7 weeks Old Today

Sadie turned 7 weeks old today.

Reflecting on the 6 days that we have had Sadie makes me wonder if we took her from her mother too soon.

Don't get me wrong, she's a wonderful, beautiful puppy with a sweet disposition but she probably needed to stay with her mother until at least 8 weeks. In fact, if I could do it all over again I would have purchased her that same day and arranged to pick her up on Sunday of next week.

When I did a Google search on the phrase "how old should a golden retriever puppies stay with mother", all of the searches came back with 8-10 weeks. Not a single response gave the all clear at 6 weeks.

Here's an example...

8 to 10 weeks. Up to that point the mother dog teaches the puppies how to behave. Then when you bring them home you become the pack leader and continue to teach them. Golden Retrievers are toddler until they are 3 years of age on average.

And another...

Some breeders will let them go at 6-7 weeks, but it's usually better to leave them with mom until they are 8-12 weeks old. Golden Retriever pups learn so much from mom/litter mates in that time. They learn how to play without being too rough, socialization skills, etc. I personally would leave them with mom until at least 8 weeks. That is still young enough for them to get used to children and not too young to be away from mom.

So Crystal and I are the pack leaders and get to teach Sadie socialization skills. It's going to be tricky but we are committed to doing that.

We took her to the pet store today and she walked around so nicely on a leash. She also made a lot of new people friends and was super gentle with each of them. Sadie loves people and she loves the snow.

Here are some pics of Sadie from right outside the pet shop today at 7 weeks old.

Golden Retriever Kong Recipes

Yesterday, I blogged about how Sadie needs to chew everything she comes in contact with and discussed our strategy on helping her make acceptable choices.

Today I discovered a breakthrough. Actually, the breeder and my wife both told me about this but I guess I needed to figure it out by myself.

The breakthrough...?

Golden Retrievers love Kongs.

Not sure what a Kong is? A kong is a device or chew toy made from extremely durable rubber. It is dishwasher and microwave safe. The reason you need to know this is because Kongs normally have a hole through the center that can be stuffed with tasty treats.

This keeps the Golden Retriever busy chewing something acceptable, often for long periods of time.

This is a picture of the Kong we are now using.

We stuffed our Golden Retriever's new Kong with low fat yogurt, then spread creamy peanut butter on the outside pockets. We froze it for about an hour and then gave it to Sadie. After she worked on it for nearly an hour it was no puzzle as to why the Kong is such a valuable training tool. This device trains your puppy while you're away by rewarding her with a tasty treat. All the while keeping herself occupied with an acceptable chewing activity.

Eureka! A dog that spends three hours getting a taty treat has little time to do any digging, barking, chewing, or breaking boundaries. Give it a try, your dog will thank you.

KONG Puppy Kong Toy, Small, Assorted Pink/Blue


Here are some pics of Sadie at 6 weeks and 6 days old trying to negotiate her way in to the off-limits section of our home.First, she tries the "look adorable technique. This is where she sits lovingly at the boundary and tries to convince me she'll be a good girl if I will just let her pass.

When that technique fails, Sadie decides she can gnaw her way through the metal gate. This technique would eventually give her success but her mouth, jaws, and teeth would regret it.

Another attempt, this time trying to squeeze through. Nope, too big and getting bigger every day.

Sadie Loves Her Toys

Golden Retriever pups are chewers and there's just no getting around it. Chewing is a natural behavior for all  breeds and it is beneficial to them because it helps promote healthy teeth, gums and even jaw muscles. There is a back side to chewing however. Sometimes a Golden pup may direct her chewing habits at objects that are supposed to be off-limits.

Chewing is also a dog's way of exploring the world around it. Just like human babies, puppies often learn about new things by putting them in their mouths. 

The solution to the problem is....

May I have a drum roll please?

Toys!

Lots and lots of toys. Golden Retriever puppies have to chew so give them something they're allowed to chew. Here are pics of Sadie from this morning with her chew toys. She is 6 weeks and 5 days old.