Is this normal? How do I break him?

My new golden retriever is 2 1/2yrs old. He has never been kept inside and he tries to eat everything! Whatever is within reach, he'll get it and carry it around..dirty laundry, kid's toys, hair brushes,whatever! And he drools constatly. Any suggestions?

Is this normal? How do I break him?

The first thing I would ask yourself is: Am I you giving the dog enough excercise? Retrievers are dogs with lots of energy! and they need to use that energy or they get bored, and when dogs get bored they can be destructive, and then your favourite hairbrush is no more!! :( so i would suggest taking him for a walk/run for at least an hour and a half a day. If your not that energetic yourself, take him to an off lead park and bring a ball and let him run till he drops.

Also, a dog thats 2 1/2 is still a puppy, and puppy like to chew. The best thing you can do is to keep your favourite things out of reach (close doors, put things you like (esp shoes) in high places etc), and in the mean time give him toys of his own, and help him differentiate between his toys and yours.

But in the end, excercise is the answer, i tired dog is a subdued dog!! :)

good luck!

Is this normal? How do I break him?

he is just trying to get used to the inside envirnment i would not worry, just dont let him get small peices of things

Is this normal? How do I break him?

get a crate and start crate training him!! If you cannot watch him then he needs to go in his crate until he learns that he cannot chew up everything! Also you may want to tie him to a leash and to you and make sure he does not get bored!!!

Is this normal? How do I break him?

Start by keeping him in a small room clear of everything except his toys and bowls. A laundry room may work if you can take out the baskets and clothes. Do not let him roam the house unless you can keep a close eye on him. When he picks something up, tell him "leave it" and give him a treat so he'll drop whatever he has. You may have to dog proof your house, its very similar to child proofing. Put everything out of his reach. Put a lid on the toy box and have the kids keep the toys put away when he's around. Put a hamper in the closet for your dirty laundry.

As for the drool, he'll probably continue to drool. I don't have any suggestions on how to get rid of it. Some dogs just drool more than others.

Is this normal? How do I break him?

That sounds just like my dog, who was raised inside. Except my dog doesn't drool.

I would suggest keeping his brain active by setting up some puzzles for him. A Buster Cube is great. It's a toy that you fill with the dog's regular food (or a treat) and as he rolls it around, the food falls out at random.

My dog also loves to pull things out of boxes and such. When I move in a few weeks, I'm going to make him a box that has different sized holes to keep his toys in. I know he'll spend hours just pulling the toys out. You might be able to come up with something similar using some sort of container that is not similar to your trash cans, so he doesn't get any extra ideas there.

Of course basic training will help too. And a lot of play time with his people.

Goldens are such intelligent dogs that they get bored easily and it often comes out in this type of behavior.

Good luck and if you find a foolproof method of training this out of him, let me know please :o)

Is this normal? How do I break him?

Yup, don't keep stuff within his reach, and correct him when he goes for things that are off limits. Don't hit him or anything, but tell him NO firmly, in a deep voice.

Pick up toys, brushes, and especially laundry, an obstruction is a serious thing. You don't him getting something stuck..

Get him far more exercise, and crate train the guy.

Is this normal? How do I break him?

its a new place for the dog he dont no his limits within the house yet he will in time just take the items hes not allowed to have when u r home with him when ur away u may want to crate him so he wont get into things that he cant have ,

Is this normal? How do I break him?

Pretty typical behavior for a Golden. He's hoping you'll chase him. Best bet is to puppy proof your home. Crate train him when you can't supervise.

Is this normal? How do I break him?

Retrievers are considered "mouthy" dogs due to the fact that they have been bred to retrieve things. This is his instinct and it is totally normal. The way to break him is to provide him with his own toys that are appropriate for him to chew on, and when he has something that he shouldn't, gently correct him and immediately replace it with one of his own toys with praise. Also give him LOTS of exercise.

Is this normal? How do I break him?

Give him toys. My female carries all her toys to one spot and puts them in a pile. Then she picks them up one by one and carries them to her second spot and drops them into a pile. She goes back and forth until she gets bored then falls asleep.