How Often Should You Walk A Golden Retriever

How To Trim Your Golden Retriever Puppys Claws

The day has finally come. Today, were clipping your puppys claws.

Before you start, heres a couple of important things you need to know:

• In order for this to work, your puppy should be comfortable around the nail clippers. If you see them struggle, go back to the exercise from 2 weeks ago and have a go at it again.
• This one is quite important. Dog claws have a vein running through them this is called the quick. You dont want to cut out puppys claws too short as we will nick the quick and this will bleed. And it looks scary and you wont want to do it again.
• If your puppy has black claws and you are worried about the quick ask your vet or groomer to show you how to cut them.;

How to do it

TIPS

Why Golden Retriever Puppies Are Hard To Train

One of the things I love about golden retrievers is that they love everything.

But that also makes them difficult to train sometimes.

Oliver LOVES other people, so when we see people on walks, sometimes he wants to pull and say hi.

Thats totally understandable , but then theres story

One day we were training and a leaf blew by

Yes, a leaf.

But he was overjoyed at the sight of this fun leaf somersaulting down the street and he really wanted to go play with it.

It totally took us out of training mode, but thats a golden retriever puppy for you

Mental Stimulation For Golden Retrievers

All dogs need an outlet for their minds. If they are not provided the opportunity to challenge their minds they will come up with their own ways to achieve this. This usually manifests itself in bad behavior such as excessive barking, digging, escaping and other destructive behaviors. Read Mental stimulation and mind enrichment for dogs to learn about the 6 types or categories of mind stimulation a mental enrichment and some great ideas to provide this.

Some ways to provide mental stimulation and enrichment include;

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How Do I Switch Puppy Food Brands

Switching between brands for your puppy should not be done in a jiffy. It takes time for most puppies to get used to a new food so you have to be patient about it. Try offering the new food little by little at first and then gradually working your way up to half of the food bowl, until finally, your puppy has gotten used to the new food.

Aside from possible food allergies and digestive system shock, your pup might not like the initial taste of any new food, so you should feed it to them gradually.

If you arent very sure about the food brand that you have, you can also talk to your veterinarian for advice. This is especially if your pet showed certain food allergies to it.

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.;

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You Must Shower Your Golden If

There are situations where you just have to get your dog into the shower as soon as possible. If your dog has any of the following sprayed on them or if they have been playing in or been exposed to any of the following, you must get your dog into the shower as soon as possible;

Chemicals

You know when you have just sprayed your backyard and somehow your dog finds a way to it and plays there for a while? you should take them into the house and give them a bath right away.

These chemicals can be dangerous, and they can cause real harm to your dog. Something could be spilled on your dog, which is another reason you should take your dog for a bath right after the incident.

Salt

If you take your dogs for walks in the snow, or your dog goes out for playing, the salt used to melt snow on the roads will get into their paws and even their coats.

This salt can hurt their paws and their skin, so it should be removed as soon as possible. Once you get home, you should give your dog a bath using lukewarm water.

If you cant give your dog a bath right away, lets say because you are out camping or something, then you should definitely clean their paws right away.

Fleas and Ticks

Those little blood-sucking bastards are really annoying when they get to golden retrievers. The thick, heavy coat provides a great environment for them, and they can hide deep where you cant get to them easily.

Pros & Cons Of Leaving Your Golden Retriever Outside

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Basic Exercise Needs For Golden Retrievers

If your golden retriever is particularly rambunctious, you might consider upping their exercise to two hours a day. Your golden will let you know when they start to get tired by panting, walking more slowly, and coming to your side for attention.

Golden retriever puppies need less scheduled exercise than adults, but thats mostly because puppies already live a movement-heavy lifestyle. In fact, forcing a small puppy to go for long walks can be incredibly bad for their joints and can cause arthritis later in life.

In general, the assumption should be that your golden retriever puppy needs about ten minutes of exercise a day for every month that they are old. This means that a year-old golden retriever should be exercising for an hour and twenty minutes a day, which is the perfect amount for a healthy and happy pup.

As golden retrievers start to age, their exercise needs drop drastically. Its not surprising to find out that a grey-haired golden just cant make the full hour of exercise anymore. Follow your dogs lead, and dont push them to walk more than their joints will allow.

By the time your dog is ten to eleven years old, they may only want to get about half an hour of exercise a day. For many geriatric dog owners, this means taking your pet for a casual daily stroll at a nice and easy pace.

Leash Walks As Exercise For A Golden Retriever Puppy

Leash walking can be a good form of exercise when certain criteria are met. First puppies need to be trained and socialized to the environment. Second, leash walks need to be done in a certain way. Finally, leash walks for a young puppy shouldnt be the puppys only form of exercise.

Leash walking can be overdone. One of the biggest causes of growth plate and soft tissue injury in young puppies is repetitive exercise. Leash walks for puppies must be broken up with training sessions or opportunities for free off-leash play or time to sniff around on the leash. 15 minutes should be the maximum for an 8-week old puppy. If your puppy gets tired, flops down, or doesnt want to go, its time to stop. At 3 months, you can go for 20 minutes and at 6 months, you can walk up to 30 minutes. You must be much more careful with leash walking since you and not the puppy control the pace.

Leash walking provides an excellent way of combining a little bit of physical exercise with mental exercise, obedience training, socialization, and environmental desensitization. It is a fantastic way to introduce a puppy to his world. It gives a bit of exercise while at the same time giving opportunities for socialization and training. However, strolls on a leash are not enough. Puppies must have an opportunity to run and play. Again, off-leash walks are best if your goal in your walk is to provide adequate exercise.

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Where To Leave Your Golden Retriever In The Home

If you prefer to leave your Golden Retriever inside when you go out, you can still manage his environment and keep him safe by containing him in a specific part of the house.

Here are a few suggestions to contain your dog inside:

The time will eventually come when you want to allow your Golden Retriever to have the run of the house. Most owners ultimately try this route. Dont fret, though, as youll know when your dog is ready! My dog was over two years old before she was allowed free reign of the house.

How Far Should You Walk A Golden Retriever

The daily walk is essential for a Golden Retriever not only to release some pent-up energy. The walk allows your Retriever to stimulate the mind with the sights, sounds and smells they come across.

The length of the walk is only limited by your time and energy as a Retriever was breed to hire all day long. Ideally, the minimum should be 45 to 60 minutes daily. This can be just once a day, or two walks a day would be better if your schedule allows. The pace of the walk should be a brisk quick trot. Even then it is unlikely to tire a Golden Retriever completely.

Dogs also like routine, so try to schedule the walk for around the same time each day. Daily walks are much better than nothing all week and a big walk at the weekend.

If your Golden Retriever has good recall and comes on command, walks at the park off the leash are ideal. Alternatively, you can use a retractable leash to allow them more freedom while maintaining control. In general, Golden Retrievers are obedient and usually have good recall if trained.

You can add extra resistance to the walk by using a;weighted vest;or;dog backpack. It is recommended that no more than 10% of their body weight be added. This is more than sufficient to tire them and strengthen their muscles without overworking them. Other ways of increasing the resistance on the walk are to walk on sand or include uphill sections in the walk.

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Exercise Ideas For Puppies

Exercise for your Golden Retriever puppy is essential. Early exercise helps them get on track for a lifetime of healthy living. It also helps to get out their energy so they remain more calm during training.

Exercises for Puppies

Brushing A Golden Retriever

While you only need to bathe your Golden Retriever every;couple of months or so, you will want to brush their fur out far more frequently.

When you brush the fur, it gets rid of dead hair as well as dry and dead skin. It also stimulates the skin surface and helps distribute the natural oils to ensure the coat is healthy and clean.

All dogs need to have their fur brushed every few days for these benefits and to prevent matting in a Golden Retriever.

If you notice any hair mats, you will want to remove them through brushing;as soon as possible. Goldens are particularly prone to matting behind the ears, on the tail, and in the thick feathering on their back legs. Make sure to brush these areas frequently.

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Exercise Limits For Your Golden Retriever Puppy

Trainers who run agility classes wont let puppies compete until they are at the age of at least one-year-old. But they will let puppies get familiar with the equipment and start some basics in foundation classes, like learning to walk through an agility tunnel. Training a puppy to walk through an agility tunnel will help them instill confidence and provides some basic skills.;

Any type of high-impact exercise like jumping for frisbee or jogging on a solid surface can cause a puppys bone to stop growing or grow incorrectly.;

Puppies shouldnt be forced to exercise, and the amount of time spent exercising should be limited to the required amount per puppys age.

Does A Golden Retriever Need Grooming

Does a Golden Retriever need grooming? The short answer is yes. Golden Retrievers have a gorgeous, golden double coat that does not need much daily care, but weekly brushing is wise, especially when they shed. Besides brushing, your Golden will need trimming of the feet, heels, and ears.

You can take your Golden to a grooming salon, but you can also groom yourself. Here are some tips and recommendations to get you started.

Its wise to begin grooming when your Golden is still a puppy. The coat of a young puppy doesnt need grooming yet, but this way, your Golden pup can get familiar with the brush, the scissors, with you touching and stroking him or her, looking at his or her teeth by opening the mouth, etc.

This will make the grooming experience a positive one for you as well as your dog. Your local grooming salon will also be thankful that your pup is allowing people to touch him or her if you decide to take your dog to the groomer!

Some dogs love to be brushed, groomed, and bathed. My dog Stippy isnt a big fan of grooming, but hell endure it and is very sweet and patient. Goldens need weekly brushing, and when they are molting, they need brushing every other day. While brushing your Golden, you can check the fur and skin of your Golden Retriever for wounds or parasites.

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