Hi I have a new puppy! I'm very new to training dogs. Ha! this shall be my first one! I am physically unable to walk well. I can go around my yard now thanks to God and some wonderfully skilled surgeons. I need some ideas on how to substitute dog walking. OR if I'm training my dog is it ok to find a neighborhood person to walk my dog. I really want to teach it to heel etc. I have considered using an electric chair that I still have. Has anyone seen or heard of this. I realize this is not an overly intelligent thing to probably consider. But It has to be possible. I just haven't found the solution yet! Oh yes its an extremely intelligent and highly active golden retriever. I bought a ball and a tug toy here. I bought several disks which I also received today. I'm so impressed with the toys (do I really have to let the puppy play with them!LOL). I have made a couple other toys that encourage the puppy to jump and twist etc. One is a soft toy on a long rope with a handle that I can easily sit and toss around. I'm hoping to do more than basic training. And eventually with the help of a skilled trainer have my puppy become my helper dog to retrieve things I drop and help me walk with my balance issues. And I secretly am enjoying the thoughts of entering her into 4-h dog shows!
Her name is Eilsa and she's mostly white.
HANDICAPS ARE ONLY GOD'S WAY OF TEACHING US TO BE CREATIVE IN OUR APPROACH TO LIFE!

Hello Elizabeth,

Having a neighbor help you to walk your dog is not a bad idea at all. Just be sure that whomever you select is on board with your training program from the very start and throughout.

If you are considering training your pup as a helper dog then I would recommend investigating what is involved ASAP so that you can start imprinting certain behaviors and exposing the dog to specific scenarios and objects, that the dog will likely encounter that could be intimidating to your pup and therefore affect his job performance. Get involved with a good trainer as soon as you can.

The chair is not a bad idea, but it is one of the objects that could be scary for a young puppy. Expose your dog to it, but let him go at his own pace to investigate. If your dog is very young then playtime in the yard is probably enough exercise for him for now, so try not to jump the gun and give him any bad experiences with the things he'll need to be exposed to. Before the dog is trained to a degree where it can reliably walk next to the chair without the worry of injury, there are some products on the market that may help keep things safe. Perhaps one of those bicycle doo-hikies can do the job.

Elizabeth,

A good way to introduce your puppy to the chair is to bring it into the house and put in a room you use the most with the pup. Make sure the puppy does not see you bring it in or it may scare her.

Let the chair sit for a day or two and maybe even feed her next to it. Gradually begin sitting in the chair and give her treats and play fetch with her from it. All without activating it.

As she gets used to it, you can have a friend walk a ways away from you and just let her watch you move around in it for short periods, then when you stop, call her to you and praise her up and give her a couple treats or a couple of tosses with her favorite toy.....whatever reward she absolutely loves most will work best.
You can start bringing her closer and closer as she gets used to it and you can see she is comfortable and relaxed. Then one day, just have the helper pass you the leash and see what happens. Make sure the helper stays with you in case she tries to get away from the chair and does not get loose and run very far.
This should be done gradually and make sure if she gets spooked or she seems apprehensive that you go back to basics and begin feeding her and playing with her while it is stationary.

The chair and a helper is a great idea and it can be done. Goldens make excellent therapy dogs as well. GREAT choice!!

There may be other ways to do it and I sure some others will chime in......

WELCOME to the board and please keep us posted.

Adding in...be careful encouraging her to jump and twist as she is just a puppy and that can be hard on her joints. What she does on her own is okay, but don't encourage more than that for awhile.

Yes, I did this with a service dog just last fall. Same breed.

One thing Old Earth Dog Bob Scott reminded me (and it was an excellent reminder) was that if the chair's motor makes a noise, you'll want to turn it on some distance from the dog the first time..... just sitting empty.

First, the chair is in the next room, turned off. Chair in same room, turned off. Chair in other room, turned on.

The more gradual, the better; we didn't have to back up once. :>

Hiya, Elizabeth! Welcome to the boards! I'm new myself.

I just got a Golden Retriever myself, in fact hes my first dog! (Of course I have had a few encounters through other peoples dogs) I was clueless until the good folk here gave me some excellent tips for training.

Anyways... If Elisa is anything like Kiba, (My Golden) shes goofy, energetic, and maybe even likes to bite. This was the thread where I was helped, hopefully it will help you too.

http://www.leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/148217/page/0/fpart/1

Sorry I can't give you any advice to your walking problem.

Hi Elizabeth,
Congrats on the new first puppy! You should look into finding a trainer in your area that can meet you and your pup and come up with a training program for you. Don't expect to much out of a puppy, they're a little crazy when they're puppies! Do both of yourselves a big favor and find a skilled trainer early on and good luck with your training!,
AL

 Quote: Al Curbow

Hi Elizabeth,
Congrats on the new first puppy! You should look into finding a trainer in your area that can meet you and your pup and come up with a training program for you. Don't expect to much out of a puppy, they're a little crazy when they're puppies! Do both of yourselves a big favor and find a skilled trainer early on and good luck with your training!,
AL

VERY good advice.

The dog I was talking about was an adult.