15 Week Old Golden Retriever - Barking?!

Hi all

My boyfriend has recently gotten a Golden Retriever. We've had her about 2 months now.

She has random bursts of energy, which we expected. She's a loveable dog, very happy, bouncy, incredibly clever. She knows to go outside to use the toilet, sit, lie down, stay, shake a paw! She picks things up very quickly.

But she has these moments (usually at night) where she barks and barks. She also bares her teeth and lunges, as if to bite, but never makes contact. She jumps up (which we're working on), but it's mainly the barking which she seems to aim at me (I'm the only female that visits the house).

My parents have 3 collies and are fully trained. Our advice was always, if they bite, smack their nose and tell them no. Be firm. But if we do that with the retriever, she barks louder and jumps at you, baring teeth and becomes hyperactive. She also latches onto clothing with her teeth and won't let go, until we have to pry the clothes from her. I really do believe she is playing (she had 8 brothers and sisters and so likes to play!), but I want to prevent this behaviour early!

We got a trainer in who advised to lavish her in toys, keep her distracted, if she bites clothes or barks, then occupy her with toys. But I feel as though this is rewarding bad behaviour?

Can anyone offer advice? She's going to be very big when she's older (her paws are huge!) so I don't want her barking and lunging when she's bigger!

Well if you smacked me on the nose for talking I'd bite you and so will the dog if you persist with smacking her nose, how would you like it? She's a puppy, she needs to learn what is and is not acceptable and quite honestly so do you.The trainer is right, replace your sleeve with a chew toy or distract her with a squeaky ball. Train her to "leave it" much more use than shaking a paw. Teach the essentials first before moving on to tricks and reward her when she gets it right, never smack her on the nose no matter what.

There's no need to be so abrupt - I stated we smacked our Collies on the nose, not the puppy, and we've never had an issue with that working. And it wasn't for barking, it was for the biting, which is obviously bad behaviour.

Thanks anyway.

It's cruel, try smacking yourself on the nose if you don't believe me.
Sometimes abrupt is best, no point burying the important stuff in a pile of dross.
Don't ask the question if you're going to object to the replies.

I'm asking for advice, and there's ways to approach it. You're just being unnecessarily rude about it.

Again, thanks.

If you say so love.
I know how to treat dogs and you don't.
You think it's ok to smack a dog on the nose and it isn't, so stop it immediately.
Go back to the trainer because they know what they are talking about and you clearly do not.
I'm not arguing with you.

Your trainer has given you some very good advice. Rather than punishing a puppy with a smack - which it is unlikely understand, and may grow up planning how he can retaliate aginst - it is so much easier to deflect these baby attempts at aggression onto a tuggy toy, and turning it into a game which he is occasionally allowed the chance to win.. This can then become a fun game you both can share, and will develop into a valuable non food reward for future training.

Barking is a way of attention seeking. Hyperactivity is also a sign of probably too much protein in the food you are feeding, especially if it is a dry complete or tinned food. If you are feeding a natural diet eg:barf then protein may not be the issue here. How much training do you do during the day. Not just outside exercise but proper brain training. I can put our brain training notes on here if you would like me to. I have put them on anyway just so you can see if you would find them useful.

Subject: Brain games for dogs.

Brain games for dogs.

If your dog is highly intelligent then the usual training may not be enough to mentally stimulate and consequently tire your dog. This can lead to a dog that gets in to mischief.

In addition to your usual training routine you need to be providing things that really make your dog think. Some of these may require retrieve as an end result, this is taught in our intermediate course. A help sheet is available if you would like to start this sooner, especially if your dog is very bright.

Hide the toy. Get you dog interested in a favourite toy, shut them out the room and hide the toy. Let them in and encourage the dog to find the toy using the phrase "where is it?" Vary the hiding place!

This can lead on to seek back. Whilst walking around a room or your garden, casually drop something like a glove, wallet or small bunch of keys (with a leather or fabric fob attached). Continue walking a little, then say "oh I've lost (whatever the item is)" and encourage your dog to find the item.

Either of these can end with the dog indicating the item's whereabouts or with the dog picking the item up and giving it to you (this will depend on whether you have taught retrieve yet), hence the leather fob on a small bunch of keys, some dogs won't pick up metal.

In turn this can lead to scent work. Identical items are placed in a pattern on the floor, preferably by another person. You have one item on you to pick up your scent. This is placed in the pattern, the dog is encouraged to smell your hand and then find the correct item from the pattern. (We have a work sheet for more detailed instructions on how to teach this, if you are interested in it.)

Name the toy. Every time you play with the dog with a particular toy, use the toy's name. i.e ball, bone, ring. If you have multiple toys of one type be colour specific, blue ball, red ball. This starts to teach your dog item names. You can then put two or three items out on the floor and ask your dog to select the correct toy. i.e three balls, all different colours and they must choose the colour you ask for. The reward for getting it correct is a game. If they bring the wrong one, put it back in the pattern and start again. Challenge yourself...how many item names can you successfully teach your dog and how many items can you lay in a pattern and your dog still pick the right one?

Cones. Have several cones or pots of the same type. Out of view of the dog, hide a treat under one. Encourage your dog to find the treat.

Positions. Stand, sit and down in varying patterns is the basic start point. Then reduce the amount of treats used to get the position, then increase the distance you are away from your dog when you ask them to change position. Try to do this with them remaining on the same spot, not coming forward to meet you.

Human spotting. For use when you have taught your dog to retrieve.
As with toys, name yourself and any family members for the dog. This can start as hide and seek. One person holds the dog, another goes out of sight very fast and hides. Encourage the dog to find them whilst saying "where's (insert name). Lots of praise when they are found.
You can then encourage your dog to take a toy to a specific person. In the first instance,Have your dog hold the toy, say "take it to (insert name)" and at the same time that person calls the dog. This builds up with the other person not needing to call the dog because he knows who they are that your phrase means to take the toy to them.







:

Thanks to Carole C and Brenda!

I'll stick to what the trainer told me and persist! I've also read a lot about stepping out of the room when she is trying to bite, to show her that "playtime stops when she bites" - what do you think to this? I don't want her to think when she gets excited that she'll be abandoned!

We do bits of brain training through the day, mainly at night though for 10-15 minutes. We've been doing a lot of the "watch me" command, to make sure when she is distracted that she knows where her attention should be. This works sometimes when she's hyper, but not all the time.

Big thank you about the protein - I didn't realise excessive protein could lead to hyperactivity. She's on a mixture of dry and wet puppy food at the moment.

Naming the toy I've realised we've done without even thinking about it! She has a soft penguin that we can put plastic bottles inside, and when we ask her to bring her penguin and play with it, she knows what we mean! We also play hide and seek with her a lot, which she loves and bounces around when she's found us!

Thank you for the brain training advice - I'll definitely try hiding a treat under a cone tonight!