[jpsmith1cm]

Patience.

7 weeks is VERY young. Keep it up and in about another 45 weeks, you ought to have an accident free puppy... LOL.

Only kidding a little.

Crate/kennel training helps, but you must not leave a very young pup alone too long. They just can't hold it.

 

[jpsmith1cm]

Crate training is a must IMO. Also teaching proper boundaries in the house.
I didn't want ours on the couch or bed, as that is "our" space. I lost on the couch thing as the wife couldn't stop cuddling the puppy.
We had indoor accidents until about 3 months old, but now he can hold it 10 hours if he's in his crate, as they won't eliminate in "their house" unless it's a dire need.
Consistency is the key with all other facets of training.
Don't let the dog go though doors or climb stairs in front of you, as that's a sign of dominance.
They also say not to wrestle with your dog, but I haven't seen any adverse effects from that.

With my male dog, I found this to be the ONLY way to establish dominance over him.

 

[jpsmith1cm]

^^^^ this, My lab was about 10 weeks old when we got him from the "pound" I had him potty trained in two days. Feed them and when they are done take them right outside and be prepared to spend 30 to 40 minutes outside, in all kinds of weather.

Heres what you do: FEED them, put them on a lead and go outside, NO PLAYING at this time. When the little guy decides it's time to do his business PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE, no need for treats, Labs and Goldens will do anything to please you. Praise is all they need. When they do something that you don't like, YELL~~~NO, BAD DOG and it is ok to swat there nose or hindend, trust me you will only have to that a couple times, they will KNOW when they messed up just by the sound of your voice. PRAISE-praise-praise.

Now, once they do there business outside, it's play time. I don't care if it's snowing like crazy, play for a few minutes (dogs can't ell time) wrestle, throw sticks (most labs/goldens live to retrieve) praise, praise praise. NO TREATS.

To show dominance: bring junior to you. hold him/her very tight by the neck under the ears and stare them in the eye, nose to nose, DO NOT LET THEM GO, make them look away first. as soon as they do look away DO NOT LET THEM GO, THROW them on there back and literally bite them in the throat (not hard, just put your mouth on there throat) they will try and fight you, but once you establish who the alpha male is going to be, life will get much easier.

If you want your new pup to be retrieving in less than a week, let me know. Labs, Goldens, Chesapeake, are a breeze to train.

I had to use that exact trick to establish dominance with my dog. He's a goldendoodle.

I didn't bite him on the throat, just grabbed him, pinned him and growled until he stopped fighting me.

At the time, I was out of options and dealing with a dog who was running the house. A quick dominance display set him to rights.

 

[jpsmith1cm]

Another question about this new puppy... Feeding.... Eating puppy chow so far. How much food and how often? And how much water, how often? Any other recommendations on what food to give?

Food per the instructions on the package. Typically a set amount twice daily.

While they're young, water when feeding. Once they get their bladders under control, water all the time.

 

[jpsmith1cm]

Reading all of this brings back so many memories, both fun and frustrating.

 

[jpsmith1cm]

Another little tidbit of useless information: If your dog jumps on you or friends/family. Another easy fix (although this will require a little dancing around:

Next time your dog jumps on you, GENTLY step on there back paws, they hate that to. You can even hold them up while you locate there back paws, but as soon as you make contact, let go. Once on the ground/floor praise them

Our vet has a very quick and very effective trick to stop this. I did it with a friend's dog and it didn't take but once or twice and the dog stopped jumping on me.

When they jump on you, GENTLY bump their "solar plexus" area with your knee. You're not trying to knock the wind out of the dog, just lift your knee and "bump" them.

They'll drop right away. Then, pet them and praise them.