# New puppy, 3/4 Golden 1/4 Great Pyrenees



## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

Hello everyone. First time poster. I just wanted to share my new puppy, Barkley. He's a 10 week old 3/4 Golden 1/4 Great Pyrenees mix. He weighed in last Thursday at 20lbs even (9 weeks 6 days). Hoping he tops out at around 80 lbs. 

I've had him for 2 weeks and could not be happy. I just wrote a longer post full of wonderful things about him. Unfortunately it was lost when just tried to add photos. This post is significantly shorter.

This pic is him at 4 weeks old. It's the only pic I can seem to load right now. It's the picture that pulled on my heart strings and had me saying "I'll take him!"


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## 4goldengirls (Jun 10, 2014)

Hello and welcome. Your pup is adorable - such huge paws. Look forward to seeing more pictures as he grows.


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

I thinking figured out the pic thing. Here are some from our last few weeks together, age 8-10 weeks. 

I've never had a puppy this young before. He grows and matures every day. Both a challenge and a blessing to have him during this critical period of development.


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

4goldengirls said:


> Hello and welcome. Your pup is adorable - such huge paws. Look forward to seeing more pictures as he grows.


Thank you for the kind welcome. He does have big, thick, paws. But that picture seems to make them/him look bigger than they are. Must be the angle. 

My two biggest questions right now are: How big will be be? What will his adult coat be like? Because he's a mixed breed we won't know till he get there. It'll just have to be a surprise


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## Pilgrim123 (Jul 26, 2014)

Congratulations on the new pup! He's lovely. (And if your only surprise is his size or coat, then you're doing well. )


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## dezymond (May 3, 2012)

Congrats on the new puppy! Part pyreneese huh? Could look like a giant golden!


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

He's so cute!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

He is a total cutie. Hard to say how big he'll get or what his coat will be like. He's big - but he might slow down his growth and never get huge. Hard to say. Did you see the parents? That should give an indication, but it's not an exact science!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Welcome to the forum. 

Congratulations on Barkley, what a handsome little guy. 
Great pictures, he's adorable. 

Looking forward to seeing lots of pictures.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

So cute. He looks all golden. Our golden Jake was a big boy. He was 25 lbs at 10 weeks. He weighed 90 pounds when he was full grown. So that will give you a little insight into how big he will be.


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

He's adorable! I'm not seeing the Great Pyreneese in him, but that doesn't mean he's not part and the golden part just dominates his looks.


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

Thank you everyone for the welcome and replies. I appreciate you all taking the time to comment.

Here are the only pics I have of his family. Mom is the 1/2 Pyrenees. She's tall, leggy with a long back. About 80lbs. She looks a bit intense in the pic. But in person was very friendly from the get go. Dad I never met but he looks happy enough. Both parents were shaved. Also a pic with his 1 brother and siblings. I'm going to do some DNA testing when curiosity gets the better of me. 

I'm guessing he'll be around 80+ lbs. Hoping he reaches that gradually. My old lab reached her mature weight, 80 lbs lean, at about 20 months.


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

Oops. Here's dad. Not convinced he's purebred. He looks to have a small amount of white (non age related) on his face. You can't tell from this pic but on my computer his eyes are incredibly light colored. Like a super light caramel.


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## Daisy123 (Jan 26, 2009)

He's gorgeous congrats!


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## 4goldengirls (Jun 10, 2014)

Both parents are beautiful. I see mom's longer back. I agree that he looks very golden-ish.


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## jennretz (Jul 24, 2013)

He's very cute! Welcome. I hope you share lots of pictures. He's going to be a very pretty dog.


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## Kim1607 (Aug 6, 2015)

That picture of all the puppies sprawled out sleeping was adorable. He's a gorgeous puppy.


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## nana2 (Oct 8, 2015)

Barkley is one handsome pup! Enjoy!


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## KathyL (Jul 6, 2011)

He's beautiful and he sure looks very much a golden to me. There was a golden/pyrenees in my neighborhood and it was a beautiful dog. I think your pup will look more golden and my guess is the color will deepen to a light gold with a nice coat. I think you have a keeper!


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

Barkley weighed in at 22.4 lbs the day before he turned 11 weeks. 

He's been great on his house training. Still watch him like a hawk but he can go 1.5 hours. Last week I didn't trust him past 20 minutes unless napping. When I have caught him starting to squat a sharp "No!" and he immediately runs to the door. I adopted a policy of "when in doubt, take him out" and it seems to working. 

He's still a silly happy pup. But for the last 3 mornings he's been barking, growling and charging at bikers or joggers that come by our yard. He only does it in the am when he's extra riled up (no walk yet and just got out of his kennel). I've noticed the distractions a second before him. Should I give him treats and refocus him on me till they pass? That's my plan for tomorrow. 

He's also not taking to kennel training very well. I've got a few books I'm going to reference and probably reintroduce him from scratch. He does not have a positive association with it at all. He barks and whines when inside. We make him wait before opening it and letting him out. He has to be quiet and laying down. But one released its like a bullet from a gun. He zooms around, bark, whines, jumps up. It takes him probably 10-15 minutes to lay down and start to relax. Once laying down he will continue to pant. The only attention he gets during all this is putting on his lease. Everything else is ignored. 

More pics to come. I've got some cute ones from his 10th week.


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

Barkley, 10 weeks old.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

So cute. It's adorable when you see the little ones working on training.


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## 4goldengirls (Jun 10, 2014)

From these photos, he looks all golden. Still very adorable.


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## jennretz (Jul 24, 2013)

That is a really good sit! Impressive


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

Sweet Barkley weighed in at 24 lbs at 11 weeks. He's gaining about 2 lbs a week. Seems like a nice slow growth that I'm quite pleased with. He's also hit the lanky stage. No more chubby little puppy. 

He had his second vaccination on Friday. He didn't even care. Yay Barkley. 

Here are a few pics of him at 11-12 weeks.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Cute. I think he is going to be a big boy.


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

He is adorable! My two favorite breeds wrapped into one.


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## jennretz (Jul 24, 2013)

Agreed! You're getting two of my favorite breeds in one as well!  Love the pictures.


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## 1oldparson (Mar 5, 2013)

That's a good looking pup! Congratulations!


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

Bit of a scare this morning. Barkley vomited up two small pieces of a kid toy. He was active, eating and otherwise ok. He got the toy yesterday and I was pretty sure he still had some in him. I induced vomiting with hydrogen peroxide and he successfully got up the rest of the pieces. Barkley is resting now and all kid toys have been banished from puppy areas. I've had to go the emergency vet and surgery route with a previous pet's blockage and I'm so relieved this case it could be avoided.


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## Christen113 (Dec 3, 2014)

Adorable!!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Great you were able to get all the toys out of him and he's doing alright today. 
It's always so scary, since you've experienced it with a previous dog, you know what to look for and what to do which is really great.


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

Mr.Barkley is 13 weeks today. Wow, time flies. He's such a cool pup. He already sticks around better than any dog have ever had. Easy to train. By that I mean he likes to please, food motivated, and catches on quickly. Current weight 26 lbs.

One major problem is he still chases chickens if he gets the opportunity. We live in a semi rural area so chicken/livestock chasing is a deadly habit. Farmers shoot dogs first and ask questions later. He does ok around horses and goats. But the birds are smaller and more reactive. He's learning leave it and does ok in the house. But it's not reliable enough for me to use at the barn. I'll start taking hot dogs out there and focus solely on this. We practice his other commands outside so hopefully he picks this up quickly.

Edited to add: I purchased a Wisdom 2.5 DNA test kit. Should have results back in 3 weeks. I checked "mixed breed" so we'll see what results come back as.


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

Pics, 12 weeks old.


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

He's such a pretty pup. He sounds very "chill" too. You are smart to address the chasing chickens now...hot dogs should be a big help in keeping his attention, LOL.


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

We'll Barkley has had 2 serious "leave it" sessions with the chickens. He's coming along nicely. It's going to take time to unravel what's been building. I took a bag of tiny hot dog pieces. When he would focus on the chickens I'd say "leave it" and reward when he looked at me. He never lunged or pulled on the leash but I was pretty proactive with the commands. 

When we get back from vacation I'll work on "settle" around the chickens. I found a lady who does doggy daycare, boarding, training in her house. Barkley will be there a week. I'll miss him but he'll be well cared for and make lots of new friends.


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## GoldenNewbee (Jan 9, 2013)

Oh...........My.................GOODNESS! What an adorable puppy! 

NOTE TO SELF: NO, YOU CANNOT HAVE ANOTHER PUPPY!


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

GoldenNewbee said:


> Oh...........My.................GOODNESS! What an adorable puppy!
> 
> NOTE TO SELF: NO, YOU CANNOT HAVE ANOTHER PUPPY!



Thanks! He's a really neat puppy. Generally very pleasant to be around. 

If there is one thing this forum is good at its spreading "puppy fever ". The cure for "puppy fever " is expensive and time-consuming.


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## carolinehansen (Sep 16, 2015)

Oh my gosh he is the cutest thing ever please don't stop with the pictures! I'm obsessed!


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

15 weeks as of today. It's been a busy few weeks since I last posted. We were on vacation and Barkley was boarded for a full week. It was at a lady's house and he had 5 dogs to play with. I thought he would come back exhausted but he has more energy than ever.

Training wise he's doing well. He understands waiting when doors are opened without being reminded. He's almost completely stopped mouthing and jumping on the kids. Cat chasing has decreased by 50%. Some negatives are he has taken to counter surfing in a major way. He bolted across the street to visit my neighbor while I was wearing a ridiculous hat that looks like a monkey. The weather just got cold and I haven't pulled out my gear yet so I borrowed something of my kids. It seriously looks like a stuffed animal has been skinned and wrapped around your head. Embarrassing to the max!

He went to the groomer for the first time yesterday. He was good boy and did great with the new smells, sounds and place. She said he was the best behaved puppy she'd ever had in. This doesn't say much for the other puppies but still made me swell with pride. I interpreted this comment more as "I can tell you've worked with your dog."

Today I have some shopping at a farm store. He'll be coming along and hopefully behave. 

Not too many pics since we haven't been home. But I snapped a few to capture him all fluffy. The one with my daughter she's wrapping a dog toy around another dog toy. I loved how he just knew to sit and wait. Good dog, Barkley!

Oh and the DNA results are back with a few surprises. But I'll post that separately.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

Loved reading through your whole thread.
It was interesting to see Barkley's mother (who is half Great Pyrenees) shaved as I would have been curious to know how long her fur was.
Our neighbors have Great Pyrenees to guard their livestock. Wonder if someone who lives near you who has working Great Pyrenees would let you bring Barkley over to observe/learn protecting (not chasing) livestock?
Cant wait to hear DNA results


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Barkley's such a handsome little guy.
Great to hear how well he's doing with the training.


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

Here are Barkley's DNA results from the Wisdom Panel 2.5 test. I did not reveal what I thought his mix was. I emailed them a few questions and but I think it's pretty close. I'll post their reply when I get it. 

1/2 Golden Retriever 
1/4 Labrador Retriever 
1/8 Great Pyrenees 
1/8 Irish Setter 

All that adds up to 100% adorable


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

lgnutah said:


> Loved reading through your whole thread.
> It was interesting to see Barkley's mother (who is half Great Pyrenees) shaved as I would have been curious to know how long her fur was.
> Our neighbors have Great Pyrenees to guard their livestock. Wonder if someone who lives near you who has working Great Pyrenees would let you bring Barkley over to observe/learn protecting (not chasing) livestock?
> Cant wait to hear DNA results


We have some goats! I was hoping he would have an affinity for them but he's not that interested. They're pretty big goats (about 180 lbs) and don't like dogs. So its probably best he keeps his distance. 

Most of the sheep herders in my area seem to have Pyrenees or Kuvasz. Both beautiful dogs who do their job well. The little bit I've read about guardian dogs says start them really young with minimal contact with humans. They want them handleable but not friendly. 

I also wish I could have seen his mom in full coat. She was lovely as is but it would have helped satisfied my curiosity.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Barkley*

Barkley is absolutely beautiful!


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## Rilelen (Jan 11, 2015)

Oh my god, Barkley is 110% adorable. What a cutie! The pictures of his doggy family killed me - too much cuteness in one post. Gah!!!


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## Wicky (Aug 27, 2015)

Such a handsome boy!!!!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

BeehiveGolden said:


> Here are Barkley's DNA results from the Wisdom Panel 2.5 test. I did not reveal what I thought his mix was. I emailed them a few questions and but I think it's pretty close. I'll post their reply when I get it.
> 
> 1/2 Golden Retriever
> 1/4 Labrador Retriever
> ...


It sure does, he's totally adorable. 
He's going to be a really handsome boy when he's full grown.


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## FranklinsDad (Oct 26, 2015)

Loved reading through this thread! What an adorable pup. He sure is growing up fast eh?


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

He sure is growing up quick. He weighed in today, 15 weeks, at 32 lbs. He's been asking for more food so he's probably hit a growth spurt. He gets his rabies vaccine tomorrow. Then he'll be fully vaccinated for the year. 

This weekend's trip to the farm store went ok. He could have been better behaved but nothing unexpected. At first he would bark, growl, and lunge at anyone on the same isle. This is the same issue we have with people walking/biking by our yard when we're outside. He definitely needs to meet more people. I distracted him with treats and after a few times he stopped that and just watched them quietly with tail wagging. Personality wise he's on the confident side of the spectrum. 

We had a beautiful walk on Sunday. About 2 hours, maybe 6 miles. We went up the ATV trails behind our house. Once out of the housing track he got to run around towing a 30' light line. He's also been doing this in the yard. That way he gets freedom and I can stomp on it should he decide to take off. I only needed it twice when he was sniffing something (lagging behind). 

We did lots of yard work on Saturday. Last scramble before the snow hits. He stuck around aound well. Again on his long line. He did great when my husband started using the chainsaw. I snapped some pictures the first time it was started up. He was about 15' away. He's very alert and seemed equally prepared to either run forward or scamper backwards. The first two pics are him watching the chainsaw. 

We had some light snow. This was really hard on me. My last dog, who passed away July 1st, LOVED snow. Even as a senior she would jump around, roll, and snap at it acting like a puppy again. It made me very nostalgic. Barkley wasn't really phased. Maybe he'll get more excited when it "real" snow not this wet stuff that doesn't even stick.


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

All right I'm really struggling with posting pictures upright. I read some suggestions in the tech area and the easiest was just to make sure you tilt the phone when you take them. So that's what I've been doing this week. Hopefully they show how well he's getting along with everyone these day, kids and chickens. 

Mr.Barkley is now 16 weeks and fully vaccinated. He weighed in at 36 lbs. I'm guessing he'll be 80 +/- when full grown. He's generally very happy and agreeable.

We will be out of town for Thanksgiving. Once we get there he'll have a 10 month old Great Dane puppy to play with constantly. It's a 12 hour drive and we'll be staying in a hotel overnight. He still barks a lot in his kennel but we'll muscle through. 

Our kids gave really bonded with Barkley. Especially now that his mouthing is almost non existent. The kids love being able to snuggle with him. He's constantly being used for a pillow. We are out of the honeymoon phase and everyone is still really enjoy our puppy. 

Things that need work: kennel manners (barks a lot still), and jumping up while greeting people. He'll also pees sometimes depending on who he's greeting.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

He is so pretty and getting so big. It's nice to see him getting along with the kiddos so well.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

He is SO cute. Love that he's fitting in so well. He and your son look so sweet together.


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

Thank you both for the kind comments. It's wonderful to have him getting along with the kids so quickly. Especially after reading some of the horror stories and struggles others on here have with their puppy. 

Last night I decided I should teach him how to "shake". So the kids and I watched a few YouTube videos and gave it a go. My daughter, 5, even said "well that doesn't look that hard". She's been involved with his training but just to reinforce what I've already taught him. Barkley will "sit" well for both kids. This training session was called quits after about 30 seconds. It basically turned into him being given full size jerky treats and having his legs pulled every which way while all 3 of us said "shake". Barkley was grateful for the treats and attention but very very confused about what was happening. I'll try again today when the kiddos are distracted and not so "helpful".


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

Barkley is 18 weeks. This last week was a blast. He loved playing with my sister's Great Dane puppy (9 months old) and meeting lot of new people. He did get a bit over excited a few times and pee on people as he greeted. But that's about it.

I wasn't sure how he would do in the hotel. He usually barks in his crate but didn't make a peep there. We were on the second floor and took the elevator up. The picture is his first time in it. I was worried about rushing him out to the potty area first thing in the morning. It seemed a lot to ask of a young pup that's not fully potty trained. But we walked briskly, took the stairs, and he made it out just fine. 

We seem to have turned a corner on the crate training. He was in it a lot during the trip with his kennel right next to the Dane puppy's. So he always had a buddy. Last night when he got tired he put himself to bed in it twice! He's never done that before. He has wandered in on occasions but and never settle down. 

We only got back yesterday but he's settled into the routine quickly. No potty accidents. After our last trip (Halloween) it took him about 2-3 days to catch back up to where we were before it. 

He seem to have hit an awkward stage. Gangly body and maybe starting to get his adult coat. Definitely getting some feathering on his tail but the rest of his hair seems too short for his body. I mentioned it to a few family members and they don't see it. Maybe I'm crazy. The last pic kind of shows what I'm talking about. Thoughts?


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## jennretz (Jul 24, 2013)

He is so cute. I see the beginnings of some feathering. Very impressive that he started liking his kennel. My dogs view their kennels as their "safe" zone. That's where they go when they want to nap sometimes or avoid getting their ears cleaned LOL. It's important for them to have that place to go to.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

What a cutie. You can see the feathering starting on the back of his legs and his tail.


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

Noah didn't start growing into his coat until after 6 months - his mane in particular. He didn't have a very fluffy tail at all as a bay, but now it's full and beautiful. 

I think your baby will grow into his as well!


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

BeehiveGolden said:


> All right I'm really struggling with posting pictures upright. I read some suggestions in the tech area and the easiest was just to make sure you tilt the phone when you take them. So that's what I've been doing this week. Hopefully they show how well he's getting along with everyone these day, kids and chickens.
> 
> Mr.Barkley is now 16 weeks and fully vaccinated. He weighed in at 36 lbs. I'm guessing he'll be 80 +/- when full grown. He's generally very happy and agreeable.
> 
> ...


What is that hoof looking thing in the picture, and where did you get it?


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## Helo's Mom (Oct 16, 2011)

Hi! Barkley is adorable!! This is the first time I've seen your thread and as I was looking at the pictures I thought "those mountains look like Utah" and sure enough you live in northern Utah. I live in southeastern Utah but my sister is in Farmington and my kids are in Salt Lake. Anyway, I just wanted to say how cute Barkley is. Sounds like he is very smart, too! Keep the pictures coming!


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

rabernet said:


> What is that hoof looking thing in the picture, and where did you get it?



That's exactly what it is. Intact cow foot with hooves attached. I bought it from Chewy.com for like $7. It's been a favorite since it came out of the box. Barkley is an average chewer. He didn't even like Bully sticks till a few weeks ago. But this thing lasts and lasts despite constant attention. My daughter dropped it just right on the floor and one hoof popped off, bone inside and all. Barkley likes chewing that tidbit too now. I plan on always having one around. 

USA Bones & Chews Beef Foot Bone Dog Treat


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

Helo's Mom said:


> Hi! Barkley is adorable!! This is the first time I've seen your thread and as I was looking at the pictures I thought "those mountains look like Utah" and sure enough you live in northern Utah. I live in southeastern Utah but my sister is in Farmington and my kids are in Salt Lake. Anyway, I just wanted to say how cute Barkley is. Sounds like he is very smart, too! Keep the pictures coming!


That's pretty neat you can recognize the Wasatch Front by sight! They have a distinctive look and just stunning all year round. I never get bored of the view out my windows. 

Your ol' man dog is beautiful. He looks like he has a wonderful spirit and kind eye.


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

Barkley looks just great. Puppies grow at their own rate and got through gangly stages and chubby stages. One day I looked at Tucker and he was all legs...before that his legs were stubby and torso seemed round. Now everything fits together.  About feathers, that too is very individual. I've read posts on here from people whose dogs didn't have a full coat until their third year. Given his genetic makeup, enjoy the short coat while you can! LOL. Liking the crate with the Dane puppy nearby makes sense to me. I used to crate our RIP spaniel next to Tucker so he wouldn't feel lonely. He was always calmer and quieter with a friend.


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

OutWest said:


> Barkley looks just great. Puppies grow at their own rate and got through gangly stages and chubby stages. One day I looked at Tucker and he was all legs...before that his legs were stubby and torso seemed round. Now everything fits together.  About feathers, that too is very individual. I've read posts on here from people whose dogs didn't have a full coat until their third year. Given his genetic makeup, enjoy the short coat while you can! LOL. Liking the crate with the Dane puppy nearby makes sense to me. I used to crate our RIP spaniel next to Tucker so he wouldn't feel lonely. He was always calmer and quieter with a friend.


Thank you. I've never considered him even slightly overweight but similar to tucker he goes through both round and tall phases. 

I gave him a good brushing last night and his coat is definitely changing along his top line too. Just as soft but no longer fuzzy. He was groomed at 15 weeks and was still pretty fuzzy then. So this is a newer change. Like you said enjoying the short coat while it lasts


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

19 weeks and 41.2 lbs. He's being fed 2 cups Fromm puppy food. He's an itchy puppy (no fleas) and I was hoping the switch would help. He also gets salmon oil daily and has since we got him). Not looking forward to another dog with skin issues like my last Golden. Because it's so rich it took a long time to fully transition to the Fromm. I tried to do it over 3-4 days but he got soft stool. That's the only time he's ever had it. Slowed the transition way down to about 2.5 weeks for 100% Fromm. He's been fine and no soft stool since. 

Training wise I've been slacking. He's such a good dog and has his basics solid. It's been too easy to let progressive training slide. My goal is to have him CGC certified at 1 year old. He's well on the way. Better get back to regular training. 

Just a few pics in the yard this morning. And one with my son from last week. Barkley was completely resting at his feet sharing the blanket. He perked up once I started taking pictures. 

I see the Pyrenees in some of the face pics. His coloring on his face looks more pronounced. In person it's more of a texture difference, fuzzy and long vs. short. I think they show how he's maturing and changing.


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## Our3dogs (Apr 3, 2008)

He is a cute boy! I love how is smiles so nicely for his pictures!


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

Our3dogs said:


> He is a cute boy! I love how is smiles so nicely for his pictures!


Thanks. He's such a sweet dog. His personality is really starting to shine.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

He's absolutely adorable and a smart boy too.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

So cute. Going to be a big dog.


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> He's absolutely adorable and a smart boy too.



Awww thanks. He is a smart boy. Twice this week he came when called with major distractions (people walking by). He was on the long line and about 50' away both times. Yeah! There was a 3rd incident where he ran up to someone before I could call him, jumped up with muddy laws, and peed on them.from excitement. Oops, parenting fail.


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## Finn's Fan (Dec 22, 2007)

Your puppy is simply adorable! Regarding the itchiness, just FYI, lots of goldens seem to have allergies to chicken as a protein source. Check your ingredients, and if it has chicken, maybe Fromm has a fish or venison alternative. Hope you find an answer to his scratching. I had a Great Pyr-golden mix in the 1970's named Satchel. He was a rock collector (all stashed under the kitchen table until you couldn't get your feet under there  ); he was half and half and had more of a Pyr coat but golden behavior. Your little guy still looks mostly golden.


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

Cpc1972 said:


> So cute. Going to be a big dog.


I think so too. Maybe 80 lbs +/- . Really hoping not bigger than that for longevity and medical reasons. But we'll take what we get. He's a fantastic dog at any size.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Chloe can't have chicken. She had mushy yellow poop on chicken based. Plus her itchiness stopped after s couple of months on new food. She is fine with the chicken meal as the second ingredient but with a chicken based food as a mane ingredient it seems to not work for her.


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

Finn's Fan said:


> Your puppy is simply adorable! Regarding the itchiness, just FYI, lots of goldens seem to have allergies to chicken as a protein source. Check your ingredients, and if it has chicken, maybe Fromm has a fish or venison alternative. Hope you find an answer to his scratching. I had a Great Pyr-golden mix in the 1970's named Satchel. He was a rock collector (all stashed under the kitchen table until you couldn't get your feet under there  ); he was half and half and had more of a Pyr coat but golden behavior. Your little guy still looks mostly golden.


That's very interesting. Thank you for sharing. You've given me something to think about. The food I switched from is Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy. It's lamb and rice based. The only chicken ingredient is chicken fat as the 8 th ingredient. No corn, wheat, or soy either. The Fromm has chicken and chicken meal as ingredients 2 and 3. 

I'll use up the bag and see how he's doing. I hate to keep changing food up. I think Taste of the Wild makes a fish based puppy food.


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## MilesToEmpty (Sep 3, 2015)

We switched zoe from Fromm to Pulsar [ame]http://www.amazon.com/Horizon-HRN-011-Pulsar-Fish-8-8lb/dp/B007D6IUJC[/ame] Fish and she loves it, and stopped itching. Tried mixing some Fromm in again and some chicken jerky and she got the itches again.


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

MilesToEmpty said:


> We switched zoe from Fromm to Pulsar http://www.amazon.com/Horizon-HRN-011-Pulsar-Fish-8-8lb/dp/B007D6IUJC Fish and she loves it, and stopped itching. Tried mixing some Fromm in again and some chicken jerky and she got the itches again.



I'm not familiar with that brand. Amazon has it for an ok price (under $2 lb). I'll look into it. Thank you for the recommendation.


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## MilesToEmpty (Sep 3, 2015)

BeehiveGolden said:


> I'm not familiar with that brand. Amazon has it for an ok price (under $2 lb). I'll look into it. Thank you for the recommendation.


Its made by Horizon. They have 4.5 star for Pulsar, and 5 star for Legacy. I was going to pickup a bag of Zignature to see if she liked it. I did email Horizon pets asking which I should feed.












> Hi Charles;
> 
> Thank you for supporting Horizon Pet Nutrition.
> 
> ...


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## macdougallph1 (Oct 13, 2013)

He is absolutely gorgeous!! Looking forward to watching him grow!


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

20 weeks and 44.4lbs. All I can say is SNOW! It's finally here and he loves it. And he's outgrown his kennel. That's the medium sized one in the pic. I'm not sure of the dimensions on the new one but he'll never out grow.


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

He's so beautiful--and big! LOL. Have fun in the snow sweet boy.


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## AngelCoopersMom (Oct 15, 2015)

Gorgeous!! Our Cooper loved the snow too.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

The snow pictures are great, what fun for him.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Very cute pictures.


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

Barkley is 5.5 months now. 50.8 lbs. He seems to be growing steadily and is very healthy. 

He's starting trail running with my husband. This is much easier on joints than road running. My husband goes slow and let's the puppy set the pace. Barkley has done very well and loves going. He gets incredibly aroused when he knows he's going. Last week Barkley got to summit Squaw Peak, elevation 7,877. It was too cloudy for good pics of the scenery but you can tell he's happy. We've always made sure he's an active dog and he's taken to hiking like a natural. 

He really needs more exposure and socializing. It's been challenging because it's so cold and people just aren't out. When someone does come by the yard he'll bark, growl, and charge. When he's close enough he will pee all over and jump up on them if I haven't wrangled him in time. I've created this problem by letting him off leash too much and giving him too much freedom to do what he likes outside. There is no aggression he just doesn't know how to greet properly.

Some pics from the last month. And the first time wearing the dog pack.


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

Pics, 5 months old.


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

He's so beautiful... 

It sounds like you know this, but do be very careful with the jogging. Most vets discourage that before two years of age because of possible damage to growing joints. Even if he's setting the pace, it's problematic because dogs want to keep doing what clearly pleases their human... 

But he looks just great. Regarding socializing, is there a pet store or hardware store you could visit once a week or so? Just go in, walk around, and then practice sit and stay etc., with him when people come over to say hi. 

Good luck! Glad you and DH are having fun.


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

Barkley feels this is the proper use of the Chuck It.


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

OutWest. I agree with you completely. I found similar recommendations most places online (almost always anecdotal). Still it's not something we've taken lightly. Just doing our best to balance out the added stress on his growing body with the large mental and physical benefits of being included in regular outdoor activities. It's also really helped my husband bond to the dog (not a pet person). 

I was planning on doing some xray of hips and elbows when he's neutered (at 12 months). And probably another set after 6 month or a year. That way we really know how he's doing and what if any harm has been done. 

Thank for the tip on socializing. We do have some hardware and ranch stores around that are dog friendly. I really need to make sure it's a top priority taking him out like that. With no excuses for slacking. I'll start this weekend


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## TiffanyGolden (Dec 6, 2015)

Barkley is handsome! 

I can't wait to see more pictures of him.


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

Barkley is 7 months now. Sweet and gentle as ever. I took my first walk of the year with him and my kids (in stroller) last week. He did awesome. We even got a complement on how well behaved he was.

Not much else going on. He loves running with my husband. We're keeping it low key till he's 12-18 months but he definitely has an athletic aptitude.


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## BeehiveGolden (Oct 4, 2015)

This pic is at about 6 months old. Before the snow melted.


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