# Help! My teenage dog is crazy around me!



## BaileyzMom (Nov 26, 2015)

A little background... Bailey is going to be 11 months old this week. Since about 9 months, she has gotten really and progressively bad with jumping, lunging, biting/nipping and being overall bossy and demanding. Mainly at me. I'm the one who meets most of her needs. It's just me and my husband at home, he takes her out when he gets home from work (before me) and last thing at night. I feed her most of her meals and I'm the first thing she sees each morning. She has attended 2 puppy classes with Petco. The first one was good for the socialization aspect, but the second one was a waste of money. We did the same things again. The trainer felt loose leash walking was best practiced by walking circles/laps in a busy store with distractions meaning she hid treats in the same places on the path. I figured out real quick the classes were becoming a game to Bailey and asked for some modification to no end. The trainer even said she spotted us out in the parking lot one day before class, walking nicely on her leash, sat to great strangers in the parking lot, etc. Bring her in and she's crazy. Months later I can't take Bailey to that store without her just wanting to go straight to the same places and walk the lap. I taught her sit and down at 7 weeks old myself. Since our last class ended in August (and she was already getting a little crazy at 7 months) at home we have learned/improved our sit, down, stand, back up, speak. She sits and waits nicely when we put her food bowl down until she gets a kiss on the head and is told to "go eat." Her walking skills are fair on an Easy Walk Harness. She will pull at first but eventually calm down. When she was young, she had a great recall, she would even drop a stick and run to me from the other side of the yard off leash just because I told her to come. That's gone now. We were taking her to doggy daycare but that has stopped as she was getting mouthy with the staff when she would get over-stimulated. Here are some issues we have:

1) She gets over excited any time I come in and immediately jumps at me, tries to play "tug" with my hands and grabs my entire arm in her mouth. I can come in very quietly and ignore her, or I can come running in like a crazy person, apparently MY behavior makes no difference to her. I can not have a conversation with my husband after work with her the room. I can not make a phone call. If I come in to an empty house and let her out of the crate, she is an angel. It's like she's screaming "play with me!! only me!!" I can barely be in same room with her unless she's exhausted as she wants to use me as her personal chew toy.

2) Outside if on leash to go potty she now plays tug with the leash and jumps on me. We have been working on letting her do her business off leash in the back yard and she is doing well with that. If I have to take her to the front yard *not fenced she is fine on the leash.

3) She has developed a highly skilled game of keep-away and/or catch-me-if-you-can. Because I didn't want to encourage either, I taught her to "trade" for a treat. I swear she has figured out if she initiates the bad behavior, she will in the end get a treat. Way wrong. So now back to square one.

4) When she gets all rowled up, standing like a tree or turning my back does absolutely no good. It makes it worse. I have to herd her in to the living room (gated off) and put a gate between us. When she's really crazy, the crate and she IMMEDIATELY calms down. 

5) She will not and never has put herself to sleep in her crate. She has learned my routine and leaving for work is becoming difficult in terms of getting her in the crate. It too is a game. Once she is in the crate, she will settle down and go to sleep, never makes a peep until it's time to pee in the morning, then it's a polite bark to wake me.

6) NO recall at this point. I've even tried reteaching recall using a different word. Nope. 

For exercise, I try to get her to chase ME rather than me chase her. She loved tennis balls as a pup but not so much now. If she does chase something I throw, it's a game of keep away. She loves to play tug, so i have a "special" toy that we only play with in the yard for tug. We're working on starting and stopping on my command. We walk, but admittedly not enough. Getting aerobic exercise is difficult for the examples I gave above. My husband is quick to say she only does this around me, but I've seen her do the same with him yet not to the same degree.

Things I've tried with little to no success:
1) shoving a toy in her mouth, only interacting with her if I have a toy. she throws the toy aside. 
2) leaving her. works, but only till I come back.
3) snapping her in to training mode - works, but I don't want her to have too many treats, of course. Using kibble is not an option with her LOL... she won't fall for that.

Things that have worked, but are undesirable:
1) frozen stuffed kong to distract her 
2) leaving her completely. Right now she is sleeping on her back with all 4's up and her tonge hanging out and I am in a different room. 
These things are undesirable because they both result in us not being "together." 

I love my Bailey dearly... when she's behaving she is very smart, very sociable and sweet. But honestly, I do not actually "like" her right now. I am willing to put her back in to some obedience classes but just don't know "when" as right now seems like a waste of money as she just wants to chew on me. I am continuing to work on what we have mastered as much as possible. 

Any suggestions??? She doesn't seem to be doing anything incredibly off base from what I've read here on the forums, I just haven't been able to succeed with suggestions for other examples I've read here. I know she'll eventually calm down, but in the mean time..... HELP!


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## BaileyzMom (Nov 26, 2015)

No responses, suggestions, moral support, anything? I was so hoping with all of the breed experience here someone could offer some direction for me


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## Rambo's mom (Apr 30, 2016)

Hi Bailyzmom, 
I am a relatively new Golden mom too, so all I can offer is moral support, no expertise here! I can say my boy is 15 months old now and has calmed down quite a bit. I would encourage to keep going to obedient classes. We just finished middle school again. And let me tell you, we still need more. We are definitely working on "focus".
Also, there is a world of difference between an 11 month old and a 15 month old. You will begin to see what a wonderful mature dog they will be. 
You girl is adorable, and it sounds to me like you have a smart one there. She is way too smart for her own good! I'll let our forum pros give you advice. Hang in there! I understand.


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## Wicky (Aug 27, 2015)

Hi Bailyzmom
Like Rambo's Mom im no expert but Sona went through a similar difficult stage for a few weeks at around 9 months - mostly when out and over excited. The complete ignoring/standing like a tree worked for me - I wore an old heavy coat and leather gloves and yes the coat did get ripped and it did get worse before it got better. But one day after a complete meltdown it was like a light went off and she realised this was getting her nowhere. I don't have the wealth of experience others here have so can only offer what worked for me.
Training class is a great idea - Can you find a training club to join? Regular classes helped me not only for the focus but because much more experience trainers were able to offer me advice when they see sonas behaviour in person. Yes most likely she won't focus initially in class but no matter when you start I think the early classes are difficult. Personally I would just go for it. Can you teach her some new tricks to do at home? Find an objects is great fun. You can use very small treats to rewards.

If for any reason Sona is restricted to lead walks I see the behaviour returning - it's frustration for her. Is there anywhere secure you can let her off lead (with a long training line). I have found Sona is happier with 2 hours physical exercise - at least one hour off lead. In between running around I have her do training - heelwork etc. Even on lead walks I'll ask for an instant down or touch - something to keep her mind busy.

Hope you get some suggestions that help and I would love to hear how you get on.


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

Hey, where do you and Bailey live? Anywhere close to Charlotte? We need to get you hooked up with a better training situation than petsmart. You sound like an absolutely wonderful dog home, you just need to tweak a few things. 

Bailey is now hitting her physical prime and her exercise requirements are not being met. She needs hard, aerobic work every day that leaves her panting and tired. A walk around the block is an absolute waste of your time with her right now unless you load her in the car and take her different places to walk that will be new and interesting. Use the walks to practice obedience skills and work on repetition of things she can do easily in the kitchen but has trouble with under distraction. Start cutting her kibble consumption back and purchase something like frozen Biljac dogfood that will meet her nutritional requirements and be tasty and rewarding for her. The raw tubes in the refrigerated section of petsmart will also fit the bill but you will need to be very careful about sanitizing your hands after handling it. My dogs will do BACKFLIPS for the biljac and the tube food. You cut it into tiny bitesized bits and measure it out into baggies, just like you would kibble. How much are you feeding her? She probably only needs about 3/4 cup of kibble twice a day, so adjust accordingly.

We need to help you find an actual dog training club or someone with a facility where you can get more direction than the petsmart classes. It sounds like your puppy is thinking you're the playmate and not having as much respect for you as the leader as she should. Start having her drag a cheap, walmart leash in the house about 3' long. (only when you're home to make sure she doesn't get tangled up). Use the leash to control her outbursts. Step on the end if she jumps up, it will give her a correction. Keep a bowl of treats handy up on a highplace out of her reach so that you can always have something available to quickly reward her when she gives good behavior. 

Teach her to go to her 'place' - get a mat or a dog bed and keep it in a central location, off to the side in the kitchen maybe, so she can see you but is out of the way. Start training her to go to her place. Here's a video to help: 



Eventually you build up to leaving her there while you eat dinner or while you're cooking. 

Also, look up the protocol "Nothing in Life is Free" and read up on having your dog 'earn' her privileges at home (food, going outside, petting or playing) This will help her understand that you are in charge of all the good things at your house:
http://www.awsjc.org/resources/nothing_in_life_free.pdf

Find some place where you can get your dog some exercise. A dog park that doesn't just let anyone drop in. A state park where you have low traffic and could do some off leash hiking or swimming. Swimming is the best exercise ever. Some athletic fields or school playground which is fenced and you could run your dog there. Find a friend with a nice, high energy young dog who you could arrange puppy playdates wtih. Two session of 20 minutes a week would make a big difference. Just wrestling with another young dog is excellent exercise. Practice taking your dog out on a long line (purchase 30 feet of nylon line from hardware store and attach a clip to the end. You and your husband take the dog out on a weekend (make sure she's hungry) and sit at opposite ends of a field - call her back and forth between you and reward her with high value food (rotisserie chicken or leftovers from your plate, not too spicy  ) and begin building a reliable recall. This is very important to work on. Be sure to wear boots so you don't get a rope burn on your ankle and you may want gloves till you see how she will behave on the long line. 

Kick a soccer ball, buy non-toxic children's bubbles from the store and take her out on a breezy day to chase bubbles, look for activities like dock diving, nosework, agility, field training to get involved with. This will help build your relationship and your leadership skills and provide an outlet for her brains and energy. Sandlapper Golden Retriever Club and Tarheel GRC are both in NC and could be a resource for meeting other golden people to learn about different activities to get you out and about. Here are some clubs you can try contacting - a 45 minute drive for a good training club is well worth the effort.

Dog Training - Dog Boarding - Greenville & Upstate, SC

Charlotte Dog Training Club

WSDTC

Obedience/Rally Web Page

If you make an effort to get her some hard exercise every day for two weeks (be honest, keep a log or a calendar with notes on daily training, teaching new tricks and aerobic work) and see at the end of two weeks of consistent work if you don't see some improvement with her antics. She can start learning to control herself when she isn't overflowing with energy. It takes time but is worth the effort.


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

One of the difficult paradigms of current dog training theorem is that everything desirable must be positively reinforced. Negative reinforcement is frowned on. I am not sure how you can turn bad behavior into a positive training situation. At some point and time, bad behavior must be punished at a level the dog is unwilling to endure. The fact that crate timeouts calm her down indicates that she REALLY doesn't like the crate timeouts. If you consistently say NO and the dog ignores it, try and link the word NO to a timeout - if the behavior continues. Something like, say NO, wait 3 seconds for the behavior to stop, and if it doesn't, crate time. Once she's calmed down, let her out and say "Good greeting" with a treat when she acts nice. Then, maybe have her tied up (so she can't maul you) for the next initial, coming home greeting. Let her bark and lunge on the chain, staying out of reach until she calms down. Then greet her, and do another "Good greeting" reinforcement. Only then let her off the chain. If she mauls you, back to "No" and crate time.

It's so hard to teach them sometimes, but it can be done.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

I don't know your personality so just guessing here and not trying to offend you. It sounds like your pup adores you but has no respect. I could give lots of suggestions but much of this behavior is in response to your personality and only you can change this. 

Until you can take him for short walks (even if you use a gentle leader) or teach him to sit & down... for you, he will continue to see you as the BFF playmate. If you have a GOOD obedience group in the area make the time to take him to class. You would be shocked at how much it will help after even 6 visits. They will help you learn how to get control. Ever watch the Dog Whisper? I don't advocate his methods but ever notice that he doesn't teach the dog... he teaches the owner. 

Good luck and would love to hear how it goes.


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## Mayabear (Aug 26, 2015)

From a lot that I have read and seen (some anecdotal), exercise and mental stimulation go a long way to help with such issues. i think your dog needs every day off leash play time. You have a backyard; try a flirt pole as well and see how that works. Walks are good, but nothing can substitute aerobic exercise. Maybe even daycare a couple of times a week may be something to explore.

The gnawing on you is not acceptable. This happens in my home too, every now and then, much to my chagrin. My wife works from home, so Maya spent a considerable amount of time with her. She loves her more, but also takes more liberties with her. If verbal commands don't stop Bailey, she needs a time out. She must learn there are consequences to unwanted actions. 

I don't know about Petco training. I am sure it differs from location to location, but the one close to me did not inspire much confidence. I personally feel that you can integrate training with day to day activities. Tug for example; rile your pup up and then ask her to "drop" the toy, "wait" while you pick it up, and then after a few seconds of impulse control, "take" to invite playing tug again. Same concept playing fetch; Maya will bring the ball back, then I ask her to "drop" it. If she decides to take off in anticipation of the next throw before I say go, I'll call her back by asking her to "touch" the palm of my hand. When she'll do that, she'll get rewarded with another throw. Not trying to say this is a substitute for formal training, but once you teach the basics at home, you can practice during play as well.


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## BaileyzMom (Nov 26, 2015)

Rambo's mom said:


> Hi Bailyzmom,
> I am a relatively new Golden mom too, so all I can offer is moral support, no expertise here! I can say my boy is 15 months old now and has calmed down quite a bit. I would encourage to keep going to obedient classes. We just finished middle school again. And let me tell you, we still need more. We are definitely working on "focus".
> Also, there is a world of difference between an 11 month old and a 15 month old. You will begin to see what a wonderful mature dog they will be.
> You girl is adorable, and it sounds to me like you have a smart one there. She is way too smart for her own good! I'll let our forum pros give you advice. Hang in there! I understand.


Thank you for the moral support, Rambo's mom! I have no doubt she is going to be an amazing dog. When she does something "right" or learns something new, you can see pure joy in her eyes!


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## BaileyzMom (Nov 26, 2015)

Wicky said:


> Hi Bailyzmom
> Like Rambo's Mom im no expert but Sona went through a similar difficult stage for a few weeks at around 9 months - mostly when out and over excited. The complete ignoring/standing like a tree worked for me - I wore an old heavy coat and leather gloves and yes the coat did get ripped and it did get worse before it got better. But one day after a complete meltdown it was like a light went off and she realised this was getting her nowhere. I don't have the wealth of experience others here have so can only offer what worked for me.
> Training class is a great idea - Can you find a training club to join? Regular classes helped me not only for the focus but because much more experience trainers were able to offer me advice when they see sonas behaviour in person. Yes most likely she won't focus initially in class but no matter when you start I think the early classes are difficult. Personally I would just go for it. Can you teach her some new tricks to do at home? Find an objects is great fun. You can use very small treats to rewards.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much, Wicky! We do have a large fenced in back yard.... I haven't figured out the magic formula to getting her to use it


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## BaileyzMom (Nov 26, 2015)

nolefan said:


> Hey, where do you and Bailey live? Anywhere close to Charlotte? We need to get you hooked up with a better training situation than petsmart. You sound like an absolutely wonderful dog home, you just need to tweak a few things.
> 
> Bailey is now hitting her physical prime and her exercise requirements are not being met. She needs hard, aerobic work every day that leaves her panting and tired. A walk around the block is an absolute waste of your time with her right now unless you load her in the car and take her different places to walk that will be new and interesting. Use the walks to practice obedience skills and work on repetition of things she can do easily in the kitchen but has trouble with under distraction. Start cutting her kibble consumption back and purchase something like frozen Biljac dogfood that will meet her nutritional requirements and be tasty and rewarding for her. The raw tubes in the refrigerated section of petsmart will also fit the bill but you will need to be very careful about sanitizing your hands after handling it. My dogs will do BACKFLIPS for the biljac and the tube food. You cut it into tiny bitesized bits and measure it out into baggies, just like you would kibble. How much are you feeding her? She probably only needs about 3/4 cup of kibble twice a day, so adjust accordingly.
> 
> ...


Kristy, thank you SO much! I believe you've nailed it!!! I really appreciate the time you took to respond which such awesome advice! She really is a sweetheart but you hit the nail on the head - she hit her prime and we haven't increased the exercise, now she's an adolescent and oh man. LOL I live in Winston Salem. The WSDTC that you posted a link too takes about 20 minutes and their website looks awesome. Their classes are longer, run longer and are cheaper and they do everything from puppy basics to advanced sports. BUT, all of their classes - I would need to start her with Beginner 1 probably are FULL already for Winter.  I might call and beg and see if they might have a waiting list or something. I'm not sure how far away the Charlotte club is, but it generally takes about 1.5 hours to get to Charlotte from here. I will check out some other towns within an hour and see what is available. 

The Nothing in Life is Free I will read up on. We had a Rottweiler that everyone said would be a disaster since they are so "dominant" but I followed a modified approach to this with her and let me tell you, that dog really respected me and people were amazed at her obedience. I never thought training a Golden Retriever would be harder than a Rottie LOL.... 

The bubbles are a good idea as well.... she loves to jump up and catch things. Watching her catch leaves falling is absolutely hilarious. 

There is another highly recommended training facility in my town www.elitecanine.com I might try to get her in their class this winter while I get put on the list for Spring for the WSDTC.

Thanks again!!!!


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## BaileyzMom (Nov 26, 2015)

Wolfeye said:


> One of the difficult paradigms of current dog training theorem is that everything desirable must be positively reinforced. Negative reinforcement is frowned on. I am not sure how you can turn bad behavior into a positive training situation. At some point and time, bad behavior must be punished at a level the dog is unwilling to endure. The fact that crate timeouts calm her down indicates that she REALLY doesn't like the crate timeouts. If you consistently say NO and the dog ignores it, try and link the word NO to a timeout - if the behavior continues. Something like, say NO, wait 3 seconds for the behavior to stop, and if it doesn't, crate time. Once she's calmed down, let her out and say "Good greeting" with a treat when she acts nice. Then, maybe have her tied up (so she can't maul you) for the next initial, coming home greeting. Let her bark and lunge on the chain, staying out of reach until she calms down. Then greet her, and do another "Good greeting" reinforcement. Only then let her off the chain. If she mauls you, back to "No" and crate time.
> 
> It's so hard to teach them sometimes, but it can be done.


Thanks Wolfeye. I agree... it's so hard to reward positive behavior without inadvertently teaching the dog they can do bad, then change to good and get rewarded. I took her outside for a game of tug this evening as it helps her energy, she loves it, and it gives me a chance to work on leave it, drop it, and NO. Also take it! As soon as she saw the "special" toy I have for tug she went nuts jumping at me and trying to take it from me. So I quickly tied her leash to her crate and walked away. Came back a minute later and as soon as I unhooked her she started again. Tied her back to the crate and left again. Came back the third time and she was an angel all the way to the back yard, even sat nicely and focused on me and waited until I said "take it" until she even got near it.


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## BaileyzMom (Nov 26, 2015)

puddles everywhere said:


> I don't know your personality so just guessing here and not trying to offend you. It sounds like your pup adores you but has no respect. I could give lots of suggestions but much of this behavior is in response to your personality and only you can change this.
> 
> Until you can take him for short walks (even if you use a gentle leader) or teach him to sit & down... for you, he will continue to see you as the BFF playmate. If you have a GOOD obedience group in the area make the time to take him to class. You would be shocked at how much it will help after even 6 visits. They will help you learn how to get control. Ever watch the Dog Whisper? I don't advocate his methods but ever notice that he doesn't teach the dog... he teaches the owner.
> 
> Good luck and would love to hear how it goes.


Thanks, Puddles... no offense taken! She does seem to view me more as a play toy and BFF than her leader, and this has all came up in the past couple of months. When she was younger, people would actually comment on how focused she was on me and how much she seemed to "value" my direction. In her first puppy class, she would even look to me when the trainer told her to do something, like "is it okay Mom?" LOL We can walk on the Easy Walk no problem, she knows all the basic commands. I have followed the Dog Whisperer for years, I don't agree with everything he does either, but I do agree that it's all about the owner how to lead and relate to the dog. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I did have the full respect and control of my late Rottie. While i can be on the quiet side, I tend to be a leader in most things I do. Thanks again for your response!


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## BaileyzMom (Nov 26, 2015)

Mayabear said:


> From a lot that I have read and seen (some anecdotal), exercise and mental stimulation go a long way to help with such issues. i think your dog needs every day off leash play time. You have a backyard; try a flirt pole as well and see how that works. Walks are good, but nothing can substitute aerobic exercise. Maybe even daycare a couple of times a week may be something to explore.
> 
> The gnawing on you is not acceptable. This happens in my home too, every now and then, much to my chagrin. My wife works from home, so Maya spent a considerable amount of time with her. She loves her more, but also takes more liberties with her. If verbal commands don't stop Bailey, she needs a time out. She must learn there are consequences to unwanted actions.
> 
> I don't know about Petco training. I am sure it differs from location to location, but the one close to me did not inspire much confidence. I personally feel that you can integrate training with day to day activities. Tug for example; rile your pup up and then ask her to "drop" the toy, "wait" while you pick it up, and then after a few seconds of impulse control, "take" to invite playing tug again. Same concept playing fetch; Maya will bring the ball back, then I ask her to "drop" it. If she decides to take off in anticipation of the next throw before I say go, I'll call her back by asking her to "touch" the palm of my hand. When she'll do that, she'll get rewarded with another throw. Not trying to say this is a substitute for formal training, but once you teach the basics at home, you can practice during play as well.


Thank you Mayabear! What is a flirt pole? We had her in daycare, but it's a full out 5 or 8 hour day and she gets OVERSTIMULATED and then gets naughty with the staff.... they didn't kick her out but made it clear they don't like getting gnawed on either (understandable). There is another day care we used once that she is basically kenneled in a very large kennel and has 2 to 3 15-30 minute romps with other dogs her size during the day. Seems more her tolerance and would help with the aerobic activity, but they were concerned they don't have any regulars that match her energy and playfulness. I might call and talk to them to see if their situation has changed. 

Thanks again!


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

BaileyzMom said:


> Kristy, thank you SO much! I believe you've nailed it!!! I really appreciate the time you took to respond which such awesome advice! She really is a sweetheart but you hit the nail on the head - she hit her prime and we haven't increased the exercise, now she's an adolescent and oh man. LOL I live in Winston Salem. The WSDTC that you posted a link too takes about 20 minutes and their website looks awesome. Their classes are longer, run longer and are cheaper and they do everything from puppy basics to advanced sports. BUT, all of their classes - I would need to start her with Beginner 1 probably are FULL already for Winter.  I might call and beg and see if they might have a waiting list or something. I'm not sure how far away the Charlotte club is, but it generally takes about 1.5 hours to get to Charlotte from here. I will check out some other towns within an hour and see what is available.
> 
> The Nothing in Life is Free I will read up on. We had a Rottweiler that everyone said would be a disaster since they are so "dominant" but I followed a modified approach to this with her and let me tell you, that dog really respected me and people were amazed at her obedience. I never thought training a Golden Retriever would be harder than a Rottie LOL....
> 
> ...


Kristina, thank you so much for taking time to give feedback on everyone's thoughts here. We want so much to help you and your dog be successful and happy together. I live south metro Charlotte and I know the Charlotte club will be too far for you, plus the classes will have filled up. I think your best bet is to call the club in Winston, It's always a good idea to speak to someone and see what can be worked out. I know at my club (Charlotte Dog training) when there is a huge wait list for a class, they will often try to offer a second time for it in an attempt to serve everyone. If Winston's club can't do that, ask for a referral to someone who gives private lessons, which would be an excellent use of money while you wait for spring classes, it would be expensive but having someone come once a week to your home to work with you in person would probably be a huge bonus for you. If you don't get a good response, let me know, I have friends who have a lot of contacts in that area and could get you some names easily. Ask them if they have experience or knowledge of the other club (I am not familiar) and see what they say. I was just at a show and go (practice obedience show) last month put on by the Winston club people and they are some super nice people, very helpful and kind.

I'm so glad that you're feeling positive about the ideas you've found here, I hope you'll keep us updated on how you all are doing, also we'd love to see photos of Bailey and maybe start her own thread with her progress, it's a good way to keep a record of what you're doing and be accountable.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

I know nothing about North Carolina and your location but Connie Cleveland has an excellent training program in NC. She also has CD's to purchase that are very easy to follow & youtube videos. Might check out her web page and see if it's close enough to attend classes. Good luck, I know he adores you.. it's just about learning to communicate with him. Sometimes the pups with the most excitement make the best obedience dogs.


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

puddles everywhere said:


> I know nothing about North Carolina and your location but Connie Cleveland has an excellent training program in NC. She also has CD's to purchase that are very easy to follow & youtube videos. Might check out her web page and see if it's close enough to attend classes. Good luck, I know he adores you.. it's just about learning to communicate with him. Sometimes the pups with the most excitement make the best obedience dogs.


Connie Cleveland is amazing but she is in Fountain Inn, SC which is quite a few hours from where Kristina lives. I wish she were closer to me, I've gone for a private lesson before and it's 2 hours each way which is tough to do every week.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

Thanks Nolefan, good to know. I can relate, the closest class here is 2 ½ hrs away and just can't do it. I'm glad you are familiar with the area and able to offer alternate choices.


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## BaileyzMom (Nov 26, 2015)

Thanks so much for the support! I was really at my wits end. I know Bailey is not an "aggressive" dog, she's just downright about to explode. I have asked my husband not to feed her anything for awhile other than a treat or so (if she works for it.) So all of her meals are coming from me. We worked quite the lively game of tug last night and again this morning and of course I continue multiple brief training sessions with her commands daily. I gave her half her dinner in the bowl (she is on a probiotic powder for a while following a course of antibiotic for a UTI a couple weeks ago) and the rest of it in her kong wobbler. 

I got crazy busy at work today and couldn't call the WSDTC but will do so tomorrow. I've heard really good things about Elite Canine so I may sign her up for that until I get her in the club. Also going to call that other daycare and see if they can accommodate her crazy energy a couple days a week. I really don't have access to another young pup right now for her to play with - she's BFF Fence Buddies with the dog next door, who is also young and very energetic, but she's skittish and is just coming around a bit. They run the fence line together a couple times a day. I know Bailey would LOVE a good romp with her but not so sure the other dog would welcome her silliness. LOL 

She has a puppy thread (link in my signature) and I will post a link to this thread in that one so I can keep stuff together. She's getting close to a year old so I may go ahead and start her a new "big girl" thread  

You guys are awesome! I need to spend more time here on the forum that's for sure..... you know how life is!


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## BaileyzMom (Nov 26, 2015)

A few more recent pics.


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## TanyaB (Jan 22, 2016)

I have some comment to add to these amazing suggestions. One person mentioned how it is hard to have your dog do bad behavior but then when they change to good, they get rewarded and as such we are inadvertently rewarding bad behavior so long as it changes. The trick to this is not to allow the bad behavior to happen in the first place. This is hard - I know, but with the nothing in life is free approach, plus using the umbilical approach (attach the leashed dog to yourself and just go about your business, ignoring the dog), you can control an awful lot of what your dog does. She doesn't come when you call? Never EVER let her be away from you unless she is on a leash and you make her come - always set her up for success. If she is off leash (e.g. in your yard) and you can't be 100% she will come, DO NOT call her. You have set her up to fail. You will call and call and she will ignore you, but then, when she is ready, she will come and you reward her. You have taught her that she can come on her own schedule. That is not good. If she isn't coming reliable keep her on leash. Even after she has reliable recall, try to make her come fast by only rewarding fast recall (wait until she is reliable for this though). We would tell our dog "too slow" if she was too slow - she soon came on first call. For the biting - she just wants you to play with her - you are her reward. Every time she bites you she is being rewarded for her bad behavior - so don't let her - tether her up somewhere, play with her - but every time she bites, yelp and leave the room. Do not come back until she stops complaining (do not want to reward that whining). When she stops, go back, play, rinse and repeat.


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

Definitely get her into some more structured training classes as soon as possible. PetCo/PetSmart classes are not what you need and I always recommend avoiding classes run by pet shops. They yield very little value and are often a waste of both time and money. Look for an actual training facility in your area that offers basic obedience classes. Some even offer private lessons. 

Do you have a fenced in area where you can practice recall? Having a solid recall is one of the most important skills for any dog to have. It can even be a lifesaver if your dog is ever in a situation where he/she tries to run out into a busy street. This is something that will take lots of practice and repetition, but I can't stress enough how incredibly important it is. Have treats ready at all times and praise her like crazy when she comes when called. Also work on getting her attention. If she is distracted by something and isn't listening, the minute she stops whatever she is doing and makes eye contact with you, be ready to praise and reward her. This will help her learn that paying attention to you is a good thing and will get her treats and lots of praise. When training your pup, it is essential to have treats on you at all times. When you go on walks, have a treat pouch with you and reward her when she heels.

Exercise is also key. Are you going on regular walks and/or taking her to an area where she can run off leash to burn off excessive energy? A tired dog is a good dog! With the proper training and exercise, you will have a very well-mannered pup in no time. Goldens are extremely eager to please and they learn very, very quickly, so with regular practice, you should start noticing a difference in her behavior in no time.


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## Wicky (Aug 27, 2015)

Bailey Is such a pretty girl. So glad you were able to get advice on training classes in your region!


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## BaileyzMom (Nov 26, 2015)

TanyaB said:


> I have some comment to add to these amazing suggestions. One person mentioned how it is hard to have your dog do bad behavior but then when they change to good, they get rewarded and as such we are inadvertently rewarding bad behavior so long as it changes. The trick to this is not to allow the bad behavior to happen in the first place. This is hard - I know, but with the nothing in life is free approach, plus using the umbilical approach (attach the leashed dog to yourself and just go about your business, ignoring the dog), you can control an awful lot of what your dog does. She doesn't come when you call? Never EVER let her be away from you unless she is on a leash and you make her come - always set her up for success. If she is off leash (e.g. in your yard) and you can't be 100% she will come, DO NOT call her. You have set her up to fail. You will call and call and she will ignore you, but then, when she is ready, she will come and you reward her. You have taught her that she can come on her own schedule. That is not good. If she isn't coming reliable keep her on leash. Even after she has reliable recall, try to make her come fast by only rewarding fast recall (wait until she is reliable for this though). We would tell our dog "too slow" if she was too slow - she soon came on first call. For the biting - she just wants you to play with her - you are her reward. Every time she bites you she is being rewarded for her bad behavior - so don't let her - tether her up somewhere, play with her - but every time she bites, yelp and leave the room. Do not come back until she stops complaining (do not want to reward that whining). When she stops, go back, play, rinse and repeat.


Thank you for the suggestions, Tanya!


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## BaileyzMom (Nov 26, 2015)

*Update*

Just wanted to update everyone on how she is doing.... the last couple of days, I've really been working on the Nothing ln Life Is Free approach. She can't get food, pets, attention, potty breaks, etc until she does something I ask. I have reduced amount of kibble just a little to allow training treats without too much worry of weight gain. I am the only one feeding her. I have asked my husband when he hears me coming in to send her to the living room which has gates up to the doors, so I can come in, set my things down and then go to her. I greet her with a treat and only when she sits nice for petting. I am taking NO NONSENSE. Something CLICKED in her eyes yesterday evening I could see. She came over to paw at me to be pet and immediately changed her mind and sat nicely and waited. So I calmly pet her and told her good girl then sent her off with a toy. 

Here's the real kicker - today! She was a little rambunctious this morning but outside she brought me her favorite ball and dropped it at my feet. I tossed it and she ran, got it, and brought it back, as fast as her tail was going i knew she was going to jump, so I stepped aside and told her to sit. She sat! With a little coaxing she gave me the ball LOL and soon we were both happily engaged in a 15, yes 15 minute long game of FETCH!!!! This hasn't happened in quite a while. She's not so good at giving me the ball back but I can get her to sit and let me take it. This evening, she started to act crazy and as soon as I made her go back to the living room, she just sat quietly by the gate. I gave it a minute, let her back out and there was NO jumping or biting. I engaged her in some training for treats and was actually able to get her to come/sit/come/down/come/sit etc down our long hall which was pretty hard for her to focus on but she did great. We're working on a new process for coming inside too. I tell her to sit outside the door, wait while I come in, wait to be called in, and then sit just inside the door. She then waits for the kiss on the head like she gets when she waits for her food (it's really cute). Tonight, she laid in my lap in the kitchen for 40 minutes, yes, 40 minutes (probably 1st time ever for her) while I rubbed her belly, scratched her chin, NO biting. She gently gnawed a little here and there but responded to my NOs. I am flabbergasted. I know we are not out of the woods yet, and we still need to get the exercise routine down, but this evening and today is like my puppy is back. I was actually tearing up while talking to her int he kitchen this evening. My husband came in and laughed and quietly said he had something to ask me but he'd come back and not ruin our moment LOL. 

The Winston Salem Dog Training club called me back today. They are completely full for the Winter classes but she recommended I get her in the Elite Canine program I mentioned and then come in the spring She also mentioned that I come and observe some of the classes (can't take Bailey with me of course) but she said i could observe the class and get some ideas on how to interact with her this winter. She was VERY helpful and encouraging. 

I feel very encouraged today! I know it might get worse before it gets better but I can almost SEE those gears turning! I am going to get her registered for the Elite Canine class that starts in January and then we will start a lifelong relationship with the WS Dog Training Club. 

Thanks again for everyone's responses! You don't know how much you've improved our lives  

I will start her a thread to keep up with her training progress.


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## BaileyzMom (Nov 26, 2015)

Happy dog this morning :wink:


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## aesthetic (Apr 23, 2015)

I'm so glad things are starting to improve!! It's really wonderful when things start to click  She's beautiful


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