Laws Regarding Missing Pets
1. It is against the law to keep any animal that you find.2. Pets are generally considered property and it is illegal to take and keep someone elseâs property.3. You must contact your local animal control unit and file a FOUND AN ANIMAL report for any dog or cat you find.4. To reclaim your lost dog, cat or other pet from the animal shelter you must pay a release fee.5. If your dog or cat is unregistered, you will have to register your pet before you can take it home.
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
Do Golden Retrievers Get Separation Anxiety
One of the issues that can plague Golden Retrievers is separation anxiety. Goldens love to be with their family and if separated from them for too long or too frequently, separation anxiety can occur. Dogs with separation anxiety will often bark, howl, chew destructively, salivate on everything, and attempt to escape.
Recommended Reading: Golden Retriever Types
Great Exercise Ideas For Your Golden
While going for walks together is fun, going to the same places can get a bit repetitive.
Here are a few great ideas to keep your dog active and busy:
Always remember, a tired dog is a happy dog. Giving your dog an appropriate level of exercise will also help improve their health.
How Do I Know If He Has Enough Exercise
After checking out your pupâs exercise program with his vet, his behavior and appearance will help you determine whether he has enough exercise.
If your golden appears healthy, athletic, and strong, thatâs a good sign.;
He shouldnât be overweight, and you should be able to see a defined waist. You should be able to feel his ribs without seeing them.;
If he also is able to relax and isnât âbouncing off the walls,â that can help determine that his needs are being met.;
Some occasional zoomies are natural. But he shouldnât be doing them all the time.
And he should also be able to listen and pay attention to you and to perform known commands,;
Too much exercise can be as bad as not enough.
You May Like: How To Potty Train A Golden Retriever In An Apartment
Frisbee Is Never A Good Form Of Exercise For A Golden Retriever Puppy
Frisbee throwing is also a poor choice for any dog whose growth plates have not closed. It encourages forced running, jumping, and twisting, all bad for the growing puppy. Frisbee throwing can be dangerous for any dog, but especially for a puppy. We personally never play frisbee with our dogs. There are many other better exercise choices.
What Kind Of Exercises Do Golden Retrievers Need
Besides walking regularly, it is also important to have some high-intensity exercise and play to help exhaust your golden retriever and retain their muscle tone. Keeping the muscles toned and strong can protect a golden retrievers joints and tendons, as well as avoiding damage to other parts of the body.
Golden Retrievers need three types of regular exercise to thrive and be happy.
1. Long walks The longer the better .
2. Purposeful high-intensity activity and play; Activities such as playing fetch, swimming, or running off-leash.
3. Mental exercise Mental stimulation is a form of exercise as well and is absolutely necessary for a healthy golden. Find out which toys golden retrievers love to keep them mentally stimulated in our article here.
The average adult Golden retriever needs at least 1 hour of exercise a day, ideally more. Their genetic bloodlines can also influence how much exercise a golden retriever requires. Golden retrievers coming from a working stock would need much more exercise than golden retrievers bred to be lap dogs.
Failure to provide ample physical exercise and mental stimulation to a golden retriever can contribute to loneliness and behavioral problems. This can include aggressive actions, digging, constant barking, and even running away to have their own fun.
Exercise is the pill that cures most golden retriever mental and behavioral issues, and a good long walk is at the top of the list.
Also Check: At What Age Should You Start Training A Golden Retriever Puppy
Dog Parks And Playing With Friends Dogs
If your puppy is on a play-date with a dog outside of your family, limit the time to 20 minutes and supervise closely. Limit your play-dates to dogs that you know well and are confident that the experience will be a good one, especially during your puppys first year.
I dont recommend a dog park for puppies unless you are absolutely sure that every single dog that will be interacting with your puppy is friendly and gentle and will provide a good experience for your puppy. Ive heard too many stories of dogs having one bad experience with a strange dog and then becoming fearful for life. Strange dogs are not worth the risk.
How Much Should You Exercise An Elderly Golden Retriever
Some Golden retrievers suffer arthritis and other joint pains as they age. If this is the case with your dog, please speak to your vet and follow their advice. With some ailments exercise can make things worse and you do not want that for your dog.
Others may start to slow down once theyve hit their 8th birthday, whilst some may still be surprisingly active at their 12th year and beyond!
Like humans, dogs are individuals and age differently. Just be mindful of not asking too much of your elderly dog.
Theyre a breed that loves to please and if you ask too much of them they will do everything to oblige and you could really tire them out and perhaps do more harm than good.
Monitor your Golden and if they seem to have aches and pains, or get out of breath a lot quicker, or take a lot longer to recover, then its maybe time to allow them to slow down. They can still enjoy walking long distances and swimming, just avoid jumping hedges and chasing balls for an hour straight.
Also Check: Rhonda Hovan Golden Retrievers
How Much Exercise Does A Dog Need Every Day
Keeping your dog healthy and happy requires more than just a healthy diet and regular visits to the vet. Exercising your dog regularly is equally important in order to tone the muscles, encourage the body and metabolism to function well, stimulate the brain, promote good behavior, and increase socialization.
Every dog needs to exercise daily, but not all dogs need to engage in the same type or amount of physical activity daily. The amount of exercise a dog requires daily to stay healthy depends on many different factors, such as breed, age, size, body type, and overall health. A general rule of thumb is that dogs should get between 30 minutes and 2 hours of exercise every day. Larger breed dogs, like retrievers, collies, shepherds, will need the most exercise; while smaller and toy breed dogs, like terriers, Maltese’s, don’t require as much daily physical activity. Furthermore, short-nosed breeds, also known as brachycephalic breeds, like bulldogs and pugs do not need a significant amount of daily exercise.
Most dogs won’t exercise themselves, which is why it’s important to make sure pet parents spend the time to make sure their dog is getting adequate physical activity. Simply letting your dog outside isn’t sufficient. While they might chase a squirrel up a tree, they likely won’t exercise themselves nearly as long as needed.
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.
Recommended Reading: How Do You Trim A Golden Retriever Rear
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.
Golden Retrievers That Need A Home Now
There are hundreds of benefits to owning a dog. If you are looking to add to your fur family, consider adopting a dog. You will save the life of that dog and allow another to come into the shelter to be saved.
Golden retrievers are well-mannered, loyal companions that love to play. They love meeting new people, and their enthusiasm is contagious. Goldens make great family dogs and hiking partners.
Check out all 25 golden retrievers looking for their forever homes and share with a friend.
Also Check: Adopt A Golden Retriever By State
Does Your Dogs Breed Dictate Their Size
We mentioned earlier that your dogs size is influenced more by their age, overall health, activity level, and perhaps size but this does not mean that breed does not play a role. Many of the factors above are directly related to your dogs breed. For example, golden retrievers are large dogs with high EQs and moderately high energy levels.
It is not so much a dogs breed as the characteristics and physical qualities that make up a dog that influence sleep.
Signs Your Golden Retriever Isnt Getting Enough Exercise
Golden Retrievers require a certain amount of exercise each day. As a pet owner, you may wonder if your dog is getting the amount of physical activity they need. Here is a list of signs your dog may be exhibiting if he or she is not getting enough daily exercise.
Recommended Reading: Dutch Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix
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.
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.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to aweb browser thatsupports HTML5 video
Also Check: How To Bathe A Golden Retriever Puppy
What Are The Appropriate Amounts And Types Of Exercise For A Golden Retriever
Puppies, adult goldens, and elderly goldens will all need different amounts and kinds of exercise.
However, since golden retrievers are working dogs, they need more activity than other breeds.
Genetics is a factor to consider. Working/hunting Goldens will need more activity than those bred for conformation or show lines.
Its a good idea for your dog to have a physical before beginning any workout regimen. This may also assist you in determining which workouts to add in his routine.
Read Also: Best Golden Retriever Breeders In The Northeast