Dogs don't have the part of the brain that tell them they're full. So they could actually eat themselves into a coma! My boyfriends old dog once got into a giant bag of dog food and they had to get his stomach pumped because he ate too much! So yes, it is absolutely normal. My puppy (5 month black lab) is the same, she LOVES food and eats it within minutes. As long as you feed them twice a day then you're fine!
As for the humping, well I think it's fine for now, just be sure to train him not to hump people and you'll be fine.
My dogs are crazed beasts when the food dishes get dropped! Well, at least you know he's food-driven, which can help with training!
I'm sure you're feeding him enough. As for the humping, as mentioned it is a dominance things and hopefully some good obedience training can help with that. Goldens are amazing dogs, but you could not pay me to go through the puppy stage with one. In fact, I don't think I'll do the puppy thing again. I have two cattle dogs. One was a rescue at about a year old and the other was a puppy from a litter from some cattle herders off the ranch. I still get nightmares from the latter. They are awesome dogs now and I wouldn't trade them for anything, but to me the puppy stage is cute, but a means to an end.
The funny thing is, most of the time he's trying to get the napkin or paper towel, not the food on the plate! One time my husband had a glass of soda on a paper towel, and Bandit grabbed the towel and almost knocked over the soda. Another time he jumped on the coffee table, went right for DH's plate of food for the napkin. Couldn't care less about the food.
One thing he's been really bad about is jumping, specifically on me. He doens't do it too much to DH, but with me, he'll jump up and bite me, often tearing my clothes. He once jumped up and bit me and tore a hole in my Eileen Fisher cashmere sweater tank! We're really cracking down on the biting, and turning our backs used to stop the jumping, but now he just jumps up and grabs the clothes on my back. So I've been saying "No jumping" and holding him down, walking away, and if he jumps, doing the same thing.
Well first I think I'd talk to your vet since he's supposed to be the expert. Ask him specifically how much you should be feeding a golden retriever puppy. While someone else said they think you're not feeding him enough, 4 cups in a day is a lot of food. We have a full grown Springer Spaniel and he only gets about 3 cups a day, split into two meals. He's been to the vet a few times and he said he's at a good weight. You just need to ask the vet how much a puppy needs--maybe he does need more since he's growing and hyper, I'm not sure.
Are you going to get him neutered? Wouldn't that help fix the humping?
You could try getting some puppy training books to see if that would help at all. Maybe one of those collars that makes the high-pitched noise in his ears when you press a button to help with the jumping problem if straight-up behavior training doesn't help. Training is hard and it takes a lot of dedication and patience for the owner. Good luck!
Definitely neutering around 8-12 months, per the vet's recommendation. He's about 4 months now. He's also about 35 lbs, which is right in the range for his breed and age. We're also starting to feed him twice a day, once in the morning and once around 6pm. The thing that's baffling is how skinny he is. He's like my brother: tall and lanky and can eat and eat and stay skinny.
The idea for the collar is a great one for the jumping. Definitely enrolling him in obedience classes.
Thanks for the advice everyone! can't wait until thursday, we might take him to Tahoe!
Congrats! I have had dogs my entire life, I love them. I also volunteer at the dog shelter. Goldens are great dogs, but very high energy, and very intelligent. They need a lot of attention and exercise. A lot of dog for a new dog owner! But it is worth it! Sorry this post is so long, but you asked a lot of questions!
You need to stop him from eating so fast. I don’t want to scare you, but it can cause a very dangerous problem called bloat. It is one of the top killers of dogs. There are bowls designed to slow down eating and there are also toys that make the dogs work for their food. The toy also provides much needed stimulation. You can ask your vet or google it. Also, ask your vet how much food he should be eating.
When he tries to jump on you, bend your knee and stick it out to block his jump while saying down. Or you could turn your back to him and refuse to make eye contact with him. You need to be correcting bad behavior now. No matter how cute he may be, never praise bad behavior.
I don't think the humping is dominance related behavior, because he is not humping you, he is humping inanimate objects. I think he is either very bored because of lack of activity, or he is going through puberty and doesn’t know how to deal with those feelings, or he may have anxiety issues. Def. correct this behavior now, or it could become an obsession! I would stop him when does this and walk him and play with him more. Maybe even get him one of those backpacks to carry your water. Retrievers were bred to work, not lay idle, the backpack makes them feel like they are working and makes the walk more intense. Goldens also love to play fetch and to play in water. He needs a ton of exercise. If he starts humping people or animals (displaying dominance), an exercise we were told to use is to turn him over onto his back, belly side up, and hold him there. Do not hurt him or anything, just hold him in place for a few minutes. This is forcing him to submit to you. This is what pack leaders in the wild do. Another good thing, that he will like, is to rub his belly while he lays on his back.
I would strong recommend a halite harness for when you begin taking him for walks. It really helps stop pulling and other issues on walks. A local lab rescue will only use halties. Petsmart or Petco have them. They are absolutely amazing! You will have to teach him how to walk, so make sure you do research. Google how to teach a dog to walk on a leash, or how to teach a dog to heel.
You need to learn all you can about Goldens. Every breed is different and you really need to be educated about YOUR dog. I second the advice to take him to obedience classes, NOW. It is so much easier to teach him good behavior now while he is young. He really needs structure and to know that you guys are the leaders, not him. And the dog whisperer is great, we actually learned a lot from that show. You may be able to see old episodes online. I know he had several about goldens.
Thanks for the advice on the food, we're trying different things, and he's still eating pretty fast.
As for the jumping, we turn our backs when he jumps on us from the front, but he'll also jump on our backs when we're walking down the hallway. I've tried the knee thing, and putting my hand out, but he'll just back up and jump! And I've noticed if I do turn my back to him when he jumps, he'll jump on my back.
When he bites, we do what you suggested for the humping, we hold his snout shut, make him lay down, and look him in the eye and say "no biting!!" a few times, then slowly let him go and he calms down. Most of the time. But we're consistent about it.
Like i keep saying, he gets his last shots on thursday, so we'll be able to put him in obedience class and take him for walks. We just haven't yet because we didn't want him to pick up anything like parvo and get sick.
