# 10 week old puppy training scheme



## MikeDaniel (Mar 24, 2017)

Hi Guys,

I'm a first time dog owner and I have had my adorable female golden retriever (Leia) for 2 weeks now. As she's come out of her shell more and more she's started biting and working herself into frenzies of excitement. Now, I can handle the pain of a bite and the excessive running of an excited dog, my issue is with how I train her to be properly behaved! I really don't want to raise her to be a naughty dog - through no fault of her own, but poor training on my part.

I think what I'm after is a set of rules that I can follow and most importantly stick to for the rest of her life. I've been reading a little about clicker training but not sure if it's really effective/recommended.

I'm following this guide for teaching basic commands - not, however, 'no' and 'good' - though I've not taught her much at all (should I have by now?) dogstrust guide (If there's something else you would recommend instead, please stay). As for everything else I'm using what other people have told me and random internet sites/posts/articles - nothing concrete like the guide above.

Really, I'm just after a tried and tested method for training good behaviour with a series of simple and clear rules for me to follow. I'd be eternally grateful if someone could help me find it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
Mike

P.S
Outside of basic commands here's what I'm doing for training:

- If she's biting out of over-excitement I'm saying no - often multiple times - and then ignoring her.
- If she gets really bad I pick her up and take her back (inside) to her crate to cool off.
- If she's just nibbling in a relaxed stance I'll say 'no' and then replace whatever she's nibbling on with an object she can chew and then praise her for chewing on the chew object.
- When she's trying to sneak away under a hedge in the garden I'll hold her so she's not going anywhere and try to bring her to lead her to another location, often very ineffectively. Most of the time she spends in the garden is on a lead as getting her attention is hard...
- ... When I want her attention I whistle. The second I begin whistling a tune she runs at me and starts licking my face. I can't help but feel like I shouldn't be doing this as it's not really training her to do anything.
- Potty training is going really well, having very few accidents. I take her outside nearly every hour and reward her with praise/a treat when she wee's and poo's in the garden, using the keywords 'wee wee' and 'poo poo' when she does.

P.P.S
Sorry for the wall'o'text.


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

Hey Mike, we need photos of Leia! I've responded to your post by inserting my answers in your text. Hope it is helpful.



MikeDaniel said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> I'm a first time dog owner and I have had my adorable female golden retriever (Leia) for 2 weeks now. As she's come out of her shell more and more she's started biting and working herself into frenzies of excitement. Congratulations! You'e jumped into the deep end with a Golden puppy as your first dog. Raising one is very rewarding but it's a lot of work and a commitment for the long haul. Now, I can handle the pain of a bite and the excessive running of an excited dog, my issue is with how I train her to be properly behaved! I really don't want to raise her to be a naughty dog - through no fault of her own, but poor training on my part. Have you found a good dog training club you can join to take group classes with your puppy? It's not too early to find one and get the information on sign ups if you haven't done so yet. Plan on a two year commitment to training to get through the puppy stage, which can be challenging for even experienced dog owners.
> 
> ...


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## MikeDaniel (Mar 24, 2017)

nolefan said:


> Hey Mike, we need photos of Leia! I've responded to your post by inserting my answers in your text. Hope it is helpful.


My goodness, thank you so much for that reply. I don't really know where to begin other than to say I've printed it off and now have it in the kitchen where she lives, as a cheat sheet!

I've attached some pictures I took the other day of her happily playing in the back garden.

Leia is actually going to some puppy classes in the village where I live which so far has been great for socialisation and I've learnt so much,already. The trainer has been a little strict with me and used me as an example of what not to do when puppies start biting (i.e. give her something else to chew on) and insists that I whelp unbelievably loud to tell her to stop like her puppy siblings would do. I'll be honest whelping at the top of my lungs is not something I have in me. I live in a very quiet rural area with just a couple of other houses and I have a rather funny image in my head of it being disturbed by the unmistakable sound of me pretending to be a puppy screeching, with the local residents saying a pun along the lines of 'It's not the dog that's barking...'! Anyway, I'll keep on attending and see if there are any others in the area nearby for me to take her to.

I'll definitely start reading up on using a marker word (If I go down the clicker root it will be left behind 90% of the time knowing me!) it sounds like it could be really effective. I'm already saying things like 'Good girl' all the time so maybe I could just work with that.

I really like the planner idea as it should help to combat exactly the problem you were mentioning, giving up after a short amount time because I'm not seeing improvements. Today she's been really, really bitey and it made me feel a little concerned that everything I've been attempting with her has had no effect. If I do as you suggest and log everything then hopefully I'll be able to see where I'm going wrong pretty soon - especially with the help of a trainer.

Once again, thank you for all the advice, I've honestly heeded every word of it. You're so right when you say this is a long term project, I've just got to remain consistent and dedicated!

Warm regards,
Mike


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

LOVE the photos  Leia is every bit as adorable as I imagined. You must be having so much fun with her. If you have an interest in it, you could start her own thread here, posting photos of Leia's daily adventures and her progress as she grows. Several people have done this over the years and it's very entertaining for those of us without puppies who get to live vicariously and also for people with puppies close in age so that you all can commiserate and trade war stories. Selfishly, I've never been to England (Ireland's the closes I've made it) and would love to see what it's like there.

You cracked me up with your version of howling like one of Leia's injured littermates - that is a well tried method of getting puppies to stop and certainly worth trying for her. Don't be discouraged by the instructor using you as the "bad" example  Leia will soon be the star of her class in just about every way, Goldens always are. A useful set of youtube videos is available for you to look through - https://www.youtube.com/user/kikopup
Kikopup is done by a great trainer and has lots of useful things to begin teaching in addition to basic commands. You can teach her to go to her "place", "Leave it", different things that make her easier to live with.


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## MikeDaniel (Mar 24, 2017)

nolefan said:


> LOVE the photos  Leia is every bit as adorable as I imagined. You must be having so much fun with her. If you have an interest in it, you could start her own thread here, posting photos of Leia's daily adventures and her progress as she grows. Several people have done this over the years and it's very entertaining for those of us without puppies who get to live vicariously and also for people with puppies close in age so that you all can commiserate and trade war stories. Selfishly, I've never been to England (Ireland's the closes I've made it) and would love to see what it's like there.
> 
> You cracked me up with your version of howling like one of Leia's injured littermates - that is a well tried method of getting puppies to stop and certainly worth trying for her. Don't be discouraged by the instructor using you as the "bad" example  Leia will soon be the star of her class in just about every way, Goldens always are. A useful set of youtube videos is available for you to look through - https://www.youtube.com/user/kikopup
> Kikopup is done by a great trainer and has lots of useful things to begin teaching in addition to basic commands. You can teach her to go to her "place", "Leave it", different things that make her easier to live with.


Sorry for the slow response, it's been a busy weekend!

Yea she's just adorable and I've got so much enjoyment out of running around and playing with her in the garden and the kitchen. I've just compiled myself a little reference for marker training which I shall begin shortly. I'm actually quite excited to get properly training! I also found a group training club nearby the cost of which is really low (£2 per session) which I can take her to from 16 weeks. It seems like a nice thing to take her to once week.

I would love to post regular updates on Leia. Point me in the right direction as to which board and I'd happily upload some snaps 

Mike


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

You could start Leia's thread on the puppy board, it's a great way to document her first year  THen you can include what you're working on, different phases she goes through and her photos etc. You will be amazed at how quickly you'll forget things, so it's nice to have a record. 

Your class sounds great, anything to get you all out of the house and keep you honest about practice. It will be a great way to make friends with nice puppies to get together outside of class too.


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

I can't really add anything to what Kristy has said as she's very thorough but I just wanted to reassure you that things do get better!!

My now, almost 5 year old boy, was the puppy from HELL! We were pretty sure he was part devil and most people would have parted ways with him after a week. However, with him being my 5th Golden I knew what I was in for but my previous 4 boys weren't nearly as bad.

I can say now that he is the dog I've always wanted (although my other boys are/were awesome as well). Mind you, I have put many, many hours into his training and it has all been worth it. He's a very well behaved, polite, happy, friendly boy. Other than to work, I take him with me wherever I go because I know he is trustworthy.

Just want to add that Leia is adorable!!!! 

Keep up the good work and you will be rewarded with your best friend ever!


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## LittleRedDawg (Oct 5, 2011)

>>- If she's biting out of over-excitement I'm saying no - often multiple times - and then ignoring her.
- If she gets really bad I pick her up and take her back (inside) to her crate to cool off.<<

Time out works and sometimes is best for an excited overstimulated puppy. A firm muzzle grab with one hand, scruff with the other and "no" will fix the behavior also however...

>>- If she's just nibbling in a relaxed stance I'll say 'no' and then replace whatever she's nibbling on with an object she can chew and then praise her for chewing on the chew object.<<

Let her keep stuff when it's not a problem... I have a pup who loved hard plastic door stoppers... I try not to regularly take things away so they're on edge about having their prizes stolen. I don't praise my pups for chewing on anything... it's puppy behavior, most of them do it... it's not that exciting. I'm much happier when they turn into adults and don't chew on couches or steal clothes from the laundry...

>>- When she's trying to sneak away under a hedge in the garden I'll hold her so she's not going anywhere and try to bring her to lead her to another location, often very ineffectively. Most of the time she spends in the garden is on a lead as getting her attention is hard...<<

This is the hardest thing for new owners to learn. Take your pup somewhere she won't get in trouble, either fenced or big enough it doesn't need to be fenced, *be quiet!* and let her go. She needs to learn how to be off lead. At this point she's 10 weeks old. You can catch her again if you need to. Let her learn at this size how to explore in an appropriate radius, and how to follow you.

You may benefit from fencing off areas she shouldn't be in and teaching her a "leave it" command.

Also - regarding attention - you cannot expect her attention if you are not giving your attention. You will get exactly what you give. I personally do. not. care. if my dogs go play and completely ignore me. It's okay. When I'm mowing the grass or packing the car for the weekend, etc, I guarantee I'm not paying much attention to them either. Teach her that there are times she has to pay attention and times when she can be a puppy, by being very clear and not trying to call her every 15 seconds.

>>- ... When I want her attention I whistle. The second I begin whistling a tune she runs at me and starts licking my face. I can't help but feel like I shouldn't be doing this as it's not really training her to do anything.<<

On the heels of the previous comment... this is so difficult for newbies. Don't give commands you can't enforce, don't ask her to do things if you're not prepared to follow up. If you call her, *call her* and then don't give up until you have your hands on her again. This isn't a command where "never mind" is ever an option. "If you want to" is also not an option for puppies. Right now you're idling making interesting noises and she's coming to check it out because she's young enough she's still curious - that's not going to last long.

If you are concerned about her coming when called, make her drag a checkcord long enough to catch if needed and reel her in, and call her when it's important. Owners do have a tendency to "nag" and become the "boy who cried wolf" - you know the story. Make it important and if you're into treats, make the reward worth coming for.

Find a trainer who gets good results with their students and you like the way *their* dogs behave. If you're into reading, find an author with a proven performance record and follow their program. Many of the field/hunting programs have a solid obedience foundation that you could follow... sounds like you'd benefit from a solid program and mentor. You can do this, it just takes deliberate action and consistency.


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## MikeDaniel (Mar 24, 2017)

LittleRedDawg said:


> >>- If she's biting out of over-excitement I'm saying no - often multiple times - and then ignoring her.
> - If she gets really bad I pick her up and take her back (inside) to her crate to cool off.<<
> 
> Time out works and sometimes is best for an excited overstimulated puppy. A firm muzzle grab with one hand, scruff with the other and "no" will fix the behavior also however...
> ...


Thank you for such a detailed reply on my current techniques. Again, all of this has been added to my repertoire. I definitely focussed on not be a nag with her in the garden today, though I already generally let her do her own thing in the garden. She actually found a toy that someone must have thrown in our hedge whilst walking up our lane (one man's junk, ay?) and she's been infatuated with it all day. Might have to buy her some more toys if this is how entertained she gets when a new one is introduced.

I also did her first marker training session today which was simply charging the word 'good' with treats. Hopefully she'll pick it up fast!!

Mike


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## MikeDaniel (Mar 24, 2017)

nolefan said:


> You could start Leia's thread on the puppy board, it's a great way to document her first year  THen you can include what you're working on, different phases she goes through and her photos etc. You will be amazed at how quickly you'll forget things, so it's nice to have a record.
> 
> Your class sounds great, anything to get you all out of the house and keep you honest about practice. It will be a great way to make friends with nice puppies to get together outside of class too.


Thank you Kristy. As per your suggestion I've created a thread for her here: http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/golden-retriever-puppy-up-1-year/448913-leia.html I hope you enjoy it 



Laurie said:


> I can't really add anything to what Kristy has said as she's very thorough but I just wanted to reassure you that things do get better!!
> 
> My now, almost 5 year old boy, was the puppy from HELL! We were pretty sure he was part devil and most people would have parted ways with him after a week. However, with him being my 5th Golden I knew what I was in for but my previous 4 boys weren't nearly as bad.
> 
> ...


Thank you Laurie, that brings me hope even if Leia so far (touch wood) has been far from troublesome. Glad to hear the success of your training too. I ended up making a document with all the methods and advice I've been given so I can give her the training she deserves and do her justice. Over the coming weeks, months and years I hope to really get it down to a tee.

Mike


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## tony.aantoniou (Dec 23, 2014)

Hi you may use the below method which is very effective:

play with your puppy and let him mouth on your hands until he bites hard and give a high-pitched yelping sound as if you are hurt . Then let your hand go limp and this should stop your puppy from biting. If it seems that the yelp has no effect then you can use a loud, “Ow! When your puppy stops mouthing, praise and offer him a treat. Then continue play. you should not repeat the limp and yelp process more than three times in fifteen minutes and then you should go to step 3. encourage good behavior by Every time your little puppy behaves good and does not bite, make sure you tell him some good pleasant words and pet him . I hope This way you will encourage your puppy to stop mouthing and biting.


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## Rlmitchell72 (Apr 2, 2017)

She's absolutely beautiful! I don't have much to add as I am still 2 days out from being a golden retriever owner (we pick up our Harvey on Tuesday, and I can't WAIT for our adventure to begin).

I've been reading through all the responses to your questions in hopes of gaining some knowledge that might help with our upcoming adventure. It sounds like "patience" is the key to raising a well-mannered friend forever. 

I look forward to reading more about your training and will share our struggles when they begin in a few days!

Beautiful dog!! Our pain will be rewarded, I'm sure!

Rhonda


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