Line Up Essential Services
Take some time to research essential local services with people and companies you can trust for your puppys first checkups. . Youll also want to find reputable groomers, sitters, trainers, and so on. Heres who you should have on-hand:
- Veterinarian
- Dog walker
- Dog groomer
If youre unsure how to find trustworthy vets, groomers, trainers, or dog walkers, you can start by checking verified websites that do in-depth background checks for you. Your research method should be similar to what you do when searching for a reputable breeder.
Ask yourself:
- What do the reviews and testimonials say?
- How long has this person been in business?
- Can I do a meet-and-greet with them first?
Popular websites that are accredited and trusted for their background checks include The American Kennel Club, Rover, and Care.com. And as always, you can find some of the best in the business by asking who your friends and family trust for their pups too.
Taking A Puppy Away From Its Mother Too Young Can Lead To Many Problems
There have been scientific studies performed that have proven taking a puppy away from its mother and litter-mates too young leads to an increased possibility of behavioral and personality problems later in life:
- Over-reactivity
- Increased aggression
- Learning difficulties
These behavioral problems arise due to a puppy missing out on important lessons it can only get from its mother and siblings. Lessons that are vital to the early development of a normal puppy.
When Can Puppies Go Outside In The Garden
Does waiting to go to the park mean that puppies cant go outside at all until theyre fully vaccinated?
Thankfully, no! Places such as private gardens and backyards offer safe places for young puppies to explore on their own without running the risk of exposure to dangerous viruses.
A puppy can begin exploring your garden the day you bring them home.
Becoming familiar with your backyard or garden will be a necessary part of potty training.
Here, a young puppy doesnt run the risk of contracting an illness spread by an unvaccinated dog.
Taking your puppy out for a walk should be delayed until they are fully covered by all their vaccines.
Theres always the chance that an unvaccinated dog sniffed the same section of grass your puppy will want to roll in.
This seemingly small action can result in your puppy coming into contact with a dangerous virus.
As mentioned previously though, your young puppy doesnt need much exercise.
Most veterinarians agree, puppies are fully vaccinated by 16 weeks of age, which is when they can exercise for about 20 minutes at a time.
Up to this point, the exercise needs of your puppy can be met with within the safety of your home or backyard.
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Golden Retriever Puppy: Finding And Raising Your New Friend
November 16, 2020 By Pippa Mattinson
Bringing home your Golden Retriever puppy is such an exciting moment. But, raising a Golden Retriever puppy can prompt lots of questions.
Over the next few weeks youll be socializing, potty training, and making a start with puppy obedience training. This guide has top tips for this, and will also be looking at raising a golden retriever puppy while you work.
New Puppy Checklist Be Prepared Before Bringing Puppy Home
This article contains affiliate links. Read the full disclosure here.
Like the decision to bring any new family member into your home, getting a puppy is a huge responsibility and shouldnt be taken lightly.
The fact that youre here researching what you need to do before bringing your new puppy home is encouraging, but you should also be completely certain you have the time, space, patience and energy to devote to a pup around the house.
If youve carefully considered all this and arrived at your decision, then great! Lets take a look at our new puppy checklist that contains everything youll need to buy, do, and consider before bringing a Golden Retriever puppy into their new home.
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To Raising A Golden Retriever Puppy: Veterinary Care
I would be remiss, as a veterinarian myself, if I didnt mention that proper veterinary care, including vaccinations against common puppy diseases, is essential. The first veterinary visit should be right after you bring your puppy home even if the breeder or shelter has already started their puppy shots.
At that visit your veterinarian will make sure your pup is healthy and recommend the preventative care your pup needs. This may include a series of vaccinations to protect against common infectious diseases, heartworm and intestinal worm preventatives, and flea and tick medication.
Love On Your Puppy From Day One If You Want A Dog That Likes To Cuddle
As you all know, I love to cuddle with my girls. When Sullie was a puppy I received advice to hold her belly up to teach her a) that I was the alpha/one in charge and b) to trust me and relax and it worked so well. To this day she loves to be held belly up and shes also an excellent spooner. I did this with Zoey as well and although shes an independent wild child , she loves quiet cuddles. We have family cuddle parties every morning and at night before bed.
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Care Of Your Golden Retriever
When You Bring Your New Puppy Home! Caring for your Golden Retriever Puppy
Finally, the day dawns when you collect your new puppy from its breeder and you bring him or her home!First, show puppy where to toilet and praise him when he performs. It s a good idea, for the future, if you say a certain word when the pup is actually doing it so that he can then learn to associate that word with toileting as it will help with house-breaking and general training.Your puppy will be tired after the journey so show him his bedImmediately after puppy has eaten, bring him out to toilet, this is what he will have been used to when with his mother. Also do this when he wakes up from sleep.Let puppy get used to his new home and you in a calm manner and start as you mean to go on if he chews at the furniture tell him No! in a sharp tone and gently remove him from the chair-leg etc.
Puppy will be teething hard and it s preferable to give him suitable toys to satisfy his craving to chew rather than let him loose on the leather suite! Never leave him with toys unsupervised.Your puppy needs plenty of sleep little naps during the day as well as a full night s sleep. Ensure puppy can sleep as much as he needs without the children disturbing him.
First thing after he wakes, hell need to go to the toilet!
To Raising A Golden Retriever Puppy: Grooming
If you are raising a Golden Retriever puppy, you need to be prepared to deal with that beautiful coat. This needs to start early with letting them get used to normal things like brushing, bathing, and dental care.
You should gently brush your Golden Retriever puppy as often as 2-3 times a week for just a few minutes. It is not that they need it, as much as you are training them that the brush is nice and feels good. Wait until they are sleepy and treat it like a petting session at first until they get used to the idea. Here is our favorite brush for Golden Retriever puppies:
Best Puppy Brush
This Hertzko Soft Dog Brush is gentle so your puppy can learn that brushing is a great experience. For the rest of the list of recommended brushes here is the Full article, Best Brushes for Golden Retrievers.
When to bathe and groom your puppy might become obvious. I find that there is not much of a need to put dates in the calendar because they find something to get into that necessitates a bath every couple of weeks.
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When Can I Put My Puppy On The Ground
Ive heard many vets suggest the chances of contracting illnesses on the floor at a veterinary office are slim.
Thats because it is highly unlikely an unvaccinated dog has been there recently. So this can be a great place to sniff around and meet people who love dogs!Always double check with your vet, though.
The chance of contracting a virus preventable by a vaccine is low at a veterinary clinic, but your veterinarian will be able to tell you for sure if the area is safe or not.
Even if your veterinarian suggests you hold your puppy rather than put him or her on the ground, its still a great place to meet new humans.
When I worked at a veterinary clinic, the best part of my day was always meeting a new puppy.
Im sure the receptionists, vet techs, and anyone else working at the clinic will be ecstatic about cuddling your young puppy while you fill out paperwork!
Vaccination schedules can take up to four visits for a young puppy making your veterinarians office a staple in your puppys social life.
What To Get For The House When Bringing Golden Retriever Puppy Home
First off, youre going to need to purchase a few of the essentials, namely food, a water bowl and a food bowl, a collar, a leash, an ID tag and a bed for it to sleep on, just to name a few. There is some controversy surrounding having a leash, leading to many owners choosing to have a harness instead because leashes have been found to harm the dogs neck if pulled on too much during the walk.
An ID tag might not sound essential, especially if you are planning on micro chipping your pooch, but in some states, it is required by law and its always a good idea to have your name and number listed just in case Rover decides to make a break for it.
A couple toiletries you should consider getting are shampoo, toothpaste and a toothbrush, a brush to keep their coat nice and smooth, and poop bags for the inevitable accidents on walks.
Finally, dont forget the all-important treats and toys. Your puppy will need a lot of stimulation so having a couple chew toys or balls will not only help with bonding, but will also spare your precious furniture from his attempt to alleviate boredom.
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They Are Not Aware Of Their Size
Adult Golden Retrievers typically weigh between 55 and 75 lbs, but don’t tell them that. And while Golden Retrievers are seemingly unaware of their actual size, for people, the combination of their size, enthusiasm, playfulness, and desire to be very close to their owners makes them seem larger than they are.
Be prepared for your full-grown Golden to think they are a lapdog.
Puppy Vaccinations And Health Care
Most of us have our puppies vaccinated. Vaccines are not completely without risk, but the risk of serious disease for unvaccinated puppies is usually considered by experts to be much greater.
Most puppy parents want to know which vaccinations their puppies need, when their puppies can go outside safely, a few want to know what happens if they decide not to vaccinate their puppies
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At What Age Should You Start Training A Golden Retriever Puppy
When it comes to Golden Retriever training, the best thing you can do is start early and train young. But how young should they be?
Golden Retriever puppies should start training as soon as you bring them home, usually around 8-weeks old. It doesnt mean that older puppies or adult dogs cannot train it just means that its much easier to train dogs when theyre young as theyre more receptive and eager to learn.
When bringing a Golden Retriever pup home, the first key milestone is around eight weeks of age, as soon as they have left their mother. Its an important time to lay the foundation for your puppy to integrate into the family.
At 8-weeks old, your Golden Retriever has most likely interacted with several situations and is eager enough to learn and follow your house rules.
A recent study scientifically proved that 8-week-old puppies are quite capable of learning at this young age as they quickly learned to open a puzzle box lured with food and could even remember the skill an hour later. Interestingly, these puppies learned the task better from a human rather than their mother.
Other studies have also proven that its beneficial to socialize and teach puppies new skills for their future behavior. In this study, puppies who attended a command and socialization training class for one hour a day for six months responded better to strangers than adult dogs who attended the same classes.
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Is Leaving A Puppy With Its Mother Too Long Problematic
First of all, leaving a puppy with its mother longer than necessary isnt as harmful as taking it away too early as long as its socialized well. And this is the important thing when it comes to leaving a puppy in the nest for too long.
A puppy must be introduced to as many sights, sounds, environments, people and other dogs and animals as possible before they reach 14 weeks of age. Anything you dont want a dog to be scared of they must be exposed to in this early part of their life.
This 14 week window of opportunity is a time where a puppy has little fear and instead has heightened curiosity that compels it to explore and test things out. After 14 weeks, as a natural instinct for survival in the wild, the puppy will begin to fear new things it hasnt already experienced.
The first 14 weeks is also the time when a puppy will form its strongest bonds with people and other animals. And so for the best possible relationship and strongest bond between your puppy and you, this is a time when you want your puppy living with you, seeing your entire family and social network so your puppy truly integrates and feels a part of the pack of humans around it.
So think to yourself, if you get a puppy at 8 weeks of age, you have 6 weeks to take them to the shopping mall, the park, the pet shop, to meet as many people as possible, get them in the car, on the beach, in a swimming pool etc. get them at 12 weeks and you have only 14 days!
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Socializing Your Golden Retriever Puppy
Every new puppy owner will hear about the importance of puppy socialization. But not all puppy owners carry out this important process effectively.
Socialization means introducing your puppy to many new experiences before they reach the age when they become shy of strangers and strange objects. That age is surprisingly young and most dogs need to be socialized fully before they are 13 weeks old.
That means you need to get going right away with your new Goldie pup!
Your puppy needs to meet lots of different men and women, in different situations, children, other dogs, trains and lorries, and much much more. All from the safety of your arms.
And all before he or she is four months old
Puppy socialization is vital because it helps to prevent dogs becoming aggressive and increases the retention rate of puppies in their homes.
You can find an excellent puppy socialization plan and lots of useful information on
The Puppy Plan website provided by the Kennel Club in association with international charity The Dogs Trust
Golden Retriever Puppy Zoomies
At first, it might not seem like zoomies should be anything to worry about. But all puppy owners can tell you just how destructive these random bursts of energy can be.
Especially with a relatively large breed like the Golden Retriever.
In fact, it can lead to broken ornaments, ripped fabric, muddy pawprints all over the house, and knocked over children. It can be quite distressing for new puppy parents!
Running after your puppy can often make this worse as it seems like a fun game to your puppy.
Instead, encourage calm behavior by rewarding your puppy when theyre relaxing peacefully.
You wont be able to avoid the zoomies altogether, but you can try to minimise them by ignoring this behavior and rewarding calmness.
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How To Socialize A Golden Retriever Puppy
Dogs are social creatures, especially the Golden Retriever, who is super friendly, good-natured, and loves to be around you. Socialization begins with the breeder from around three weeks of age and continues with you until hes approximately twelve weeks. So, how do you socialize a Golden once youve brought him home?
To socialize a Golden Retriever, expose him to many different experiences, places, and situations. Include noises, smells, other people, children, babies, animals, cars, bicycles, objects, the weather, etc. Each experience should be positive, dont rush the process, and your puppy will thrive.
Early socializing and training your Golden Retriever plays a significant role in developing adult dogs, as found in this exciting study. Check out these two important findings:
- Dogs socialized well as puppies are less likely to display unwanted behavioral problems such as fear and aggression.
- Socialized dogs are more likely to engage in positive social behaviors with humans. They also learn better how to play games, helping them establish a real bond with their owners.
Socialization will make your puppy feel confident around people and teach him to engage in his new world happily.
You can teach your Golden Retriever social skills and confidence through intentional training moments in the family. While it only takes a few weeks to socialize your pup, the lessons hell learn will steer him for life.
My best tips:
- Dont try to force anything.
- Use positive reinforcement.