Any advise from other Golden Retriever owners or anyone really on what to look out for or problems they had?
Putting deposit down Saturday and picking her up on Aug 6th. She will have first round of shots and is AKC registered with hip, heart and eye clearances from the pedigree she comes from.
Any advice to keep the separation anxiety down when we go to work or bed? Don't know if she will have it but planning for it doesn't hurt. Plan on having a crate in the kitchen with an x-pen for during the day while we are at work (so she is not in a crate all day) and when we are home and can't watch her (making dinner, bathing the kid, etc.). Hope to keep her contained to there (or at lest the kitchen) until she is potty trained. Also going to have one by our bed at night with a blanket over the crate for sleeping.
Any advise for potty training quickly and efficiently? I know consistency but when we leave for work at 5:30 and aren't home till 3:30-4 its hard when she is puppy to train her when she cannot hold it all day.
Also grooming supplies? What works best?
Basically this is my first dog. I have had cats for forever. Still have one too, a Bengal named Oliver.
Thanks guy and gals

I don't have a golden, but I have a GSD that I got in February.  He's my first big dog I've ever had.  I can give you some advice based on my experiences with him.  First of all, you're going to be exhausted for awhile until things settle in.  Is there any way you or your wife an get home at lunch to let her outside, or do you have a neighbor that might be willing to help out?  I was able to go home at lunch and let my GSD out of his crate, which really helped with potty training.  If not, you'll be cleaning some messes up on the kitchen floor.  As for grooming supplies I use a furminator and brush him daily, which helps keep him quite clean.  I don't bathe him more than once every 1-2 months.  To help him with separation anxiety at night I actually slept next to his crate in a sleeping bag for awhile until he settled in, and I'd get up several times during the night to let him out until he could hold it through the night.  
Also, work with your puppy daily and bond with it.  You're not training it for right now, but for 2-3 years down the line and beyond.  There are a lot of people here that can give you good breed specific and just dog specific advice.  Good luck and post pics!

my Caleb is my 7th golden, never hit your dog, never scream at it, they have long memories so make your hand a place of refuge. do not get it fixed till it's at least 2 if at all.

Thanks for the tips!
We both work about 30 miles from home, but we do have a neighbor that I can ask her to help us out until she can hold it longer.

I set an alarm halfway through the night for puppy potty time. I'd go ahead and pay someone to come let the puppy out during the day. 8 hours is too long and potty training is kind of important.

 
#1 don't think about breed specific behavior issues.  The basic personality of your specific dog, how the breeder interacted with the dog, and how you interact with the dog are the source of 99.9% of issues.  Your dog will have issues, because neither you nor your dog nor the breeder is perfect.  But issues can get worked through.


#2 hence, general dog advice on issues (preventing separation anxiety) is what you should look for


#3 I always encourage people who get a new pup to take time off of work, or half-days.  8-10 hours is a LONG TIME for a puppy.


#4 it's 'okay' to adopt a pup from it's mom at 8 weeks.  But 10-12 weeks is better.  The more time the pup has to interact with mom-dog and littermates the better.  They are really learning about dog-dog interactions at week 7+ so it's best to get 5 weeks of this vs 1-2.  Also, every week of age makes housebreaking easier.


#5 Speaking of age and housebreaking...a rule of thumb is that if a puppy is confined, he can hold his pee for either 1 hour per month of age, or 1 hour plus 1 hour for 1 month of age, depending on who you ask.  So an 8 week pup will hold it for 2-3 hours.  Keep a pup in a proper size crate for longer than this will mean he will pee/poop in it, and will become desensitized to it.  (this is why dogs from puppymills have a hard time learning to be housebroke, they've lived in their own pee so long it doesn't even register).  Giving him some space and a pee pad. However realize that the BEST solution is being home so you can take him out to pee.  Every pee inside YOUR house will make housebreaking harder.


#6 pushing the dog's nose in it will do absolutely nothing.  Even mature dogs don't have a strong link between cause and effect.  All they will know is 'pee on the floor is bad'  but won't make the small logical jump to 'and that pee came from me so I shouldn't do that'.  They WILL sense your agitation and will attempt to get you back to your normal mood by giving you the 'I am sorry' eyes...but they have no idea WHY they are sorry, except because you are agitated.


#7 catching the dog 'in the act' or at most a few seconds later is what matter, both good or bad.   And you generally get further praising a dog for doing good than for punishment for doing bad.  It's also easier to set up success and then when it happens give praise.  For housebreaking, this means take the pup out when you predict he will need to go, and patiently waiting for it, then praising.  P[ups like softer surfaces than hard (grass vs concrete) and prefer shorter grass.  Also bring them to a spot with few distractions...including distractions like shrubbery etc.


#8 when do you predict a pup will need to pee?  First thing in the morning.  Just before bed.  Poop break 1 hour after eating solids.  (feed on a schedule.  Water as needed, but you control it, no free water dish)  About 15 minutes after drinking, after any rambunctious play, once an hour when they are awake.  Formula from #5 when asleep.  (yes, this means getting up in the middle of the night.  Twice a night if the pup is 8 weeks, once a night if the pup is 12 weeks).  This is a LOT OF WORK.  This is why getting a few more weeks of age is good.  (peeing in breeder's house is different than peeing in YOUR house).  Because this is a lot of work, lots of people only do it half a often as they should, and housebreaking then is much harder and longer than it should be.

they are wonderful dogs... I wish you the best. I have owned four...

I have an 11 week GSD and let me tell you the first couple of days is exhausting. We planned it so the kids would be off for the summer and with him during the days until he is 14 weeks old and me and the wife also took a week off from work. He has one potty break in the night and my wife actually wakes him up when she gets up to potty. This is not the norm as most young pups often have to go out 2-3 times a night for the first few weeks. A young puppy will need to go out many times a day, someone will need to go home lots for potty and to just let him know he is cared for.

Get a trainer, our guy will be seeing a professional trainer twice a week for 12 weeks starting at age 12 weeks.  A live professional trainer is better than books and youtube.

Regret (puppy blues) is normal at first so don't feel bad. Google puppy blues.

Get him used to the crate right off bat by feeding him in it. Also, buy a large or XL large crate with the divider panel for growth. To much room means he will potty in it. A 8 week old pup can only hold it 2-3 hours duing the day.

Between 8-12 weeks let him see lots of people and places. This is hard especially around 9- 10 weeks due to the fear period but keep on trying but not so much that he is in stress.

A fenced in section of yard will make your life much easier. Holding a leash all the time sucks, I remember that from my last dog.

On the subject of getting the dog fixed I have always done so at 6 months and will continue to. I only deal with working breeds and I will keep doing what has worked for me .

On cool days my pup will live in an outside kennel when I'm not home until he matures and then he will stay in the fenced in yard when I'm at work. I hate to crate a pup day and night as they need to move around while they are growing and I also feel bad about them being so confined.

If your a neat freak like me you will need a lot of deep breaths because your house is going to have dirt, and grass in it often. Once they get older and become part of the family they are worth it.

Have lots of toys 20-30, they get bored easy and also need things to chew or they will chew furniture and their humans.

Puppy biting happens and even when you try everything it says online sometimes nothing works other than time outs to calm down. It eventually passes and don't hit the dog. I have a very short fuse and sometimes I have to put him in the xpen or let the wife redirect his attention. The biting will make you mad but it's normal puppy stuff.



If I was you I would maybe get an older dog, puppies are a lot of work and without someone being home for the first month or two with them it would be hard. Without my kids being out of school for the summer I'm not sure we could have done it. When we lost our 12 year old dog a couple of months ago I had forgotten the puppy years and only remembered the adult years. It's been a shock

There are a lot of people that do this, but IMHO they, and you, should not be getting a dog if it has to be on its own for 10+ hours a day. And you should absolutely NOT be getting a puppy under those circumstances.

Even for an adult dog you definitely need somebody for midday let-out. If your neighbor can't do it, get a dog walking service to do it. Even then, 5 hours between outs is a lot.

My wife and I wanted a dog very badly for many years. And yet we waited until we could arrange work schedules so that I left at 0830 (getting home late) and she left early and got home around 1530. And we still got a midday let-out/walking service.

I got mine when I was between jobs for a few months. I wanted an ACD, but I got a Pom. Part of the reason for that was potty pads. Do I really want a dog to pee inside like a cat? Absolutely not, but I'm not going to be there to let him out consistently so I did what I had to do.

No advice, just want to say they are wonderful dogs. Hope you have many years of enjoyment with your new companion. Here's mine.  Sure miss her.

we have our 7th golden and her is what we know and how learned

do not get him fixed if at all till he is at least 2 years old to make sure their growth plates are mature.


feed him her high quality food, my wife makes brown rice, sweet potatoes, kahle, green beans, chicken, beef or fish. we started this 3 dogs ago and found they stayed health, with much smaller deposits in the yard.


for toys and leashes, NO nylon, No tennis balls, nadda. we know three people that lost their dogs when threads got caught in their intestines. use nyloc bones, and kongs. we put their toys in our laundry basket and give them a fresh toy from the basket with our scent on them when we go out, and have nothing more than toilet paper to pick up one time when he discovered the roll .



if you don't have time for one don't get one. again you are their world

I've had several, including my current dog.  I won't say they're the best, but I will never own another breed.

Don't get her shaved too young.  A friend of mine took their golden to a groomer that didn't know that, and his coat's growth was stunted.  It sounds weird, but another groomer told them it was because he was shaved too young.  They lucked out and his hair still grows long enough, but the groomer said some people get screwed and the coat is so short they develop chronic skin problems.

Invest in a furminator.  Goldens inside can be enough to make you lose your mind.  My current golden loves the vacuum cleaner, so I can corner him in the bathroom with the vacuum and a furminator once a week and it helps a lot.  Their hair is unbearable until you can get them shaved.  Cold weather isn't bad, but summers here are hot.  

Potty training is usually pretty easy.  Just keep with it.  Teach her how to sit, lay, etc. casually in the evenings.  I like to start leash training early too.  My dogs are taught to sit every time I stop, and start walking again when I do, always on my left.  I get them to where they will do it without the leash.  Also, try to avoid walking on pavement on hot days, their pads will burn.  

If you plan on getting her in the water, the sooner the better.  I waited too long with one of my other goldens and he never really cared for the water like my others have.

Bathe with dog shampoo.  A lot of goldens are prone to sunspots, and they are nasty.  Dry everything around her ears immediately after bathing, and don't put her collar on until she's dry.  Wet spots will lead to irritation.

I feed mine diamond naturals large breed puppy, and then the regular diamond naturals when they are older.  I like to give them cooked chicken and steak too, and my current dog loves raw broccoli and carrots.  Dogs that never get real food can have issues eating it later in life, so I usually start fairly early, once they get used to the new house and new puppy food.

One habit I had a hard time breaking was yelling their name when they are in trouble.  For the first year or so, only say their name when you get home from work, feed them, calling them to play, etc.  Early on, you want their name to only be associated with good, exciting things.  If you can do that, they will come running the first time you yell their name.  It's nice, but it's also safer if they ever try to chase a car or an animal or something.  

Try to socialize with other dogs as much as possible.  They can become very territorial later in life if they aren't socialized.  Being around other people is good as well.

I always start playing fetch on day 1.  A balled up pair of socks works best for little puppies.  I spread my legs out in the hall and throw it to the other end, blocking them from running the other way.  Fetch is the easiest way to run them every evening, and the more you run them, the more peaceful your home will be.

As another poster said, I'm also picky about what toys he gets.  Kong and nylabones are also my go-to.  Stuff that he can chew on without swallowing anything.  

Avoid dog parks for her first year.  They can pick up a lot of nasty stuff when they're young and their immunity is weak.

Be patient.