# Is my 11-month old "puppy" normal???



## GinnyinPA (Oct 31, 2010)

Could it be that she spent most of her time crated before you adopted her? She may not be used to being very active. Like people, dogs need time to get into good condition. 

She could also still be really stressed from the move. Or on her version of good behavior. We were warned about the 'honeymoon period' and told that after a while, once our dog was relaxed, behavior could change drastically. In our case we had the demon dog first and a relaxed mostly mellow dog after he relaxed, but sometimes the opposite is true.


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## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

How long has she lived with you?

I have to tell you, some people wait years for their dog to be like the one you're describing. I have a 7.5 month old male puppy. He is really laid back, too. I often am heard saying he is a senior dog in a puppy body. 

If you're concerned, you could have her heart listened to by a cardiologist to rule out SAS or other problems. Just putting your head to her chest without a stethoscope won't tell you much. 

Puppies and some adult dogs don't have long attention spans. She might not be that ball driven. She's probably out of shape so that could also contribute to the panting, etc. She could also have bad hips or elbows if she's having trouble getting up and down. An xray sent to OFA for a nominal fee would be a good idea. Normal vets can read the xray, but the radiologists at OFA have years of experience reading tens of thousands of radiographs. I would send them there as well. The vet should be able to do this for you no problem. 

If you're still concerned, I'd think about having her thyroid tested as well. 

What breeder did she come from? You mentioned she was held back to be bred but wasn't obviously kept. Is there any way to get into contact with them?


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

> Especially since she is a spayed purebred Golden (what issues did the breeder discover that disqualified her from breeding?)


Was she part of a breeding program at the trainers? There are various reasons why she might have been spayed, and they aren't always about health. She also might have spayed her prior to placing her in a new home, which is very responsible of her.



> What symptoms do I need to watch for to start early treatment of potential problems?


Be aware of your dog's norms. Watch her like a hawk so you notice any deviation from her usual behavior, whether it's how she eats/drinks/sleeps/poops. Be on the lookout for increased urinating (utis, etc), for decreased appetite (could be anything), stiffness in the morning (joint problem), and just a reluctance to be in the middle of everything (could be normal for her, but if she's sleeping more or staying inside the house rather than hanging out with you or going for walks, then somehting could be bothering her). 



> Her stamina seems low. She ran hard and returned balls for 20-30 minutes yesterday then retired to the porch with heavy panting. It took her 10-15 minutes to recover. The Dalmatian seemed to go for hours and only stopped when I became tired.


Completely normal. Dalmations were bred for chasing cars, weren't they? Of course they will be more energetic. 



> Although she happily plays with the family while we are active, she is never rambunctious and out of control like the Dalmatian was and when we stop, she plops down on the floor to rest or sleep. My dalmatian NEVER did that. I think it's wonderful, but is it normal?


Same as above, but it could also be she was raised in a more sedentary household and hasn't adjusted to the higher activity levels yet. 



> She was lightly panting yesterday evening without having been very active. Our house is generally 68 degrees. She has a thick coat, but it wasn't warm. Could her heartbeat be too slow? Maybe she's in pain? What are symptoms of hip displaysia?


I wouldn't worry about it. Some goldens pant when they are stressed or relaxed. That's where all the "smiling golden" pics come from.  



> After reading about potential heart problems with the breed, I stuck my untrained ear to her chest and was alarmed with her heart's irregular beating. I read somewhere that an irregular beat is normal when they are resting and the beating coincides with breathing. True???


I tend to let the vet be judge of that when they do the doggy physical (my vet does it the same time I bring my guy in for his vaccinations in spring). 



> It looks like it takes her some effort to get up after lying down; not painful, just awkward...unless she's extra happy, then she springs up, tail wagging ready to go.


That sounds suspicious to me... 

The lower activity levels could be normal, but added to a little stiffness in the morning they could indicate your dog is making adjustments to stay comfortable. It's probably a good idea to have a hip xray done sometime this year just so you know what you are dealing with. 



> And why in the world does she dig up and eat cat poop? We used to have a cat problem in our yard and I think she's found all their buried "treats" while exploring her new territory? GROSS!


Gross, but normal.



> A lot of her behavior may be attributed to the pain of her ear infection and her placement into a new home (she did seem much happier to see me this morning compared to the first few mornings she came into our home), but part of me is thinking: "Wow, this dog is too good to be true, what is wrong with her?"


I do think there is an adjustment stage when you adopt an adult golden. There is a lot of stress and changes that they are dealing with, and they might not be used to or ready for the new routines. 

It took our collie a year before things slipped into gear for him. And three years later he's growing more affectionate with his people instead of always trying to be polite and careful. My sister started crying for joy a couple months ago when he greeted her with a lick on her face. Before that the only person he licked was my niece. 

I don't think it necessarily is the standard, and our collie likely had a rougher transition than your dog because he was tightly bonded with his first family. But it's one thing to keep in mind before comparing your dog to other puppies her age. 

*coughs* Of course as you can tell from all of the other threads here on GRF. We all worry about our dogs, whether they are healthy or not.


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

It could just be getting to know you and not being her full self yet. I wouldn't worry if she is 'laid back'. That being said, some dogs are. I have a very mellow field black lab. Not typical at all. Healthy and happy are the most important aspects. 

I think if the breeder kept the pup there was a reason, however perhaps something came up, not life threatening but when she made the decision to re-home the pup, decided it would be spayed. She didn't want the pup bred. That is responsible breeding. My pups I have gotten recently, came with limited papers meaning until I get their clearances I can't register any pups. So if I breed them now, the pups can not be registered. 

Welcome to the board. This is a fun place, great people we all love our goldens. We need pictures.


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## jweisman54 (May 22, 2010)

You seem to have a normal pup. My Izzy is almost 10 months and does a lot of the same behavior that yours does. She will retrieve for about 15 minutes and then get totally exhausted and plop right down. Izzy also does that "oh why do I have to get up" routine. But when she hears something she seems to have springs in her feet. Goldens are not a hyper dog like Dalmations are. Yes, they have high energy levels but the breeds are very different. I had a Golden with severe hip displaysia at 6 months and you could definitely tell that she was in pain but she lived to a ripe old age.

I think your pup will settle in and you will be pleasantly surprised by this breed.


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## Koda.k (Feb 7, 2011)

Thank you everyone for your posts and replies. Some of you had some questions and I will try to answer them here:
I didn't spend a lot of time learning about Koda's history before I picked her up. The trainer said he spend a few months of training with her after getting her from the breeder. Her care seemed average since she was given to me with a fairly decent ear infection (lots of build up in the ears) and she may have been crated for most of the day. She was bathed the morning I picked her up and she had major "bed head" so maybe she was bathed, then crated for the day. Maybe that was the norm. She is very good about getting into her crate at night; I just say: "go to bed" and she finds her stuffed bear and gets into the crate.
I don't think she was part of a breeding program. I wasn't concerned with lineage, or papers when I found her so I didn't ask. I probably should have done a little more homework to find more about the breed beforehand, but I doubt it would have changed my decisions; I knew I wanted Koda the second she came gliding out of her old house.
We've only had Koda for four days now and she seems to be getting better and better and her stamina seems to be improving. She played hard most of the day with our kids and their young cousins. After I returned home from work we did a little training and some play with tennis balls (she really loves tennis balls). I took her out to go potty before bed and she ran full speed laps around the yard for about twenty minutes while jumping over flower pots, garden plants, and playground toys...she is amazingly graceful! It was fun to watch. It had just snowed and I think she was excited about it. She ended her day on the floor next to me as I brushed her to sleep. She is awesome.
This morning when I greeted her before our walk she was extremely happy to see me and started exhibiting the happy dog, puppy attitude I expected.
I think her behavior may have been a combination of sore ears, stressful move, out of shape, and maybe a little soreness. I think I will have her hips checked because that still concerns me.
Thanks again for all your help and encouragement.


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## Koda.k (Feb 7, 2011)

Megora said:


> *coughs* Of course as you can tell from all of the other threads here on GRF. We all worry about our dogs, whether they are healthy or not.


That's for sure!


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Koda.k said:


> Thank you everyone for your posts and replies. Some of you had some questions and I will try to answer them here:
> I didn't spend a lot of time learning about Koda's history before I picked her up. The trainer said he spend a few months of training with her after getting her from the breeder. Her care seemed average since she was given to me with a fairly decent ear infection (lots of build up in the ears) and she may have been crated for most of the day. She was bathed the morning I picked her up and she had major "bed head" so maybe she was bathed, then crated for the day. Maybe that was the norm. She is very good about getting into her crate at night; I just say: "go to bed" and she finds her stuffed bear and gets into the crate.
> I don't think she was part of a breeding program. I wasn't concerned with lineage, or papers when I found her so I didn't ask. I probably should have done a little more homework to find more about the breed beforehand, but I doubt it would have changed my decisions; I knew I wanted Koda the second she came gliding out of her old house.
> We've only had Koda for four days now and she seems to be getting better and better and her stamina seems to be improving. She played hard most of the day with our kids and their young cousins. After I returned home from work we did a little training and some play with tennis balls (she really loves tennis balls). I took her out to go potty before bed and she ran full speed laps around the yard for about twenty minutes while jumping over flower pots, garden plants, and playground toys...she is amazingly graceful! It was fun to watch. It had just snowed and I think she was excited about it. She ended her day on the floor next to me as I brushed her to sleep. She is awesome.
> ...


I think you are spot on with your assessment. Congratulations on your new girl, and pictures are required! lol, just kidding, but we do love seeing lots of pictures.


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## Koda.k (Feb 7, 2011)

mylissyk said:


> I think you are spot on with your assessment. Congratulations on your new girl, and pictures are required! lol, just kidding, but we do love seeing lots of pictures.


I'm pretty proud of my girl so pictures will come soon; I just need to get some decent photos downloaded!


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