Q: Back in May, my family got a golden retriever. Because he was born in March, is he nearly at the end of his teething period? How long does this take -- until Thanksgiving or Christmas? Please tell me what we should do. Does his teething stop when he reaches his first birthday? -- J.M., via e-mail

A: Congratulations on your family's new dog. Golden retrievers are wonderful pets, but their stellar reputation leads some people to believe that they are "perfect" dogs from the day they are born. That's no more true of the golden retriever than any other pet. All dogs need training and socialization to be good pets.

Your dog is through his teething period, and all his adult teeth are in place. What you're dealing with now is the normal, healthy chewing of a young, active dog. And retrievers, especially, are known for their love of chewing in their adolescence, along with the lifelong fondness many of them have for carrying items in their mouths. Carrying things back -- retrieving -- is, after all, the job they were developed to do.

Your family needs to limit your dog's ability to get to those items you don't want chewed. While doing that, offer lots of chew toys to satisfy this healthy, natural behavior, and work on rewarding your dog for making the right choices when he chooses what to chew. You also need to make sure your dog's getting enough exercise -- at least a half-hour of heart-pumping activity every day to take the edge off his youthful exuberance.

Your veterinarian can advise you on choosing healthy, safe chew toys, and there have never been more choices. One perennial favorite is the Kong, which can be stuffed with goodies (such as peanut butter and broken dog biscuits) to make it even more appealing.

If you catch your dog chewing something he shouldn't, don't punish him. (Really, the fault isn't his, but rather your family's for not supervising him better.) Instead, transfer his attention to a favorite chew toy and then praise him for chewing on that.

Expect that your dog's perfectly normal and healthy interest in chewing will continue until the age of 2. In fact, veterinarians have a saying about another family favorite -- the Labrador retriever -- that also applies to most all retrievers and their mixes: "Chew 'til they're 2, shed 'til they're dead."

You can't stop a dog from being a dog. Instead, you need to channel normal behavior in ways you can live with. Your family may benefit from a visit or two from a behaviorist who can help you develop strategies for dealing with canine adolescence. Ask your veterinarian for a referral.

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