Hello I'm looking for some advice . We are first time dog owners and have just got a beautiful 10 week old golden retriever . Shes settled really well but has started barking at me when I go to prepare her food . She's only allowed in the kitchen and garden at the moment so it's obvious to her when I'm getting her food out as she's there with me. I've tried ignoring her but her bark is quite intimidating and she's almost growling aswell .I stop what I'm doing and step away from her food when she barks and only put her food down when she's quiet and sitting.  I was wondering if anyone had any advice as she doesn't seem to be getting it and I don't think it's aggressive just excitement but it's concerning ?   Thankyou

Without actually witnessing what’s going on it does sound as if it’s just excitement from what you have said. Goldens love their food even as puppies.

What may help is when she starts barking, stop what you are doing, turn away from her and just freeze. It will take some patience and probably a lot of noise from her,  it she will gradually learn that barking just stops anything happening and she will only get her food if she’s quiet.

I don’t know if you have been reading up in preparation for your dog, but as this is your first one I can recommend a book called ‘The Perfect Puppy’ by Gwen Bailey. This will guide you through your puppies first year and help you understand your puppy and train her.

Thankyou  I will continue to turn away when she barks and ignore her . It's not a constant bark but stops and starts so it's tricky timing it right . I have a couple of book by Gwen Bailey they are really helpful.  Just struggling with this issue at the moment.  Thankyou

Give it a good 5-10 seconds of quiet before you turn back, and turn away as soon as she barks.  That should make it nice and clear to her what's going on.

Thankyou for your advice it's really helpful and much appreciated. 
I'm not sure if I'm expecting to much of her but she's got the idea of weeing etc outside when I take her out which is everytime she wakes up after a drink or food and at least every hour . I say have a wee and she usually does which is great.  But I'm wondering how to teach her to let us know when she wants to wee,  at the moment she'll just do it on the floor if the door isn't open . She just hasn't contected that she just needs to ask to go out .  If we catch her we say no and encourage her out . I wonder if anybody has any advice   Thankyou

Yes, you are expecting a lot, she is only 10 weeks old!!
Puppies bladders are tiny so she will not be able to hold herself for long. Not knowing how your puppy was kept but I suspect she would have been with the rest of the litter in a large play pen, where they would relive themselves when they wanted.
It will happen in time but you will have to be patient..slightly different scenario but how long are babies in nappies for..just to give you an idea

You should not be verbally punishing her for peeing/pooing indoors. Just clean it up & say nothing. You are asking way too much of a very young puppy. A human equivalent of being under 3 years old. Lots of praise & rewards when she toilets outdoors. Dogs have no awareness of doing wrong & by "telling" her off you could make her hide you letting ibfoors

Thankyou  that's great  yes they we're toileting on newspaper with the breeder and outside as she was leaving the door open for them . I have read conflicting advice advice in books and on website so just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything or not doing something I should be if that makes sense .   Thanks for your help.

> Yes, you are expecting a lot, she is only 10 weeks old!! <br />Puppies bladders are tiny so she will not be able to hold herself for long. Not knowing how your puppy was kept but I suspect she would have been with the rest of the litter in a large play pen, where they would relive themselves when they wanted. <br />It will happen in time but you will have to be patient..slightly different scenario but how long are babies in nappies for..just to give you an idea <img class="fsm fsm_wink" src="/images/epx.png" title="wink" alt="" />

I couldn't agree more with this answer.   At this age your very young puppy hasn't the faintest idea about what you want, yet.   Leaving aside the fact that she probably can't physically hold yet.   Put yourself where she's come from ...... 'I need to urinate/have a BM so, wey-hey, just go'.    What you must not do is try to correct her after the act.   Loads of praise when YOU take her outside, regularly and at recognisable times during the day (especially immediately after waking), and she empties.  Correct ONLY in the act but don't shout or scare her or she'll run off, and clean up mistakes which there will always be - how many will depend on how good you are at training - without comment.   She will be watching and see your body language.   Mine were on newspaper, up the end of the whelping box which was made up of 2 4 X 4 sections, the second added when the litter was up and moving around so they moved from the sleeping section, to the other end to empty.    My puppy buyers tended to tell me that being used to going on newspaper meant if they laid some at the door to the outside (when closed), that's where their puppies would head.

When/if you can't supervise, use a crate to confine her - as much to keep her out of danger and mischief as anything but don't leave her in there for hours (1-2 hours is long enough by day, making sure she's emptied just before being crated) - this way she should have no need to empty in her crate and will start to learn to hold, knowing you'll be there to let her out before she needs to 'go'.     If when you take her out, she doesn't empty within say 5 minutes, bring her back in but instead of letting her have the run of the house, confine her to the room by the outside door and stay with her.  The moment she squats, circles, say No! (calmly not shouting) and carry her back outside.   And you will, for now, have to get up once overnight to take her out.   But that won't be forever!

This is going to take time, consistency and a load of patience but eventually you'll have a puppy who will be clean indoors - probably by 4 months.

Don’t bother trying to teach her to ask to go out as I feel dogs dont really connect that they need to ask to go out and toilet, a puppy will just think ‘asking’ for the door to be opened is just so they can go into the garden for a bit of fun not to go out and actually toilet.

When an adult many dogs will learn themselves to indicate in some manner that they need to go to the toilet and as they have been taught to go outside. Then they may do something like go and sit at the door or whine at the door or in the case of many of our goldens just stare at you which is not helpful in the middle of the night when you are fast asleep.

Far better to continue as you are doing and take your pup out regularly to toilet so that she learns that where it should be done and not indoors. Whatever you do don’t tell the pup off for toileting indoors unless it’s caught in the act and then it’s just a quick interrupter such as ‘ah, ah’ and get the pup outside hopefully to finish off.

Thankyou that's really helpful  and reassuring that we will get there .

> a puppy will just think ‘asking’ for the door to be opened is just so they can go into the garden for a bit of fun not to go out and actually toilet.

Very true!!    For mine, I tend to get a 'subliminal message' from my Basset when he needs out - conspicuous by his absence from around me.   I then get up and find him waiting quietly at the back door, if it's not open.    My Whippet, who I KNOW can hold for 22 hours from past experience when away overnight, just waits until the next time I let them both out.   Usually in 4-hour gaps.

I think when toilet training it's super important to make deliberate trips outside with puppy on a lead, not just opening the door and letting them out by themselves.

You go out and stand there being really boring (or maybe a gentle boring walk to "jiggle things about" if necessary) and wait for them to go. If they do something, rewards and praise and maybe a short play before you go back inside. If they haven't gone after 5 minutes or so you go back inside and try again 10 minutes later.

The idea is that they learn that going outside when they "ask" is only fun it if they are actually going to toilet. Of course at first you have to go out with them every single time they ask until they realise that outside is way more awesome if you wee out there!

Also at 10 weeks a pup can't really tell you they need to go out because they don't always know themselves until the last second, especially if they are distracted by playing or something. And even if they do know, they might not have made the connection that they should be doing it outside just yet.

I'd err on the side of caution myself and take them out before and after naps, after eating or drinking, after playing, and at least every half hour while awake (maybe even more frequently for a small breed). The more you go out with them, the more chances you have to reward toileting outside. And the more the puppy pees inside, the more they practice a behaviour you don't want.

> how to teach her to let us know when she wants to wee

Be careful what you wish for!!  If you want her to bark

As you have already had barking for attention, it doesn't take long for a bored clever dog to realise they can have you up and  down at the back door like a yo yo if they ask to go toilet, even doing a quick squat to please you too.

Better to give ample opportunities to go out.  None of mine ask to go out they just stand at the door hopefully at most or come to me and run to the door.

To avoid barking some people use a bell hung on the door knob.

> To avoid barking some people use a bell hung on the door knob.

And the same could happen IF you manage to train her to do this.  She may make the association between ringing the bell and you letting her out - whether or not she has a need to empty!

Agree, it's why I have never taught mine to ask, just rely on letting out regularly or the fixed stare and door sitting.

You have to think from her point shes been took away from her playmates shes been kept in a kitchen no dout she has a lovely bed ext but she want to more then likely be with you in sitting room try using puppy pads soon as she wees on them praise her then when shes got hang of it move it to back door then eventually outside shell start to scratch or bark at door to be out but she need lots and lots of playing with ppl pups dont like playing alone remember that

Wouldn't recommend per pads & present ad this teaches the dog seeing etc indoors is acceptable. Better to take puppy out on lead & treat & praise after "performing" just allowing a puppy to go out on it's own isn't enough.

Also for older puppies the puppy pads are dangerous as pups of this are are very likely to shred them, and the granules that turn liquid too gel are poisonous.

I've trained my puppies from birth on puppy pads I put a puppy pad inside whelping box and my pups were trained at 6 weeks to wee and poop on them with in 4 weeks they were pooingcand weeing at back door the ppl that took my pups couldn't believe it that they were pad trained and went outside bcz they new the pad was outside witch they wanted to wee on but what works for for one miggt not for other even my daughter sebt her pup for me to train to my house it was trained with in 1 week to go outside