2 months in with the Skippa.....
Thought I'd share my new life with a golden puppy. This is the 3rd go around in 40 years, so nothing really surprises me. Had been alone, by myself for 3 years until this fella showed up 2 months ago.
What the Skippa has learned.
* Within a week of moving in, he managed to find my upstairs office with no help from me on the stairs. Needless to say, he's an expert at climbing the stairs, up and down, at all hours of the day and night.
* Became good friends with my son's pitbull, Chase, last week when son and fiancée went to Jamaica for 5 days. The initial intro went badly, but became best buds.
* Last week, he learned how to entertain himself....I blame myself for letting him sleep on my bed.
This week he learned about shoes. Not so much about chewing them as taking them and leaving them in places where I wouldn't normally think to look.
So, as of tonight, the Skippa has been outside a 1/2 dozen times playing in the blizzard and still comes back for cookies...good dog.
But....then again, bad dog.
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I hope you have plenty of Skippa time; he is a hand full. Enjoy! 
Saw him last year in Central Maine....about 300 folks turned out. A great show. But not Dave and his band from the 70's....
Is acquainted with a lady I know, used to be my neighbor a couple years ago, who makes and repairs violins and guitars. She used to be a competition fiddler when she was younger.
There are quite a few notable talented people in this area, running into them at the grocery store up at the county seat is interesting.
Anyway, I hope he comes back through here at some point before we're all too old. I like the smaller venues, can't handle crowds anymore.
I knew what I was in for, going in..... But I'm too old to get torqued out about what a puppy does.
Seemed to liked the legs on the better furniture and my shoes.
Dogs, if you haven't learned yet, they will teach you not to be materialistic about personal objects.
He'll be a good pal for some time... once you both get through his childhood.
I bought a dining room set 2 months before I got him. All chairs are secured in another room. Like I said, this is my 3rd go around with Golden puppies. Nothing the Skippa will do will surprise or annoy me. If he screws up, it's on me.
Re-direct and wait it out. It's like having a toddler, or very drunk person, or both, living with you for about two years. He'll eventually learn the rules and mature. He's cute as a bug's ear, BTW.
We'll eventually reach a comfortable understanding of each other's limits.
Our recently adopted Great Pyrenees will chew up anything she can get her dog lips on. She has a special fondness for shoes and plastic. Even though she's two yrs old, the breed matures s-l-o-w-l-y.