Puppy help - questions!

[inappropriatelyemployed]

Hi all

Just looking for a bit of advice as novice puppy owners.

We have a golden retriever puppy (7 weeks). We have only had him two days. He is a very good boy and seems very content.

Today he started biting and chewing. I know this is to be expected but just wanted advice on a couple of things.

If I am sitting on the floor with him and he starts to bite (maybe trying to chew at my shoes or jeans), I try and substitute a chew toy immediately. However, it is sometimes not quick enough.

I know the advice if you are standing and he jumps or bites is to turn away but it's hard to do this sat on the floor. I don't want to be nervous of sitting with him and then make him tense.

He has been brilliant at toilet training. Nothing inside at all (early days I know). We had newspaper in his crate too but we just get up to take him out. He went in there today and started ripping up and chewing all the newspaper. Is it best just to leave it?

Basic advice about teaching 'leave' and diverting attention to things he can chew greatly appreciated!

Remember we are new to this and are trying to do the right thing so don't judge!

No judging

The point of the turn around when chewing is just that the dog understands that chewing = the end of any attention. You can achieve that just as well on the floor by simply withdrawing your hands, looking elsewhere and being v boring for a few minutes.

The substitution doesn't have to be super quick so don't worry if he's been chewing your leg for a few seconds while you find the toy. Just make sure he gets lots of lovely praise when he interacts with whatever you have given him to chew.

When mine chewed my sofa (which he did!) I would simply say "don't do that' and move his head away from the sofa. I'd then offer him a toy he could chew and praise him in a happy voice when he sniffed, licked, chewed it. I'd also hold the toy for him and keep wiggling it gently to encourage him to keep chewing it rather than go back to the sofa.

This takes time so don't worry if this time next week it doesn't look like it's working. Just be consistent and it will come in time.

(Some) puppies just love to tear up paper and cardboard. My springer does so I wonder if it's more the mouthy retrieving type breeds that do? Anyway, I think in the same scenario as you I would just do away with the paper altogether. He's likely to tear it all up again as it is so much fun to do so, so it's not performing any useful purpose. Toilet training is quicker if they never have anywhere to go inside the house so getting rid of the paper helps this too.

Out of interest, he's a bit younger than most pups when they go to their new homes (most are 8 weeks). Is there a reason for that? Just curious.

Thanks this is really helpful. I find myself scared of being bitten at all. I think because, when we were little, we had a bitey dog which my parents did not deal with well at all so I have some poor memories of this.

Not sure about 7 weeks. Someone else asked this. The advice I have seen has said 7 - 8 weeks and some suggest 49 days. To be honest, we never asked the breeder if there was a specific reason. She is KC Assured and we did visits before her dog was even pregnant as she will only put people on a waiting list she has met etc. She has been quite meticulous in providing information and organising home visits and training support post puppy coming home.