Golden Retriever

I sat trapped on the airplane, hurtling toward Orlando, strapped into my seat, some 30,000 feet above ground. I say â??trappedâ? because my seat, my entire row even, was constantly shaken, bumped and tossed by a pair of blond haired, angelic looking little monsters in the row in front of me.

Michael, twelve, and his brother, eight, found relief from boredom in the only way they knew howâ?¦by fighting, wrestling and annoying everyone for three rows in all directions.

At first, I, too, was irritated by the little blond cretins. But as their father finally erupted out of his seat to threaten the boys with bodily harm, I began to smile. I nearly laughed in fact. Not because the boys were finally getting a stern talking to. But because of the image that came to me.

Suddenly, the kids reminded me of a pair of blond Golden Retriever puppies, happy, rowdyâ?¦and completely out of control. Michael and David, lacking any direction from their parents, defaulted to known behaviors on that flight. They â??tore it up, from the floor up.â?

Dad yelled at the children in that low, angry tone well bred parents use when what they really want to do is scream out loud at their kids in the Walmart. And he scared them. Most of coach was grateful. But the good effects from that dressing down were all too temporary. My seat began to rock and roll once again. The puppiesâ??I mean the kidsâ??defaulted back to standard boy behaviors.

Thatâ??s when mom intervened. She came bearing gifts. Sweetly she told them that their choices included certain death at the hands of their fatherâ?¦or they could do the activity games in the shopping bag she dropped in their laps. She walked away.

The boys tore into that sack like Golden puppies into a Kong stuffed with liverwurst. Bags of pretzels, disposable cameras, coloring books and playing cards gushed from that cornucopia of childhood goodies like a geyser from Old Faithful.

This was a good thing.

Mind you, they were still boys.

â??Are we almost there yet?â?

â??How much minutes left?â?

Questions and protest still gave the boys opportunity to be, well, boys. But the worst of the pandemonium was over.

I have this bizarre tendency to view dog training as a metaphor for life itself. Not much in the way of human behavior escapes some direct correlation to dogs in my view. So I thought about Michael and David and about why they reminded me so much of puppies. Then it hit me.

Dad came along and told them what not to do. And that didnâ??t function for more than a few moments. Mom had a better idea. She showed the boys a new behavior they could do, concurrently presenting them with a consequence if they failed to choose the new, and more rewarding behavior she designed for them.

The parallel to our lives comes when helping dogs or puppies stop unwanted behavior. It is effective to teach a dog a new behavior that is incompatible with his unwanted behavior. It is less effective to simply correct a dog for doing the bad thing.

Take jumping on people. You can simply correct for it. But temptation remains. Plus, get with the 21st Century already. We have dogs for the â??warm and fuzzies.â? We are ever less likely to knee their dog off when the dog just wants to greet us. So instead of battling the dog, why not teach him to sit and offer paw to solicit attention? He canâ??t do that and jump now can he? Plus itâ??s such an engaging trick that itâ??s likely to win much more notice for the dog, and thus, becomes self-rewarding.

Dick Russell, a professional dog trainer in Louisiana, says he teaches the same â??sit and give pawâ? routine to space guarding dogs. A dog wonâ??t often sit and shake and guard space from a child all at the same time. I handle this problem in a different way. Using a gentle touch with the leash and collar, I teach the dog to move, and give up any space humans want to take. Either way, youâ??ve taught the dog what TO do as much as what NOT to do.

As for Michael and David, they played with their new toys for quite a while. I eyeballed them periodically, however, waiting for the old behavior to reassert itself. I smile, thinking about the dog training equipment nestled in my checked baggage. If only I could do children, we could all retire to my own private island, where dogs run free and children behave.

Marc Goldberg, CDT
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/your-puppy-have-fun-while-fixing-the-quotnaughtiness-factorquot-669980.html

I have a cat and might be getting a golden retriever. They say that if a golden gets bored he/she will chew on things. Would a cat keep him/her busy so he wouldn’t chew on things?

Thats going to depend on so many things. How old is the retriever? How old is the cat? Do the retriever and the cat get along? Are they inside or outside when they are alone?

If its a puppy, it will probably still chew on things cause thats what puppies do. Be sure to get lots of chew toys and take it out to run around and get lots of exercise. That way it won’t be so active in the house and be looking for things to play with and chew on. Be careful with rope toys. They are great for tug-of-war but do not leave it alone with the dog to chew on it. The dog can swallow the rope which can wrapped around the dogs insides. (Ive seen it and it isn’t pretty)

Now that being said, having two animals does keep them entertained more when they are left alone. It gives them a buddy to play with. It works great when you get two dogs instead of one. But dogs will be dogs and they will chew on things no matter how many animals you have,

I have a 20 month old Golden Retriever. I’ve had her since she was a puppy. She’s about average size for her breed. Everywhere I go people think she’s a puppy. She’s got some feathering around her hind legs, tummy, fronts, and tail. How long will it take before she reaches full maturity?

Show lines? Or field lines?

Field-bred dogs rarely attain the showy coats that their show-bred cousins do. Even at physical maturity, there’s usually an obvious difference.

If your Goldie is from a show breeder, she should have her full feathering by age 3. And should have MOST of that by age 2.

In choosing a dog for the family, it is a good idea we keep the children in mind. Some dogs are not tolerant of children and can be a threat to them. There are many breeds of dogs out there to choose from. Do your homework to see which one works the best with your family and especially your children.

By far the number one best dog breed for children hands down, would have to be, you guessed it, Labrador Retriever. This dog is well accepted because of its good nature. It is not generally aggressive or hyper. It is playful, easy-going, intelligent and patient. No wonder it is loved by the young and old. Because of its mild manner, it is first choice in working with the handicapped. It is has desire to please as if it knows its plight. The Lab is also a great pick if you have other animals. They are very accommodating. A well taken care of Lab can live up to 13 years. In order to reduce boredom in these dogs, they should be kept active. These dogs love playing in the yard or taking walks.

Number two on the list is the Golden Retriever. They are similar to the Lab in their personality. They are also mild mannered, kind and they enjoy being around people. They too are a top pick for working with the handicapped as well as the elderly. They too get along with other pets. These dogs are intelligent creatures to train. Playing fetch is a favorite game for them. Because of their playful nature, this breed of dog would be great for an older child who enjoys the outdoors. Regular grooming is required because of their long hair.

The next pick is the Beagle. Even though they have a baying bark, they are not aggressive dogs. What their barking does say about them is they make great watch dogs. These dogs have a friendly demeanor about them. Their tails seem to be in an unending wagging motion. Because friendliness comes natural with them, they do not like being left alone. They become bored when left by themselves for too long. They are great picks for smaller children because of their size.

Another great pick for children is the Basset Hound. They are generally docile, yet they are known for their stubbornness. They are also known for their gentleness and are quite sweet by nature. They are great with children of all ages and enjoy attention from them.

The German shepherd is another pick. Again, these are probably best for older children who enjoy playing outdoors. Because of their size and strength, they are probably not suitable for younger children. German Shepherds are known for their loyalty. Police often use this type of dog for search and rescue missions. They are protective by nature and are quite tolerant. It is best to start training these dogs as pups. Without training, they can be a handful.

The black and white spotted Dalmatian is associated with fire trucks. But for a family, a Dalmatian would be a trusted friend. They are very outgoing dogs with lots of energy to spare. This dog needs companionship from humans.

The Bearded Collie is another great pick. These are active dogs and would do best outdoors. They like to have open space to run, so being confined to an apartment would not suit these dogs.

Then there is the American Cocker Spaniel. They are sensitive and sweet dogs. They are generally obedient to their master and enjoy the attention of children. They are definitely a people friendly dog.

The Bearded Collie is known for its bounce. This dog is very playful and happy. They like to be around people and will not hide their excitement of being around you. Female Collies tend to be calmer, while males are more rambunctious.

Cockapoos not only are good around children, but they get on with other pets as well. They do not need a lot of space. Apartment life is OK with them.

In choosing the right dog for your family, always remember that there are always exceptions to the rules. Each dog is an individual, and why for the most part certain breeds are more children friendly, you should always be cautious with your child around unknown dogs.

Paul P. Duxbury
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/how-to-choose-a-dog-for-the-family-88069.html