Who Is The Best Human For A Golden Retriever
Golden retrievers are a tried and true family dog. They love swimming , running, and playing in a big backyard. Theyre highly social, so a large and active family household works well for them. They also need plenty of affection and snuggles. Due to their hunting heritage, they love to play fetch! Looking to please you, theyre relatively easy to train.
Theyre great with children and seniors alike. Golden retrievers do best with plenty of companionship, and so despite their activity level, often do very well with retirees who can devote plenty of time to them.
Neil Patrick Harris Talks Getting His Kids A Golden Retriever For Christmas
Topping a puppy for Christmas isnt easy.
On Thursdays The Ellen DeGeneres Show, guest host tWitch welcomes Neil Patrick Harris onto the show, and the two chat about how hes going to one-up his gift-giving for his kids this year.
Last year, Santa brought home a Golden Retriever for his 11-year-old twins, and Harris says, And I got a problem with that, because Golden Retrievers are really cute, chew everything.
Harris adds, Santa should be ashamed of himself.
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As for this years gift, he says now his kids want a hedgehog.
Santas not about to get them a hedgehog, he jokes. Maybe a tarantula, thatd be cool.
What To Do Before You Get A Golden Retriever Puppy
There are a lot of big decisions youll have to make before bringing your puppy home, including where to get them from, how to pick a puppy, and what to name them.
These next few sections will cover all of those decisions in detail, but theres one thing that you need to make sure of before continuing on.
Do you really want a golden retriever puppy?
Yes, theyre sweet, adorable, fluffy balls of joy, but theyre also a lot of work and theyre not cheap.
Our Complete Guide To Golden Retrievers is a good place to start if youre unsure about committing to a golden.
But if you are sure, heres the first question to ask yourself
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Golden Retrievers Are Lousy Guard Dogs
If youre looking for a guard dog, you have to consider other breeds. Golden Retrievers are super friendly, even to strangers. They will wag their tails to an intruder instead of barking or fighting back.
This personality is both a gift and a curse for pet owners. In a public place, Goldies are charmers because they love the attention and pets they get.
But in terms of home protection, you can rely on them to be watchdogs. Besides, they werent bred to be one.
Nevertheless, you can train your Golden Retriever whenever someone approaches the door. However, they are not the best pick for chasing intruders or attacking criminals.
What To Expect With A Golden Retriever Puppy
When I told my mom I was going to get a golden retriever puppy, she asked me this: have you been around puppies much?
I was a little curious about why she asked me that, and honestly, I hadnt been around them much, but I just shrugged her off and told her how excited I was.
A week after bringing Oliver home, it was very obvious to me why she asked me that.
Puppies are hard work!
I wasnt sleeping, spent most of my waking hours taking him out to pee or making sure he didnt chew up the house, and whenever I tried to pet him, he would just try to bite me.
Of course, there were nice moments, too, like cuddling with him on the couch, watching him sleep, or seeing how happy he got when we came home, but Ill be honest
I was completely surprised and overwhelmed.
And so youre not blindsided, too, heres a little about what to expect
Waking up in the night
Most puppies will wake up one to three, and sometimes four, times per night.
Their little bladders can only hold it for a few hours, so this is expected.
Hating the crate
Most puppies will hate the crateat first, and thats totally expected, but that doesnt make it much easier when youre trying to sleep and theyre whining or crying.
Chewing
Puppies will try to chew any and everything.
Biting
Puppies have not learned the phrase, Dont bite the hand that feeds you
Peeing in the house
Accidents will happen, but the best way to stop them is to take them out often. Like every thirty minutes often.
Diarrhea
Zoomies
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Golden Retriever Temperament & Personality
They’ll offer a warm greeting to whoever they meet, rarely showing aggression, although their exuberance can be a little overwhelming for young children. They are attentive and easily trained, meaning you and the kids can have hours of fun teaching them tricks and games.
- One of the UKs most popular family pets, Golden Retrievers gentle, loving nature makes them a great choice for families with children of all ages.
- Due to their gundog breeding, Golden Retrievers are eager to please and intelligent making them easy to train and ideal for novice owners.
- These highly active dogs will thrive in busy, active households with lots going on they love long walks and adventures so suit outdoorsy households.
Golden Retriever Training & Exercise
Always ready to play, with an instinctive love of water, Golden Retrievers make an ideal companion on a country or park walk.
- Intelligent and eager to please, Golden Retrievers relish the chance to learn and are quick to pick up commands.
- This affable breed responds best to positive reinforcement methods and will respond to your tone of voice. Since life is a game for these big, affable dogs, they respond well to upbeat training methods using your voice and positive reinforcement.
- Whether its swimming, running, chasing, even playing hide and seek these dogs just love burning off energy in the great outdoors.
- Golden Retrievers are natural born swimmers and this is a great form of exercise for older dogs or dogs with joint issues.
Raising A Golden Retriever Puppy Training
You have a great advantage when starting to train your Golden Retriever puppy because Goldens are a highly co-operative breed and most Golden puppies are very easy to train.
You also have a range of fantastic guides right here on the site. The Happy Puppy site was created by dog expert Pippa Mattinson.
Youll find many of her puppy training guides and a range of guides by our team of highly qualified professional dog trainers, in our training section.
Here are some to get you started!
They are packed full of training tips and information, together with links to more advanced training topics. You can also check out our puppy training archives.
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Teach Your Puppy To Sit
Teaching your puppy how to sit is a popular one. Not only is it something we like to teach because they look incredibly cute, but sitting also means that there will not be any jumping up and down on people Its also a fairly easy trick for puppies to pick up.
How to prepare
PRO TIP: Remember that the stinkier the treat, the better. In puppy logic, stinky means yummy.
How to do it
TIPS
· Finish your training session with some play to end on a good note.
· Keep your training sessions short take a break after 5 sits. Its still the early days anyway.
Where To Get Help And Advice
Puppies are great fun, but they can also be hard work. At times youll benefit greatly from the support of other new puppy parents.
We used to be able to help new puppy parents by answering questions in the comments on this website. But there are now so many that we needed a better way.
Do check out our support forum. Youre welcome to simply browse and read the answers to other peoples questions. Or you can join in and ask your own.
Its free and wed love to see you there!
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Vital Stats Double Coat Requires Weekly Grooming Exercise: Coatexercise2+ Hrslife Span10+years
Golden Retriever Temperament & Personality
Naturally intelligent with a soft side, these dogs are a consistently popular family pet. They’ll offer a warm greeting to whoever they meet, rarely showing aggression, although their exuberance can be a little overwhelming for young children. They are attentive and easily trained, meaning you and the kids can have hours of fun teaching them tricks and games.
- One of the UKs most popular family pets, Golden Retrievers gentle, loving nature makes them a great choice for families with children of all ages.
- Due to their gundog breeding, Golden Retrievers are eager to please and intelligent making them easy to train and ideal for novice owners.
- These highly active dogs will thrive in busy, active households with lots going on they love long walks and adventures so suit outdoorsy households.
Getting A Golden Retriever Puppy At 6 Weeks
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Common Health Problems In Golden Retrievers
Like any purebred dog, Golden Retrievers may encounter some breed-related health problems throughout their lives. Often, Breed Clubs will also be able to provide advice on what tests your breed may need and where to get these done. Make sure the parents of your puppy have had the relevant health screening to reduce the chances of your puppy being affected by these upsetting conditions.
Golden Retrievers are amongst a group of breeds classed as Category Two by The Kennel Club. These are breeds of dog that have been highlighted as having points of concern visible features which, if exaggerated, might potentially affect the breed in the future and cause health and welfare concerns. For Golden Retrievers, this is because they can have short legs in proportion to their body and a tendency to become overweight.
Some of the conditions Golden Retrievers are more prone to developing include:
Feeding Schedules And Guides
Small puppies need small and frequent meals. As a rough guide:
- Four meals a day until three months
- Three meals a day until six months
- Two meals a day until one year
Many people worry a lot about getting food quantities and schedules exactly right and want to know how many ounces or grams of puppy food to give their Goldie pup at each stage of their lives.
You can find all this and more in our guide:
Try not to worry too much it isnt an exact science!
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Who To Choose: A Female Golden Retriever Or A Male One
Many pet owners think that female golden retriever puppies are much better than its counterpart.
They believe that female golden retriever puppies are more affectionate when compared to the male golden retriever puppies.
Well, their opinions are wrong. Male Golden retriever puppies possess a loving and friendly personality.
Many dog lovers call the male golden retriever puppies as giant teddy bears and prefer that male goldens are much better than the female goldens.
How To Socialize Your Puppy
Dr. Pachel, whos a veterinary behaviorist, has a very simple way of socializing your puppy.
Every day, separate out five special treats for your puppy.
Youll give them one of these treats in a new situation.
For example, you might let your neighbor give your puppy a treat, or maybe you take your puppy to a bus stop and when the bus goes by you give them a treat, or maybe you introduce them to a cow and give them a treat.
The treat helps them have a positive experience with these new things and people, plus it helps you easily remember to expose them to lots of these new things.
Do this for the first four weeks of their life and before you know it, your puppy will have been exposed to 140 new dogs, people, things, or environments, and will be well on their well to becoming a well-adjusted adult dog.
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Are Golden Retrievers Good With Kids
Golden Retrievers soft and gentle nature, combined with their fun-loving personalities, has made them a firm favourite as a family pet. These dogs are naturally good with children and make ideal playmates. However, its worth noting that they may be best suited to families with older children due to their larger size and fun-loving, boisterous play style. As with any dog breed, any time your Golden Retriever spends with children should be supervised to make sure everyone stays safe and happy.
Final Words: All You Need To Know About Golden Retriever Puppies
Golden Retriever puppies are cute little bundles of joy.
These active, playful, loving and loyal puppies turn into faithful companions who will be with you through thick and thin. From puppyhood, you need to take the right care of your pups to ensure that they turn into excellence adults.
Have questions? Leave them in the comments, and Ill get back to you as soon as possible.
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Train Your Pup To Respond To Cues The First Time
As you teach your Golden pup verbal cues like come, sit, stay, and the like only give the verbal cue once. If you give the same cue twice, you may inadvertently be teaching your pup to ignore you the first time. If theyre being stubborn, use your body language to create urgency. For example, try raising your hand in a closed fist as you give your cue firmly and gently. – Richard Lovejoy, Professional Remote Dog Trainer
Taking Care Of Your Golden Retriever At Home
Much of what you can do to keep your dog happy and healthy is common sense, just like it is for people. Watch her diet, make sure she gets plenty of exercise, regularly brush her teeth and coat, and call us or a pet emergency hospital when something seems unusual . Be sure to adhere to the schedule of examinations and vaccinations that we recommend for her. This is when well give her the necessary check-ups and test for diseases and conditions that are common in Goldens. Another very important step in caring for your pet is signing up for pet health insurance. There will certainly be medical tests and procedures she will need throughout her life and pet health insurance will help you cover those costs.
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Prevention Of Resource Guarding
On a similar note, its important that your puppy learns how to give up items willingly as this will help prevent resource guarding.
Resource guarding occurs when we force puppies to give up items or snatch things out of their mouths. It can end up looking like an awkward game of tug of war especially at the park when they steal someone elses frisbee.
For breeds like Golden Retriever who are designed to want to hold things in their mouths, this is pretty important! You dont want to end up with shredded mail while wrestling you pup to give it back
What is resource guarding?
Resource guarding is when a dog protects a resource from being taken by someone else dog or human.
For some reason, there is a solid list of things puppies find irresistible:
- Socks
- Toys
- Food
These can end up being guarded quite easily if we dont handle the situation correctly! Wed be sad to hear your favourite pair of pink flamingo pants are no longer yours.
How do I help prevent it?
Swap swap swap! Practice swapping their toys for food treats, or other toys.
Many dogs love to retrieve, so theyre hard wired they want to hold or carry things around in their mouths. In essence, this is fine when its a toy they can have, but not so fine when its something valuable or that could harm them.