A Puppy Thread

[Mike Jett]

I put my "puppy" to sleep on Thursday.

It's been very hard, but looking at you going through all of these new things with Tex reminds me very much of the awesome times I had growing up with a best friend like I had.

Enjoy every day that you have with him like you are now. Just trust me.

[Golden_Rhino]

LOL. That cat is giving that dog devil eyes.

[KittyKat]

Oh My God that is so cute.

Be prepared to be swarmed by chicks if you take him out in public.

[Sadat X]

I have a golden too, we got him as a puppy about 2 years ago. Goldens are exceptionally intelligent and obedient, so housebreaking shouldn't be a big problem.

Be sure to give him plenty of exercise and socialize him as much as possible a a young age.

[djoyce003]

Tex,

Don't take the dog to the dog park until he's had his vaccinations for Parvo and some of the other more nasty diseases. He can't have those shots until he's 3 months I think. If your dog gets Parvo he'll die. Talk to your vet before you take him to a dog park.

[LockForward]

At 7 months you should be working on basic obedience with your dog. Teaching sit, down, and come. Once she has mastered these, take her out of the house and start working on these things. Get her around new people and have her sit, down, etc. Teach her that her excited behavior doesn't get a reaction out of you or other people.

If you are having trouble with the crate, try and make the crate a positive place. When you place her in the crate, toss a treat in after her. Put her in her crate at random times throughout the day, when you aren't going to be leaving her in there but for a few moments. The exercise is going to look like this.

You command dog to go into crate
Dog goes in crate
You reward the dog for being in the crate
You close the dog in the crate

At first just leave the dog in there for a few moments, and as long as she isn't protesting, let her out. When you open the crate, make sure she waits for a verbal command from you like "free" or "okay" before she can leave the crate. You can also feed her all of her meals inside the crate, just substitute her food bowl for the treat.

For the walking, simply move in the opposite direction the dog is attempting to lead you in, call the dogs name, and give the leash a tug if she doesn't follow. Reward her once she catches up to you. If she goes left, you go right, if she runs forward, you move backwards, etc. Keep the collar high up on the neck. You might also want to switch to a training collar if you haven't already.

[LockForward]

[ QUOTE ]

Don't take the dog to the dog park until he's had his vaccinations for Parvo and some of the other more nasty diseases. He can't have those shots until he's 3 months I think. If your dog gets Parvo he'll die.

[/ QUOTE ]
Puppies usually get 3 to 4 rounds of "puppy shots" which will include a vaccination for parvo. The first round is usually given at 6 to 7 weeks of age, and the last round is given at 14 to 16 weeks of age. Just remember, just because your dog has been vaccinated doesn't mean he has built up immunity yet. Not all dogs who get parvo die if they're given prompt veterinary treatment.

[ QUOTE ]
Talk to your vet before you take him to a dog park.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't take your dog to a dog park.

[1C5]

Well, glad I am not the only one here who hates dog parks with a passion.

[z28dreams]

I'd just like to point out that Puppy Bowl III is on Animal Planet right now - catch it during commercials for some entertainment.

[vikefan24]

I have a female golden, I remember when she was that size, it doesn't last long.. Probably the only kind of dog I will ever buy.. Very cute puppy