4 Ways To Keep Your Golden Retriever Out Of The Trash Can

Help! My Golden Retriever has a bad habit. Every time his owners leave the kitchen, he immediately goes over to the garbage pail, stands up on his back legs with his paws on the rim of the pail, and dumps it over. When his owners come back, there’s a mess all over the floor and on top of that he is getting us in trouble with the neighbors. For the fifth time this month, our neighbor has called to complain that on the mornings the garbage collector comes, my dog goes down the road and tears open the plastic bags the neighbor has put out, strewing garbage all over the road. How can I stop this?

Any dog, no matter what size, has a natural instinct to find and eat available food. In the wild, a wolf would soon go hungry if it didn’t do this. A dog has no way to know garbage is not there for it to eat. To a dog, garbage smells and tastes delicious. And dogs that run loose outdoors can get into big trouble if they steal garbage from unknown sources. The food they find may be rotten and make them sick. It could even contain poison put there by unthinking people to get rid of vermin.

To modify garbage-stealing behavior you have to make the experience become a negative one.

1. If you can catch a Golden Retriever that regularly dumps over an indoor garbage pail in the act and scold it, the scolding may do the trick. You’ll be letting it know this is not an acceptable action.

2. If a scolding doesn’t work, there are several steps you can take to modify a garbage-stealing dog’s behavior. Buy some balloons and blow one up. Put it in the garbage can and bring the dog over to the can. Then pop the balloon to startle the dog. After you’ve done this, leave another blown-up balloon in the garbage can. Most dogs will then shy away from a possibly popping balloon.

3. You can also modify a Golden Retriever’s behavior if you put a mousetrap underneath a couple of sheets of newspaper in the bottom of the garbage can. As soon as the dog begins to put its nose in the can, the trap will snap and startle it. If you decide to use a mousetrap, be sure to put it underneath paper so the dog’s nose won’t be hurt.

4. Another method is to spray some bitter-tasting liquid directly on top of the garbage in the can. As soon as the dog attempts to bite into the garbage it will get a mouthful of a nasty taste and give up the whole idea.

A soothing presence 

Oct. 14 (UNION-TRIBUNE): Her name is Annie. The 3-year-old golden retriever/standard poodle mix is at New Dawn partly because she didn’t fit in as a service dog for the disabled. Too easily distracted by birds. The kids didn’t fit in, either, at their other schools. Some have done time in juvenile hall. Others have been in psychiatric hospitals. Now they come to New Dawn for a day rehabilitation Go…

COEUR d’ALENE — It began with a neighbor’s intuition. “She came to me one day,” says “Helen” a well-respected local business woman who wants her identity protected. “She said, ‘I know this is going to sound crazy, but I think somebody’s been coming into my house.’” Go…

The Gilded Paw Dog Pet Boutique 1001 Reasons to Buy this Book

Kerala Next - Christine is not only a breeder but a dog show judge and the president of the Golden Retriever Club of America who personally owns five dogs. Within the conversation we found out a lot of interesting facts and reflections about the book. The most

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4 Ways To Help Make Your Aging Golden Retriever’s Life Easier

The number of ways you can give your oldster a break is limited only by your imagination. Here are a few tips to get you thinking:

1. Clothes: Canine clothing isn’t just for poodles anymore. Older Golden Retrievers, like older people, have a harder time maintaining their body temperature. This problem is even more pronounced in slender, short-coated breeds like the greyhound or whippet. So check out the sweater selection at your local pet-supply store, or consider altering one of your own for the task.

2. Beds: Think soft. Think cushioned. Think low. Think heated. Your dog will thank you for all of these thoughts, especially in cold weather.

3. Dishes: Raised food and water dishes are a kindness to tall dogs of any age, but they are especially easy on the back of an old doggie. You can find them at pet-supply stores or you can make your own.

4. Ramps and Steps: If your Golden Retrievers are allowed on the couch and the bed, you should be able to find or build something to help out the dog who can no longer make it in one jump. You wouldn’t want to watch TV without your dog at your side, would you?

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4 Common Aging Golden Retriever Problems You Should Know About

While every Golden Retriever is an individual, a few age-related maladies seem to strike many of them. You should of course discuss how they affect your dog - and the best approach to treating them - with your veterinarian, but knowing a little bit about what you’re dealing with before you go in is helpful.

Here are a few old-dog problems, along with some things you can do to help:

1. Stiffness: Your veterinarian can help you determine if the stiffness is because of temporary muscle soreness - say from overdoing it - or the onset of arthritis. Many dogs are worse in cold weather and first thing in the morning. Arthritis is common in older Golden Retrievers, and while no cure exists, treatments are available that can make your pet’s life comfortable. Your veterinarian may prescribe buffered aspirin, food supplements, or anti-inflammatory medications, all of which your pet may need to take for the rest of her life. For your part, you need to be sure that your pet is not overweight and is kept consistently, but not strenuously, active.

2. Decline of the senses: Deaf and blind Golden Retrievers do just fine, as long as you do your part to keep them out of any danger their disabilities may cause. Blindness, in particular, is a problem dogs adjust to with an ease that stuns their owners. But consider the following: dogs don’t have to read the newspaper, they don’t care about TV, and they count on you to read the ingredients label on a bag of kibble. Sight isn’t their primary sense anyway; they put much greater stock in their sense of smell. After they learn the layout of the land, they rarely bump into things (as long as you don’t keep moving the furniture). Handicapped pets should never be allowed off-leash on walks, because they can’t see danger and cannot hear your warnings.

Even if your older dog is blind, there may be something that you can do. Ask your veterinarian for a referral to a specialist like a veterinary ophthalmologist. Problems such as cataracts may be treatable with medications and surgery.

3. Incontinence: There are many inquiries all of the time from frustrated owners wondering why their older dogs are no longer house-trained - and how they can get them back on track. The first rule of any sudden-onset behavior problem is to make sure that it’s not a health problem, and we can think of no case where this rule is more true than with an older dog who’s suddenly urinating in the house. Your pet could have an infection or, if she’s an older spayed female, she may be suffering from the loss of muscle tone related to a decrease in her hormone levels. Both are treatable; see your veterinarian. At a certain age, a little dribbling of urine is practically inevitable, especially while your older dog is sleeping.

4. Lumps and bumps: Benign fatty tumors are common in older Golden Retrievers, and the vast majority are nothing to worry about. Benign tumors are round and soft, with well-defined edges. You can usually get your fingers nearly around them, and they don’t seem well-anchored. Showing them to your veterinarian for a more complete evaluation is important, and you should inform her of any changes in size or shape, especially if they happen rapidly. Your veterinarian may be concerned enough about the size, appearance, or location of a mass to suggest its removal and a biopsy; most bumps, however, are left alone. The best time to check for lumps and bumps? During regular grooming, weekly, at least. Run your hand over every inch of your dog, and don’t forget to talk sweetly - she’ll think it’s petting.