was taken with my phone in a hurry because the puppies were ready to go.


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

*Oh my goodness your Champ is soooo cute!!!*
I would definitely say something to the dog sitter. Just let her know that you're not comfortable with forcing him to play right now because he's so young. Maybe she won't be offended making it about you and not her? I'm the worst though, I hate confrontation. I will usually apologize and if they don't get it, I'll leave the situation so I don't have to deal with it further.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Ksdenton said:


> Bentley's coat hasn't changed a whole lot yet but he's only 14 wks old. I notice a section of his tail has developed the coarse hair. It's just a small section towards the top. Weird, above and below it aren't like it. Here's a picture from a week ago at the puppy class where we met a light colored GR that is 2 days older than Bentley. Not sure if you can see the size difference in the picture but she's much smaller and obviously much lighter than Bentley.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Wait a second...the dog on the right hand side of the picture (when looking at it) is Bentley? And he's only 14 weeks!?? He is huge!!!!!!! From the picture he looks like a fully grown golden!! How much does he weigh??!!

And thanks for saying that about the sitter. I'm totally the same, and because she's kind of a friend, it's even more uncomfortable. She has to watch him twice this week and I'm trying to figure out what I should tell her to do. Maybe walk him alone on leash to work on leash walking, handling and commands? 


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

SMBC said:


> Wait a second...the dog on the right hand side of the picture (when looking at it) is Bentley? And he's only 14 weeks!?? He is huge!!!!!!! From the picture he looks like a fully grown golden!! How much does he weigh??!!
> 
> And thanks for saying that about the sitter. I'm totally the same, and because she's kind of a friend, it's even more uncomfortable. She has to watch him twice this week and I'm trying to figure out what I should tell her to do. Maybe walk him alone on leash to work on leash walking, handling and commands?
> 
> ...


Yes, Bentley is on the right. He was 27.4 lbs at his vet appt at 13 wks and that was 2 days before that picture was taken. I wouldn't be surprised if he's 30 lbs now.
I think that's a good idea is give her a specific job to do to "help you" with his training. Then it's not like you're saying you don't like what she does but let her feel like she is helping to train the puppy (which she is).

Just checked his weight, he's 30.8 lbs now. He looks fat because he's a big fluff ball but if you look in my album of pictures when he's wet he is very lean.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

So far Rose's coat has only changed in texture her fluffy coat is being replaced with feathers. These pics are from today right after a bath.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

the cabinets - what we did with Rose, we would hand feed her little pieces of cheese, crackers and fruit at the same place in the kitchen. She has to sit in order to get the fruit. I would also teach Champ wait (I use whoa) by putting a fruit on the floor and making him wait until you say OK to go get it. Then you progress to a sit/wait until you give him the treat. 
Now she knows that when we are in the kitchen, if she is in a certain place she will always get something when she is in her special location (away from the stove and fridge) - that also helps while I am cooking. 
At dinner time she also has her own special location (between my chain and DH's chair). So once the plates are put in the table she goes right there and waits. 
It is all a matter of repetition and consistency.  Champ will get it.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

We just re-did our kitchen and that was my fear as well with the new cabinets. I am still not done with the kitchen floors and back-splash.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

As far as the dogsitter - I would tell her that you would like to see how Champ acts on his own playing with her dog. If she doesn't listen that I would personally have a problem with that and start looking elsewhere for a sitter.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Ksdenton said:


> Yes, Bentley is on the right. He was 27.4 lbs at his vet appt at 13 wks and that was 2 days before that picture was taken. I wouldn't be surprised if he's 30 lbs now.
> I think that's a good idea is give her a specific job to do to "help you" with his training. Then it's not like you're saying you don't like what she does but let her feel like she is helping to train the puppy (which she is).
> 
> Just checked his weight, he's 30.8 lbs now. He looks fat because he's a big fluff ball but if you look in my album of pictures when he's wet he is very lean.


OH MY!! You have a huge boy on your hands!! He's incredibly big!! Last time we weighed Champ, which was a couple days ago, he weighed 21 pounds and I thought that was huge...I cannot believe how big Bentley is! He seriously looks like a fully grown dog! Were his parents really big?

Ya, I think giving her a specific task may be best, but I also do think I'll eventually have to start looking elsewhere. Since she has a dog running business, I assume she will want to eventually run Champ, and I don't want that. I would rather have someone that can come in and just walk him and socialize him. But, I'm also not sure how much longer we will need a sitter too, so we will play it by ear.



Claudia M said:


> So far Rose's coat has only changed in texture her fluffy coat is being replaced with feathers. These pics are from today right after a bath.


Looks like Champ right after a bath...such a cutie! And her hair is really white too...did she get any darker as she got older?



Claudia M said:


> the cabinets - what we did with Rose, we would hand feed her little pieces of cheese, crackers and fruit at the same place in the kitchen. She has to sit in order to get the fruit. I would also teach Champ wait (I use whoa) by putting a fruit on the floor and making him wait until you say OK to go get it. Then you progress to a sit/wait until you give him the treat.
> Now she knows that when we are in the kitchen, if she is in a certain place she will always get something when she is in her special location (away from the stove and fridge) - that also helps while I am cooking.
> At dinner time she also has her own special location (between my chain and DH's chair). So once the plates are put in the table she goes right there and waits.
> It is all a matter of repetition and consistency.  Champ will get it.


Great idea! I was throwing up treats when he would sit or lay down and when he wasn't jumping on the cabinets, but then it would make him do it again. I've been trying to work on wait with him, but I'm not sure I am doing it right. How did you teach wait?



Claudia M said:


> As far as the dogsitter - I would tell her that you would like to see how Champ acts on his own playing with her dog. If she doesn't listen that I would personally have a problem with that and start looking elsewhere for a sitter.


I think that's a great idea too, but now I just need to work up the courage to say that. Prior to when Champ met her dog, Champ was more able to pick up on the dogs vibe and either play or not play, depending on the signal they were giving off. But since playing with her dog, and since she has encouraged this rough play, Champ now tries to rough play with most every dog, and I don't like that and I really appreciated how he was before. He still is able to titrate if and how rough he plays with dogs, but I noticed it's become more rough since she's been encouraging it.


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

Champ is looking good! I agree, Champ should not be forced to play with the older dog. Their interaction should be natural.

By comparison to Bentley and Champ, here is a photo of Max at 3 months old. He is probably about 33 pounds. Max's coat looks a little more like Bentley.


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

SMBC said:


> OH MY!! You have a huge boy on your hands!! He's incredibly big!! Last time we weighed Champ, which was a couple days ago, he weighed 21 pounds and I thought that was huge...I cannot believe how big Bentley is! He seriously looks like a fully grown dog! Were his parents really big?


No I didn't think his parents were that big at all. I think he's just growing fast or something. He wasn't the biggest in the litter either. This is a picture my daughter did of him to compare from when he was about 8 wks to about 13 wks. Of course he should have been stopped from doing this instead of taking a picture lol. Excuse the walls, we tore down old wallpaper and prepping to paint.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

I started whoa from a lay down position; put the treat a little away from her and said Whoa. If she tried to get it I would immediately pick up the treat and put her back in a lay down and tried again. This puppy in the video is older but I started like that with Rose from day one at home.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

After that I advanced to this but indoors first, Petco next and then outdoor.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

Color - Rose is almost 10 months now and her color has not yet changed at all.


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

_The second thing is I'm having concerns about our dog sitter. She's a friend of a friend, and we know a lot of the same people. She has a dog running business, so she primarily takes dogs on runs. Her dog is 14 months, and runs like 5-10 miles a day, which I've heard isn't the best thing since his growth plates aren't fully formed. Anyways though, that's not my main concern. Her dog played with Champ the day he had the horrible night, and every time she brings him over she doesn't have them play or not play at their own pace, but rather keeps telling the dogs to "get" each other and also will sometimes pick Champ up and put the dogs face to face. I know she wants them to play, but I would think letting them do it at their own pace is best, although I could be wrong. So I get a little concerned about this. I want Champ to be the one to decide whether or not he wants to play, and how he wants to play, rather then being forced to play. I am so uncomfortable saying this to her, but I realize I may need to do something about it. Thoughts? _

I think you're right... Sometimes I start my dogs playing (to get them out of my hair, LOL), but I let them take it from there. I think you should have a talk with here. She is an employee, and she should respect your wishes.


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

Claudia M said:


> I started whoa from a lay down position; put the treat a little away from her and said Whoa. If she tried to get it I would immediately pick up the treat and put her back in a lay down and tried again. This puppy in the video is older but I started like that with Rose from day one at home.
> 
> Impulse Control With Food | Teacher's Pet With Victoria Stilwell - YouTube


I forget about having access to training videos on YouTube! Love these and others people have posted. We are such the age of technology.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Thanks everyone for the advice and the pictures!

Ugh..I am so frustrated. Our pet sitter was supposed to take Champ out today for a walk, and do to some training. She took her dog, and another dog out for a run this morning, and I guess it started raining so she decided to just keep Champ at home and let her dog and Champ play in our home, and then she fed Champ. She texted me all this while I was at work, and I told her that was totally fine and thanked her for taking care of him. Just got home....and I came home to find dirt and mud all over my hardwood floors!! Now, I'm not a clean freak, and I know that with a dog my house will get messy, but the problem is that Champ wasn't the one that was muddy, he hadn't been outside today (only to potty). So the sitter and her dog tracked mud all throughout the downstairs. There is chunks of dirt, and paw prints, all over. I should mention...the cleaners were just here, two days ago. 

I'm sorry, but this really frustrates me! She told me she didn't want to take the dogs out because she didn't want them to get all dirty, but instead, her dog got my house all dirty. Not only is our hardwood all dirty, but also our area rugs and her dog jumps on my couch, so now I just found clumps of dirt all over my couch. 

How she didn't notice is beyond me, or maybe she did and didn't care, or maybe didn't think I would care. Who knows...but I care. I tried sweeping up the dirt and of course, Champ goes after the broom. I think I'll wait until my husband gets home so he can watch Champ while I clean up this mess. Problem is too that we just threw away our mop...so I might have to go out and buy another mop. 

Sorry...just really upsets me, and I know in the grand scheme of things it's not a big deal, but we pay her, and we pay the cleaners, and I just feel like it was a waste of money. We could have had our neighbor come over, let Champ out and feed him for free, and without a mess. 

Anyways though, Champ is doing well. We took him out to brunch with us the other day and he sat under the table the whole time. People keep stopping us to ask what kind of dog he is...I wonder if he will ever look like a golden retriever?

He's such a great dog and luckily sleeping an hour later at night too...yay!! 

Alrighty, I'm going to go spend time with him before I have to leave again. I just needed to vent...not something I want to come home to.


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## Davidrob2 (Dec 10, 2012)

I'm so sorry. I am a neat freak and that would have sent me over edge. Is this the same dog sitter you were having concerns about? If so, it might be time to put out feelers for someone new.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Yup, it is her! Same sitter! Ugh, finding her was so easy because we know all the same people, but I just don't think this is working out. Thinking about it too, while I appreciate her bringing her dog over and having her dog and Champ play, I also think I want someone who can focus specifically on Champ, and spend quality time with him giving him affection, playing and working on training. Is that too much to ask for a sitter? What do sitters usually do? All we need is someone to come over for an hour, let him out, and walk him or play, give him some kisses and that's it!

As I am sitting here I'm getting more upset. I finally was able to sweep while Champ was sleeping, but now I need to go out to buy a mop. We have an old mop here, but it doesn't work well on our floors. I may just have to get down on my hands and knees and use a rag. I'll have to do that later though once I'm done with my day. 

Thanks for saying you'd be mad too...I didn't want it to seem like I need everything clean, especially with a dog, but I do appreciate a clean house (hence, hiring a cleaner), and if I am paying someone to do something I am also expecting that they will be respectful and cognizant of these things.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Oh and P.S....I follow her on facebook, and she takes pictures of all the dogs she is taking care of throughout the day in order to keep the owners in the loop. Well apparently she is taking every dog out on a hike or a run, but not Champ?!

I'm starting to think because she knows us personally she is also more lazy with us...=(


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

My husband and I talked about the pet sitter issue and we decided to keep her around for right now. We may only need her until the end of May, so no point in trying to switch now. Luckily, today she actually took Champ out. She let Champ and her dog run around a field. She said his recall was excellent and he had a great time running around with her dog. 

Otherwise Champ is doing well. He's been sleeping more at night, which I appreciate. He's getting so big, but we love him so much. He's such a great dog and everyone comments on how well behaved he is. 

The only concerns I have is he still is having intermittent mushy poop. I notice it happens on days when we take him out on a field trip or when he plays with other dogs. I'm wondering if he just gets so excited. But he also has really smelly gas. I'm wondering if it could be his food? If it continues I'll talk to the vet. One thing that is kind of annoying is that Champ will often hit the door to go outside when he doesn't have to potty. He will go outside and just lay down, or dig the dirt. Sometimes we keep getting up every 2 minutes because he's hitting the door to go out. I'm trying to figure out how to break him of this habit. 

Here are a couple new pictures of mr champ.



























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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

Always enjoy seeing new Champ photos.


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## drofen (Feb 2, 2013)

Regarding his wanting outside constantly to pee, but then not peeing--

We are dealing with this also, and I'm sure it's just a stage.

The advice given to me by others wiser than me, was to let him out, if he doesn't do his business within 3-5 minutes, pick him up, take him in, and place him in his crate for 15-20 min. Then let him out of his crate and immediately take him outside to pee. Repeat until he does pee. Then let him back inside and play with him like crazy to keep him engaged for a bit. Then, if he indicates to go out start back at square one.

It seems to help...sometimes. LOL!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Champ had a tick...I'm freaking out!!!

It took both of us to try to get him to be still, and I tried to get it out with tweezers. I was so freaked out I went so fast (I didn't wear gloves or anything..hope that's not bad), and pulled out the tick. Unfortunately, it came away in pieces and I couldn't get the whole thing at once. 

Now I'm really freaking out. His skin is red, and there is a tiny black dot in the center. I am worried it's the ticks head, but my RVT friend said it may just be dried blood. There is no bump though. I texted my RVT friend and she said to put a warm compress on it. I tried to get him to lay still to put the compress on, but it's at night, which means he's super hyper, so he wouldn't sit still for me to put the compress on. I was finally able to put it on, only for a couple minutes, and I didn't notice any change. I decided to put some bacterial ointment on it, and wait to see how it is tomorrow and I can call the vet then.

My RVT friend became my friend when we had Monte and were going through all of his health problems, and she is the office manager at our local emergency vet where Monte was seen regularly. She said I could take Champ in there and she said they wont charge me if he doesn't need to see a doctor. Problem is, my husband is already at work and we haven't had him in the car without someone holding him or sitting with him, so I'm not sure how he would be in the car. I can't bring the crate downstairs, it's too big for me to carry. But, I have the option to go into the emergency vet if need be.

Any advice?? I'm so worried about him!


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## Gwen_Dandridge (Jul 14, 2012)

SMBC said:


> Champ had a tick...I'm freaking out!!!
> 
> It took both of us to try to get him to be still, and I tried to get it out with tweezers. I was so freaked out I went so fast (I didn't wear gloves or anything..hope that's not bad), and pulled out the tick. Unfortunately, it came away in pieces and I couldn't get the whole thing at once.
> 
> ...


Ticks are a non-issue. Don't over stress about this. Lyme disease is a big deal but is more common on the east coast. Remove the sucker and forget about it. Here in SB, we don't have much Lyme disease because of the lizards. The tick bite the lizards which have some sort of antibody against the critter that causes Lyme disease so our ticks seldom are carriers.

I don't know how rampant Lyme is up north. But otherwise, it's only a blood-sucking insect. Icky, but nothing to worry about. I've removed hundreds from dogs, people and myself. With my bare hands. I'm tough! :wavey:


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Gwen_Dandridge said:


> Ticks are a non-issue. Don't over stress about this. Lyme disease is a big deal but is more common on the east coast. Remove the sucker and forget about it. Here in SB, we don't have much Lyme disease because of the lizards. The tick bite the lizards which have some sort of antibody against the critter that causes Lyme disease so our ticks seldom are carriers.
> 
> I don't know how rampant Lyme is up north. But otherwise, it's only a blood-sucking insect. Icky, but nothing to worry about. I've removed hundreds from dogs, people and myself. With my bare hands. I'm tough! :wavey:


Thank you for saying all that. I'm still trying to be calm, and tell myself it'll be fine and to just check it again tomorrow and if I have any concern I can call my vet or the emergency vet that takes care of us. 

I was most concerned that I didn't get the head out. My husband was convinced I didn't, so he scared me and I don't know how to tell whether I did or did not. 

Champ has also been a royal pain tonight. He is still having intermittent mushy poop and tonight, had diarrhea. Then, he went crazy and was running around the back yard, and rolled in it! I almost lost it! This was right after the tick craziness. 

This intermittent mushy poop is stressing me out and I'd like to get a handle on it. He is also gassy, and it smells bad! We took him to the car dealership and we had him with us when we were signing papers, and although the people couldn't hear his gas, I think they could smell it and it was slightly embarrassing as I didn't want them to think it was us haha

Sorry, stressful night and I'm venting! 


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## Davidrob2 (Dec 10, 2012)

SMBC said:


> This intermittent mushy poop is stressing me out and I'd like to get a handle on it. He is also gassy, and it smells bad! We took him to the car dealership and we had him with us when we were signing papers, and although the people couldn't hear his gas, I think they could smell it and it was slightly embarrassing as I didn't want them to think it was us haha
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Harry was that way until we changed his food. Maybe try something new and see if that helps.

The latest pictures of Champ are adorable. I can't believe how much he has grown. I especially like the one of him look over your husband's shoulder.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Davidrob2 said:


> Harry was that way until we changed his food. Maybe try something new and see if that helps.
> 
> The latest pictures of Champ are adorable. I can't believe how much he has grown. I especially like the one of him look over your husband's shoulder.


What kind of food do you feed?


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Well today has been eventful...

I finished a major project that I need to have done by tomorrow and was about to make lunch for myself and Champ. I got up off the couch, and went to Champ to give him a pet and some kisses. I was petting him all over, like I normally do, and my hands ran over a bump on his chin. I looked...and what was it again...a tick!!!

I feel like such a horrible dog mom that I didn't notice it before! His hair is just so thick and course it's so hard to find anything in there. I've literally lost treats in his fur!!

So my husband threw away the tweezers we used on the last one, and I know we don't have another pair, so I first started digging through the garbage. Then I realized the garbage that its in is already in the trash can outside. It's raining outside and I don't want my neighbors seeing me dig through the trash in the rain 

So then I decide to get dressed quickly and run out to CVS to get a new pair of tweezers and some gloves to wear. As I'm on my way, I suddenly remember reading about those tick keys that help with easy removal of ticks. Luckily, the pet store is right next to CVS. So I ran into the pet store first, got a nifty tick key, then went into CVS to get gloves and a brand new tweezers for me!

I rushed home, put on the gloves, got a plastic cup, a paper towel and got the tick key ready. I went over to Champ, gave him some treats and tried to extract this creature from my poor puppy. Well Champ was scared because there's a metal object coming toward his face and he would not sit still. I tried laying him on his back, I tried putting him in my lap, I tried holding his head with my other hand. Nothing was working. My dog was exhausted, I was exhausted, and I felt bad because I was just fighting with him to let me get the tick out. I contemplated waking up my husband but knew he probably wouldn't be much help. 

So I thought about the best solution, and decided to put champ on the couch. I wedged him in between my body and the back of the couch, held his head in my other hand and fought to get him to hold still. It took about 2-4 minutes of wrestling with him, but he stood still for at least a couple seconds, and that was all I needed. I popped that sucker right out of him!! That key thing really works! I had to look closely as I was doing this and I was so afraid the tick was going to fly at my face, but thankfully it gets stuck in the key. I put it in a plastic cup with a lid and let Champ go. Omg I was so happy!

I felt absolutely terrible that I had to do that to Champ but afterward when I was cleaning it and putting bacterial ointment on it, he was licking me and I really do think he knows I was taking care of him. 

I gave him treats and lots of affection so that he quickly forgets about our wrestling match!

I'm still worried about the Lyme issue but there's nothing I can do now. I'm doing the best I can. I wish I could find these things earlier and I feel terrible I didn't. Tomorrow he gets frontline for the first time so at least that will give me some assurance. 

After this, I fed him and we went on a nice wet walk. It wasn't raining, but the ground was wet but it's decently warm out. Here's a couple pictures from today...















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## drofen (Feb 2, 2013)

Even if they don't understand I'm convinced they know we are trying to help. 

Good job momma!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

drofen said:


> Even if they don't understand I'm convinced they know we are trying to help.
> 
> Good job momma!


Thank you for saying that! I think at first he thought I was trying to slit his throat but when I was cleaning him up he knew what I had done and was licking my face, as if to say thank you. 

Ugh I hope there are no more of those horrible bugs on him!!


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## FeatherRiverSam (Aug 7, 2009)

I hate to say it but down there in Marin and this time of the year with the wet weather those little guys just seem to appear out of no where. We found the tick key to be very helpful as you really want to get the whole tick out head and all. And as you know trying to get the dog to hold still and not pull a chunk of hair out with the tick is no easy task. It's a heck of a lot easier with two people. The frontline really made a difference.

After walks, especially in brushy areas, we found it helpful to really go over the dogs face and ears looking for ticks. They actually show up fairly well when they're crawling on surface of their hair. A flee comb is helpful with removing them to put in the plastic cup.

We checked with our vet and he said Lyme disease was something they didn't see much of in that area. But I'd definitely check with your own vet to get the most current information.

Champ is just as cute as ever!!!

Pete & Woody


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## Champ (Jun 10, 2006)

Adorable, congratulations! Looks like my Champ when we brought him home.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

FeatherRiverSam said:


> I hate to say it but down there in Marin and this time of the year with the wet weather those little guys just seem to appear out of no where. We found the tick key to be very helpful as you really want to get the whole tick out head and all. And as you know trying to get the dog to hold still and not pull a chunk of hair out with the tick is no easy task. It's a heck of a lot easier with two people. The frontline really made a difference.
> 
> After walks, especially in brushy areas, we found it helpful to really go over the dogs face and ears looking for ticks. They actually show up fairly well when they're crawling on surface of their hair. A flee comb is helpful with removing them to put in the plastic cup.
> 
> ...


Thank you! Ya I feel like Champ found a tick nest somewhere (although I'm not sure one actually exists)...it just seems like they are clinging to him! I am really hoping that I found the last one! I was pleasantly surprised how well the tick key worked, but I am hoping not to use it too often. I guess from now on we are going to have to check him after every walk. But, his hair is like a shag carpet, it's hard to find anything in there! Maybe I'll see if they sell a special brush that can help us find them...but that's if Champ will sit still to even be brushed! Doesn't he know we are just trying to help!?



Champ said:


> Adorable, congratulations! Looks like my Champ when we brought him home.


Awww I hope my Champ is at least half as cute as your Champ! I love seeing pictures of your Champ! Before we got our Champ, we loved the name Champ but seeing pictures of your Champ helped us to make the final decision on his name! Keep your beautiful pictures coming!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

It's been a long time since I've been on here so I thought I'd give an update about Champ!

He is now 5 1/2 months and doing really great! He is pretty big, about 47 pounds, and still very light. He has big bear paws and his coat has really changed from his fluffy puppy coat to his curly adult coat, but he is still so soft! 

He has been really great with people and he LOVES kids! I've taught him to sit when people greet him and he does really well with that, and is really gentle with children. He will sit with the kids and kiss their hands as they pet him. He also really loves other dogs, however, small dogs do not love him for some reason. We've had a few run ins with small dogs, and it's always been the small dogs fault (and I'm not just saying that). I've been walking Champ on leash and small dogs run up to him and attack him. When we walk by small dogs they growl or bark at him, and poor Champ doesn't understand that they don't want to play and he will stop and stare at them. Big dogs have been great with him though and Champ is always submissive to the other dogs, and does a really great job of figuring out whether the dog wants to play with him or not. Champ is also really starting to be a very cuddly dog. We bought him stairs for the bed (because he was big enough to jump up anyways and was doing so), and he will come up at night and in the morning and cuddle with us. He really is a mama's boy and will follow me around the house, and wont leave my side, even when my husband is calling him. Even though I love this, it's also hard not to have a minute by myself...I literally cannot pee by myself. He either sits next to me, or puts his front paws on my lap!! Try peeing with a 50 pound dog on your lap

Of course, since Champ is still a puppy he has also had his not so great moments. He has destroyed 2 pairs of my shoes and also my prescription glasses. He also loves towels or anything towel like, such as wash cloths, and will put them in his mouth and run off with them. He also does this with socks, and will want us to chase him. I've been able to have him drop these items in exchange for a treat but I have particular socks that he will not give up, and they are small so I get worried he will eat them, so those I do have to chase him for. He has also destroyed a couple baseboards, but that's nothing we cannot fix. Champ is currently teething, and he's been losing teeth left and right. He has also gotten in the habit of nibbling on things...it's really strange but he will do it to things, such as furniture, but he also nibbles on us. It doesn't hurt, it's just weird. 

So all in all, things are going really great with Champ. I will say that initially it was really stressful to take care of a puppy, and he is different in a lot of ways from my previous dog, and so it was a hard adjustment. But, inevitably, Champ has really stolen my heart. He has become my companion, and a best friend. I miss him during the day when I don't see him, and I love when he cuddles with me. I genuinely really enjoy him and get so proud of him when people comment on how great of a dog he is, and how well he does with kids and other people. He makes me really happy, and I am so glad that we picked him and that he is in our lives. 

Here are some updated pictures!


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

Glad to hear Champ is doing well. He sure is a handsome boy!


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## Donatella (Jan 21, 2013)

He is so gorgeous!! I love hearing how much you are enjoying him  I'm jealous he sits well to be petted lol! I have got to work on that w Bruno. He sounds as big as your pup. Bruno has chewed up a pair of my 2 yo's shoes...thank goodness she was outgrowing them anyway but a cute pair of Minnie mouse flip flops did not make it :

Eta...looked at his pics again, Champ just has the Sweetest face!!


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

What a handsome boy. He sounds like quite the catch. 


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Great update, good to hear he's doing so well.

He's becoming a very handsome boy.


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## dgmama (Nov 29, 2012)

It's so nice to see committed dog owners. I'm currently trying to train two puppies who never get walked and stay outside with no attention all day long... so yeah, that's for another thread later. :bowl:


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## sadiegold (Nov 3, 2010)

You did a great job summing up the growing period. It put me back three years ago with Sadie but yours didnt include crying and mine did :wave:.

Hes a beautiful boy ENJOY!!


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

What a sweetheart! I got a good laugh about him following you into the bathroom! I've started keeping brush in there. It where I get all my grooming done.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Max's Dad said:


> Glad to hear Champ is doing well. He sure is a handsome boy!


Thank you! He is really great!



Donatella said:


> He is so gorgeous!! I love hearing how much you are enjoying him  I'm jealous he sits well to be petted lol! I have got to work on that w Bruno. He sounds as big as your pup. Bruno has chewed up a pair of my 2 yo's shoes...thank goodness she was outgrowing them anyway but a cute pair of Minnie mouse flip flops did not make it :
> 
> Eta...looked at his pics again, Champ just has the Sweetest face!!


I'm not really sure how I got him to do that but he had the sit command down really well, and when people would approach I would tell him to sit, and I would actually either hold his harness or the leash very tight, just in case he did decide to jump on the person. When we were working on this he actually did knock over a small child because he wanted to attack her with kisses, and it was so embarrassing so I was really diligent about it. Oh and I can totally relate with the flip flops...one pair of my flip flops has been destroyed, and a pair of my running shoes, he chew holes in my yoga pants and the worst was my prescription glasses because those are not cheap!! It's extremely frustrating but I know eventually he will grow out of it...at least I hope Thanks for the compliment about Champ...he does have a very sweet face!



Ksdenton said:


> What a handsome boy. He sounds like quite the catch.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Haha thanks! Thankfully he isn't interested in the ladies yet...Actually yesterday we took him to a dog park for the first time and some lady asked if he was neutered and I said no, he is too young and she told me I had to leave. I said trust me, he is no threat to any female dogs at this point, and as I was saying that, her dog started humping another dog. Needless to say we didn't leave



CAROLINA MOM said:


> Great update, good to hear he's doing so well.
> 
> He's becoming a very handsome boy.


Thank you, I think so too!



dgmama said:


> It's so nice to see committed dog owners. I'm currently trying to train two puppies who never get walked and stay outside with no attention all day long... so yeah, that's for another thread later. :bowl:


Aww so sad! Well you're doing a great thing and I hope it is working out for you!



sadiegold said:


> You did a great job summing up the growing period. It put me back three years ago with Sadie but yours didnt include crying and mine did :wave:.
> 
> Hes a beautiful boy ENJOY!!


Haha crying for you or Sadie? Oh I've had my moments when I thought I was going to cry...especially with the glasses, and I may have...



OutWest said:


> What a sweetheart! I got a good laugh about him following you into the bathroom! I've started keeping brush in there. It where I get all my grooming done.


That's a really great idea and one I might have to steal. It's a little tough though when he is actually in my lap Since we've had him I haven't been able to take a bath alone yet either...he likes to lick the water and try and get in with me. I told my husband he needed to watch Champ so I could take a bath in peace, and I shut the door, well...Champ was jumping up on the door and barking, and my husbands response was...well we have a dog now and you'll have to get used to it! Ohhhh I was maddd...I don't see him getting bothered when he goes to the bathroom! Now I just bring a bone in the bathroom when I take a bath, and usually that works so he doesn't bother me.

Here is a couple more pictures..one really funny picture I thought I would add...Champ looks huge, and trust me, his head is not that large, but the picture just is at a weird angle...oh and Champ doesn't have a human body either


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## Ylan's Mom (May 14, 2013)

Congratulations on getting Champ,  What a polar bear cutie!


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## Mjpar72 (Jun 4, 2013)

So beautfiul. Some of my best quality time is with Grace when I am in the bathroom and she has my undivided attention. My very first golden, Ginger, used to sit at the threshold of the bathroom and howl.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Ylan's Mom said:


> Congratulations on getting Champ,  What a polar bear cutie!


Thank you! He definitely reminds me of a polar bear!



Mjpar72 said:


> So beautfiul. Some of my best quality time is with Grace when I am in the bathroom and she has my undivided attention. My very first golden, Ginger, used to sit at the threshold of the bathroom and howl.


Awww that's so cute! What is it with them and the bathrooms? I wonder why Ginger would howl...that's so funny!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Oy vey what a morning it has been!

I was gone most of the morning and my husband decided to accompany me on some things that I needed to get done for work, and low and behold we had an awkward encounter with someone we were never hoping to see again...so the morning started off a little strange.

Then we came home and when we leave Champ at home, he is always put in his xpen. We, we walked into the house, and the xpen was overturned and there was no Champ to be found. My heart started racing and I meant to put my starbucks drink down on the dining room table so I could go upstairs and search, but I missed the table and dropped the drink on the ground and it spilled everywhere...I didn't care though and just left it and ran upstairs.

I started yelling Champ's name and my first thought was oh my, someone came in the house and took him. We've had several people warn us, even though we live in a nice neighborhood, that Champ is a hot commodity and we've had people even say, "I want to steal him," although I think they were half joking...hopefully!

Anyways, I ran upstairs yelling his name and I couldn't find him anywhere and it seemed like forever but he came strolling out of the master bathroom and boy was he excited to see us. 

My hunch is that he was jumping on the xpen for some reason, possibly because of the gardeners, and he just kept jumping and it knocked it over. I am sooo thankful that he does not appear to be harmed or hurt at all, but I imagine it may have hurt when it knocked over on him, and I am sure he was terrified. He does like to lay on the bathroom tile and I bet he was so scared after what happened and because we weren't home that he went and laid in the bathroom.

Wow, he really gave me a heart attack when I walked in to see that. But I am just so glad he is okay, and that he appears relatively unfazed now by it. And...I'm not sure how long he was out of his pen, but he also didn't destroy anything! Way to go Champ!

On a lighter note, Champ had his first swimming "lesson" yesterday and he was such a natural. The woman who owns the facility said that she has never had a puppy learn to swim as fast as Champ did and she said he will probably be the type of dog that when he sees a body of water he will just want to go in it...oh jeez, I guess we are in for it! But it was great and we got some great pictures I will post later!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

What a day you had, glad you found him safe.

Sounds like he had a lot of fun swimming, my two are that way, almost impossible to keep them out of the water any time they are near it.

Looking forward to seeing your pictures.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Here are some of the pictures from his swim "lesson."


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

So, we just got home from visiting my husbands grandmother in the hospital, and I wanted to go upstairs to change my clothes and then go walk Champ. Champ was so excited, and as he usually does, tried to run up the stairs along side of me. I'm not sure what happened, but my husband was behind Champ and he said Champ tried to run up the stairs, but there wasn't really enough room for him on the stairs, and he just kind of lost his footing and paused, and then slowly went up the stairs. When he got to the top of the stairs he was holding one of his back legs up, and I went to pet him, he sat down, and then I made him walk into the master bedroom with me to see if he was able to walk on his leg. When he stood up, he was totally fine again. He was walking on it, bearing weight on it, etc. We made him walk back and forth a little bit in the hallway so I can see if he was putting adequate weight on it and walking normally, and he was as far as I can tell.

I had my husband carry him back downstairs and now I am hanging out downstairs with him. I haven't seen anymore limping, or him holding up his leg and so he seems perfectly fine. I am not going to go on a walk with him this morning but will take him out later tonight if he still seems fine.

Wow, that really scared me. Should I be really concerned? Hopefully he just stepped on it funny or something like that and it's not serious. He didn't yelp or anything so I just hope he's not in pain, but I'll continue to monitor him!


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

SMBC said:


> So, we just got home from visiting my husbands grandmother in the hospital, and I wanted to go upstairs to change my clothes and then go walk Champ. Champ was so excited, and as he usually does, tried to run up the stairs along side of me. I'm not sure what happened, but my husband was behind Champ and he said Champ tried to run up the stairs, but there wasn't really enough room for him on the stairs, and he just kind of lost his footing and paused, and then slowly went up the stairs. When he got to the top of the stairs he was holding one of his back legs up, and I went to pet him, he sat down, and then I made him walk into the master bedroom with me to see if he was able to walk on his leg. When he stood up, he was totally fine again. He was walking on it, bearing weight on it, etc. We made him walk back and forth a little bit in the hallway so I can see if he was putting adequate weight on it and walking normally, and he was as far as I can tell.
> 
> I had my husband carry him back downstairs and now I am hanging out downstairs with him. I haven't seen anymore limping, or him holding up his leg and so he seems perfectly fine. I am not going to go on a walk with him this morning but will take him out later tonight if he still seems fine.
> 
> Wow, that really scared me. Should I be really concerned? Hopefully he just stepped on it funny or something like that and it's not serious. He didn't yelp or anything so I just hope he's not in pain, but I'll continue to monitor him!


I'm not a vet but I'd say keep a close eye on him, perhaps call your vet today to ask what they recommend if they're going to be closed tomorrow. If he keeps limping, probably a check up is recommended. 

hope he's OK and it's nothing at all.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

OutWest said:


> I'm not a vet but I'd say keep a close eye on him, perhaps call your vet today to ask what they recommend if they're going to be closed tomorrow. If he keeps limping, probably a check up is recommended.
> 
> hope he's OK and it's nothing at all.


Thanks for the advice! Our vet is open tomorrow but hopefully we wont need to go there.

When it initially happened, he stopped limping not even 2 minutes after it first happened. I left for a little while and just got home, and he seems perfectly fine. He even stood on his hind legs to give me that golden hug when I returned. He's also bearing full weight on it, and standing on both legs equally when standing still, and to my untrained eye, there is no limping at all.

I am hoping he just tweaked it a little bit, like how we step on something funny and then hobble for a couple steps, and then return to walking once we shake it off. I am going to keep an eye on him today, and tomorrow morning, and possible take him for a short walk later on. Better to be safe then sorry!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Just wanted to update that Champ is totally fine, no limping or anything. In fact, he was going nuts last night and this morning, probably because of the limited exercise yesterday. He was chasing the cat around and running back and forth around the house so I took him out for a walk early this morning. 

We hired a private trainer and had our first session on Thursday and I really like her. I feel like she's really knowledgeable and I like it better then going to class because we can work on things that are specific to Champ. 

One thing she wanted us to work on when on walks is to have him pay attention to us, and only us, instead of other people and dogs. She said that this will help him eventually when he is off leash to learn that he gets more rewards from us rather than from other people, and to stick by us and ignore others. 

So on our walk today, I had his morning meal with me and we practiced and practiced and practiced. Funny when I have treats and/or kibble with me he is less likely to pick things up in his mouth and eat them, like leaves and sticks, and because I already taught him drop it, when he did pick something up, I didn't even have to say anything and he would spit it out, and then look to me for a treat...except for a piece of bird poop...I guess that was better than his kibble

He did so well and one woman even approached to ask if she could say hello, and I let her because I don't want to completely isolate him from people, and we passed by a lot of other people I am sure he wanted to say hello to, but it was funny because she went to pet him, and he sat right in front of me and stared at me. He didn't even care about her....I guess the training is working, and fast! We also passed by a lot of dogs today, and the 2 big dogs we passed by were actually barking and growling at him, which hasn't happened before, but I just stood on the grass on the side of the trail as they passed by and when Champ would look at the dog, I would call his name, he would look at me, I would give him treats, and eventually, he just looked at me and not the dog anymore. It was also nice too because having treats shows that he is in the middle of training, and when people would approach whether alone or with dogs, I said, "sorry, he's in training to learn to only pay attention to me and not other people," and people were so nice about it, they would say oh sorry, and just walk on by or say oh that's great you are doing that, and compliment Champ....so they were really understanding and that is definitely a great excuse to use to get people and dogs away from you.

One really very endearing thing happened on our walk today. When we first started walking on the trail, we passed by a woman with her stroller and her very young daughter walking along side of her. Champ just LOVES kids, so as they walked by Champ stopped to stare at the little girl. I looked behind me to look at him, and tell him to come, and I saw the little girl had also stopped and was waving at him, and then she ran back to her mom. So then we passed by them again on our way back, and they were a few feet in front of me walking toward me, and the girl ran ahead of her mom and looked at me and said something to me in Spanish. I don't know Spanish, but I did catch the word "bonita," and I figure she wasn't talking about me but rather Champ I said thank you, and I asked her mom if it would be okay if they said hello. The mom said yes, and I walked Champ to her, but again, since the training is working, he sat right in front of me and didn't really pay attention to her. However, it was good because as he sat she pet him on the back a little bit, but you could tell that she was really timid. I said to her and demonstrated for her, "put your hand out and he will give you kisses...besos." You could tell she was thinking about whether she should do this or not, and her mom then stuck her hand out and demonstrated for her. Then the mom said to me, "she's actually really afraid of dogs but she is really trying with him." The girl continued to stand there, and she slightly put her hand out that was covered in a sleeve, and Champ smelled her hand. She then finally worked up the courage to stick her other hand out, and he kissed her, and she just giggled, and laughed and did a little dance. It was so darling and I am so glad that Champ gave her that positive experience. It was obvious that there was something about Champ that she was enamored with, and it was really great to watch that happen. And of course, I am so proud of Champ! He is such a great dog, listens so well, is picking up training at lightening speed and I love how he is so gentle and warm toward people. We've even had a few people tell us he would make a great therapy dog. Although I'm not sure what the entails, maybe I'll look into it as he gets older.


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## FeatherRiverSam (Aug 7, 2009)

I think it's encounters like this that pull at our heart strings and make owing a golden that much more special. I'm glad to hear Champ is okay.

Pete & Woody


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

Wonderful to read such a positive experience for everyone. 


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## kleintje (Jun 16, 2013)

Hi..

I'm new here and I just want to let you know how I enjoy reading the story of Champ and you. I currently have a cavalier king charles spaniel (4yo, male) and I'm gona be picking up my goldie puppy this Thursday. I'm nervous and excited . I think I went overboard with puppy supplies lol .

About the rough play with your dog-sitter's dog:

I just watched a DVD about rough play (which is related to the situation with your dog-sitter's dog) with dogs at the dog park or with a dog that they know. According to my own experience and also from the DVD that I watch, dogs who is used to playing rough tend to generalise and play the same rough way with an unknown dog; and some dogs doesn't like this rough and too straightforward play. Sometimes it results in the other dog warning the other dog gently that he was being too rough but other dogs may not be that tolerant and will give a strong warning. Puppies often get scared of this strong warning and start to think other dogs are not safe, this may result in the puppy reacting (barking or lunging) at unknown dog that he/she meets in the future. 

If it were me, I wouldn't hesitate to let her know not to bring her dog to your place or at least reduce the number of time. And all these rough play is not necessarily good because too much excitement will produce adrenalin and some hormones that is produced when the dog is stress/ overly excited; these hormones will take about 3 days to clear. If the dog keeps on producing the hormones everyday, it may cause some level of over excitement (like more mouthing or barking or jumping). 

Just like us, sometimes we cannot sleep when we have a very exciting or eventful day. Imagine having those level of excitement every single day. Eventhough it's something good, it's quite tiring to be excited all the time.


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

kleintje said:


> Hi..
> 
> I'm new here and I just want to let you know how I enjoy reading the story of Champ and you. I currently have a cavalier king charles spaniel (4yo, male) and I'm gona be picking up my goldie puppy this Thursday. I'm nervous and excited . I think I went overboard with puppy supplies lol .
> 
> ...


Hello! Oh you must be so excited to be bringing your puppy home soon! When do you bring he/she home? Did you pick out a name yet? 

Thank you also for your insight. We actually did "fire" our pet sitter a couple months ago. The last straw was when she forgot her keys and then told me she was leaving for out of town an hour later, so she was only able to feed Champ after I told her to go back home and get her keys. Now we have a wonderful pet sitting company that has been great to us, although I'm not sure how much longer we will need them because Champ is doing really great on his own in the house, and we are transitioning him to only eat 2x a day as opposed to 3x. 

I am glad you are enjoying my posts about Champ and good luck with the new puppy!! They are really great dogs and you will have sooo much fun!


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## kleintje (Jun 16, 2013)

Yes, her name is Miss Milly. The breeder has been calling her Milly. She is as fluffy as Champ and she is creme colour. 

I have been doing some planning to introduce Milly to our dog, Josh. Josh is very good with other dogs but sometimes he finds puppies to jumpy and high energy and he will walk away if the puppy is too jumpy. So I'm planning to give Josh a lot of space of his own where he can rest when he needs to get some peace and quiet. 

I'm sooo gona be sleep deprived over the next weeks. 

Continue to post about Champ please, especially with pictures 

Cheers

Kristina


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Well I think Champ has officially reached his adolescence! As you will see in a picture below, he's becoming quite rebellious, although still very cute!

It's been pretty hot here and since we got Champ I noticed that he tends to overheat easily, and so it's difficult to give him the amount of exercise that he probably needs in order the calm down. But we do walk about 2 miles every morning, and I would say another mile or two at night. Even on our 2 mile walk every morning he gets tired and hot by the end, and always stops in the shade. We have tried taking him to a field to let him run around and play, but whenever we do that he doesn't run around, he just stays right by us and lays down and eats grass, or just kind of wanders around aimlessly. 

It's so funny because even though he is going through his adolescent rebelliousness, he still listens well. Even right now as I am typing this he keeps trying to bite me (the mouthiness is something that has returned...although it's more like nibbling) and I tell him to lay down, and he does, but then continues to nibble. We did get a private trainer, and have been working on things like greeting people in the house without jumping, recall and paying attention to us instead of other people and dogs, and he has been doing really great. Luckily he is VERY food motivated, which helps with the training.

He is also getting very big, I think he probably weighs somewhere between 50-55 pounds now, and he does not know his own weight. When he tries to kiss faces, which he does often, he does it very forcefully, and I really just don't think he's aware of his size yet. 

He has also been doing great in the house by himself. So far he has not destroyed one thing (knock on wood) and I think when we are gone he just sleeps, and I hope it continues that way. 

One thing I am wondering is how much to exercise him? Like what is the appropriate amount of exercise for a 6 month old? I thought maybe he was getting enough exercise, but I also think he might be getting kind of hefty and I have also read on here about people walking their dog miles and miles a day. He's just not really a run around type of dog, except when he's doing the zoomies, and he does not really like to play fetch either. 

Anyways, theres a quick update. Now for the pictures...

Tonight, my husband and I were on the couch watching TV and I turned around to find Champ on the dining room table. I couldn't believe it...I think he may have followed our cat up there by stepping on the chair first and then getting up on the table. Anyways, I couldn't believe it...but it makes for a funny story!


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

Champ looks good to me.


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## FeatherRiverSam (Aug 7, 2009)

Cute center piece you've got there. On the warmer days water might be a good alternative for Champ to play in, beat the heat and get some exercise. Seems to me Novato had a lake just outside of town called Stafford Lake?

Pete & Woody


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Great pictures, Champ has become such a handsome boy.


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

So cute and goofy


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Max's Dad said:


> Champ looks good to me.


Thanks! And are you talking about weight wise? I've never owned a golden before, but Champ definitely looks like he has a wider behind...but maybe that's typical of goldens?



FeatherRiverSam said:


> Cute center piece you've got there. On the warmer days water might be a good alternative for Champ to play in, beat the heat and get some exercise. Seems to me Novato had a lake just outside of town called Stafford Lake?
> 
> Pete & Woody


Ya a center piece that would steal all of our food! I would love for Champ to play at a lake and unfortunately, dogs are not allowed at Stafford Lake! It's so strange too because I drive by there often and I'm not sure what the point of the lake is if you can't use it...I guess they just want people to look at it?



CAROLINA MOM said:


> Great pictures, Champ has become such a handsome boy.


Thanks, but he's a handful!



cgriffin said:


> So cute and goofy


Ya, I have a little, or big, trouble maker on my hands!


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

He's adorable. My boy is 6 mos old too and yes they have so many great qualities but still some pieces of naughty puppy peeping through. Like you said, it makes you laugh. 
It's very hot here too so I know what you mean and my boy doesn't like to get hot at all. The best exercise he's gotten is swimming and makes me sad we don't have a pool. That's what I love about our daycare, they have a pool. We also have a lake we take him to swim but that's not regularly. 
I can take Bentley to the school field up the road and he will fetch for me several times but then he's hot and we head home. 
Good luck. Your boy is beautiful. 
I think his weight is good. Mine weighed right at 6 mos and was 60.2lbs. They grow fast. 

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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

Adolescence is a really challenging time. Keep remembering its a phase and it will pass! Forced exercise in the heat isn't a great idea. If he's overheating and wanting to stop during his walks, perhaps go slower or shorten the walks a bit. There are lots of good suggestions for indoor games on here. Those would tire him out mentally and he could them in a cool house. He looks great!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Ksdenton said:


> He's adorable. My boy is 6 mos old too and yes they have so many great qualities but still some pieces of naughty puppy peeping through. Like you said, it makes you laugh.
> It's very hot here too so I know what you mean and my boy doesn't like to get hot at all. The best exercise he's gotten is swimming and makes me sad we don't have a pool. That's what I love about our daycare, they have a pool. We also have a lake we take him to swim but that's not regularly.
> I can take Bentley to the school field up the road and he will fetch for me several times but then he's hot and we head home.
> Good luck. Your boy is beautiful.
> ...


Oh wow! You have a big boy on your hands! I cannot believe he weighs 60 pounds at 6 months! That's great that you are able to take him to the lake and that they have a pool at your daycare! We took Champ swimming the other week at an indoor and outdoor pool facility, and we will likely go back soon. Unfortunately, it's too expensive to do it weekly but maybe once or twice a month, and it will be good as the weather stays warm. We do try to take him out on walks earlier in the morning when it's not as hot and later on in the evening, but even now in the mornings it gets warm, and he will stop in the shade. I also bought him a baby pool in the backyard but he's already outgrown that, but he does like to stand in it and play with the hose, which we do when we come back from walks. 

If I may ask when do you plan to neuter your boy?



OutWest said:


> Adolescence is a really challenging time. Keep remembering its a phase and it will pass! Forced exercise in the heat isn't a great idea. If he's overheating and wanting to stop during his walks, perhaps go slower or shorten the walks a bit. There are lots of good suggestions for indoor games on here. Those would tire him out mentally and he could them in a cool house. He looks great!


That's a great idea! We've been doing a lot of training with him in the house, and also at fields, but it definitely doesn't tire him out as well as walks do. It's so interesting because my last dog loved to go on walks, every time we would bring out the leash he would go crazy, or if we took him in the car. Champ seems really indifferent to walks and going in the car. It seems like he would rather just lay in the shade somewhere and eat grass and chew on a ball. I've tried to take him to fields where he can run around at his own will, but all he does is lay in the shade or walk right by us. But I will definitely check out those indoor games! Sound fun! And thanks for saying he looks great...I'm not really sure what goldens are supposed to look like as far as weight goes. You can feel his ribs but they are under a layer of loose skin, but when I look at him I don't think he looks chubby, but he does have a wide behind He does look a lot thinner though when he's wet!


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

SMBC said:


> If I may ask when do you plan to neuter your boy?
> 
> 
> Champ seems really indifferent to walks and going in the car.


I want to try and wait until 1 yr to 18 mos for the neuter but it all depends on him. As long as he continues to behave and doesn't start any behavior that makes us think we have to neuter sooner. My vet is pro neuter at 6 mos but he's not pushing it on us. Just his opinion. I want to try and allow Bentley to get his "male" look with the broader body and head but we'll see if that's fact or fiction. Plus with him growing so fast I don't want to neuter early. He's going to be big enough as it is based on his size now. 

Bentley would hide when I grabbed his leash for a walk. He loves car rides and goes on one every day. Typically he takes over the back seat and will fall asleep. 


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Ksdenton said:


> I want to try and wait until 1 yr to 18 mos for the neuter but it all depends on him. As long as he continues to behave and doesn't start any behavior that makes us think we have to neuter sooner. My vet is pro neuter at 6 mos but he's not pushing it on us. Just his opinion. I want to try and allow Bentley to get his "male" look with the broader body and head but we'll see if that's fact or fiction. Plus with him growing so fast I don't want to neuter early. He's going to be big enough as it is based on his size now.
> 
> Bentley would hide when I grabbed his leash for a walk. He loves car rides and goes on one every day. Typically he takes over the back seat and will fall asleep.
> 
> ...


That is exactly how we feel too, and what we are going to do. Unfortunately around here you cannot go to a dog park or have your doggy in day camp unless it's neutered, but we don't go to dog parks and we have a pet sitter that watches Champ by himself. Our vet said she was supportive of us waiting but said we would probably get flack from people in the community...oh well though!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

OutWest said:


> Adolescence is a really challenging time. Keep remembering its a phase and it will pass! Forced exercise in the heat isn't a great idea. If he's overheating and wanting to stop during his walks, perhaps go slower or shorten the walks a bit. There are lots of good suggestions for indoor games on here. Those would tire him out mentally and he could them in a cool house. He looks great!


It's raining here today, go figure after the warm weather, and it's actually supposed to be in the 90s by the end of the week. Anyways, we were going to go to the Russian River today but we didn't because of the rain, so we stayed inside and played some indoor games. First we played hide and go seek, and first he had to find my husband, then me, then we switched again. Of course he was more excited about finding me then my husband, but it was still a fun game He was even panting afterwards! Then we hit his mid meal and had him find that, but that game went rather quickly Now he is resting, and I hope the rain goes away tonight so we can get outside and walk a little bit! Thanks again for the suggestions!


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

I forget Champ and Bentley are close to the same age. When was Champ born? Bentley was 12/14/12. 


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Ksdenton said:


> I forget Champ and Bentley are close to the same age. When was Champ born? Bentley was 12/14/12.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Oh wow very close in age! Champ was born December 18, 2012! How big were Bentley's parents? I cannot believe he is already 60 pounds...I thought Champ was big but Bentley is a big boy! Where did you get him from? I would love to see pictures!


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

I think his dad was about 75 lbs. He didn't come from a reputable breeder. He's a BYB baby. He's been a great boy though. He's so smart and eager to please. Although last night at obedience class he was a little pain. I didn't bring good enough treats and he started off more interested in trying to get the other dogs to play. He would turn his nose to my treats and that's never happened before but I've always brought better treats too. 














Bentley is the one sitting up with head on back of couch. 
I realize I haven't taken as many pictures of him lately I think because he's so awkward now. Lol


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Ksdenton said:


> I think his dad was about 75 lbs. He didn't come from a reputable breeder. He's a BYB baby. He's been a great boy though. He's so smart and eager to please. Although last night at obedience class he was a little pain. I didn't bring good enough treats and he started off more interested in trying to get the other dogs to play. He would turn his nose to my treats and that's never happened before but I've always brought better treats too.
> View attachment 213402
> 
> View attachment 213410
> ...


Aww what a cutie! He is so long and lean! I think Champ is more short and stocky. That behavior definitely sounds like he's an adolescent...it's a really trying time! I swear, I should count how many times I say "no" to champ in one day! Right now I feel like I'm constantly saying it!

How is his training going? Champ is generally good, although he is worse at home then he is outside of the house. I really really wish he would stop jumping on people. I would say 60% he is pretty good and will sit for people to pet him, and then the other 40% he gets soooo excited he jumps, and cannot contain himself.


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

SMBC said:


> Aww what a cutie! He is so long and lean! I think Champ is more short and stocky. That behavior definitely sounds like he's an adolescent...it's a really trying time! I swear, I should count how many times I say "no" to champ in one day! Right now I feel like I'm constantly saying it!
> 
> How is his training going? Champ is generally good, although he is worse at home then he is outside of the house. I really really wish he would stop jumping on people. I would say 60% he is pretty good and will sit for people to pet him, and then the other 40% he gets soooo excited he jumps, and cannot contain himself.


Training is good and bad. Lol
He's good when we're in training mode and when out in public. He's naughtier at home. Although greeting people is still a challenge. Everyone is his friend. We did an exercise this week in class where the instructor comes up to pet and if the dog comes up from the sit she says "Oops" and turns and walks away then comes back to try again once back in a sit. After a couple of tries they all got it but then we had a 6 yr old little girl walk up with her mom. Bentley could barely contain himself. I held his collar and was trying to give treats but his head was turned straight at her face just licking away. She walked away wiping her face off with her arm. Lol. At least I could keep him in a sit. He really tries to do right most of the time. Jumping up at home this week has been bad too. Not sure what that's all about. Counter surfing is horrible and getting into things. Today I heard one of my daughters yelling "Bentley. No!" Then I see Bentley slowly walking into my office carrying her shoe by the laces. He sits next to me and waits for her to come around the corner. He just sits there with the shoe hanging from his mouth almost sad looking. Nothing frantic or worried. She grabs the shoe and says thank you and he lets go. He took it back from her hand and laid it down on the ground then rested his head on it. He's so darn cute its hard to get angry. He knows its wrong but he does it anyway. 


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Ksdenton said:


> Training is good and bad. Lol
> He's good when we're in training mode and when out in public. He's naughtier at home. Although greeting people is still a challenge. Everyone is his friend. We did an exercise this week in class where the instructor comes up to pet and if the dog comes up from the sit she says "Oops" and turns and walks away then comes back to try again once back in a sit. After a couple of tries they all got it but then we had a 6 yr old little girl walk up with her mom. Bentley could barely contain himself. I held his collar and was trying to give treats but his head was turned straight at her face just licking away. She walked away wiping her face off with her arm. Lol. At least I could keep him in a sit. He really tries to do right most of the time. Jumping up at home this week has been bad too. Not sure what that's all about. Counter surfing is horrible and getting into things. Today I heard one of my daughters yelling "Bentley. No!" Then I see Bentley slowly walking into my office carrying her shoe by the laces. He sits next to me and waits for her to come around the corner. He just sits there with the shoe hanging from his mouth almost sad looking. Nothing frantic or worried. She grabs the shoe and says thank you and he lets go. He took it back from her hand and laid it down on the ground then rested his head on it. He's so darn cute its hard to get angry. He knows its wrong but he does it anyway.
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> 
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When I read your post I felt like you were describing Champ! He is the exact same as your dog! With Champ, the counter surfing only happens when we are around, or cooking something, and when I say Champ off he gets off, but then jumps right back on again, whereas before he wouldn't get off when I said off. Champ also jumps on people too...I think he clobbered the swimming lady and I saw a bunch of scratches on her leg. I asked our trainer what we should expect of him because he's only 6 months and I'm not sure if we should be expecting perfection at this point, and she said he's still a puppy and he's going to jump and do all these other inappropriate behaviors but we just need to try to correct them and not reinforce them as much as possible so when he's out of the puppy/adolescent stage he comes out of it a well trained dog That's nice that Bentley will actually give up whatever he takes from you...with Champ it's an all out battle and sometimes an unsafe one. I have tiny little pantyhose like socks and he tries to grab those all the time and I am really fearful that he will swallow it one, one day. When he has something in his mouth he believes he is starting a chasing game, and we never do, but he wants us to, so now I just trade him for treats and most of the time he will drop whatever item he has, except if its toilet paper


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

I know!! What is it with paper products? Bentley will destroy a roll of toilet paper, a paper towel roll, or any pieces of paper stuff he finds. I found a shredded paper towel roll in my room one day. That's a lot of paper!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Just wanted to give a quick update....

I am soooo glad we got our trainer! She has been amazing and has been teaching us a lot of good techniques that are really helping us with Champ. He is a really great dog but just needed some fine tuning, and he has been really responsive to training. 

Our trainer taught us heel, and at first I couldn't really figure out the difference between heel and come, but boy did heel come in handy a couple days ago. We were on our usual morning walk and a woman and her dog were walking toward us. The path was small so I decided to stand on the path of grass next to the concrete path and put Champ in a sit and let her and her dog pass by. As she was passing by, she was admiring Champ and commented on how cute he was, and I said thank you, and I could see her dog staring at Champ...not in a nice, I want to meet you kind of way...more like I want to eat you kind of way.

So we went about our walk and as we were walking up our hill approaching our house, the woman and her dog started walking toward us again. We were both on the side walk and this time she stepped onto the street with her dog and gave Champ and I the side walk, and I said thank you as she stepped down. She then started saying her ohhhh and awws about Champ and because the dog had a mean look on his face before, I told Champ to heel, and he came right up to my right side and was looking at me as I was giving him treats and we were passing by them. Thank god he listened because as we were passing by, this dog nearly mauled Champ, and I am so thankful this woman had a good grip on her leash. The dog lunged, growled, and seemed like he wanted to eat Champ, and right when her dog did this, she smacked her dog in the head!!!! Meanwhile Champ was in his nice heel and we continued to walk on by. The woman profusely apologized as we were walking by and I said its fine, he's fine, and we just kept on walking and I could hear here berate her dog as I continued to walk up the hill.

So, the training is amazing, and it's working! Although he still gets overly excited and jumps on people, he will sit when I say sit, but then jumps on them, although he does not do this with kids. He is also getting really good at drop it and leave it and will do so 9 times out of 10. 

I will be honest and say that when he jumps on people or when he does another behavior we are trying to correct I often think that we are failing and he will continue to do that behavior for the rest of his life, but I know I also need to remember he is a little puppy. Our trainer said that we cannot expect perfection but that we need to continue to correct those behaviors, but at what point can you expect that they will be listening and not jumping most of the time, if not all of the time? 

Anyways though, things are going very well and Champ is such a love!! My favorite thing is when he cuddles with me, and he is soooo affectionate!


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## SMBC (Jul 31, 2012)

Ksdenton said:


> I know!! What is it with paper products? Bentley will destroy a roll of toilet paper, a paper towel roll, or any pieces of paper stuff he finds. I found a shredded paper towel roll in my room one day. That's a lot of paper!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Haha that is funny! Ya I have no idea...it's very strange! Does Bentley like towels too? Champ loves washcloths and towels too. The toilet paper is insane...we actually haven't had the toilet paper on the roll since we brought Champ home! The other day the cleaners were here and put the toilet paper on the rolls, and he went from bathroom to bathroom destroying the toilet paper! 

Have you given Bentley any human food? If so what does he like? Champ loves cheese, chicken, carrots and apples, but I notice apples give him loose poop. Oh he also loves bananas. I will often mash up bananas and put him in his kong and put that in the freezer, and it's a nice little snack for him and it also keeps him busy for all of 15 minutes I also do that with mashed sweet potato. He hasn't had steak or anything like that yet, although he does get to lick our bowls after we eat ice cream and he loves that too.


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

Bentley likes anything he can put in his mouth. He's brought me two of my bras from the clothes basket. Luckily he wasn't trying to chew them up. His biggest is still napkins. Goes for them every time. 
I've given him a little bit of human food but not much. I made the liver treats and he liked them. He's had apples and likes them ok. Wasn't fond of banana. Chicken and of course loves that. Cheese. His big treat is ice cream. We have a place with a drive thru and take him. He gets a Pup Cup every time which is ice cream or flavored ice. Problem is now he thinks every drive-thru means treats for him. I put the window down and he stands up in it with half his body out. I guess he wants to make sure they see him. 


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