my 7 month old golden changed for the worse

Question

Riley at 6 months   QUESTION: I got a golden retriever pup in july of this year he was the sweetest pup ever he sat,gave paw ,stayed, walked great on a leash was verry calm and well behaved at 9 wks.he hit 6 months and became more hurtful dauring play.bitting real hare not listening to no! pulling on the leash when walking,jumping on people,that he never did and sometimes nipping at our legs,the bitting or chewing,jumping aand pulling has taken all the fun out of the dream ive  had all of my life,to have a golden.my husband and I are frustrated.we havent the extra money right now to bring him to obedience school that he desperatly needs before its to late to teach him maners.  please help!!!!  linda. ps Riley is 55 pounds how much bigger should he get, his dad didnt look to big but the grandfather was english cream wich he tends to lool more like.

ANSWER: Hi, Linda,

Thanks for the question.

First of all it's not unusual for this kind of behavior to show itself at around 6 mos. or so. These are a dog's teenage "years;" he's going through his independence phase.

When you taught him all the commands he learned, how did you do it, with treats or did you push him into position, etc.? Do you ever scold him or punish him for any misbehavior?

I look forward to hearing back from you,

LCK

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QUESTION: Hi Lee,we didnt have to scold or punish him he was perfect,if he did do some little thing like peeing on the floor we didnt scold we simply said no no and right away took him to the back yard too go.we had wee wee pads down and he used them ,but he was taken out every 2 hours at first.the training him part was also very easy i simply said sit and put my hand on his bumper and genty made him sit gave him a little doggie treat,no table food, and he caught on the first few times I was amazed and he layed down, stayed, rolled over,gave me his paw.he still does those things.we never hit or yell at him we just couldn'thes so sweet,I neven had a pup before and always dreamed some day I would be able to have a golden,I never thought I waould love him as deeply as i do,so I want him to be the best he can be,so if you can help with some tips on how to teach him better manersI would be forever grateful.the hard play bitting,the jumping and nipping,pulling on the leash when walking,and (chewing on everything),well thats normal I guess,he loves rawhide bones thats all he will chew on ,I supervise him carefuly.but the bad behavior has to be stopped now or he will never listen.I need him to obey me I just need your help getting him or us on the right track.thanks,I'll be waiting to here back,    linda,  ps do you have an Idea of how big he'll get hes 55 pds now at 7 months?

ANSWER: Hi again.

Sorry, but I have some more questions.

How old was he when you got him? When he was a young pup, what kinds of things did you do to make sure he didn't mouth your hands or nip you in play?

Cut to the present: how much hard vigorous playful activity does he get outdoors every day? Do you play fetch and tug with him outdoors? Giving a dog a toy to bite in play will decrease his "mouthiness" and will tend to automatically make him more obedient. Do you ever take him on long walks in a natural setting, like a park or local nature reserve, etc.? Also, what would you say is the ratio between how much physical affection you give him as opposed to the amount of hard vigorous playful exercise he engages in with you every day?

LCK

BTW, for a sensitive dog like yours, being told "No" is the same thing as being scolded; it increases a dog's internal tension. And for dogs the primary means of reducing internal tension is through biting or chewing. This is especially true in retrievers.

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QUESTION: hi Lee we do give him alot of physical attention hes spoiled,hes are baby,but we do give him a lot of vigorus play and he goes out door alot,when he started bitting harder and no meant nothing anymore we slowed down the rough housing,we still play wiyh his toys,catch but when he bits too hard and doesnt listento no we stop playing.we have a harder time going for long walks now because he wants to jump on us while we walk,so that gets cut short too.if no is the same as scolding isnt that what were suposed to do when he misbehaves?please help with some basic training methods that work on stubborn dogs. I always thought goldens were mellow,easy to train,smart,  what happened to mine.  help!!!!!!!!!!!    linda

Answer
Hi again.

What happened was you spoiled him with too much affection!
 
         DOGS NEED MORE PLAYTIME THAN CUDDLE TIME!

Dogs are also designed to reduce internal tension primarily through biting. With this in mind, I recommend that you play tug-of-war with him, using the rules outlined in the link below:

http://www.tiny.cc/tug

He should sleep in his crate at night, and should only be allowed out when he's calm and docile.

http://www.tiny.cc/CrateTraining

You should hand feed him all his meals outdoors, using what's called the "pushing exercise." Essentially you let him eat out of one hand, then surreptitiously put your other hand gently against his chest, cupping the breast bone. When he finishes a handful of food take both hands away; he should never feel pressure against his chest unless he's also eating at the same time. Over time pull the food hand away from a little further at each meal until he gets to the point that he's pushing into you as hard as he can as he eats. Here are the links:

http://tinyurl.com/3balu6 (pushing exercise, a la Neil)

http://www.tiny.cc/SwimUpstream (pushing exercise)

You should also teach him the "eyes" exercise. Part of his behavioral problem is related to the fact that your level of gaze, which is well above is, creates feelings of tension. This exercise will teach him that looking you in the eyes makes him feel calm.

http://tiny.cc/TheEyesHaveIt

If you need to control him during any of this, to keep him from biting, use simple control techniques like using the leash to keep him away from your body. You may also have to lift up on the leash so that his front paws are slightly off the ground. Don't do this to punish him, and DON'T HANG HIM like that. Just lift his front paws slightly off the ground until he settles a little. He has to learn the limits of his power, and the best way to teach him that is to use only the amount of pressure on the leash necessary to keep his teeth away from your skin. No scolding, no jerking the leash. Be as calm as possible, take deep breaths, and then praise him when he settles down.

You should also talk to your vet to rule out a medical cause of the behavior, but do NOT let the vet talk you into using psychoactive drugs! He's not dominant, he's not aggressive (exactly), he's just a wild teenager that's been spoiled too much by his parents.

If you have any questions or problems feel free to contact me again,
LCK