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Could use some advice...
So Annie is 13 months this week (goes fast!). In most all respects, she has been a dream dog for me. Very patient, affectionate, great ball drive and nice, full (but undeveloped) grips on tugs. Crazy swimmer, happy dog, strong prey drive, kennels in kitchen at day and in bedroom at night (never really alone for any length of time). Stable with loud noises, generally ignores them, no fears of anything that I have seen. Have not done much ob beyond the basics due to time and (honestly) spending more time goofing around with her in the context of fetch/ob, etc...but I think in essence this has allowed her to develop out well in terms of her own personality. Absolutely submissive to me and my wife, though velcro'ed to me (100% of her training/play and most of her food,etc. comes from me). Not a soft dog re: corrections, particularly in drive. But an eager-to-please dog. Informed folks around her love her to death, want me to breed her (I'm not).
This is a nit with a first dog from working lines, but temperamentally, she's a golden retriever. Loves people, loves dogs, loves kids, loves the vet, loves strangers. Goes ears down and "licky" when she's greeted. She can be aloof on walks, will totally ignore everything when she's in a down for a ball (including other dogs coming up to her, etc.). Will do some deep barks in the backyard at passing dogs but I have never seen any aggression towards anything. She does seem to be very aware of our kids when we're outside. Dead quiet in most every situation (biting tugs, car, etc.) except for some occasionally excited yips I can get when she's on backtie or standing on a rock wall I have facing me at eye level (hard to explain, we run back and forth and play fetch, she gets quite revved up). I have heard her growl once since she was a puppy...a few weeks back at the off-leash area in Mpls...I was dumb and playing tug with her, she growled on a fat lab that had been walking with us and swimming with her. Ended as quickly as it began, first time she has shown possessiveness like that.
Is her temperament set? She's currently intact and went through her first heat two months ago. I am wondering if she will develop out people aloofness and a bit more of an "alert" mode around strangers. Right now she'll get revved when somebody's at the front door but it's more excitement than any concerns about territory.
I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth...I would have been in a lot of trouble with a harder/more difficult dog the first time around, and I picked Annie specifically because of the reputation her mother's lines had for temperament and her father's nice lines for work (as I understood both at the time). But wondering if I might expect any more aloofness to come along, or anything else over the next few months.
Still unsure about longer-term training goals, by the way. I like Sch and all the ring sports but it's tough to justify that investment of time right now (with the kiddos, 2 and 3). Just doing my own thing re: bitework, etc. and trying to fold in stuff as I learn and see and read. No plans for PP training though I would like to train a nice B&H.
So Annie is 13 months this week (goes fast!). In most all respects, she has been a dream dog for me. Very patient, affectionate, great ball drive and nice, full (but undeveloped) grips on tugs. Crazy swimmer, happy dog, strong prey drive, kennels in kitchen at day and in bedroom at night (never really alone for any length of time). Stable with loud noises, generally ignores them, no fears of anything that I have seen. Have not done much ob beyond the basics due to time and (honestly) spending more time goofing around with her in the context of fetch/ob, etc...but I think in essence this has allowed her to develop out well in terms of her own personality. Absolutely submissive to me and my wife, though velcro'ed to me (100% of her training/play and most of her food,etc. comes from me). Not a soft dog re: corrections, particularly in drive. But an eager-to-please dog. Informed folks around her love her to death, want me to breed her (I'm not).
This is a nit with a first dog from working lines, but temperamentally, she's a golden retriever. Loves people, loves dogs, loves kids, loves the vet, loves strangers. Goes ears down and "licky" when she's greeted. She can be aloof on walks, will totally ignore everything when she's in a down for a ball (including other dogs coming up to her, etc.). Will do some deep barks in the backyard at passing dogs but I have never seen any aggression towards anything. She does seem to be very aware of our kids when we're outside. Dead quiet in most every situation (biting tugs, car, etc.) except for some occasionally excited yips I can get when she's on backtie or standing on a rock wall I have facing me at eye level (hard to explain, we run back and forth and play fetch, she gets quite revved up). I have heard her growl once since she was a puppy...a few weeks back at the off-leash area in Mpls...I was dumb and playing tug with her, she growled on a fat lab that had been walking with us and swimming with her. Ended as quickly as it began, first time she has shown possessiveness like that.
Is her temperament set? She's currently intact and went through her first heat two months ago. I am wondering if she will develop out people aloofness and a bit more of an "alert" mode around strangers. Right now she'll get revved when somebody's at the front door but it's more excitement than any concerns about territory.
I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth...I would have been in a lot of trouble with a harder/more difficult dog the first time around, and I picked Annie specifically because of the reputation her mother's lines had for temperament and her father's nice lines for work (as I understood both at the time). But wondering if I might expect any more aloofness to come along, or anything else over the next few months.
Still unsure about longer-term training goals, by the way. I like Sch and all the ring sports but it's tough to justify that investment of time right now (with the kiddos, 2 and 3). Just doing my own thing re: bitework, etc. and trying to fold in stuff as I learn and see and read. No plans for PP training though I would like to train a nice B&H.
