JJ: I have a pretty good combination going here, Alanis – I am both smart AND brave! I can do dog puzzles without much of a learning curve. I jump on skateboards and seesaws without any hesitation. A gate that was being used in class fell over and it barely startled me. I am so proud of myself.
Alanis: It is times like this where I wish I was an only dog…
JJ: Why, because I think I am smarter and braver than you? hahahahaha
Alanis: Ugh. Is this dog for real?
JJ: I can’t help the fact that I have so many great qualities.
Alanis: And I can’t help but say that despite all your brilliance, you still think couch cushions are tasty.
JJ: That’s a low blow.
Alanis: And that climbing on a table and knocking over coupons somehow is “fun” for you. Yes, you are a regular Benji, JJ. Uh huh.
JJ: You better stop with that! I am smart and brave!
Alanis: Yeah, and I just won Westminster.
JJ: OK, can we settle on a truce? How about this: We run after each other in the yard, drive Daddy crazy by getting soaked in the rain, bark uncontrollably when we want to be fed, and continue to beg for food even though there is zero reason why we would be hungry?
Alanis: Now THAT is a brilliant idea.
Me: JJ is an impressive dog, and a lot of that comes from his breeding but also his training. While Alanis also went through a lot of training, she was at a different place in her life when we got her compared to when we brought home JJ. We had to reshape some of Alanis’ behaviors. The intent of this post is not to show that Alanis is “dumb”, because nothing can be further from the truth. She is excellent at nosework (stuff like “hide the treat, find the treat”). You won’t find a dog who is more aware of her surroundings, as the general feeling is that if you placed Alanis out in the wild (no, we would never do that!), she would find a way to survive because she is so in tune with things going on around her. She just doesn’t like “change”. If I bring in an object from training class that she has never seen before, she will not initially go near it. She will even sometimes get up and bark at it. While she is better at it, there are certain roads in town that she doesn’t like walking down for reasons I can’t understand. While JJ is likely to “let something go” if it bothers him, Alanis hangs on to it forever. It is very possible that something as simple as a falling branch three years ago has forever traumatized her when it comes to walking on a certain street. Life as a dog, as they say.
JJ is exceptional at puzzle solving. He has to work very hard when it comes to obedience because he is so into everything around him. We were blessed with a dog (Jeter) who had an obedience gene, unlike any other dog you would ever find. He never went through a “puppy brain” phase in his life. JJ is different – he might sit and wait for a minute if you are lucky, but if something distracts him, he is not likely to wait to go find out what it is that is distracting him. That can change as he gets older – just like with humans, some dogs mature quicker than others. JJ has not lost any “puppy enthusiasm”, and that is not a bad thing. It is just something that forces his owners to not lose track of where he
As for his bravery, that is one of the best traits a dog can have, though it again means you likely have to keep both eyes on him at all times. He has no fear of jumping over couches, jumping on training equipment, running through tight spaces, etc. You don’t want a dog like JJ to ever feel “bored”, because he will find something to do with himself to cure that boredom. Often, it likely won’t be something you want him to do (he has indeed ripped up couch cushions. He has indeed dug a few holes in the yard.) With a dog like him, you need to come up with distractions that help him use his brain for GOOD things. Putting a treat inside of a puzzle ball or Kong toy is one good way to keep him occupied for a bit (though, once again, the fact that he is a smart cookie means he is able to figure these things out quicker than you may want to see!) A solid dog bone, and just throwing the ball around are other ways to occupy a dog’s brain. JJ is currently in a “tricks” class, and tricks require a good amount of brain work. He comes home from those classes exhausted. His brain gets a good workout (as does his body), so it leaves him wanting sleep and relaxation. I would strongly suggest a class like this or whatever you can do to keep the dog occupied in a good way. Trust me, you will appreciate the results when your woodwork hasn’t been torn up (no, JJ has not done that!)
I have said it many times on this blog: Golden Retrievers are high energy dogs that need to be exercised mentally and physically. They need their walks. They need their “jobs to do” around the house. If you give them enough stimulation, you will have a happy dog who won’t even have an urge to do things that make you laugh and cry at the same time. This doesn’t mean you will be able to just let them do whatever they want (especially when they are younger), but it will keep them happy and REDUCE the chances of destructive behavior.
I will continue to explore just how far I can push JJ’s brains by trying to find as many games as I can for him to play. He loves to do it, so I am going to find things that allow him to do the things he loves. That is what we should all strive for in the human-canine relationship.