How Much Exercise Do Golden Retriever Puppies Need

Create A Bedtime Schedule

Like for daytime sleep, create a nighttime schedule. This will help train your puppy on its bedtime routine, which will help both of you have a great undisturbed night sleep. Some hours before bedtime, have a playtime and cuddle session with your puppy. Take it out for some potty time to avoid any disturbance during the night.

Why Golden Retrievers Are Such High Energy Dogs

Golden Retrievers are such energetic dogs due to their breeding. Goldens were bred to be hunting dogs. Their job was to retrieve downed waterfowl, such as ducks and upland game birds during outings with their owners. These hunting excursions could last hours or even days, and golden retrievers were created to be able to last out in the field for long periods of time.

These hunts included regular amounts of walking, running, climbing, and swimming. Even though most golden retrievers today are usually domesticated house dogs, they still have the genetic profile of a working dog and have been bred to be high-energy and very active.

If youre going to own this breed, youll need to place golden retriever exercise at the top of your to-do list.

Golden Retrievers Puppies And Sleep

Adult Golden Retrievers sleep for up to 12 to 14 hours per day. Golden Retriever puppies and older dogs will sleep even longer probably 15 to 20 hours. When not asleep, dogs can just laze around if they have no activity to take part in. However, as pups reach adolescence, they become more playful and their sleep hours gradually reduce.

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Golden Retriever Adolescents And Adults

Adolescent and adult golden retrievers need about an hour of exercise daily. However, you might need to adjust the amount of activity to fit your dogs needs.

Your dogs genetics can increase or decrease the amount of exercise your dog needs daily. So, you will sometimes need to experiment and adjust your dogs daily exercise plan as you see fit.

If your golden retriever is from a working field line, its probably a higher energy dog that will need more prolonged periods of exercise.

Some golden retrievers need as much as two hours per day of physical activity. However, other golden retrievers do just fine getting forty-five-minutes of training daily.

So, the amount of physical activity your golden retriever needs by adulthood can vary since dogs all have different needs.

However, starting at an hour per day with an adolescent or adult golden retriever is an excellent place to start. You can always increase the exercise time later as your dog adapts to the physical activity level if you feel its necessary.

Its also a good idea to try to break your exercise increments down into two times a day for about thirty minutes each.

Spreading out the physical activity will help prevent your golden retriever from getting bored. Its also a good idea to use different forms of exercise with your golden retriever so that the activity doesnt become boring. Mix things up and enjoy running, playing, swimming, fetch, and any other activities you can think of doing.

Growth Plates And Exercise

We have mentioned quite a few times on this page the importance of limiting certain activities with your puppy until his growth plates are closed. Some of you might be wondering what growth plates are and why they matter with regard to exercise.

What Are Growth Plates?

Growth plates are soft areas that are at the ends of the long bones in puppies. They contain rapidly dividing cells that allow a puppys bones to get longer. These growth plates gradually get thinner until they completely close. The closure of growth plates is brought on by hormonal changes during puberty. When growth plates close, they harden as they calcify and the rapid cell division stops. The growth plates become what is called an epiphyseal line. The epiphyseal line is sturdy and not so prone to injury as the growth plates.

What Causes Growth Plate Injuries in Puppies?

A dogs bones are held together with muscles, tendons, and ligaments. These are collectively referred to as soft tissue. In an adult, when there is a soft tissue injury, a sprain will result. However, in a puppy, the soft tissue is stronger than the growth plates. An injury that would only cause a sprain in an adult dog could cause an injury to the growth plate in a puppy. The soft tissue can actually pull the growth plate apart.

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How Fast Does A Golden Retriever Puppy Grow

Golden Retrievers have a high life expectancy. This breed grows slowly at first and this makes it easier for you to take care of them. But as they mature, the Golden Retriever puppy grows faster than the average dog. Because of this, you will need to keep your Golden Retriever puppy under control and exercise it regularly if you want to keep it in good shape.

Golden Retriever puppies grow at a faster rate than most dogs when they reach the point of maturing. Your dog will continue to increase his muscular mass as he matures. A Golden Retriever puppy can exceed the natural 24-28 week age range for growth .

Below is a chart of the average weight of a healthy Golden Retriever.

Golden Retriever puppies grow rapidly, reaching adult size in one year. Thats why its essential to consider a few important factors when searching for a Golden Retriever puppy. Growth rate, or how much a dog grows in a year, is an important aspect to consider.

Growth rate can be calculated by dividing the total weight of your Golden Retriever pup by its length at the shoulder .

How Much Do Golden Retriever Puppies Sleep

Golden Retriever puppies, like older dogs, sleep a lot. But how much is a lot in this instance? Well, puppies are rapidly growing toward their adolescent and adult sizes, so they need lots of sleep for their bodies to grow and mature. For this reason, Golden Retriever puppies often sleep between 18-20 hours a day.

Eight weeks is the most commonly accepted age that its acceptable to separate a puppy from their mother and litter. Its also when sleep patterns vary even further, mostly based around the mothers feedings. Especially in the first two or three weeks, puppies eyes arent even open yet, and they do little except sleep and eat.

The puppies typically sleep huddled together with the mother because they cant regulate their own body temperatures and are very susceptible to cold and heat. In the rare cases that a puppy has to be separated from the mother before its time, you need to be very careful and pay close attention to the puppys needs.

Thankfully, this is the easy part. Before they start growing and getting into trouble exploring, you can just let a Golden Retriever puppy sleep as much as it wants in between feeding and potty time. Sleeping more is actually a good thing at this stage!

To learn a lot more about sleep and Golden Retriever puppies, check out my article: How Much Should a Golden Retriever Puppy Sleep? , it covers the sleep requirements of a Golden puppy in great detail.

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How Long Should I Exercise My Golden Retriever Puppy

The golden retriever is an agile, hardy, intelligent breed that loves to romp around all day, with nothing preventing this large dog from doing so.

But when a golden retriever puppy is still growing, how much exercise is too much? In our post, well answer the question of Howling should I exercise my golden retriever?:

Check If Your Golden Is Getting Enough Exercise

Your Golden Retriever generally exhibits some symptoms if he is not getting enough amount of exercise. Check for these symptomatic behaviours in your Golden

If you find any unwanted behaviour or any of the above symptoms, it might be a case that your Golden is not getting enough exercise. Always remember that a tired dog is a happy dog.

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Types Of Exercises For Your Golden Companion

Making sure your Goldie gets enough physical exercise isn`t just about keeping your canine companion healthy.

Although exercise is most of the time required so our pooch doesn`t develop health issues due to inactivity or become overweight, it offers a great opportunity for you and your little fella` to bond.

With proper exercise, your Golden Retriever won`t be able to control its energy, especially if it`s still a puppy.

It you are searching for new ways to keep your Golden active, you may take into account these options below.

Puppy Exercise Safety Tips

A few tips from the American Veterinary Medical Association that can help keep your puppy safe during exercise are:

• Teach your puppy to walk with a leash.
• Begin with short walks, taking frequent breaks.
• Increase the length of the walk gradually.
• Avoid walks during the hottest and coldest part of the day.
• Walk on softer ground, avoid rocky or sharp surfaces.

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Do Golden Retrievers Need A Lot Of Exercise

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There are multiple reasons why people love Golden Retrievers. Among them is their happy-go-lucky nature. These friendly animals are suitable for both the working and family environments because they are balls of energy. Before adopting a golden retriever, you need to consider a few factors to confirm that the dog is suitable for your lifestyle.

One of the most common questions from prospective Golden Retriever owners is, do Golden Retrievers need a lot of exercise?The answer is yes Golden Retrievers need regular exercise to remain in tip-top condition. Read on to understand why this breed needs frequent exercise and some of the exercises that can keep your pet healthy.

Benefits Of Exercising Your Golden Retriever

An exercised dog is a calm and happy dog! It is sad that many dog owners ignore this basic health requirement for different reasons, sometimes just because it is uncomfortable for them. To own a dog comes with the responsibility of keeping your dog happy and healthy. This involves a lot of things, like giving your pup a daily exercise. The following are the benefits of exercising your Golden Retriever.

Exercise help slows down the aging process: aging is part of life. But, giving aging dogs both mental and physical exercise can help prevent some age-related diseases. Exercise is an excellent defense against anxiety: Since exercise usually reduces anxiety, lack of exercise can lead to anxiety. Owners who spend time to exercise their dogs daily are less likely to return home to a house that has been torn apart by an anxious, bored and neglected-feeling dog.

It also helps strengthens the bond between the dog and its owners. Which exercise partner is better than the one who always shows up and never complains? Golden Retriever is a built-in exercise pal. Exercising together benefits both dog and its owner in terms of general health and strengthening their bond. It’s an engaging, and mutual activity ideal for bonding and boosting the heart rate.

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What Are The Golden Retriever Puppy Exercise Limits

What are the Golden Retriever Puppy Exercise Limits? Golden Retriever puppies do not need to be exercised in the same way adults do. At approximately 8 weeks of age, a Golden Retrievers physical development has completed and they can be left alone as they continue to develop their needs on their own natural schedule.

Whilst you may still allow your puppy to participate in independent playtime, this is likely to be at a smaller level than that required by an adult dog and should not exceed an hour each day.

Golden Retrievers are known for their tremendous stamina and agility. With so much stamina combined with a medium-sized breed, it makes sense that overwhelming amounts of energy are required to run around all day. Therefore, the Golden Retriever puppy exercise schedule should be able to keep your dog active and energetic for the entire day.

The first rule of exercise for Golden Retriever puppies is to keep the exercise area small. Try to concentrate on one task for at least ten minutes and then allow the puppy to take over. Dont allow your puppy to go over the limit.

One of the best ways to ensure your Golden Retriever remains in peak physical performance is exercise that doesnt tire them out. When it comes to walking your Golden Retriever, there are generally two types of exercises you can do: off-leash walking and guided walking.

Signs Your Dog Needs More Exercise

Sometimes its not obvious whether your Golden is getting enough exercise. Many owners blame the personality of the dog, calling them hyper and overly happy dogs instead.

Different dogs can show different signs of not getting the adequate physical activity. But, here are three common signs that your Golden is exercise-starved:

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Best Golden Retriever Activities

Fortunately, Golden Retrievers are up for almost any activity within reason of their athletic ability. Theyre truly fun-loving and energetic dogs. All they really want is to spend time with the owner.

After surveying owners and deep-diving dog forums, weve found some of the most popular and best activities for Golden Retrievers. We recommend introducing them all to your dog but sticking with the few they enjoy the most.

Should You Own A Golden

Golden Retrievers are wonderful, right? Well then, of course everyone should have one. Actually no they arent suitable for every family. Its important to consider some key qualities of a golden before deciding to own one. For some people, these qualities are features. For others, they are bugs. Either way, it is vital that you examine your own lifestyle, needs and wants to see if a golden is right for you. And, conversely, you need to evaluate if you can meet the needs of a golden retriever. If you can, we can attest to the fact that owning a golden is one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever have! They are addicting and people seldom have just one in their lifetimes. Once you have a golden, youre usually hooked for life.

Here are a few things to consider:

Size

Goldens are medium to large sized animals. The standard size for males range from 23 24 inches at the shoulder and weigh proportionally from 65-75 pounds. Females stand around 21.5 22.5 inches and weigh 55-65 pounds. They normally possess extremely active tails making clean sweeps of coffee and end tables. Quite simply they need room. Uncluttered houses are a must!

Exercise

Velcro Dog

Leashes

You may have visions of letting your dog play fetch in an open field or running free on the beach. As a sporting dog they are easily distracted by birds, animals or moving objects they must be kept leashed when being exercised outside of a fenced yard to keep them from running off.

Shedding

Health

Care

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Exercising Your Golden Retriever Off

If a golden retriever has a strong recall and returns quickly when you call them, wandering off the leash at the dog park is a perfect way to wear out your golden. Generally, golden retrievers are obedient and typically have a strong recall if they are trained correctly. Proper dog training is the key to being able to successfully let your golden run off-leash.

Alternatively, you can use a retractable dog leash to allow more flexibility while still retaining control during walks. For a golden retriever, youll need to make sure you have a strong retractable leash like the Tug 360 Heavy Duty Leash . A leash like this will give your golden plenty of room to run and explore, while staying in your control.

If you have a golden retriever you just cant seem to wear out, you can try adding some resistance to the walk by using a weighted jacket or dog harness like this one on Amazon. To be safe, make sure the added weight is no more than 10 percent of their total body weight. Doing this is more than enough to fatigue a dog with endless energy, and it will help to strengthen their muscles without overworking them.

Another option to increase resistance and wear your dog out is by walking on sand or adding an uphill route on the walk. Choosing a walking route with some challenges will increase the amount of exercise your dog gets from an outing.

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Can Golden Retrievers Be Left Alone

Yes, Golden Retrievers can be left alone. Golden Retrievers can be left alone for 3 to 6 hours every day, with the maximum being 8 hours. golden retrieverpies under 18 months of age can be left alone for a maximum of 2 hours every day. They should have access to food, freshwater, and a bathroom when left alone.

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