# I just rescued a 2 year old golden. My first dog. Help!



## Jennifer1

Congrats!!
You need food and water bowls
Leash
Collar
Crate?
Toys-all sorts, balls, chew bones, stuffed animals until you find out what he likes
Get some good dog food and find out what the shelter is feeding. Slowly transition him off of the old food and onto the new food.
Get yourself signed up for basic obedience classes sooner rather than later.
Find yourself a vet and get him in for a check up within a week or 2.

I'm sure you'll get lots of great advice! 
Congrats and have fun!


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## Zimba

Great! Thank you!! Wonderful thing about this place is that they already took him to a vet and gave him all the shots except for rabies (I have an appointment for the rabies shot a few hours after I pick him up,) and everything checked out except for a heart problem which might be an issue later, but should be fine for many years (fingers crossed!)

For the collars I was thinking about possibly getting one of those ones that are meant for training, but at the same time I'm wondering if thats a crappy way to start off my relationship with this dog. I know they only hurt when they pull on the leash, but still. Any thoughts? Thanks!


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## BajaOklahoma

Congrats! And thank you.

Goldens want to please and they want to be with people, so you have that going for you. Assume that he doesn't know anything, so plan on starting from scratch, just like you would with a puppy. Remember, he doesn't know the house rules and it is your job to show him. He may be well-trained or a wild child, or somewhere in between. 
It would be ideal if you could take a couple of days off to get him acclimated to the new world he is entering.


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## BajaOklahoma

I use a flat collar on Banker and Rogue, even for training, and a rolled collar for the Sheepdogs so it doesn't mat their hair.


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## Zimba

Awesome, thanks! I think I'll go the flat collar route as well, maybe if it really doesn't work for leash training then I'll go to a different style. I do have a full month before things get busy and he'll have to be home alone in the day (he'll have to go to boarding in the middle of the month for a few days unfortunately, but not for too long,) so we'll get lots of quality time together!


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## Maddie'sMom2011

Welcome to the forum & thank you for rescuing your boy from the pound. You'll find lots of people here ready & willing to answer questions & give you suggestions. You've already gotten some great ones!


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## Jennifer1

I like a martingale collar on mine for training/walking. I like the security of the martingale vs the flat collar (mine slip collars!). But without the prongs.
I have breakaway collars for just in the house.

I'd still suggest getting him checked by your own vet in the near future. It's as much for building a relationship with he vet as anything else. If you are going to your own vet (vs back to the shelter) for the rabies shot, that should be good

Also get him started on heartworm meds!

Does he have a name?


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## Zimba

Awesome. No name yet, talking with my partner tonight and we're going to try and decide (it's a bit of a mess, we live a full province away from where I adopted the dog, hence why I can't get him until the 30th when I'm going back home.) 

I unfortunately won't be going to the vet we'll normally be seeing to get the rabies shot, just want to get it done right away for liability issues. But I will be keeping him in touch with one regularly, he does have a very mild heart murmur, so hopefully keeping an eye on that helps keep it in check!


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## Woods Woman

How exciting! You'll have to post pictures when you get him!


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## CAROLINA MOM

Welcome to the GRF! 

Congratulations, thank you for adopting. 

You've gotten some great advice and tips, I don't think there's anything I can add. 
Looking forward to seeing pictures of him and hearing what name you decide to give him. 

I adopted my boy from my County Humane Society a few years ago at the age of 2. He's been the easiet dog I've ever had so far. He's been so much fun.

Enjoy your new boy.


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## Door

I agree with Jennifer1. Obedience classes. Very important and very rewarding. Check an AKC affiliated training club in your area. Not only will the training pay big rewards but so will the socialization aspects, with humans and dogs.


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## Dancer

As others have mentioned, a beginners obedience class could be the difference between blissful dog ownership and 'OMG what did I do'. It lays a good foundation of respect and expectations between you, and gives you and him the skills to live happily together in private and public. Totally a must-do, especially for your very first dog (congrats btw!!). I take all of mine to puppy class and basic obedience just to start everyone off right. And start with the flat collar, is my advice. Some training collars can be harmful or ineffective if used improperly- just meaning you should use them at the recommendation of and under the guidance of an instructor, at least until you gain more experience. Way to go for adopting!!! Which province is he from? 


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## Zimba

Thanks everyone! I'll definitely be looking in to obedience classes, we don't have a super high budget so it will depend on the cost of them though. The dog is from Alberta, but I'm (I guess soon he is too,) living in Vancouver  .


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## CAROLINA MOM

Zimba said:


> Thanks everyone! I'll definitely be looking in to obedience classes, we don't have a super high budget so it will depend on the cost of them though. The dog is from Alberta, but I'm (I guess soon he is too,) living in Vancouver  .


I see you're in Canada and this might not be available. In my area, our County Parks and Recreation Dept. offers dog training classes at a very reasonable fee. 

Do some checking around- it's also important to find a good class/program, not just one with a great fee. Hopefully you'll be able to find one that is both.


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## Zimba

Wow, actually just signed up for a place starting in mid september, 8 classes, 1 hour long, for only 80.00. Another place I saw online was 120 for 3 classes. Very excited!


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## Dancer

Zimba said:


> Thanks everyone! I'll definitely be looking in to obedience classes, we don't have a super high budget so it will depend on the cost of them though. The dog is from Alberta, but I'm (I guess soon he is too,) living in Vancouver  .


Sort of close by! We're in Kamloops. 


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## GoldensGirl

Welcome to the Forum!

Since you know this boy has a heart issue that might be a problem later, it might be good to get pet health insurance for him. Some companies will provide coverage for pre-existing conditions for a rescued/adopted dog, provided the coverage is gotten within a few days of getting the dog. I know that such policies are available in the USA, but perhaps someone else can tell you whether they are available in Canada and from which companies. 

I recently got insurance for a dog who was 12 years old at the time. I think it runs in the neighborhood of $55-60 US per month, though it does NOT cover pre-existing conditions. I suspect that coverage for your dog would be much cheaper, depending on the level of coverage and the deductible that you choose. With a dog has a heart issue, this could be a very important decision for both your bank account and the dog's life.

Best of luck and please keep us posted.


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## CAROLINA MOM

I agree with what Goldensgirl said above-here in the States, most animals adopted through a Shelter or Rescue Group are eligible for Pet Insurance. 

Check with the Shetler you're adopting your boy through to see if they have any info on Pet Insurance.


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## Zimba

Ah I love Kamloops! I'm jealous, such a nice area that way, super close to incredible stuff!

There is a free trial of pet insurance that comes with him which I plan to renew, however, it doesn't cover pre-existing conditions. I couldn't find any that does unfortunately, and the person at the pound didn't either. Oh well, fingers crossed it just stays mild!


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## CAROLINA MOM

You might want to do a search to check and compare Pet Insurance Companies in Canada. 

I tried to pull up a site that does a comparison, I'm not able to get into it.


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## GoldensGirl

This thread from last year has a lot of useful information about insurance companies, including some in Canada, and pointers to sites that provide comparisons: http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com...-discussion/123022-saving-insurance-gr-3.html. 

At that time, Trupanion seemed to cover preexisting conditions, provided they had not required treatment with the last year and the insurance was purchased within some window after getting the dog. I believe they cover congenital conditions for puppies, provided they are insured early. It's what I bought for Sunny and Joker, even though he was 12 years old at the time. It might be worth communicating with them, or at least checking out the web site: Pet Insurance | Canada Health Insurance for Dogs and Cats.

Good luck!


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## Finn's Fan

Zimba, since this is your first dog, you might want to purchase the book Golden Retrievers for Dummies just to give you an idea what to expect behaviorally from your new pup. There are loads of good books out there on dog training, etc., but this one is a nice basic primer for the novice golden owner. Bet you're so excited to get this youngster home with you! We'll want photos, you know


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## Zimba

Thanks everyone! I gave trupanion a call and they don't have anything that would cover it unfortunately. I'll definitely look in to that book, and don't worry, I'll be uploading lots of pics!


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## mylissyk

Is there a pre-existing condition you are worried about covering? Pre-existing would only be something a vet has already identified the dog has before you signed up for the insurance.


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## Zimba

Yes, mild heart murmurs (rated 2/6)


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## OutWest

That's wonderful news! Congrats. My biggest recommendation is to enroll with him in an obedience class as soon as possible. You'll learn a lot and he will too. It will help you bond with him to train him every day. Good luck!


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## mylissyk

Zimba said:


> Yes, mild heart murmurs (rated 2/6)


Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear that. Unfortunately insurance would probably exclude heart issues.


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## GoldensGirl

Here's a pointer to a comparative table of insurance coverage for dogs: Compare dog insurance - Pet Insurance Review. I am astonished by the number of companies listed, though I don't see an indication of which ones serve Canada.


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## Zimba

Thanks everyone! So I picked him up from the pound today, was able to a bit earlier than I expected. He's a GREAT dog, but I already have a couple of worrisome questions:

He doesn't leave the car. He goes in to the back seat of the car no problem, but he really does not leave the car. I tugged on the leash, I tried grabbing the collar and almost choked him (felt horrible about that, didn't realize how much pressure I was putting on,) and the only way to get him out is by actually lifting him up and getting him out.....which isn't easy considering he's 35kg! Any ideas on how to get him to start liking to leave the car? I've tried using good quality treats (the real chicken stuff that they sell, he doesn't like any of the bone style treats,) and he doesn't care about them enough to follow the treat out of the car!

Edit: That being said, he is incredible on a leash when hes moving! Went for a run for him and he didn't pull at all once we got in to the groove of things!


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## Dancer

He might not be very good motivated, or he might be extremely nervous (even some real treat-hounds will refuse a treat if their nervous enough). I would try a squeaky toy. Put his leash on and stand back from the open door (so he can see that he's got enough room to get out) and play with the squeaky toy. If he still doesn't get out, play with the toy inside the car, until you can tell he's really 'on' to it, the throw it out of the car. 

You want to avoid grabbing his collar and pulling, as his natural inclination might be to resist. Even with the leash, I would forget about really pulling on him and just try little 'pops' on the leash, as a prolonged solid pull allows him to just sit his weight back and shut down, where little tugs keep them on their toes. That's what I'd try, anyways. 


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## Zimba

Thank you so much! I'll try the squeaky toy thing out!


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## Melfice

Don't forget to post tons and tons of pictures!


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## Dancer

Yeah! We want to see this handsome boy! 


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## Dancer

And what I meant to say earlier was that he might not be very "food" motivated. My stupid spellcheck....


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## Zimba

Hahaha the pics will be coming shortly! I think I'm going to take him for a hike on Wednesday so that should be a good time for some  . I have to admit I'm having a hard time finding stuff that he likes, he doesn't even like one of the rope "tug" style toys. The tennis balls he'll chase after it and love rolling around in the grass, but he doesn't actually bring them back - any advice on how to teach him to fetch? Also any advice on what other stuff he might like? I'm off to the pet store in a bit to get a squeaky toy. I think he seemed to enjoy the run, so that's good news at least!

He really is such a great dog, he's already starting to warm up significantly - the tail starts to wag. I have a couple pieces of real beef jerkey in his crate so hopefully he decides to venture in to it at some point =)


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## Jennifer1

He might just be a little nervous about leaving the car. There is a lot of new stuff for him right now. Not all dogs are adventurous so he might just be a little scared. If that's the case the car issue might solve itself once he starts to realize you are his people.
For treats, sliced up string cheese (dime sized pieces) are my go to treat to get mine to do just about anything.


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## Zimba

Awesome, thanks! I think that everything I was worried about yesterday was just him being nervous. This morning he was super excited and happy. Any ideas on the best way to teach him to go up and down stairs though? He wouldn't go down them yesterday so I carried him, and today he was suuuppeerr excited to go up them, but he would come to the first step, put 2 paws on that, and then get scared and do this absolutely hilarious shuffle really close to the ground back to the other room. So funny, I wish I had a video. But we did this maybe 10 times until I just carried him up the stairs.


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## Dancer

Do you have a shorter staircase he can practise on? 2 or 3 steps high so he can get the idea? With our pups, we always start buy placing them one step up and encouraging them to come down. Then we gradually build on it. They seem to get I we the fear quickly, but I've never helped an adult dog through it. But I'd try to decrease the intimidation of the stairs by starting with smaller ones.


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## Zimba

Thanks, that's a good idea! I don't have some here, but I'm sure I can find a set in the city that's not too busy to take him to  . Hey Dancer does your golden like the small sweet potato chicken style of treats? If so I think I have 2 small bags of that kind of treat, and Yoshi really refuses to eat them, so if yours likes them I can give them to you on my way through Kamloops next week?


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## Dancer

Sure! A doggie play-date perhaps? . My one boy will literally eat anything, and very enthusiastically. 


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## Dancer

Thanks! My guys typically only get cheap "junkie" treats since that's what Steve favours, and Fuzzy eats everything. 


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## Jennifer1

For stairs I've heard of people putting a treat on eat stair to get the dog to go down.
I would maybe only start him at 3 or 4 steps from the bottom


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## Zimba

Awesome! I'll message you a bit closer to, I think I'll be coming through on Monday. Unfortunately I won't really have much time, but definitely enough to at least stop by. 

Thanks for the advice Jennifer! I'll try to find a staircase around here that's a bit better suited, the one in the house is a bit daunting even for me  .


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## DanaRuns

Hi Zimba. Good for you, and congratulations! 

*EDITED TO ADD: Oops, I misunderstood this thread when I posted. I thought you were still in the planning stages. So you can ignore the below post. But congrats on your new dog!*

I think what you are going to need most for your new (first) dog is *patience*.

Understand that the dog you bring home is not the dog you will have. Your new boy is in the pound for a reason, and may have some issues to work out, even if it's just a penchant for escape and roaming. Plus, he'll be in new and unfamiliar surroundings, and will feel very out of sorts for a while. You're not going to see "your dog" for the first few weeks. So, please be patient. He's going to need time to adjust to you and his new home, and you'll need time to adjust to him.

In the meantime, he may do things you don't like. He might poop or pee in your house, or chew things up, or bark, or steal food, or otherwise "misbehave." He doesn't know he's misbehaving. He's just being a dog. A human environment is not natural to dogs, and he will need to _learn_ your human behavioral requirements. While dogs are very good at learning those things, it takes some time and some knowledge and skill from _you_. So don't punish him for being "bad," as that won't help to train him, and will instead just confuse him and make him afraid. Instead, get yourself and him into a good training class right away. It's not even so much that he will need the training, as much as _you_ will need the training.

It takes time to learn who your dog is, especially when you've never had a dog before. Give yourself and him that time. It also takes time to make a dog into a good family member. It doesn't come automatically or overnight. It takes consistency, kindness, clarity and the passage of time. But it will be very worth it.

I'm a little nervous for you, getting your first dog from the pound at two years old. You don't know anything about having a dog in the house. You don't know anything about this dog. He doesn't know you or anything about living in your house the way that is expected of him. And neither of you has the skills or knowledge to really deal with it. So, more than collars and toys and food, you need to get as much knowledge as you can, gain as much experience as possible, and bring as much love, kindness and patience to bear as you have in your soul.

If you do all that, you'll have a fantastic companion for the rest of his life.


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## dborgers

Congrats!! And thanks for adopting a rescue! 

Some rescues I've done don't want to get out of the car either. Their last exits didn't end well for them (pound, thrown out, etc.).

Training 'fetch' with a ball is pretty easy:

Have TWO tennis balls. Throw the first one a short distance and call him to you. Bounce the 2nd ball and he should drop the first one.

All this takes time. He hasn't had an easy go of it, so it may take him a little while to get to even know his name and get comfortable with you ... that is, knowing you aren't going to abandon him too.

Lots of love and treats work over time. Never fails


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## PrincessDaisy

"Yoshi"?? You named him after my wife's cat??

Welcome to the wonderful world of Goldens. And thanks for taking in a shelter dog.

Stainless steel bowls are not very "cute" but they last through everything. Especially middle of the night stumbles.

Check the food forum. So much of the national brands are crap. I use Blue Freedom.

Nylon collars with quick release buckle last a long time, and water and shampoo will not hurt them. For a beautiful leather collars and leads, see www.equusleather.co.uk . Be sure to check the "clearance-dog" link on the left side of their home page. (Their human belts are the highest quality. Highly recommend.)

Be consistent in your training voice. One word commands for what you want the dog to understand. Conversation is for play and affection. This is for his safety.

Get him used to a brush. A good brushing every three or 4 days will take 20 min or so. A bath will take 30 plus the drying, 45 min, plus the combing out, 30 min and then the brush, 30 min. Seriously, 20 min twice a week will save you a lot of time in the long run, and can be a bonding activity.

Get a Kong, put in a couple tablespoons of peanut butter. Let dog play with it once a day for a few days. Toss it up the stairs. Or let it roll down. Dog will follow.


Max


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## CAROLINA MOM

Still no pics of this boy of yours?????????



:worthless


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## Zimba

Hahaha I promise I'll upload some as soon as I'm back home in Vancouver!  He's doing very well now, super happy and seems to be comfortable. Getting in and out of the car very willingly now, and going up and down the stairs - thanks for the advice on starting on a smaller set, that worked perfectly! Did a few rounds of smaller sets around the city and then he barely hesitated on the one here. 

Slowly working on teaching him commands, I think he knows them but refuses to do them without a treat in hand! haha. Also got in a dog fight today. The other dog was friendly but looked intimidating, and after sniffing each other for a bit they got in to it...so that's a bit worrisome. They were both fine, we both grabbed their collars and got them off of each other right away (both off leash at the time,) but I guess I need to find some other big dogs in Vancouver to socialize with him before letting him free in any dog parks.


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## dborgers

Can't wait to see pics  What a great rescue story. Goldens are so quick to adapt and put the past in the past. 

You have a wonderful boy there


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## Karen519

*Zimba*



Zimba said:


> Hi,
> 
> I just rescued a 2 year old golden retriever from the pound. I'm going to get him on the 29th (11 days from now,) and would really like to be ready to be able to be a very good owner by then. I was reading up on training puppies beforehand because I thought I was going to get a puppy, but I couldn't pass this fella up. Can you please give me any tips, advice, don'ts, do's, musts! Anything really, as I said this is my first dog, and I have no idea what to expect as it's a rescue. Thank you so much!!


Zimba

Bless you for rescuing him. Can't wait to hear more! Rescue dogs are SO WONDERFUL!!
JUST pm or email me with any questions and remind me that you just rescued him and I'll give you any pointers I can. I've had two rescue dogs!


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## Karen519

*Our Smooch*

When we ADOPTED our Smooch at the age of 16 months from Golden Ret. Rescue, they had rescued her from a kill shelter. Smooch was a stray-they didn't know anything about her background. Ken worked consistently with her on walking-through no fault of her own she had no idea of how to walk on a leash. Once Smooch learned how to walk on a leash, she loved it.
I would say the most important thing is to be patient-you don't know what they've been through before, and it takes time to adjust to a new environment, etc. Once they do I think adopted/rescued dogs are the BEST!


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## Karen519

*Stairs*

It's possible that Yoshi has never done stairs before your house.
How is he doing now?
Is he fixed?


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## Zimba

Thanks Karen! He is neutered. He's doing VERY well now. This morning I went to put a leash on him to take him up the stairs and he immediately went to the stairs and waited for me to get there before running up them - he was basically telling me to hurry up! Going down the stairs without hesitation now as well.

Off leash he was good except for the dog fight. I'm going to only take him off leash now when there's absolutely no other dogs around. But he loves it, just runs around and rolls in the grass, then comes back. If I start walking the other direction he'll come running back to me shortly after! On leash he's great, couldn't ask for better.

Very funny boy, great personality. He always insists that I pet him though, which is annoying when I'm trying to do some work! haha, so I guess I have to work on that - which is a pretty great thing to have to work on!


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## Jennifer1

Zimba said:


> Slowly working on teaching him commands, I think he knows them but refuses to do them without a treat in hand! haha. Also got in a dog fight today. The other dog was friendly but looked intimidating, and after sniffing each other for a bit they got in to it...so that's a bit worrisome. They were both fine, we both grabbed their collars and got them off of each other right away (both off leash at the time,) but I guess I need to find some other big dogs in Vancouver to socialize with him before letting him free in any dog parks.


Glad he seems to be settling in
One thing, grabbing a collar is an excellent way to get yourself bitten!
A better way is to grab both hind legs and pull the dogs apart that way.
A hose/cold water will also work for many fights!


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## Dancer

I think that it's totally something you can work on, the classes you've signed up for will totally help with that! Also, it could've been a one-time thing, he's probably displayed a lot of behaviour that wouldn't normally be part of his character, just due to the trauma of being left at the shelter. How long was he there, do you know? 


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## OutWest

Zimba said:


> Thanks Karen! He is neutered. He's doing VERY well now. This morning I went to put a leash on him to take him up the stairs and he immediately went to the stairs and waited for me to get there before running up them - he was basically telling me to hurry up! Going down the stairs without hesitation now as well.
> 
> Off leash he was good except for the dog fight. I'm going to only take him off leash now when there's absolutely no other dogs around. But he loves it, just runs around and rolls in the grass, then comes back. If I start walking the other direction he'll come running back to me shortly after! On leash he's great, couldn't ask for better.
> 
> Very funny boy, great personality. He always insists that I pet him though, which is annoying when I'm trying to do some work! haha, so I guess I have to work on that - which is a pretty great thing to have to work on!


Awww...he's probably just so happy to have someone who wants to pet him that he can't stand it! But one thing I learned with Bella is that you do need to set boundaries from the start--can't baby them and think you'll come back later and get stricter. So if you don't want him interrupting your work, you shouldn't let him get away with it. (Also I had a trainer tell me once that petting should be given on the terms of the human and not upon the demand of the dog...She views petting as a resource--like food and treats. Hard to live up to that rule!)

One thing I did with Tucker was to redirect his attention-seeking to my other side, away from my mousing hand, when I was at the computer. Then I could pat him on the head and still get some stuff done! LOL


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## OutWest

Zimba said:


> Thanks Karen! He is neutered. He's doing VERY well now. This morning I went to put a leash on him to take him up the stairs and he immediately went to the stairs and waited for me to get there before running up them - he was basically telling me to hurry up! Going down the stairs without hesitation now as well.
> 
> Off leash he was good except for the dog fight. I'm going to only take him off leash now when there's absolutely no other dogs around. But he loves it, just runs around and rolls in the grass, then comes back. If I start walking the other direction he'll come running back to me shortly after! On leash he's great, couldn't ask for better.
> 
> Very funny boy, great personality. He always insists that I pet him though, which is annoying when I'm trying to do some work! haha, so I guess I have to work on that - which is a pretty great thing to have to work on!


Awww...he's probably just so happy to have someone who wants to pet him that he can't stand it! But one thing I learned with Bella is that you do need to set boundaries from the start--can't baby them and think you'll come back later and get stricter. So if you don't want him interrupting your work, you shouldn't let him get away with it. (Also I had a trainer tell me once that petting should be given on the terms of the human and not upon the demand of the dog...She views petting as a resource--like food and treats. Hard to live up to that rule! I pretty much give love on demand.)

One thing I did with Tucker was to redirect his attention-seeking to my other side, away from my mousing hand, when I was at the computer. Then I could pat him on the head and still get some stuff done! LOL


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## NuttinButGoldens

Zimba said:


> Awesome, thanks! I think that everything I was worried about yesterday was just him being nervous. This morning he was super excited and happy. Any ideas on the best way to teach him to go up and down stairs though? He wouldn't go down them yesterday so I carried him, and today he was suuuppeerr excited to go up them, but he would come to the first step, put 2 paws on that, and then get scared and do this absolutely hilarious shuffle really close to the ground back to the other room. So funny, I wish I had a video. But we did this maybe 10 times until I just carried him up the stairs.


He may have fallen down some stairs (or worse, heaven forbid) at his previous home....

I'd go slowly with this.


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## NuttinButGoldens

PICS!!! or none of this has happened 

:hyper::hyper::worthless:hyper::hyper:


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## Karen519

*Zimba*



Zimba said:


> Thanks Karen! He is neutered. He's doing VERY well now. This morning I went to put a leash on him to take him up the stairs and he immediately went to the stairs and waited for me to get there before running up them - he was basically telling me to hurry up! Going down the stairs without hesitation now as well.
> 
> Off leash he was good except for the dog fight. I'm going to only take him off leash now when there's absolutely no other dogs around. But he loves it, just runs around and rolls in the grass, then comes back. If I start walking the other direction he'll come running back to me shortly after! On leash he's great, couldn't ask for better.
> 
> Very funny boy, great personality. He always insists that I pet him though, which is annoying when I'm trying to do some work! haha, so I guess I have to work on that - which is a pretty great thing to have to work on!


So glad he is doing so well! That is wonderful!
I wouldn' take him off the leash. He could get lost, or get hit by a car, or stolen. Don't take any chances!?
What happened with the dog fight?
I agree that he must be in heaven with your petting him and loving him-maybe nobody ever has!


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## Zimba

Finally got some pics!!
Yogi - Imgur


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## Always51

congratulations on taking him on!! He is gorgeous!!!


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## Dancer

Wow! What a beautiful boy- I bet he wasn't at the pound for long! What a lucky find!


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## Karen519

*Yogi*

Yogi is SO HANDSOME, so Gorgeous!
Wow!
Congratulations to you both and we want to hear and see more!!


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## CAROLINA MOM

Yogi is beautiful, thank you for sharing pictures of him with us.


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## Jennifer1

Beautiful!!


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## lhowemt

You are both very fortunate. Off leash will come with lots of diligent work. 


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## Zimba

Thanks everyone! I really lucked out with him. He was at the pound for a shocking amount of time, over a month. I think part of the reason was because of the heart murmur, they had to get him checked out with an ultrasound before letting him go for adoption. I actually had perfect timing though, everyone that works there communicates with walkie talkies, and while I was meeting with the person who would show me the dog and decide if I could adopt, she received 2 pages saying other people were also here to meet him. Got very very lucky to be able to have him in my life!


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## Lennap

He is gorgeous! Congratulations on finding yourself such a great dog!

Just keep in mind you and everything about you is new to him. I would not let him off leash unless it is in a fenced in area. It takes quite some time for them to truly bond with you and develop reliable recall.

Best of luck with all of it - you are in for the most wonderful of experiences with Yogi.


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## Karen519

*Zimba*

I agree with Lennap.
*Do NOT LET him off Leash, UNLESS in a completely fenced area that is safe. Never leave him alone in there either!*
Please keep us posted on him-you both were so lucky to find one another!


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