Just got our puppy, need some advice!

Ivory

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#1
I'm not sure if this is normal for most puppies to do since this is my first dog. Our puppy is a golden retriever, 6 weeks old. She ALWAYS tries to bite my slippers or other people's feet, and we want her to stop. We say "no and bad puppy" but it has no effect on her. I was just wondering how to stop this? Or will it stop on it's own when she gets older? (She won't play with any of her real dog toys, just our shoes and feet)

And she also HATES being locked up. She cries and whines loudly whenever we lock her in her kennel. She's okay when the kennel door isn't locked, but once it gets locked, such as at night, she cries and cries.

What should I do? There's still a month before I can take her to obedience classes and I'm not sure what to do, help please!

Thank you!
 

bubbatd

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#2
She really should still be with her litter at this age . She's just doing with your feet and slippers what she would be doing with her Mom and litter mates . She really won't play with toys as such yet , give her a knotted sock and a soft stuffed animal to play with . NO tug of war !!! I never kenneled my Goldens , so can't help there . Good luck !
 
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#3
As far as the crating goes: it's difficult at first since they have been used to being with their litter and are now alone. It will probably be even more difficult for you since your pup should have still been with the litter for another week or two. The advice I'm going to give you is what we say to people with puppies who are 8 weeks old and older . . . those last two weeks can make a huge difference in a puppy so I am not sure how to modify my advice other than telling you to take her out more often. Hopefully there are people here who have had pups that young who can chime in.

Put her in her crate. She cries. You just have to hold tight and let her cry. Take her out AT LEAST every 2 hours during the night, being so young she may have to go out even more. Try not to open the crate door unless she is being quiet. Don't yell at her or give her ANY attention, just let her cry it out, the same as with human babies.

I swear Teeny was the WORST when she was young. Her screaming and crying would go on for about 2+ hours everytime she was crated. Now at 6 months old she puts herself to bed at night and is sleeps a good 8-10 hours silently (except for the snoring). But she'll still throw a hissy fit when crated during the day . . . she's a hard headed little beast . . . a constant work in progress :)

Congrats on the new puppy!!
 

Maxy24

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#4
Congrats on the new pup. Unfortunately she was taken away from her mom and siblings too early, it should have been 8 weeks at the earliest. I know two weeks difference does not sound like much but it is. For this reason she is a bit too young to grasp much training. Trying to take your shoes and bite you is perfectly normal for a puppy, that's how they explore their world just like a baby. She does not respond to "no or bad puppy" because she does not know what that means, for all she knows it could be a good thing, after all you do give her attention when she does it. You need to find toys she likes, maybe rope toys, kongs, squeaky toys, plush toys, balls, rubber bones, real raw bones, whatever she likes a lot. when ever she goes for your slippers move her away to her own toys and get her to play with them, praise her for playing with them. If you ever walk in and see her chewing her own toys make sure you praise her and maybe give her a treat. When does she bite your feet? when you are walking or sitting or playing with her or petting her? If you are walking, once again, redirect her to her toys and praise her when she uses them. if you are playing with her or petting her immediately stop what you are doing and redirect her to her toys. She NEEDS to chew and play, there is no way to stop that normal dog behavior you just need to make sure she is doing it to the right things.

Remember she is VERY young so she may not grasp the concept. Make sure you do not yell at, hit or physically punish her in any way.

For crating I would put the crate in your room at night so she can see/smell you which may comfort her. With such a young puppy she may very well miss her siblings and mom. To help with that you can use a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel to feel like another body and a ticking clock wrapped in a towel to sound like a pounding heart beat. they are very comforting sounds to a baby dog. Also I would feed her her meals in the crate. When she is in there and starts eating quietly close the door behind her. After the meal let her out (as long as she is not whining). NEVER let her out while she is whining/barking because then she will learn that behavior opens the door. Wait for a break in the noise to open the door. Also practice locking her in throughout the day. put her in and feed her treats from the back for being good. I would suggest putting something like a stuffed kong in the crate for her to keep her busy. Fill the kong with wet dog food or yogurt and then freeze it. That way it will take longer for her to get out and when teething starts the cold will soothe her gums.

Hope this helps, don't get frustrated as many puppy owners do, remember with some hard work it will get better. She is just a baby and does not know what you expect from her so it is up to you to teach her these things in a kind and gentle way.

And as stated above she will need to be taken out a few times at night so set your alarm!
 

Ivory

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#5
Thank you so much everyone for your help, it has helped alot! We are taking her to the vet tomorrow, so he will help us along too. Again, thanks so much for all your help!

Thanks again :D :D
 

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