We are going on our third week with our new golden retriever puppies: Tex and Cali. I thought I’d give you a general update. If dogs aren’t your thing, then feel free to come back tomorrow 🙂 I’m sharing some of my favorite puppy toys and some of my favorite ways to keep them busy while I work from home.
House training our Goldens
House training the two pups is going okay. We aren’t quite there yet, but they are going to be 9-weeks tomorrow, so they are still young. I have a bell by our back door that leads out to the backyard. And, I’ve been consistently trying to get them to “ring” the bell before they go out. Yesterday was the first time I saw them actually ring the bell by themselves. And, while they used it correctly, it was to go outside and play.
I take them out as soon as they are done eating, and half an hour after that. Other than that, I’m trying to take them out every hour on the hour if my schedule permits. I think we are making progress. Yesterday was our first accident-free day, and I’ve noticed that they will kind of head in the general direction of the back door when they need to go. I’m just trying to keep it as consistent as possible.
Crate Training our Golden Retriever puppies
We are crate training Tex and Cali. I am a huge proponent of the crate, and we used them when we used to train Guide Dogs for the Blind. Sawyer loved his crate, and we always called it his “room.” We would say “Sawyer, go to your room,” and he would crawl right in. If trained and used correctly when the puppies are little, a crate can become your dog’s safe space. It makes them feel comfortable and confident, and it can keep them safe while you are away for short periods of time.
I have two crates – because Tex and Cali will each have their own crates when they are big enough. I keep one in our bedroom that they share at night, and I have one in our living room that I just keep open during the day. Because we have siblings, there was only a little bit of crying in the crate on that first night – and after that, there hasn’t been crying in the crate at night. They really soothe each other and keep each other calm.
Now, there is crying in the crate when I need to crate them to leave or run an errand. They don’t love feeling left out, but we are working on that by leaving them in for short amounts of time. They also are able to play and go inside my open crate in the living room during the day, and they really seem to like that.
It’s a work in progress, and I never ever use the crate as punishment. I want it to be their safe, comfy spot in our house.
Favorite puppy toys
Every puppy has a lot of energy, and they can certainly develop bad habits if you let them. Because we’ve got two, I just can’t have destructive dogs. So, Aaron and I have been really trying to stay on top of them by showing them the toys that they can chew on. I have some favorites in my arsenal that are safe for dogs and come in multiple sizes.
I’m a BIG nylabone fan. And my dogs love their spiky toys, which I think are especially good for teething. They’ve chewed through one spiky Dino, so I picked up another one to keep them busy.
If I notice them chewing on something they shouldn’t be (shoes, furniture, my rug, etc…), I tell them no, and I give them a toy that they can chew on. They have lots of toys on rotation, and they really love playing with them.
Kong toys for puppies
Another favorite of mine are the Kong toys. If you have big chewers (like Buttercup, our lab), they have some tough chews that are fairly indestructible. They also make puppy chews, and Tex and Cali love them. You can stick treats on the inside of this toy, or you can just let them bounce it and chase it around all day. These two can play with this toy for hours.
They also make some pretty tough “plush” chews too. This moose has held up to Buttercup’s chewing, but the puppies love to play with him too. He’s a big hit, and he doesn’t really show signs of much wear and tear just yet.
And, finally, when I know I have an important meeting, and I know I need them quiet for a chunk of time, I’ve given them these natural Nylabones. They come in packs of three at Petsmart, and Tex and Cali love them. Love it an understatement, actually. These are my guaranteed solution if I need to keep them occupied, and they work every time. My mom just sent me these this week.
Nights with the pups
So, for only having the pups for three weeks, they are doing pretty well. I can’t say they are 100% sleeping through the night. They will sometimes wake us up around 4 a.m. to go to the bathroom. But, there have been a couple of days where they will wake up when my husband gets up at 5:30. When that happens, he will take them out – and watch them.
All in all, they are fitting into our family nicely. We are getting them on as much as a routine as we can. And, I fully acknowledge that a puppy would be out of the question if I were not working from home as much as I do at the moment. There was really no better time than the present to welcome these two into our family, and I’m so thankful to have them both. I’ve missed Sawyer so much, and welcoming Tex and Cali into the family has given me a renewed sense of hope about all the fun, new memories we will make.
