# Need help quickly!



## Markizzza (Jul 13, 2014)




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## Markizzza (Jul 13, 2014)

Thats all her laying


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## Markizzza (Jul 13, 2014)

When she was a bit younger, STill laying


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

First of all remember she is just a baby. Don't expect too much out of her. 
The walking issues that you mention seem pretty typical to me. They grow out of that with training and patience.
The submissiveness, I'm not too sure about. Others should have advice on this.
But more than anything, remember she is just a baby still!


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

She's very cute!


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## Markizzza (Jul 13, 2014)

Hey, I know but shes acting like this the same way with her brothers and sisters, they jump on her, growl and bark and inviting her to play and all she does it goes behind my legs, She did that submissive thing on a 1 month smaller retriever, like he was a king, she layed down right infront of him surendering


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

She is just a baby, I don't know what exactly you are expecting of her at that age. 
And running with her, she is too little to go jogging if that is what you are talking about. She needs someone that has patience with her, especially if she came from such a bad background. She is a baby, she has a lot to learn and it won't happen over night and it won't happen with getting frustrated and angry at her!!!!!!!!!!


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## Markizzza (Jul 13, 2014)

Like i have told Jennifer, we were with her brothers and sisters, and with the younger retriever, everybody was jumping on her and she wouldnt play with any dog, she would run behind me and sit there, or be submissive with some dogs, just lays in front of them like surendering, same with people


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## Anon-2130948gsoni (Apr 12, 2014)

She's a sweet, shy dog and she's just a baby...there's nothing wrong with that! It could be so, so much worse...you could have an aggressive dog or one that attacks other dogs! Being submissive is something you can work with. Just be patient and kind...the madder you get, the more submissive she will try to be because she's trying to please you and that's the only way she knows.

Heck, put her on a plane and I'll take her...I think she's darling!


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

How about you try putting her in a play situation and be her advocate- sit there, let her lie under your legs till she feels brave enough to initiate some play. 
She is a darling girl- and honestly, any puppy can act like this for a while and if you will just roll with it and give her some confidence building exercises, like do sits and give big praise- then she should gain some ground. I'm curious what sort of pills burnt her organs, though- a wormer shouldn't do that- 
the parasite load alone is enough to make her feel less secure- she's a baby and will be one except for some shining moments for quite some time to come. The time you invest in her training and confidence now will pay off for the next decade- try and get into her head and see if you can make her shine.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Markizzza said:


> Hello everybody! This is our first post on here and first i want to thank you all for being here to help us all and share thoughts.
> The story here is about one little Golden Retriever.
> Her (female) name is Nala, Simbas (from lion king) wife. Haha.
> Well she is a prettiest dog ever and shes amazing really! Shes my first dog and its amazing, but we are having some trouble and wee need your help!
> ...


So she is ONLY 4 months old. She is a tiny baby and you are expecting too much from her at this age. Puppies that age pretty much play for a few minutes, and then sleep alot. That is normal.

You unknowingly bought the most timid and fearful puppy in the litter. You have a lot of work ahead of you to try and teach her confidence. But AGAIN at 4 months old she is much too young to even begin to expect her to start changing, and you have to be very, very patient. The best thing you can do would be to find a good trainer that understands how to help timid, fearful dogs.

Again, at 4 months old you are expecting too much if you think she is going to walk on the leash well. You need to practice, take toys and treats with you to encourage her to continue walking with you, and keep the walks fairly short. At her age she has a very short attention span too, and puppies are easily distracted by what ever is around them and it is totally normal for puppies to pick up everything in their mouth. 

Any training you have done is no where near solid, she may do it occasionally but she is not "trained" yet. 

Getting a dog to come when you call takes months and months of practice, you have not had her long enough to make coming when called a habit for her. She does not speak your language so she does not understand what you are saying, you have to practice, and practice and practice with her for many weeks, many months so she makes the connection of the command to the action you want from her, and it becomes a habit to come when you call.

I guarantee you if you sell her and get a male puppy, you will have the same problems with any puppy this age. This is all training that time and patience. But if you really are not willing to be patient and take the time to train your puppy, then yes you should find her a new home. But if you do, then don't get another puppy.


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## Rkaymay (May 12, 2014)

Shy/timid puppies always require a VERY gentle, very patient approach. Yelling at her will, in fact, make her submissiveness worse. It is YOUR job to show her how amazing the world is. When she hides behind your legs instead of playing with other pups, don't comfort her and don't get mad at her. Laugh and play with those puppies - show her how fun it is. She will need extra socialization and extra patience. She will come out of her shell, but only with your help.

Telling her "no" means nothing to her. She doesn't speak English. She just knows you're upset, but she doesn't know why or how to fix it. The peeing thing is submissive. You have to show her what you want her to do, not tell her "no" and expect her to just know the right thing to do. If that's your plan for raising a puppy, you'll have the same problems with a male puppy.

She sounds like a very calm and very sweet girl - honestly, sometimes I'd take that over my hellion of a puppy (mostly kidding - I adore my little hell-raiser). What exactly is it that you want from her? For her to play with you? Be more interesting. She's not bored and she's not lazy. Eating grass is fun. Zelda loves to eat bugs. She's going to eat everything she can find, she's going to resist the leash, she's going to drive you insane - welcome to puppyhood. But don't get mad at her for doing puppy things. ALL puppies will act like that.


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## Rkaymay (May 12, 2014)

Markizzza said:


> Hey, I know but shes acting like this the same way with her brothers and sisters, they jump on her, growl and bark and inviting her to play and all she does it goes behind my legs, She did that submissive thing on a 1 month smaller retriever, like he was a king, she layed down right infront of him surendering


My Zelda is not a dominant dog. She is very submissive with other dogs, especially males. She will show her belly to almost every new dog she meets. It is normal; in fact, it is very proper dog manners.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

I personally think you bit off way more than you could chew by getting a puppy. If you wanted so much out of a dog immediately, you should have gone with an adult or older dog that would already be trained. The things you're asking of her may not even happen by the time she's one year, let alone 4 months. Please, DO NOT get mad at her for being submissive. It will only make it worse. Each dog is unique and has their own personality. If your puppy would rather eat grass than play with other dogs, that is who she is. If that keeps you from loving her than do as Noreaster said and send her over  she's a beautiful girl.


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## ellisda1 (Jul 24, 2013)

Your poor, poor terrified confused puppy... I really didn't want to respond to your post but finally couldn't resist. I agree completely with ArchersMom - perhaps a puppy was the wrong choice for you. Would you expect a three year old human baby to complete a Triathalon, solve quadratic equations, and play first violin for the Berlin Philharmonic, all on the same day??? That's what you're expecting from this puppy. She is too young to understand "walking", she hasn't learned about her environment, she's exposed to way too many strangers and dogs. She does what any sane person or dog would do when exposed to too many overwhelming stimuli - she hides, or makes herself less threatening. She needs some time, and some consistency. Luckily she appears to trust you since she comes to you for protection. Have you read any of the dozens of good "How to raise a Puppy" books that are out there? You could learn a lot about what's appropriate training and socialization of your puppy. If not, contacting an experienced dog raiser/trainer would help you immensely. With patience, consistency and appropriate exposure to new experiences, odds are good that you'll eventually be happy with your dog. And what's wrong with submissiveness anyway???


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## boomers_dawn (Sep 20, 2009)

It sounds like you're frustrated and impatient with your puppy, she senses that and it makes her more anxious and fearful.

Please please try to take a deep breath and be more patient. Spend time with her 1 on 1 training her, exposing her to new people, things, and situations, and getting her out of her shell before putting her in situations where she'll be overwhelmed and submissive. 

I had a puppy who did the submissive pee pee, they outgrow that as they learn and get confidence over time. I hope this helps. She is beautiful and I hope it works out for you. It's very sad when people get a puppy who doesn't live up to their expectations of what they wanted.


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## DJdogman (Apr 23, 2013)

Such a cute little puppy! I'm only repeating what everyone else here has said, but you're frustration and anger is really not helping this little girl overcome her shyness.

We too picked the quietest pup of the litter, he was hiding behind a shovel whilst the rest of them were barking and nipping at feet. He's still very submissive with other dogs and never sticks up for himself. But have a look through my posts, he's the most fun, loving, affectionate dog and brings us so much joy. He has also become far more confident since we started sending him to doggy daycare.

All puppies are slow to walk at first. Patience is so worth it, she'll reward you time and time again over the years. Please don't get angry with her for being too shy to play or walk. If you do end up selling her, please make sure you get her a good home where someone has the time and patience to treat her right.


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## Mos20 (Jun 9, 2013)

"I dont know what to do anymore, im getting mad and im thinking of selling her and buying me a male dog who will play and be different."

If you sell her, then I can only hope then you find a family that will be dedicated to her, no matter what. Please don't have any kids, you may not get the personality you were hoping for. Thanks.


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