Re: ....Questions.....

[Ilene Cook <asorosgd@ameritech.net>]

Gina Heitz wrote:
 In closing though, I do have to throw in this one last banter:  How
many 
pounds of raw chicken was it that Rocket surfed out of the frying pan
that 
day?

That was about two pounds of raw chicken for the counter surfer Rocket!
Gina is making a point here, and I am a big enough girl to point that
out to you all. My dogs are NOT treated cruelly. They do get into stuff
also! If this kind of behavior is going to really bother you, you
shouldn't get a Golden Retriever. They are the sweetest, but they can
find trouble like the best of them. They ARE the champions of counter
surfing. For all my talk, this is one thing that I have never got under
control. Probably because there is so many doing it. Rocket will eat out
of the frying pan if you are not right there watching! 
 My whole point was that you need to remember that your puppy is
learning from the time you bring "her" home. If you let that sweet face
and those big brown eyes influence your training decisions, you are done
for. Gina would NOT be letting you have one of her puppies if she didn't
feel that you would be a wonderful home for that puppy. So, realize
this. Do not be afraid, or feel guilty for setting limits for that
puppy. I know you are going to give that puppy all of your love. As it
should be! But, we all know and dislike spoiled children. Dogs can be
the same way, and most often with the best intentions. People think that
they need to wait until their puppy grows up so it will understand
better, and all the time it was understanding! It was understanding that
it gets to set it's own rules, and do whatever it wants. 
Having a well behaved dog, is very easy. You just need to let go of the
guilt. I know, cause I was like this once, a long time ago. As for the
crate, here is another pointer. My dogs never get treats unless they are
going into the crate. On a busy day, this means they might get lots of
treats, and on a slow day, maybe only at bedtime. I established this
behavior. They actually can't wait for bedtime! This makes the crate a
great place when they know a treat is coming.
 Also, I never let a puppy out of a crate the first nights home. I put a
newspaper in there, although some books might say different. If I work,
I leave that newspaper in there until I know that puppy can hold it long
enough. So, you see, I set my own training rules. If I have a puppy that
cries the first night and won't settle down, I move the crate beside the
couch. I get my pillow and blanket and I sleep next to the puppy.
Usually they settle right down, because they were just lonely or scared
to be   sleeping all alone. I simply tell them to quiet down now, and I
have never had one that didn't. If I did, I would move my pillow to the
floor, and curl up right next to the crate. But, I would NEVER let that
puppy out. If I did this, the puppy would continue to cry every night,
and where would that get me?
 So, anyone out there that has found a good training trick for counter
surfing, I am all ears!!

                                    Ilene (old)