help with new dog please .

[calvin L]

Well we already had a 1 1/2 year old golden . George is great still a little high strung . My wife Kim started to think he needed a play mate. Big horn Bob set ME up . That *******. Well we went to a farm out side of chase to look at some puppys . Of course we came home with a girl . Holly crap . ALL I do is pick up after the 2 dogs outside & inside . She turns out to be a greatpyrenees / newfoundlander cross . At 19 weeks she wieghts in a 61 lbs (that is only 3 lbs less than george )and growing like a weed . Vet thinks she will bw appox 110 -120 lbs . She is going to be to big for a pack dog . We will not be able to pack in her food and I think she would eat any animal I shot before I could get it out of the woods . Do any of you guys have a dog like this and how did they turn out .

[Mooseman]

First - Congratulation!
Second - What is your question or your problem?

[calvin L]

I forgot the ? over the ranting sorry . Will this breed or mix be a good pack dog .(not the golden). Also the golden is gun shy any way to change this. thanks for the info
calvin L

[Mooseman]

I don't know your breed mix's abilities or characters, but if you would like to have it carry a pack, I would start now. It is (as with kids) much easier to teach it things while they are young and in their developmental stage without enforcement just by being consistency and introducing things with fun and food (treats).
I would start getting it used to the pack empty at first and then slowly start putting light clothing in to it. I would not start putting weight in to it until later and only for short times. Take it for walks with the pack on and have some small cubes of a left over steak for treats. Reword the good behavior and ignore the bad.

Use common sense, go in small steps with any lessen and if it isn't working out, go back a step until you figure out the learning curve of your dog. Keep lessons to short times as it is very hard for a young one to concentrate. As the dog gets the lessons you can start introducing distractions and temptations. Reward the good and ignore the bad and go back a step again.

The dog will quickly know that if it wants a treat (and most do) I got to do this right.

[Spirithawk ^i^]

I don't know about the pack dog but I can offer some advice on trying to get the Golden over being gun shy. Take him out on a leash and have someone fire a .22, a few times, about 100 yards away. You want him to hear it but not be overwhelmed by to sound. If he flinches or shows signs of being frightened then love on him. Pet him, give him a hug, anything to reasure him he's ok and the sound isn't going to hurt him. Repeat the process at ever closer ranges untill he has become use to the idea of hearing it and knowing there is no reason to be alarmed. Once you get him use to the sound of the small caliber, going off, repeat the whole process with a heavier, and louder, caliber. It's all about getting him use to the sound and letting him know there's no reason to fear it. Give him a few treats when ever he responds well and doesn't flinch. Get him use to the idea that hearing a gunshot is a good thing with welcome prospects for him such as getting a treat, getting to go hunting and or chewing on fresh game. By doing so I think he'll catch on. It just takes a bit of time and patience.

[Mooseman]

Spirithawk is absolutely right!

I got my last GSP over the same thing by connecting it to "the" thing he loves most and that is getting black bears. By luck (or bad luck) I was tracking a wounded bear with him that had a high shot a bit far back and after a couple of miles we found the bear. He did a circle and was waiting behind a big cotton wood for us. As we walked almost right by him, he came out and the dog on the long leash charged for the bear and pulled me around so that I had to shoot the 338 right over the dog to hit the bear. From that day on he was healed.

I would not recommend the same thing in your case but to connect a very good hunting experience with shooting is the trick that might work for your dog as well.