# Our new pup Maximus!



## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

Hey guys, if you have been following my previous posts, I am super excited to announce that our little Maximus is finally here!! We got him in the weekend and he's already been at the house a few days and has settled amazingly. 

At first, sleeping in his crate was difficult for him. The first two nights we had the crate in the bedroom, he cried for a bit but then settled well. We have set alarms constantly day and night to make sure we take him out for a pee/poop and my God his potty training is going amazingly! Then we moved the crate to the living room (we don't have stairs so it's right next to the bedroom where we can hear him). The first night was really bad, but the second night in the living room we found a playlist for dogs which is meant to be soothing - and it was a miracle! He slept like a baby. 

His recall is going well, he's already learned 'come' and 'sit', and at first he was afraid of getting in the elevator but a bit of ham has made him transform completely in a day. Now, even when I don't want to go to the elevator, he sits and waits and goes inside. He is amazingly smart! We are really shocked and amazed. And on top of that, he is a very calm and relaxed dog! He's playful but also settles very quickly when the playtime is over. I am so happy and hope to see his development continue as well as this!

His first puppy class is next week. Will update you guys on that if you want! 

For now, here are the promised pictures! 

P.S. he is HUGE for his age! Many people have commented that he's going to be a big dog - I think so too. His dad was bigger than an average golden retriever. He looks like a bear and we just adore him! (He also looks super cuddly and chubby but he is getting his correct diet and no human food apart from a bit of ham for training!  So this is all him!). 
P.S.S. If you have followed our previous posts, we have a balcony. That's all prepared for him and he only goes out there with supervision. At first he was a bit skittish, now he is very relaxed and loves seeing the plants! )

Here are also some of his favourite things that we have observed: sticks, chewing on cardboard, and plush toys. I also am very particular about wanting to teach my dogs to retrieve and play fetch, it's one of my favourite games. He has already learned to retrieve his plush toys when we throw them! I am over the moon.


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

What a cutie! How old is he? Isn't it amazing how fast they capture your heart?


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

cwag said:


> What a cutie! How old is he? Isn't it amazing how fast they capture your heart?


Thank you  He's 8 weeks!  I know, can't believe it! It is amazing how quickly he has attached to us too. I have a lake right in front of my house, and because I haven't really started using the leash properly, I often take him to the area there by carrying him and then letting him run around freely. Even though sometimes people pass, he still stays very close to us! Of course it helps that he can't run very far anyway but it's amazing to see him recognise us and want to be with us.


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Congratulations on your new boy!

Maximus is gorgeous! Such a handsome boy! 
Keep taking those pictures, they grow up so fast! 

Busy times ahead for you all, enjoy every minute!!


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## Neeko13 (Jul 10, 2010)

Oh My heavens!!!! What a cutie.....I can smell his puppy breath all the way over here in the states!!!! Congrats, and enjoy him, you wont be able to pick him up for long!!!!:x:x (Love your name....lol, spelled just like mine! Nancie.. do they spell it that way often over there? I dont know anyone over here that spells it IE... and, im Scottish!!! ) :grin2:


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

Charliethree said:


> Congratulations on your new boy!
> 
> Maximus is gorgeous! Such a handsome boy!
> Keep taking those pictures, they grow up so fast!
> ...


Thank you!


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

Neeko13 said:


> Oh My heavens!!!! What a cutie.....I can smell his puppy breath all the way over here in the states!!!! Congrats, and enjoy him, you wont be able to pick him up for long!!!!:x:x (Love your name....lol, spelled just like mine! Nancie.. do they spell it that way often over there? I dont know anyone over here that spells it IE... and, im Scottish!!! ) :grin2:


Aww thank you!! Hahaha yes, I love that milky puppy smell they still have for a while! LOL 

I know hahah he is so heavy already!

No way!! Your name is Nancie too? No it's very rare here, so I'm surprised meeting someone with the same spelling as mine! It's rare there too? LOL We are the best 8) That's so cool! Where in the States are you?


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Maximus is adorable, Congratulations!
Great to hear how well he's doing.


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## GoldenDude (Nov 5, 2016)

He's adorable. Congratulations!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Those are great photos - he is totally adorable. So glad it's going well.


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## Neeko13 (Jul 10, 2010)

nancie said:


> Aww thank you!! Hahaha yes, I love that milky puppy smell they still have for a while! LOL
> 
> I know hahah he is so heavy already!
> 
> No way!! Your name is Nancie too? No it's very rare here, so I'm surprised meeting someone with the same spelling as mine! It's rare there too? LOL We are the best 8) That's so cool! Where in the States are you?


pHILADELPHIA, PA... :grin2:


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## SusanS (Jul 23, 2018)

Congratulations! Maximus is a big cutie! Great to hear that he's adjusted very quickly.


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

Thanks so much everyone! 

Here he is eating cucumber this morning: 






And enjoying his crate!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

He is such a doll........

Cucumbers have always been a favorite of my guys..... 

I'm on my 3rd Golden, they've all enjoyed a variety of fresh fruits and veggies and have always been camped out in the kitchen whenever I am cutting up veggies or fruit.


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## daisy1234 (Jun 17, 2018)

Love! He is adorable!


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## ClanceyCanuck (Jul 24, 2018)

He is adorable. Congratulations. More pics please !


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> He is such a doll........
> 
> Cucumbers have always been a favorite of my guys.....
> 
> I'm on my 3rd Golden, they've all enjoyed a variety of fresh fruits and veggies and have always been camped out in the kitchen whenever I am cutting up veggies or fruit.


Aww that’s cute! What are the other favourites? I have tried carrots on him too but he is less fond - probably because they are still hard for him right now! He really likes sugar snap peas. ☺


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

daisy1234 said:


> Love! He is adorable!





ClanceyCanuck said:


> He is adorable. Congratulations. More pics please !


Thanks so much! 

Oh god he is a character, there are so many videos and pictures of him already! He is really sweet and calm but some moments he suddenly has a burst of energy and becomes so micheavous. 

Have any of you guys had a problem with so much biting? He doesn’t really bite the furniture so much - he loves his toys. But he LOVES biting on people - hands, hair, arms, clothes. He nips and if I tell him no he sometimes even lunges at the face excitedly and snaps! It can get really annoying and I don’t know what to do to discourage this as I want to play but he’s becoming more and more bitey with human interaction. 

But here is a video of a moment of when he was very fast asleep. After a long walk at the park, he was a sleepy boy!


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## Neeko13 (Jul 10, 2010)

:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat


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## sophieanne (Feb 4, 2014)

Maximus is one handsome boy!!! I'm so glad you have those videos - they grow so fast that the videos will be pleasant memories. I love the cucumber pics...my dogs would be asking where the blue cheese dip is .
You make a beautiful family!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

The video of him sleeping in your lap is so cute. He looks like a teddy bear, look at those paws. 




nancie said:


> Aww that’s cute! What are the other favourites? I have tried carrots on him too but he is less fond - probably because they are still hard for him right now! He really likes sugar snap peas. ☺


You may have different fruits and veggies there but here are some of what my guys have all liked-Sweet potatoes, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini and squash, carrots, watermelon, cantaloupe, bananas.


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## LynnC (Nov 14, 2015)

I'm not sure how I missed this thread!! Oh my goodness, Maximus is such a cutie patootie  . Love, love, love all the pics. Enjoy!


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

Congratulations on Maximus. He is very adorable and reminds me a bit of our Max as a puppy. Max was also big at 30 pounds at 11 weeks. He also was a biter and did a lot of chewing, mostly because of teething. Be careful because those teeth can do real damage. Golden puppies on the forum are often referred to as “land sharks.” Max outgrew the biting, but for a long time, I had bites marks on my hands and forearms. That is Rocky, our 15 month old puppy, on the sofa next to Max, in my signature pic.


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## Wendy427 (Apr 4, 2009)

You could also try frozen blueberries. My Maxi loved them!


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> He is such a doll........
> 
> Cucumbers have always been a favorite of my guys.....
> 
> I'm on my 3rd Golden, they've all enjoyed a variety of fresh fruits and veggies and have always been camped out in the kitchen whenever I am cutting up veggies or fruit.


Thank you!! Yes I think they love that juiciness mixed with the crunch of cucumbers. Veggies and fruit offer a lot more variety as treats and snacks I think too  not just meat all the time, although he does love ham and even though I bought 'doggy treats' for his training, ham has been the saviour LOL



Neeko13 said:


> :heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat


 



sophieanne said:


> Maximus is one handsome boy!!! I'm so glad you have those videos - they grow so fast that the videos will be pleasant memories. I love the cucumber pics...my dogs would be asking where the blue cheese dip is .
> You make a beautiful family!


Aww that's so sweet, thank you! Yeah I know right! He'll never be a pup like this again, and it'll be so nice looking back on the start of his life. I already love watching them over again at the end of the day haha. 



CAROLINA MOM said:


> The video of him sleeping in your lap is so cute. He looks like a teddy bear, look at those paws.
> 
> You may have different fruits and veggies there but here are some of what my guys have all liked-Sweet potatoes, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini and squash, carrots, watermelon, cantaloupe, bananas.


Thank you, yes a lot of people say he looks like a bear or a polar bear. Just so cuddly!



LynnC said:


> I'm not sure how I missed this thread!! Oh my goodness, Maximus is such a cutie patootie  . Love, love, love all the pics. Enjoy!


Aww thanks!



Wendy427 said:


> You could also try frozen blueberries. My Maxi loved them!


That sounds fun!


An update: 

Last night was the first time that we put him in his crate at bed time and he didn't cry AT ALL. When we got up in the middle of the night to take him out, and put him back in the crate he did cry again but only for a small amount of time. Either way, my boyfriend and I were SO shocked. It definitely means progress!

And today he had his first trip to the vet with us, to get his second vaccinations. He was such a good boy! So calm, all healthy, and he didn't even notice he got the injection. The vets we use is inside a big pet store, so while we were there we also decided to get him some toys as a reward. 

Look at the pictures here of how calm he was, and his cute little tie!! :jester: He is now ready to attend puppy school on Monday


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

Max's Dad said:


> Congratulations on Maximus. He is very adorable and reminds me a bit of our Max as a puppy. Max was also big at 30 pounds at 11 weeks. He also was a biter and did a lot of chewing, mostly because of teething. Be careful because those teeth can do real damage. Golden puppies on the forum are often referred to as “land sharks.” Max outgrew the biting, but for a long time, I had bites marks on my hands and forearms. That is Rocky, our 15 month old puppy, on the sofa next to Max, in my signature pic.


Land sharks! Hahah, oh gosh that sounds about right! I am glad it's normal to have all these bite marks then, and that he will eventually grow out of it. Thank God he is fond of cardboard, it's a good distraction for him. WOW 30 pounds! Haha he really was a big one then! Maximus got weighed today at the vets, at 9 weeks old he is 16 pounds, but let's see how much bigger he gets in the next few weeks.

Aww your signature pic of the two doggies is so adorable! They look so sweet.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Nancie, a word of caution using the Ham as training treats. 

Ham has a lot of salt in it, too much salt can be toxic for dogs, especially a pup. 
It also usually has a lot of fat in it, your pup could have an upset stomach which could result in loose stools. Pups tummies are often sensitive to begin with. 

My neighbor's husband was notorious for feeding table scraps to one of their dogs, the dog got pancreatitis from eating foods that were too high in fat..... he was treated for it but still continued to have problems with pancreatitis off and on.


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> Nancie, a word of caution using the Ham as training treats.
> 
> Ham has a lot of salt in it, too much salt can be toxic for dogs, especially a pup.
> It also usually has a lot of fat in it, your pup could have an upset stomach which could result in loose stools. Pups tummies are often sensitive to begin with.
> ...


Christ! I did not know that. Thanks! The reason we started using it is because the treats we had bought seemed to be too hard for his teeth, he wasn't interested in it or couldn't manage chewing it. But I'll definitely look for softer puppy treats now.


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## Wendy427 (Apr 4, 2009)

I love his little tie and the bone-shaped tie pin!


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## nikarahul (Sep 14, 2018)

Congratulations Nancie!! He's so cute. My boyfriend and I picking up our puppy in December and I'm beyond excited! So happy to hear things are going well so far!


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

Guys,


I'm feeling so frantic and upset! I don't know why but Maximus has suddenly changed in the past few days. Perhaps this has something to do with his vaccinations yesterday, I don't know, however the vet told us that the side effect of this was that he would be _sleepy_ for day or so!

Yes he is very bitey and that's fine, but it's gotten to the point that he's snapping at our faces any chance he gets, and biting at our thigh/arm like anything. Now we make sure to exercise him daily, properly, and also make sure to take him out for potty every hour and a half (and every half an hour after eating). So on the exercise front and stimulation - there's plenty. So I'm not sure what is going on. We live right in front of a huge lake so his exercise involves running in the field. 

And on that note - we do actually take him out every hour and a half for potty, so his potty training has been going great. We get up twice in the night (have set alarms for this) and so basically since his first day he's maybe only had one accident! (one accident in the whole week). However, in the past few days, he's suddenly been peeing anywhere and everywhere in the house, even though it's just maybe 20-30 mins after we last took him out and he hasn't even had anything to eat/drink. We thought this was an accident so nevermind, and then it happened again today, and then again in the next hour! We have taken him out extra, and he only sometimes does it outside, it's almost like he is holding it in. Thankfully no poop accidents (yet, I guess!). 

He is very good at having moments to himself, and a lot of the time he is calm and sleeping (even though we exercise him a lot and play with toys etc). Often throughout the day I'll clean and go shower etc, and during this time when I leave the living room (and close the door) he just sleeps, doesn't whine, is happy to be alone for a little bit as I come in and out or go shower (and that takes a while).


So his energy has been whack, he's been peeing everywhere (not even in the same place as we clean vigorousy). We haven't scolded him for peeing inside, and we treat every time he pees outside. He's been snapping and biting, and doing things that he seemingly knows do not get a good reaction (or most of the time get ignored all together). For example, he has really good recall already, and it probably helps that I literally treat almost every single time that he comes when I tell him to. As a result, he stays near normally and even when he's been meeting loads of new dogs and people at the park off leash, always comes back to me and responds to the treats. Today, being at the FRONT door of our house, he saw a bag that our neighbour had left and he just wouldn't leave it alone. Licking and trying to bite it. I rattled the treat box, offered some really tasty things, tried distracting him with my voice and then as a last resort tried to get his attention with some sound, and either it didn't distract him at all, or he noticed and did nothing. I even went inside the house and tried to lure him back in, eventually closed the door on him, I opened it and he wasn't frightened or worried and just continued chewing when usually he would be very bewildered and excited to come back no matter what it is. 

Today he even played with a little girl, kept throwing himself into her, and then started snapping at her to the point he may have nipped her flesh and his teeth got stuck in her jumper! At first she was so excited to see him, as most young children have been, but then she ended up crying and was afraid. This little puppy made some little girl cry! Usually he is the most friendliest and sweetest.

Diet is the same, everything is the same, we feed and take him out at the same time, we exercise him and his sleeping is progressing - no more crying at night. So what is going on!?

  

I have a huge bite mark on my hand - he doesn't let us do anything that involves touching the floor, but what annoys me is he doesn't even chase the thing I'm holding, but instead jumps and bites at my hand/arms.


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

nancie said:


> Guys,
> 
> 
> I'm feeling so frantic and upset! I don't know why but Maximus has suddenly changed in the past few days. Perhaps this has something to do with his vaccinations yesterday, I don't know, however the vet told us that the side effect of this was that he would be _sleepy_ for day or so!
> ...


 I think Maximus is showing normal Golden puppy behavior. So many people are so happy about their puppy's behavior the first week but after they adjust to the change and have gotten a little bigger and stronger, they seem to go crazy. A lot of people fear they have an "aggressive" dog because they are dealing with crazy puppy behavior and biting. I had holes in my pajamas and everyone in my family got bit to the point of bleeding at some time during the first month. All that and Rukie is actually a pretty chill type Golden. Maximus will need to be trained in how you expect him to behave. The usual things to help stop biting are--keeping a soft toy with you all the time to stuff in his mouth, ignoring him, turning your back or even leaving the room if you can do it safely, yipping loudly to let him know it hurt. Search threads for puppy biting for more tips and make sure he gets enough nap time so he doesn't act like a grumpy toddler. Also keep giving him time outside to run off excess energy. Despite doing all this, he will probably keep biting, though it should lessen. Eventually when he loses those little needle teeth and has adult teeth the biting should be over. I was so glad to see those little teeth go! You will need to supervise any interaction with children very closely. Don't be more than arms length away and maybe even keep him on a leash if possible. Are you signed up for puppy obedience classes? They are very helpful. Don't worry, if you keep consistently training, that cutie will calm down and be the Golden you want.


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

Remember my earlier post, where I referred to Golden Retriever puppies as “land sharks.” I meant that in a serious way. Golden puppies should not be around young children. Even 9 or 10 weeks old pups are strong and have very sharp teeth. Our Rocky is not a biter. We escaped his teething with very few problems. However, Max was an active chewer as a puppy. I had many cuts on my hands and forearms for many months. And he is big. He is now over 100 pounds and by 6 months was some 75 pounds. He also would jump and tore clothing and chewed up many things. Also, Golden Retrievers are quite smart and can be quite mischievous. They must get obedience training and require your attention constantly, particularly when they are young pups. Anticipate that Maximus will be a handful for a good 2 years. Goldens are not easy. And BTW, Max, the bad chewer, is now a certified therapy dog and generally known as a gentle giant. In order to get Maximus through this difficult time will require infinite patience. Good luck. (that is Max is the first picture and Rocky in the second.)


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

cwag said:


> I think Maximus is showing normal Golden puppy behavior. So many people are so happy about their puppy's behavior the first week but after they adjust to the change and have gotten a little bigger and stronger, they seem to go crazy. A lot of people fear they have an "aggressive" dog because they are dealing with crazy puppy behavior and biting. I had holes in my pajamas and everyone in my family got bit to the point of bleeding at some time during the first month. All that and Rukie is actually a pretty chill type Golden. Maximus will need to be trained in how you expect him to behave. The usual things to help stop biting are--keeping a soft toy with you all the time to stuff in his mouth, ignoring him, turning your back or even leaving the room if you can do it safely, yipping loudly to let him know it hurt. Search threads for puppy biting for more tips and make sure he gets enough nap time so he doesn't act like a grumpy toddler. Also keep giving him time outside to run off excess energy. Despite doing all this, he will probably keep biting, though it should lessen. Eventually when he loses those little needle teeth and has adult teeth the biting should be over. I was so glad to see those little teeth go! You will need to supervise any interaction with children very closely. Don't be more than arms length away and maybe even keep him on a leash if possible. Are you signed up for puppy obedience classes? They are very helpful. Don't worry, if you keep consistently training, that cutie will calm down and be the Golden you want.





Max's Dad said:


> Remember my earlier post, where I referred to Golden Retriever puppies as “land sharks.” I meant that in a serious way. Golden puppies should not be around young children. Even 9 or 10 weeks old pups are strong and have very sharp teeth. Our Rocky is not a biter. We escaped his teething with very few problems. However, Max was an active chewer as a puppy. I had many cuts on my hands and forearms for many months. And he is big. He is now over 100 pounds and by 6 months was some 75 pounds. He also would jump and tore clothing and chewed up many things. Also, Golden Retrievers are quite smart and can be quite mischievous. They must get obedience training and require your attention constantly, particularly when they are young pups. Anticipate that Maximus will be a handful for a good 2 years. Goldens are not easy. And BTW, Max, the bad chewer, is now a certified therapy dog and generally known as a gentle giant. In order to get Maximus through this difficult time will require infinite patience. Good luck. (that is Max is the first picture and Rocky in the second.)



I had no idea about this. I had a labrador/spaniel mix in the past and I remember she was kind of bitey as a puppy but I don't remember her teeth ever being this needle-like or being so crazy with it. She had other faults however, and she would sprint like anything and never listen or come back. I remember she used to escape the garden and run up the streets and give us a near heart attack thinking she might be hit by cars. Thank God we lived in a quiet suburban area. She'd get into the neighbours gardens and ruin all their plants. We were so appalled and embarassed by her, until one day the neighbour came out and caught her and we felt even more mortified, but the old woman instead of getting angry at the dog tried to calm us down. She told us that it's normal puppy behaviour and to give it 2 years, and after that to see how different it will all be. We didn't believe her too much but we tried to stay hopeful. A change as drastic as what occured later has probably never been recorded in history (LOL). After she turned 2, she was quite frankly the most intelligent dog we ever had. She listened so well, we could trust her with anything, and she was one of the best dogs we ever had. So I do believe that puppy behaviour can be quite emphasised just because they are puppies, but I just never realised golden's had such a biting problem. I did a search and found that SO many people had my EXACT problem - the holes in the clothes, the snapping, and the arm/leg biting. And yes their teeth ARE like needles!

It is definitely reassuring, but I just hope we get past this stage without too many bad problems! His first puppy class is today so let's see how that goes.  Thank you guys.


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

Hi everyone,

Maximus had his first puppy class last night. It went well, he was the only golden retriever there, and even though the others all had their wee pups with them which were very cute, they couldn't help gushing over Maximus. 

He was the calmest and most confident one of the bunch. There were whippets and collies there who were pretty crazy, and a little miniature schnauzer who was very timid and afraid. So maybe I'm biased, but I thought he did the best! 

Here's a video of him meeting the little miniature schnauzer called Olive. He was particularly picked to pair up with her because the others were so rowdy. The trainer absolutely loved Maximus, and his 'sit' and response to his name/recall was the most immaculate. My partner and I were very proud even though he's otherwise had moments of being a little monster! 






Another thing I've noticed as a side note, which I think is so adorable, is that in his sleep he sometimes does the suckling motion with his mouth as if he is still drinking milk. It is so heart melting, and I keep trying to catch it on film but when I move, he wakes up. Well today I saw him playing with his favourite plush toy and noticed something strange he was doing with his paws... I don't know if it's just me, but he's moving them like he is kneading and drinking milk! How precious!!






It kind of reminds me of a cat! I've never seen a dog do that.


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## Wendy427 (Apr 4, 2009)

I had a Bichon who would suckle his teddy bear like that.


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

Wendy427 said:


> I had a Bichon who would suckle his teddy bear like that.


That’s so cute! ?


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

Hello everyone

Here's an update! 

Maximus had his first run at the beach today - he loved it. We were hoping to get him to like the water, even though he's only 10 weeks. We were only wanting to get him to dip a paw in or something. He was running into it like mad! I think he's definitely going to like the water. 






I also noticed that, after he has a bath he gets all baby-like and very vulnerable. He likes to curl up like a cat and sleep like that for a while. We can pick him up and he'll snuggle into us, making little sleepy noises. He gets soooo cuddly and even lets us brush him any way we want. My partner got a video of this just now, it was so adorable!






I also gave him some sweet potato today for the first time - he LOVED it. It was the only thing which got him quite perky during his after-bath baby sleep.






And here's just some extra pictures from the beach and his walk yesterday because he was looking GOLDEN ?

Isn't he a handsome boy!?


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

What a cutie. Maximus looks to be set up for a very fun life.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

So glad he's doing well - he is definitely going to be a water dog. I love his no-fear personality.


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## Wendy427 (Apr 4, 2009)

Adorable pics and videos!


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

Thank you guys!! ?


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

Maximus' first trip on the bus! 

Yesterday I had to go and drop off some books at my library, and I was feeling great because I had gotten so much work done so I thought it was time to socialise my wee pup with buses. I created a list when we got him of all the things he needs to be socialised on, and amazingly we've gotten through everything, and now it was time for his first bus trip. :laugh::laugh:

He was so incredibly good, it just amazed me! :surprise: When he is very comfortable and familiar then that is when his playful side comes out, but when he is out experiencing new things, I have noticed he is so composed and calm. I noticed immediately as we got there because I had got him to lay down at the bus stop and he didn't even bother getting back up (as you'll see in the pics below). He was easily pleased with just chewing on a stick or a crispy leaf on the ground. Even though a ton of traffic was passing, he stayed there and wasn't frightened! It's kind of like he understands that he needs to be a bit more serious, yet with some reassurance from me he is still just as confident. I like that he looks to me for signals, and then understands them so easily. 

On the actual bus, a lot of things were making him scared like the rockyness, the sounds of the bus, but he wasn't jumpy or unsettled. He was just staying closer to me and being soothed by my cuddles. (pic below). Like I said before, even when he is scared, he is still super calm, stays quiet, and just likes to sit and watch. I was speaking to him reassuringly now and then, petting his head, but as his Mummy I also have a lot of faith in him so I don't shield or protect him too much - I like to gently encourage him to embrace things! I feel that dogs can feel if you are confident in them or not. 

On the trip back, he was so comfortable he actually fell asleep, even though it was rush hour! So many people on the bus, so many distractions - he was snoring on my arm, then on the seat next to me. Amazing how he just blossoms. 

Enjoy the pics! (also his new favourite thing is digging.. he's gonna get lots more baths now)


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

He's so cute.......great to hear his first bus trip went good overall.


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

It is really great if he is focusing on you like he is doing at the bus stop when he is out and about . I am finding that is the key to not pulling and acting crazy when they are out of the house. It's also crucial for any sports like agility or obedience. It's great that you are getting him used to so many new things now. He's just super-cute.


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## Wendy427 (Apr 4, 2009)

Nancie, you are such a wonderful mama and trainer! Congratulations on the successful bus trip. Love the pics!


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## daisy1234 (Jun 17, 2018)

That is adorable!!


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> He's so cute.......great to hear his first bus trip went good overall.


Thank you! ? 



cwag said:


> It is really great if he is focusing on you like he is doing at the bus stop when he is out and about . I am finding that is the key to not pulling and acting crazy when they are out of the house. It's also crucial for any sports like agility or obedience. It's great that you are getting him used to so many new things now. He's just super-cute.


Thanks so much! Yes it’s a good sign he’s looking to me for signals. Although he’s a bit crazy now sometimes, I can really see the potential of when he is an adult just how obedient he will be!



Wendy427 said:


> Nancie, you are such a wonderful mama and trainer! Congratulations on the successful bus trip. Love the pics!


Aww thank you Wendy, that’s so sweet!




daisy1234 said:


> That is adorable!!


?


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## Neeko13 (Jul 10, 2010)

He is sooooo adorable I just wanna squeeze him!!!!!! :x:x Great job.... (I had a Max when I was younger too!)


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## eeerrrmmm1 (Apr 15, 2018)

nancie said:


> Maximus' first trip on the bus!
> I was speaking to him reassuringly now and then, petting his head, but as his Mummy I also have a lot of faith in him so I don't shield or protect him too much - I like to gently encourage him to embrace things! I feel that dogs can feel if you are confident in them or not.



That's a great approach and it's wonderful that you're exposing him to different situations early on. I forgot to introduce Luna to cows and horses and now at almost 9 months I've realized it's something we really need to work on for when we visit the country. Early exposure is so key. 

Just a note on your earlier posts regarding the more challenging aspects of golden retriever puppyhood - hang in there! It gets better! The landshark days subside around 16 to 18 weeks I think. Luna loves children but I still keep her on a short leash near toddlers because she might accidentally knock them over but she became much better at playing gently around 7 months. Good luck and thanks for all the puppy pics and videos!


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

Update! Maximus at 4 months and beyond! <img src="http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/images/smilies/welcome.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Welcome" class="inlineimg" /><img src="http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/images/smilies/yipee.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Yipee" class="inlineimg" /><img src="http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/images/smilies/yipee.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Yipee" class="inlineimg" /><img src="http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/images/smilies/heartbeat.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Heartbeat" class="inlineimg" /><img src="http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/images/smilies/wavey.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Wavey" class="inlineimg" /><img src="http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/images/smilies/wavey.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Wavey" class="inlineimg" />

Hi guys, 

I just wanted to share some new pictures of Maximus and tell y'all how it's all been going! My God he's grown, and developed and his personality has already changed so much it's hard to believe it was so crazy 1-2 months ago. 

He is just over 4 months now - a healthy 15kg - FULLY potty trained (whaaaat?!) and has been for a good while now. This was particularly crazy because it seemed nothing was really sticking - he'd go potty outside and what not, but still have 1-2 pee accidents in the house almost every day. Then suddenly one day he just stopped. And literally hasn't had a single accident since. And since that day he walks to the door, whines a bit, and lets me know. I think it helps that now he can basically go 4 hours without even needing one - sometimes he doesn't even want to get up when I tell him to go outside! LOL

In that line of thought, he is MUUUCH less puppy-like now. He is so chill and calm, still has his bursts of puppy energy and fun giddy hyperness, but he isn't bratty and annoying like young pups are LOL. He actually understands 'no' so well, and I could say it for anything and he will stop biting it or going near it. 

In the mean time, I got him one of those no pull harnesses which clip at the front. It is not realistic for us right now to totally do strict leash training with him all the time. Also, because we can't really rely on his recall too much right now, we got him one of those extendable leashes. So when I take him out most of the time he is on that, and he doesn't really get a chance to 'pull', but if he really does then we stop etc. One day we are hoping it will eventually all click in his mind. It's all positive little easter eggs we are sliding in there, so even if we are not doing everything 100%, we are teaching good manners overall. He is turning out to be really easy to teach anyway! When we walk on the street, he always sticks to the side where the wall is and not the car side. He remembers to slow down after a while, and look back and wait for me. Of course it's not 100% and I am sure as he gets more 'teenagerish' it will be difficult etc, but it makes me happy to see!

There is a doggy park though which is enclosed so I go there often to let him run free and he is just so friendly and nice to people and dogs alike. Everyone literally loves him and because he is particularly fluffy he looks like a little polar bear!

I think we have socialised him so well. It amazes me how is not afraid of anything. He's like calm but he's not afraid, and even if something startles him for a moment and its new he calms down really quick, goes back to normal, or if it's particularly strange he is surprisingly so responsive to a little encouragement and coaxing! Even when I have no treats, just me encouraging him and talking to him in a nice excited happy voice makes him immediately have positive associations with whatever it is and he is happy, wagging his tail and totally relaxed again and likes the new thing. Just wow. His personality is just great. He is loving, happy, SUPER patient, very clever (extremely so), and so calm. He is SO heavy! Cannot believe how big he is. Kinda miss him being a chubby little nugget. 

He doesn’t have a crate anymore. He has a big boy basket which he absolutely loves! The day we got it, it was like he knew it was his new ‘home’ and that it was just for him. He was so happy he wouldn’t leave the basket. His toys have also been piling up, so we got him a toy box next to his basket and it is so funny to see him always going into it, gently taking one toy, and bringing it to us to play. If we don’t respond because we are doing something, he goes back to get another one. If we can’t play at all (cooking or something) he will play by himself and cycle through his toys hahah. It is quite funny to see his thought process so clearly. 

And biggest new treat - lots of shedding hair LOL. I actually love brushing and pampering and all that stuff, so I've been having a great time. But it's not so great when I'm cooking and there's ALWAYS hair somewhere no matter how much I clean. It gets pretty funny, it's all over my boyfriends top, my clothes etc. Pretty crazy.

He is truly a water dog. He loves fetch (I wrote in forum ages ago worried he might not take to it LOL). In fact his instinct to fetch is so strong, that for some reason he loves huge sticks and logs especially the ones that are too heavy. He will still do his best to try and drag the thing to me. Wow haha.

He is definitely not biting like before - his land shark days of jumping and lunging at me and cutting holes in my clothes are gone! Wow that was crazy. But his teething has started again a little, but it's definitely not like before. I think it is normal around this time. 

The unfortunate part of it is that all of a sudden his tummy changed completely and he's been having an issue with yellow diarrhea for a month now. It may be Giardia, he just finished some antibiotics and probiotics from the vet, but not cleared up so will be going back. Not to worry, he's a trooper!

And now for something really fun - my partner grew up on a farm. We are all going to be spending Christmas with his folks, so Maximus will be able to experience the farm for the first time. So excited!

Enjoy the pics and Happy Holidays!


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

P.S. Here is a comparison pic!

Left - the day we picked him in the litter! (*4 weeks*), Middle - When he came home. (*8 weeks*), Right - Now (*4 months!*)


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

He's such a cutie and looks like a really happy guy. I'm glad it's going so well.


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

cwag said:


> He's such a cutie and looks like a really happy guy. I'm glad it's going so well.


Thank you


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## laurie1018 (May 19, 2016)

What a cutie!! 

Love, love golden puppies!!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

The new pictures of Maximus are really great, he's growing into a very handsome boy.


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## David Pearson (Aug 30, 2018)

Great looking pup, hoping Stuart will one day not have an accident, we have one every other day..


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

Thanks guys! ?


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## Neeko13 (Jul 10, 2010)

Oh my goodness....he is getting big, and still sooo adorable.... :grin2::grin2::grin2:


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## Neeko13 (Jul 10, 2010)

About the doghair....my son in law says its a condiment, we always find one hair in the food!!!! :grin2::grin2: But we still love them...:x


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## swishywagga (Nov 13, 2012)

He's absolutely gorgeous!


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

Hi everyone! Thanks for all the lovely compliments.

Just wanted to add some updates for Maximus who is almost 7 months now (what?!)

He is going to get surgery for cryptorchidism but we are waiting until he is 9 months just in case at least one of his balls drops. FINALLY, the vet allowed us to bring a poop sample after him having diarrhea for months, and they finally detected the giardia parasite, which I knew he had months ago. We are now getting the proper treatment.  Otherwise he's been super happy and super healthy. 

He is a very big boy now at about 25.5kg, but so cuddly. He's not allowed on the couch as you guys know, but when I'm watching TV, sometimes I let him come up and he loves to snuggle. Check the pictures. 

We are practicing good walking every day and I can see he is finally beginning to get it, which is awesome!

Here is a video of us at a beach, I got in the water with him. He loves the water.






And here are all the tricks he knows! Recently we added 'spin' to our collection 8)






His favourite toy is still the stick, but he's also really begun loving the ball, and playing with it by himself! So funny. He drops it and catches it. We bought an Orangutan plush toy from Ikea for him and that's his new best friend, called Tango. We thought he'd rip it up to pieces, but he just tugs it and nurses on it haha. 

Until next time!


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## Neeko13 (Jul 10, 2010)

Beautiful shots of him, and great videos....he's getting sooooo big!!!:laugh::laugh: And smart!!!:smile2:


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

Neeko13 said:


> Beautiful shots of him, and great videos....he's getting sooooo big!!!/images/GoldenretrieverForum_2016/smilies/tango_face_smile_big.png/images/GoldenretrieverForum_2016/smilies/tango_face_smile_big.png And smart!!!/images/GoldenretrieverForum_2016/smilies/tango_face_smile.png


Thank you! ?


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## Wendy427 (Apr 4, 2009)

What a sweetheart! Loved the videos and pics!


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

I can't believe how grown up he looks already?. He's a gorgeous boy and great job with his training.


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

Hi guys! Thanks for keeping up with Maximus' happy journey.

This is a quick update. He is 10 months now and looking like a really big boy! I always think at the time "wow he is looking so big" and then a few months pass and I look back and I'm like "omg he was tiny back then". I just saw my previous post now and I can't believe how much smaller he looks there hahah. 

He's still the sweetest, most friendliest boy. His walking has gotten almost perfect and so proud of him. He's more chill these days even off leash but we are still only letting him run free in small enclosed parks with gates, otherwise he is on a leash. He does get to run free at the beach though. He is always so happy to come back.

I've taught him to "show me his belly" which is my favourite trick so far. He loves to do tricks for food (he looooves food) even though he is very fit and healthy! I will post a short clip of him doing this trick soon.

A cool fun fact was that for summer we went to visit my partner's family. They live on an island so we took the ferry so we could take Maximus. That was his first time on the ferry (my signature pic is him there). He found it very sickly but he did so well! Brave boy. He is not sick anymore in the car or anywhere. He can handle it well now!

He still loves sticks the best, but likes fetching anything for you as long as you're excited about it haha. He definitely loves retrieving and sometimes just having something to carry in his mouth.

Health wise he is doing well, and as some of you know he also has been neutered. He recovered like a champ. 

He has started doing this funny thing when me and my boyfriend cuddle. He gets all jealous and does an 'awooahwoahoah'. He never makes sound like a normal dog, but instead sounds like he is trying to say words which is so funny haha. We don't encourage it or anything but it's really funny and he does it lightheartedly. He just wants to join in! haha.

So without further ado here are some new pictures of our lovely Maximus! 10 months old and almost ready to graduate from the puppy forum! He has gotten even fluffier and shedding like a machine right now in summer! I love his curls.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Maximus looks great and so happy, he's a handsome boy.


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## Ivyacres (Jun 3, 2011)

Enjoying all the pics, he's very handsome.


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## nancie (Aug 4, 2018)

CAROLINA MOM said:


> Maximus looks great and so happy, he's a handsome boy.





Ivyacres said:


> Enjoying all the pics, he's very handsome.


Thanks so much! ?


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

He's still adorable and looks like a happy guy.


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