# puppy growling and snapping at child



## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

Your puppy is letting you know that he doesn't respect your child's authority over him. Charlie is behaving like a normal puppy by communicating with your daughter that he doesn't want her interference when he's doing something he wants to do. I have 3 children who have been raised with big dogs. I understand that you are worried, and you should be. Just because the puppy is communicating the only way he knows how, doesn't mean it's acceptable. He has to be taught what is ok and what is not.

You will not want to hear this, but you need to decide if you are willing to put the time and effort into managing this puppy properly and daily training and work. Your kids will not be able to treat him like a stuffed animal and they are going to have to be monitored at all times. That means that you have to be 100% focused on all their interactions with the dog. If you are busy making dinner or watching t.v. or folding laundry or doing chores with half an eye on the kids and puppy it will not work. Full attention means arms length away and monitoring everything. Golden puppies are much more oral than other dogs - all puppies explore the world with their mouths (just like human babies) but Golden puppies are much more so and for much longer than other breeds. They are retrievers and it's inbred.

The kids need to be taught that they do not push and pull on the puppy do get him to do what they want and under no circumstances do they take things from them. Only an adult should be taking things from the puppy. You should have been supervising so closely that when Charlie had a wire, you were the one who took it from him, not your daughter. The house needs to be totally cleaned up in the rooms where the puppy is allowed, no toys, tissues, trash, food etc. No more kids walking around eating, they need to eat seated properly at a table so the puppy doesn't try to steal food from them. 

The puppy needs to wear a collar and a short drag leash at all times when he's out. You can get a cheap leash from walmart and cut it off to about 30 inches. This will allow you to control Charlie when he needs to be restrained without grabbing his collar or his body. 

Stop letting Charlie up on the furniture. That is a privilege that is earned and he is not ready. Dogs often feel an elevated sense of worth when they are allowed up on beds and comfy couches and chairs. Start teaching him that is a no go. Frankly I would keep Charlie baby gated in the kitchen for the time being so that he's not on carpeted areas anyway until he's fully and reliably potty trained. No urine accidents on rugs, they are very difficult to clean properly and he will keep returning. This will also help keep him off furniture by limiting access.

Where did you buy Charlie? Was it a reputable hobby breeder who raised him in the house and began properly socializing him and teaching him manners from the start? He has lost some valuable weeks of training during an important learning period if he wasn't being socialized and trained. Have you contacted the breeder to let him or her know that you have some concerns?

Please read through our previous threads on puppy growling and snapping. Use the search feature at the top of the page and you will learn a lot of important things. You also need to educate yourself about canine body language. They give a lot of signals that you should know to see how things are going when the puppy is interacting with the kids. A stiff body and frozen posture isn't good, a soft wiggly body is good. You can learn a lot by reading.

Are you enrolled in obedience class already? If not, it needs to be your first course of action today. Do a search for "Dog training Club" or "Obedience Training CLUB" near your house and find a group who compete in dog sports. Not a for profit business. It will help you locate people who have a lot of experience with active sporting dogs. You need group lessons and I strongly suggest having a private lesson package where someone comes to your house and observes the puppy and gives you management tips. If this puppy has a strong personality, it will be necessary to treat him like a dog and not a "fur baby" or human child. 

Use the crate and baby gates and purchase an exercise pen to protect your children when the puppy can't be monitored. This all comes down to you being willing to properly manage and train this dog. It will be a major commitment. Golden puppies do not go and lay down under the Kitchen table and nap while the household functions, they are quite a handful and it will take daily training and exercise for the next 2 or 3 years to get through this.


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## David Pearson (Aug 30, 2018)

Normal: 12 Week old puppies are not aggressive. The will grow, snarl and appear to be ferocious at that age, that is mostly play. Also remember biting and nipping is not aggressive at this stage. Goldens communicate with their mouth and need to be taught bite control then to no teeth on skin. Google Clicker training for biting... https://www.clickertraining.com/puppy-nipping

8 to 14 weeks, my puppy would break skin, most of the time at 13+ weeks it was me pulling my hand out of his mouth. Those teeth are sharp.

Train every day, Be patient with your puppy, they will learn.


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

Can you give us some more insight about how your puppy was raised - with other dogs? Where did he come from etc. Some puppies are more tolerant than others and many can be improved with careful attention to socialization and training. Telling us more about his background may help with ideas on what to do.

Some things to start teaching today while you are searching for a trainer:

"Trade" - where you give him a high value treat in return for something he has that he should not or a toy he is enjoying.

"Kiss Kiss" = where you rub a bit of butter or peanut butter on the back of your hand and encourage him to use his tongue to lick off the butter with no teeth touching.

Sit, down and wait - these are all easily taught with treats. 

"Kiko Pup" is a great you tube site for puppy training videos. 

Always have a baggy full of treats in your pocket or within reach on the counter. Reward good behavior no matter how small. 

Hand feed this puppy part of his meals. It has him understand that you have the food and are willing to share, also that he needs to take food gently, no teeth.

Be sure that you are not leaving high value items like bones or special chew items down for him to guard. 

Turid Rugas wrote a book called "Calming Signals" that you can use to learn about body language

"what to do before and after getting your puppy" by Dr. Ian Dunbar

"The Other End of The Leash"

"How to raise a puppy you can live with"

These are some books to start reading over to learn more about dealing with a puppy who needs training to be a good family member. The best dogs were almost never born that way, someone spent a lot of time and attention to training and proper exercise to get them to be good dogs. 

Be sure you are building outdoor hiking and nature walks into the daily activity. He needs active aerobic play to help him feel less anxious and happier. It's a key part of dog management.


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## kmalm (Feb 8, 2019)

We got him from a reputable AKC hobby breeder who has been in practice for 12 years and produces multiple litters a year. There were 7 pups in the litter and they were raised in the house. He was completely crate trained when we got him and responds to "come." He is well on his way to being house trained, the breeder had trained the pups that they go right from the crate outside and he does, every time. 

We asked him specifically about any history of aggression because we are so sensitive about it with our experience with our other dog (who was an off the street rescue, very different background). He said in 12 years he has only had 2 reports and they were from adult dogs and he didn't know how much was related to their lifestyle and how they were raised. I'm not convinced he's aggressive, I think that our expectations were too high and we need to watch our kids more carefully, though they are very gentle with dogs because they were raised with an aggressive dog. However, we fully expected that with a golden puppy they wouldn't ever have to worry which is why I'm so upset. I do not want my daughter to be scared of her dog. He has not shown this at all with me or my husband.


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## DanaRuns (Sep 29, 2012)

The puppy is not aggressive. What you're describing is a fear response (or possibly resource guarding with the wire). I suspect that when you weren't looking one of your kids inadvertently scared or hurt the puppy, and now the puppy is cautious around your kids.

And by the way....WIRE!?!?!??!?!??!?!?!?! What the...??? You should tuck away all electrical wires in your house that you can, and spray the rest of them daily with bitter apple. And watch that puppy much better than you are. A puppy should _never_ be able to get an electrical wire in his mouth. It only takes a split second, and then all of a sudden no more puppy. And if it's a loose wire lying around, why do you have loose wires lying around where a puppy can get to it? And why is it your daughter taking the wire from Charlie, and not you?

Nolefan has a lot of good advice. I suspect that the poor pup is not being supervised well enough, and has had a mishap or two that you're not even aware of.


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

As nolefan and DavidPearson said, this isn't a dog problem, it's a human problem. Twelve-week old puppies aren't aggressive; they are animals that need to be taught how to live in a human world.


When you get a puppy, they take a little while to settle in, and then they will, if not given proper structure, start to assert themselves. It sounds like yours has reached that stage. In your posts you don't mention training, so I'm assuming you haven't enrolled him in any kind of formal training. This might be the first thing you might want to do. Look for a training school that uses positive methods, encourages children to be involved in the training and puts the emphasis on training humans how to train dogs. Given that your previous dog was aggressive towards your daughter and that this puppy has also started to be disrespectful of her, it would be good for her to learn how to train him. At 7 years old, she's capable of doing that. 


In addition to all the great suggestions made by other posters, I'd suggest maybe keeping the puppy away from any rough or noisy play with the children. Screaming, fast movements, grabbing, pulling, etc., won't help. When the children interact with him (for now), it would probably be helpful if they did so in a calm atmosphere that involves some kind of training or game, so the puppy is doing what the kids want, and not simply running wild with them. Teach him to sit. Teach him to retrieve a toy and bring it back. Give plenty of rewards. Teach him how to take food gently from someone's hand. Teach him to lie down, to spin or turn. Use lots of rewards. Your daughter can do all of these things. By having the puppy do what she wants, or engage in structured play, it will change his relationship with her, from one where he thinks it's ok to growl at her, to one where she's calling the shots. It will make a huge difference. Also, don't let your daughter discipline or correct bad behaviour (e.g. the chewing of wires) until she has the kind of relationship with him where he will accept her intervention without growling at her.



And last, to "second" what nolefan said, golden retrievers have the reputation of being kind, gentle dogs and ideal family pets. This is true of well-trained adult golden retrievers, but it is not true of golden retriever puppies. Goldens are retrievers, meaning that they explore the world through their mouths, and as puppies they will nip, bite and chew. Your job as a puppy owner is to teach your pup what kinds of biting and chewing are acceptable. He shouldn't have access to things like wires; he should have his own chew toys. There are lots of different methods of teaching the pup to have a gentle mouth. The one I use is to sit the pup on my lap, allow him to chew my arm, and react with a high-pitched "ouch" and put him on the floor when he bites too hard. They understand very quickly. My goldens have always had very gentle mouths. Bite inhibition is especially important in a home where there are young children. It's something you might want to address fairly quickly.



As nolefan said, if you put in the time and effort when the dog is younger, you'll have a great family pet. But if you don't, in six months' time you're going to have a 70 lb. bundle of uncontrollable energy that pulls like a train on leash, knocks your children down and behaves generally like the king of the house. Goldens are great dogs, but when they're young, they're not easy dogs.


However, they are worth the effort! Best of luck with your pup, and please, don't worry too much about what's happened. It's entirely correctable.


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## kmalm (Feb 8, 2019)

DanaRuns said:


> The puppy is not aggressive. What you're describing is a fear response (or possibly resource guarding with the wire). I suspect that when you weren't looking one of your kids inadvertently scared or hurt the puppy, and now the puppy is cautious around your kids.
> 
> And by the way....WIRE!?!?!??!?!??!?!?!?! What the...??? You should tuck away all electrical wires in your house that you can, and spray the rest of them daily with bitter apple. And watch that puppy much better than you are. A puppy should _never_ be able to get an electrical wire in his mouth. It only takes a split second, and then all of a sudden no more puppy. And if it's a loose wire lying around, why do you have loose wires lying around where a puppy can get to it? And why is it your daughter taking the wire from Charlie, and not you?
> 
> Nolefan has a lot of good advice. I suspect that the poor pup is not being supervised well enough, and has had a mishap or two that you're not even aware of.


Thank you for your response, no need to be snappy or judgemental when someone is asking for help. He's only been home for a week, we have puppy proofed as much as we can but occasionally he will find something that we didn't know was there, kind of like when you're kids start crawling around and you discover lots of things that are dangerous that you never noticed before. My kids are very cautious around dogs, again, they were raised with an aggressive one. I have not had a puppy in 13 years and I didn't have kids then. We are all learning how to interact with our new family member and where our limits are. My daughter is very excited to take on responsibilities for caring for him and I'm trying to help her navigate.


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## kmalm (Feb 8, 2019)

Thank you. Yes, he starts puppy school tomorrow and I'm bringing my 7-year-old with me. We have every intention of putting the work in, we were just really surprised and taken off guard by this behavior. My kids usually play with him in one room with his toys and treats, we do not let them go crazy around him or let him chase them. We have been doing the high-pitched yelp strategy for the mouthing on skin since the day we got him and that seems to be working well. I'm doing a lot of research on this and it seems that our expectations were just too high for our kids interactions with him. My daughter desperately wants to take responsibility for him but I realize now that there are certain things she just shouldn't do until their relationship is more established.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

So this puppy has been taken from his doggie family and is learning how to survive in a home without them. They don't know the rules, have lost all the surroundings that made them feel safe and it's only been a week. 

You wouldn't put a new born baby alone on the floor just days after bring them home with all the kids and must be just as cautious with the new puppy. Puppy proof your house, teach your children to leave the puppy alone for now. Keep the puppy in a play pen where it's safe from stuff and kids.

Kids move very fast and can cause small dogs & puppies to be very guarded and to react to a perceived fear. Treat your pup as carefully as you did your kids so that you allow your pup to grow into a confident adult.

Great advice guys! Just me but twelve years is not a long breeder history and having lots of puppies doesn't instill me with lots of confidence. Were the pups exposed to kids? Were they handled and snuggled, picked up when they were babies? Knowing the breeder had notice of dogs with aggression makes me a little uneasy as well. Does the breeder do temperament assessments with his pups? Does he compete in some venue to help evaluate their temperaments? This breeder may be wonderful, I have no idea who they are... just not sure you asked the same questions that Nolefan or I would have. Dana Run? well she has welcomed us into her home with video to watch how she raises her pups... she is amazing! You would never have to ask these questions, you can watch!


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## BrianO (Apr 7, 2016)

Golden retrievers are the best family dogs ever.

Golden retriever puppies... are learning. They are often mouthy, this is a breed characteristic. They are excitable. They may play rough.

Our first golden pup did not respect my youngest son, 8. He saw him as a littermate. You have some great advice above. I second the advice to find a good puppy class for obedience training. The only thing I would add is that this is your opportunity to train your children how to train, play with, and interact with a dog.

Puppy teeth and claws are sharp! Expect some scratches and upset children. Educating your children on the “why” of puppy behaviors will help everyone in the long run.

A tired puppy is a good puppy. Be sure your pup has an appropriate energy outlet before playtime with your children.

A puppy is good when you are good. When your pup chews a toy, grabs a child’s treat, or gets into the toilet paper, try to remember that removing the source of the problem removes the undesired behavior.

It is a puppy, not a problem. Goldens make the best companion ever. That does not happen automatically or overnight. Remember that the pup is a baby, too. He needs to learn the language, expectations, and place in the family. He wants to please you so much. Try to reward desired behaviors as a training method over punishing undesired behaviors and you will have better success and a lifelong bond. 

The puppy stage is short. You will get through this and forget a good deal of it.

Research the term “land shark” on this forum.

Good luck. I wish you joy in the process.

Brian


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## usually lurking (Apr 21, 2017)

The only other thing that I would add, as I didn't see it mentioned (apologies if it was), is that encouraging your kids to sit on the floor while they play with the puppy is a good idea. I did not allow my then five year olds to play with our puppy any other way until he was larger, and they were not allowed to pick him up, ever. They had to wait for the puppy to come to them. When the pup crawled into their laps of his own will, they were "holding" him. They really enjoyed sitting on opposite ends of a hallway and taking turns calling our puppy to them. It teaches the pup his name, and when he is rewarded with giggles and pets and happy children, coming when called becomes the greatest game ever. All that running back and forth will burn some energy, too. Even as they approach eight, I do not allow my kids to pick up small dogs or puppies. They play on the floor, always. Training your kids how to interact with the puppy is as important as training the puppy how to interact with humans.


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## Brave (Oct 26, 2012)

I had a whole paragraph typed up and it got ate by the interweebz so I'm paring this down briefly. 

Here's Kikopup's new puppy playlist. Browse it, watch some. I think it'll help: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsTGSaiFI2cdnRuJrSox2F1yZaPMpK8nt

Overall, puppyhood sucks. Its an adjustment. It'll get better with time, energy, and consistency. Cause this first year is the foundation on which you lay the rest of the dog's life on. If that makes sense. 

I'd recommend limiting interactions between the puppy and the children. I don't have kids but I carefully watch and limited the interactions Lana has with the cats and with Gypsy. I also get caught in a loop of "no no no no no" but you should see the difference between a dog who doesn't know how to act and has been scolded into a shut down vs a dog who is encouraged and praised into appropriate behaviors. 

Lana is a little {redacted} sometimes, but oh boy does a reset help when I get frustrated. Start back with a sit, or a target. We can play "boop the snoot" [where Lana targets my flat palm with her nose] for no joke 20+ minutes and it'll get our focus and energy back up and away from whatever was frustrating us (read: me). 

IDK if any of this has been helpful, but I know you takes some solace in that you are not alone.


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## Lincgold (May 11, 2018)

I’m sorry that your daughter was frightened by the puppy’s behavior but I, too, don’t thing it was aggression. I’m sure things will improve once he starts his training. Perhaps for now, all interaction with the pup and the children should be observed by you. Relax and enjoy your new pup...this too shall pass.


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## David Pearson (Aug 30, 2018)

Stuart turn 18 weeks old today, he is a very different Puppy from last week. He is starting to show self control, and understand his teeth hurts. He started getting a clue around 13 weeks, and now has solid clue. 

Oh he use to play growl at my wife, it scared her too. They are buddies now.

I train (formal) with him three times a day and on/off (train and play) through out the day. We walk a mile at Lunch time at his pace (mix surfaces), and he gets a small walk when I get home. 

Your puppy will reach this stage, just keep working at it. The reward at the end is very great, he will be like a family member.


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## jdavisryan (Jan 28, 2018)

I think you've received some excellent advice here and I hope you'll take it to heart, but it seems you could also use a hug and some encouragement. I brought our first Golden home with two little boys in the house almost thirty years ago, and there were definitely moments of doubt in those early months. I learned all my lessons the hard way, and I recall a panicked, tearful phone call to our vet after our sweet puppy nipped my three year-old on the bottom during a session of unsupervised play. No one's fault but my own, but we learned from that and made changes. I learned I had another toddler in the house, one who got overexcited when tired, cranky when hungry, and had teeth like a shark. It was so much harder than I thought it would be, but so worth it as my boys and their buddy grew up together. I'm so glad we hung in there. You're on the right track with obedience training and more supervision, but progress is seldom achieved without a few setbacks. My husband and I are raising our fourth Golden puppy and I still have moments when I'm not sure if I'm doing things "just right." My best wishes to you and your family as you find your way. Keep us posted.


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## kmalm (Feb 8, 2019)

Thank you to those who offered very helpful comments. I am really learning a lot and have already adjusted much of what we were doing. I spent all day yesterday reading, researching and watching videos (clearly, an unproductive work day) and I think we are in a much better place now. Having an aggressive dog for 13 years and literally doing everything in my power to help her (trainers, behaviorists, medication, diet, everything!), was emotionally taxing. Raising kids with that kind of dog was another experience altogether. But I loved her very much and saying goodbye to her recently was also an emotional roller coaster. We are all just so sensitive to any sign of aggression that I think we overreacted. If we did not have the prior experience I'm sure we would have viewed it much differently. We are committed to this dog and raising him right. He is starting his puppy class today (though it might be pushed to next week due to snow!) and I started clicker training with him yesterday which he picked up like a champ! He's so smart and wants to learn. Like many things in life, our expectations were different from reality but we are learning. I'm glad to have found this site as I'm sure I'll be looking here often for help and advice. It is unfortunate that many people are so quick to judge and demean someone for asking for help. I really felt like a horrible person after reading some of the comments. We want to do right by this dog and our family. To the person that sent me a private message and the other people who offered support and hugs....thank you, that's just what I needed. We are on the right track now...


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

I'm glad you're taking the bull by the horns and are really getting on it. I am flat out going to tell you that I do no think you were over reacting. 

Most people do not have the experience that you do with a previous aggressive dog. Most people do not have the experience you have had with a Golden puppy reacting the way Charlie has. It's easy to pass judgement when you haven't witnessed a puppy whip around, snarl and snap at your child. 

We aren't there and don't know exactly what's happening so have to give our best guess based on our knowledge and experience. Just because we are confident that your puppy is not 'aggressive' does not mean that we are positive that he has the perfect "Golden" temperament. Some puppies are more sensitive or will react to things that another puppy wouldn't blink an eye over. Your job at this point is to give him the best possible chance, through training, management and socialization, to succeed and have a good life as a family member in your home. 

I hope you won't hesitate to share the journey here, it may help other people in your position in the future. The lessons you learn can be a lifesaver. Please know that this group wants nothing more than to see Charlie turn into a terrific family dog for you. We are all pulling for you.


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## DblTrblGolden2 (Aug 22, 2018)

I will never forget that a few weeks after i had my second son my parents decided it was a great time to buy my then 4 year old son an Irish Setter puppy. He was in love with Clifford the Big Red Dog. My parents never had dogs that lived in the house and had no idea what they had just done. I already had a Golden at the time, but he was around 10 and bomb proof. This puppy was almost the death of me. Anyone that has ever owned an Irish Setter can attest to the fact that they are balls of energy and in my experience harder to train then Golden's. I had a new baby, a four year old, and a new puppy. Yay me!!! I made it through it and you will make it through this.

All of the advice above is terrific, even the advice and comments you didn't like. You may not like the tone, but it probably needed to be said, or you already knew it on your own. I have nothing to add to the advice given.

Here's what I can tell you. That darn Irish Setter lived to be 16 and my son loved him everyday of his life. He went down the sliding board, pretended to be a horse while my son was a cowboy, was a bird dog while my son carried around a toy gun. The dog even learned how to open the gate to the fence so he and my son could get out into the bigger yard. When my son got his first truck I think the first family member to go for a ride was that dog. We lost him several years back but what a bond they had. He taught my son and I a lot of lessons.

This puppy will be such a great addition to your family but you will get out of it what you are willing to put in. There's nothing cuter then a little golden fluff ball, but get ready because they are also little sharks and your not at that point yet. Read this forum and take all the advice, good and bad, and really think about it. The people here have a lot of knowledge. Best of luck!


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## Shalva (Jul 16, 2008)

puddles everywhere said:


> Great advice guys! Just me but twelve years is not a long breeder history and having lots of puppies doesn't instill me with lots of confidence. Were the pups exposed to kids? Were they handled and snuggled, picked up when they were babies? Knowing the breeder had notice of dogs with aggression makes me a little uneasy as well. Does the breeder do temperament assessments with his pups? Does he compete in some venue to help evaluate their temperaments? This breeder may be wonderful, I have no idea who they are... just not sure you asked the same questions that Nolefan or I would have. Dana Run? well she has welcomed us into her home with video to watch how she raises her pups... she is amazing! You would never have to ask these questions, you can watch!


I totally agree with this. 12 years in a breed is really a drop in the bucket and multiple litters a year is not something that I particularly like. I also am not comfortable that the breeder has heard anything negative about temperaments in their dogs. I have been breeding for 25 years and have never once heard anything negative about temperaments in my dogs... That having been said it is water under the bridge so to speak. 

I think you have gotten some good suggestions that having been said puppies in a new home often go through a honeymoon period and at 8 days you are right in that spot where the honeymoon has worn off. Without seeing what has happened in person it is hard for me to say whether you have a puppy that was startled and reacted to being startled, whether the puppy was toy possessive of the thing that your daughter was trying to take or whether the puppy is not respectful of the little person. It is very hard to know and the possessiveness and lack of respect for your daughter really do go together. We also know very little about the breeder in terms of kids and how the puppies were brought up. 

I do think that getting your puppy into training is absolutely the best thing you can do. I would have your daughter train and feed and be the trainer of the dog. I would also not have your daughter taking things away from puppy until training begins and you really can anticipate the puppies behavior. If the something needs to be taken away then I would suggest trading. She gives puppy a yummy treat and when the puppy goes to get treat she takes the offending object away. Puppies coming out of a litter can be a bit toy possessive because they are used to having to fight off their littermates. If the puppy views your daughter as a littermate then you may find the response that you did so again having your daughter do aspects of the training is very important. 

I think with training most goldens turn into great dogs, however, goldens can be mouthy as puppies. and even a well bred dog can turn into an unruly brat without proper training and guidance. I think you are doing the right thing. I do not think you are over reacting and I am glad that you are being proactive. 
good luck


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

Seeing this signature makes my day 



Shalva said:


> I totally agree with this. 12 years in a breed is really a drop in the bucket and multiple litters a year is not something that I particularly like. I also am not comfortable that the breeder has heard anything negative about temperaments in their dogs. I have been breeding for 25 years and have never once heard anything negative about temperaments in my dogs... That having been said it is water under the bridge so to speak.
> 
> I think you have gotten some good suggestions that having been said puppies in a new home often go through a honeymoon period and at 8 days you are right in that spot where the honeymoon has worn off. Without seeing what has happened in person it is hard for me to say whether you have a puppy that was startled and reacted to being startled, whether the puppy was toy possessive of the thing that your daughter was trying to take or whether the puppy is not respectful of the little person. It is very hard to know and the possessiveness and lack of respect for your daughter really do go together. We also know very little about the breeder in terms of kids and how the puppies were brought up.
> 
> ...


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## kalyce (Feb 13, 2019)

This is my first post! I have been reading posts on this forum for almost a year. I brought home my golden puppy at eight weeks at the beginning of July. Your post really resonates with me me even thought I don’t have kids. My now almost nine month old golden is an absolute love, but a handful! I had so many bite marks and scratches the first two months. I knew puppyhood would be hard, but I didn’t realize how hard it would be as much fun as it was. We didn’t sleep through the night for months... I still wonder how people raise a golden puppy with little kids. I imagine how challenging it must be, but I know with time and patience you’ll get there. All of a sudden at about five months she became the most cuddliest pup, although we still have lots of work to do! We are about to start our FIFTH puppy class. She has been the wildest and most energetic one in all four of the classes we’ve completed, two of which were all goldens. She is the nosiest neighbor to the point that’s it’s embarrassing. But she LOVES kids so much, and I’m sure that with time and training both your kids and pup are going to be the best of friends.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

People see adult golden puppies and think they are born that way. They are one of the hardest beeeds to raise those first few months. Especially for a new golden owner.

I will say nolanfan had some great advice. If you follow what was posted there you will be well on your way to a well adjusted puppy. 

My family had cuts and everything for awhile from teeth. She didnÂt outgrow it until about five months.

I think a training class will be so good for the puppy. Your daughter needs to go and probably be the one to learn most of it with the puppy.

My niece was three when we got Chloe. Because she was at our house during the week when her parents worked it was hard. Chloe spent a lot of time behind the baby gate.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

kalyce said:


> This is my first post! I have been reading posts on this forum for almost a year. I brought home my golden puppy at eight weeks at the beginning of July. Your post really resonates with me me even thought I don’t have kids. My now almost nine month old golden is an absolute love, but a handful! I had so many bite marks and scratches the first two months. I knew puppyhood would be hard, but I didn’t realize how hard it would be as much fun as it was. We didn’t sleep through the night for months... I still wonder how people raise a golden puppy with little kids. I imagine how challenging it must be, but I know with time and patience you’ll get there. All of a sudden at about five months she became the most cuddliest pup, although we still have lots of work to do! We are about to start our FIFTH puppy class. She has been the wildest and most energetic one in all four of the classes we’ve completed, two of which were all goldens. She is the nosiest neighbor to the point that’s it’s embarrassing. But she LOVES kids so much, and I’m sure that with time and training both your kids and pup are going to be the best of friends.


Its not super challenging with toddlers or young kids if you manage properly. Use of baby gates is instrumental in that management.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Keep us updated on how well your puppy does with allthe training. I am sure with all the work your doing your going to have a great dog.


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## kmalm (Feb 8, 2019)

Update: We haven't had any incidents since I posted. Charlie is doing amazing and taking to his training like a champ. I completely revamped the way we were allowing the kids to interact with him and I put him in to "boot camp" mode with training. I started clicker training and he completely took to it. I swear he can learn something new in 5 minutes with the clicker. He has learned "let go" which works really well with toys, he brings them and will drop them when I say "let go." Not working so well with things he's not supposed to have but I think we'll get there. I can take stuff out of his mouth without a problem but I will not allow the kids to do that. We stopped bringing him up on the couch and are using the bitter apple spray for areas around the house he likes to chew. He's also really learning bite inhibition and there's been a huge improvement with the force he applies when "mouthing" people and he's becoming less "mouthy" in general since working on this. His first puppy class got canceled due to snow but we will start tomorrow. I take him to Petsmart for some socialization and he wants to play with all the other dogs and loves all the people he meets. 

He's doing much better with my daughter (7) but he still sees my son (3) as a littermate. He goes into crazy mode with him and constantly wants to tug at his clothes and chase him, he only does this with my son, not with anyone else! This is somethign we are working on. 

As for the breeder, I really don't think there was anything wrong with their practices. They have multiple breeding adults and the puppies are raised in the house. They are crate trained and on their way to house training by the time they are ready to go home. I admit I do not know about the puppies interactions with kids but I read every single review on every single website and all were amazing. 

Overall, I'm really happy with Charlie's progress and with all that I've learned. I think we are on the right track but my guard will always be up with any dog, for signs of aggression. Our experience with our old rescue was one that I never want to repeat.


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

I was so happy to read your update. Congratulations on being so proactive with this: you're doing a wonderful job.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

Thanks for the update! Sounds like things are improving. Both the youngest kiddo and the pup will grow and make this much easier.

2 things you can try with the getting things he shouldn't have... one of course is obvious, put everything up  But something I did with my pups is reward every time they have something, basically kept kibble in my pocket and anytime she got something (even the stuff she should have) I offered the kibble for the object. Because I was never taking anything from her as the stuff she was allowed to have was returned to her, she was happy to bring me everything.
I always tell her thank you and give a piece of kibble. Didn't take much for her to bring me anything she could pick up. This way there is no struggle and everyone is happy. Of course she is almost 3 and still brings me my glasses if I leave them on the table, or the remote or the phone or well you get the idea  But I never have to worry about her picking ANYTHING up as I know she will bring it to me. The kibble was phased out long ago but she loves the thank you and being told what a good girl she is.

I'm so happy the training is going well!!! Great job.


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## kmalm (Feb 8, 2019)

That is a great idea, thank you!


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