Games Training And Exercise Can Help Your Pet
Since the activity of your Golden Retrievers slows down with age, your pal will be prone to obesity and health issues. Furthermore, a healthy Golden Retriever needs at least an hour of exercise daily to maintain its health.
But as senior Golden Retriever suffers from joint problems, they are lesser mobile. Thus, try the simple exercises that are low in intensity and helps to keep your pal active, like swimming and long walks.
Usually, swimming helps to relax the tense muscles of your pal. Thus, it helps relieve the joint pain of your pal. Furthermore, consult with your pal for medication to improve the health condition of your pal so that it can exercise.
Other Tasks To Do Before You Bring Your Puppy Home
So you have everything you need and your house is puppy-proofed.
Thats it, right?
Not exactly.
Heres a quick list of some final things to do to better prepare yourself for when you bring your new puppy home.
Find a vet.
Youll definitely want to bring your puppy to the vet within the first day or two of bringing them home so that they can be thoroughly checked out and get on track for their vaccines.
Find the closest emergency animal hospital.
This is not something you want to wait until you need it before looking it up and making a plan.
Find a list of local poisonous plants and animals.
Talk to your vet and do some research so that you know which plants and animals to avoid.
Set up the puppys crate and water bowls.
The last thing you want to do is bang around a large crate and scare your new puppy as youre trying to figure out how to set it up.
Find a puppy kindergarten class.
This will help with training, socialization, and general learning how to be a puppy parent.
Check your yard or house for any escape routes.
Before you bring home your puppy is a great time to fix that hole underneath the fence
C Needs For Hygiene And Wellbeing
Golden retrievers shed moderately on a very regular basis. Their coats are water repellent, so they only need a bath sometimes. They shed heavily once or twice a year, so its best to brush them out every day during this period.
Golden retrievers are usually healthy, but owners should check their ears for signs of infection and brush their teeth daily. The National Breed Club suggests that your gold be given the following: hip assessment, elbow assessment, cardiac examination, and ophthalmologist assessment.
Unfortunately, golden retrievers are more susceptible to cancer than other dog breedsso be sure to have a balanced diet and get regular vet checkups.
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Chapter : Grooming Not To Be Undervalued
As we know the golden retriever is especially famous for his flowing, golden thick coat and soft fur.
But you should take proper care of golden retrievers while grooming. Cutting their nails is really a crucial part, and during that, your pup needs to be calm. Also, cutting the hairs around the neck, body, and legs. Then, giving a bath with good quality dog shampoo. Cleaning his ears and apply flea and tick preventatives.
Lets break it down and let me explain to you each of these terms.
What Is The Cause Of My Golden Retrievers Illness
There are a lot of reasons why dogs vomit. Vomiting in dogs is frequently caused by a sudden change in food. Scavenging , motion sickness, or simply eating too much or too quickly.
Infection, worms, eating foreign items like socks or toys, or swallowing or licking toxic flowers, herbs, or toxins are some of the more significant causes of a dogs illness. More serious medical conditions like cancer, renal, liver, or pancreatic illness may also be to fault.
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Raising A Golden Retriever Puppy Settling In Time
It could take a while for your puppy to settle in properly to your home. It can be stressful for puppies.
After all, theyre leaving their mother, siblings, and the only home theyve known to come and live somewhere completely new and unknown.
You can help your puppy settle in faster by keeping them by your side so they arent ever alone and scared, and showing them how great their new life is.
It can also help to follow a routine for a while. This will include feeding your Golden puppy, training them, and socializing them.
Some common problems that new puppy owners face in those first few weeks include: biting, potty training accidents, waking at night, and over-excitement.
So, lets take a look at each of these issues next, and the best ways to establish a routine.
What Is Puppy Food All About
Providing a good start is essential for a healthy puppy. The ideal puppy food is designed to provide all-round nutrition to growing puppies. A puppy is full of energy and its needs are much more than a grown dog. This food must be able to support rapid growth in a puppy that includes its bones, muscles, immune system, and most importantly, its joints.
Ideally, puppy food should contain 30% protein to provide for the energy needs of the growing pup. In addition to this, puppy food contains a high percentage of fat, something which a grown dog does not need. Puppy food also needs to provide vitamins and essential minerals and micronutrition to the puppy.
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How To Take Care Of Your Golden Retriever Puppy: A Guide For New Dog Parents
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After weeks of waiting your new Golden retriever puppy is finally in your home! After the first excitement you realize, this is the first puppy youre taking care of. Maybe you dont even know how to properly take care of this living breathing creature. You start to panic! Wait! Calm down and breathe. Being a first-time dog parent can be nerve-wracking but we have all the tips you need to know to take good care of the new member of your family.
Feeding schedule
How much should you feed your puppy and how often? First, you should definitely check with your vet for the best advice for your puppy.
You also need to know that as a puppy grows up, the nutritional needs also change, as does the feeding schedule.
This is just an estimate on how often and how much you should feed your pup, like weve mentioned your vet will give you the most accurate information.
- Puppies between 8-12 weeks of age need four meals per day
- Pups between the ages of 3-6 months need to be fed thrice a day
- Puppies aged 6 months to 1 year will need two meals a day
- Dogs older than one require just one meal a day
High quality food
Just like you take care of your body and pay attention to what you eat, you should do the same with your dog.
So you should always:
Worms, Ticks, and Fleas
What Are The More Fatal Signs Of Aging In Your Golden Retriever
Usually, most owners have a misconception that the senior Golden Retrievers and geriatrics are the same.
But there is a difference between these two terms. Generally, a senior Golden Retrievers is a simple term for dogs at the age of 7.5 to 10 years, while geriatrics is the term for dogs over ten years with several health issues.
Moreover, some of the severe health issues of older Golden Retrievers are:
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Apply A Drying Solution
Some ear cleaning solutions come with a drying agent in them. Others, like the Vets Best Dog Ear Cleaner Kit mentioned above come with a separate drying solution. Regardless of which solution you choose, always make sure that it will effectively dry your pets ears.
Apply the drying solution to your pets ears. Follow the instructions on the bottle to determine how much you should use and how long it should be left in the ears.
After youve applied the solution, you should massage it around your goldens ear canal to make sure it is being distributed throughout the entire area.
Golden Retriever Exercise Needs
Dogs of this breed are energetic, athletic, and full of stamina, so Golden Retriever exercise needs are pretty considerable. Breed members can begin exercising for short periods as early as three months of age, and by one year they’ll need an hour or more per day. Specifically how much exercise does a Golden Retriever puppy need daily? Follow the 5-Minute Rule: from age three months to one year, give your Golden five minutes of exercise for each month it’s been alive. From one year on, give the dog at least an hour.
Be aware, though, that with its stamina and “people-pleasing” traits, a Golden may not know when to quit! It’ll be up to you, the owner, to be sure not to over-exercise the dog . But try and find a balance, as an under-exercised Golden Retriever can be a hyperactive, misbehaving nightmare. This breed is also highly prone to obesity, so a Golden will quickly become overweight without enough physical activity.
EXERCISES FOR GOLDEN RETRIEVERS:
- Walking/Jogging: Good for both the dog and you
- Swimming: Goldens love the water
- Treadmill: Good for bad-weather days may take a bit of training, but a Golden is intelligent enough to learn how
- Fetch/Frisbee: A Golden will chase a ball, stick, or Frisbee for hours
- Tug-of-War: Can be done indoors or out
- Hiking: Good for bonding and exploring with your Golden
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Overgrown Golden Retriever Puppy
This is characterized by an overly fast rate of growth. Largely a case of overfeeding your puppy, it is not good for its health. Obesity in puppies leads to lots of health risks. Moreover, dogs find it very difficult to shed this extra weight. Overweight puppies or adult dogs suffer skeletal problems, hip dysplasia, and issues with their joints.
These are reasons enough for golden retriever owners to follow the feeding guidelines in order to keep their puppies at just the right weight.
Signs Your Golden Retriever Is Suffering From An Ear Infection
On the grass, a Golden Retriever puppy is rolling around.According to dogs WebMD, ear infections are one of the most common dog health issues. They can develop quickly and cause a lot of pain for your dog, so they should not be ignored. Here are some warning indicators to keep an eye out for:
- Touch irritates the ears.
- There is a foul odor.
- Theyre bloated and red.
- Scratching at the ears on a regular basis.
- Your dog rubs his ears on the carpet, the ground, or the furniture.
- A yellow or brownish-black discharge is seen.
- Because of the inflammation, the ears are hot to the touch.
- In the ears, there occurs crusting or scabs.
What Causes Golden Retriever Ear Infections?
There are a few possible causes for your Golden Retrievers ear infection:
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What To Consider Before Getting A Golden Retriever
The decision to get a baby Golden Retriever shouldnt be taken lightly. Owning a Golden Retriever is a big responsibility, and you need to be sure you can properly care for your dog. Before you decide to buy a Golden Retriever puppy, ask yourself these questions.
Is it the right time to get a dog?
Maybe you are overloaded with work and have little energy to do anything when you come home? Maybe you have just gotten a baby and you spend the most time taking care of it? Or you are in a tight financial situation? In these cases, you should probably not get a Golden Retriever puppy. Golden Retriever puppies are like children, and they will need plenty of your time and commitment. Therefore, you should leave this decision for some more convenient times.
Is there enough space in my house for a large dog?
They may be small when they first enter your home, but Golden Retriever puppies will soon start to grow incredibly fast. goldens are medium to large dog breed and they will need plenty of space inside the house. So, consider if you have enough space in your house to accommodate a large dog.
Do I have enough free time to care for a dog?
You will need to crate train, potty train, and socialize your puppy. This takes patience and lots of time. Ask yourself, do you have the time to spend training and caring for your baby Golden Retriever?
Can I afford a dog?
Learn How To Spot A Good Golden Retriever Breeder
Its a good idea to buy a puppy from a reputable breeder. This helps to avoid lack of health test certificates, poorly puppies, and other disappointments.
Home bred puppies can be very nice if the owners have taken the trouble to health test and raise their puppies responsibly. Whatever you do, avoid puppy mills and pet stores.
Reputable breeders will treat their own dogs well. Their dogs and puppies will be healthy, with all the up to date vaccinations needed, and no signs of problems like fleas, skin issues, or malnourishment.
Good breeders like this will care whether their puppies are going to the best homes. So, expect lots of questions from a reputable breeder.
The best breeders will answer all questions you have, and wont mind you spending some time with the puppies and parent dogs.
They will also be able to show you proof of health testing, and provide you with all of the relevant documents that you need.
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Dont Give Your Pregnant Retriever Any Vaccinations
Other than a few heartworm treatments and Frontline Plus topical flea treatments, make sure not to give any treatments or vaccines to your pregnant dog unless you speak to your vet about it first.
- Make sure to check with your vet before giving them any sort of medication.
- If your golden retriever is due for vaccinations while they are pregnant, make sure to wait until after theyve given birth.
- Its generally safe to give your golden retriever vaccinations while they are nursing.
- If the mother is not up to date on her heartworm and flea treatments, talk to your vet. The mother can pass heartworms and fleas to her unborn puppies.Make sure to consult with your vet if she is due for treatment while she is pregnant.
Bathing Your Golden Retriever
To care for your golden retriever’s coat, it’s also important to bathe it every month or month and a half, a rule that must only be broken if its fur gets significantly dirty or impregnated in any substances which are toxic or hazardous for the animal. Excessive washing can damage the hair and skin of the animal, however, you can use a dry shampoo or a damp cloth should you want to remove dirt from its fur. The ears deserve special care and cleaning to prevent parasites and fungi from growing in them. Remember to dry its fur with a towel properly so that there is no moisture accumulation. You may use a hair dryer, but you will need to get your golden retriever puppy used to it from an early age so it doesn’t get scared of the noise.
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Golden Retriever Coat Care
When an owner brings their dog to me for a wellness visit, we discuss many common topics such as vaccine schedules, spaying and neutering, nutrition, and dental health. Even though there is a great deal of variation between breeds, hair coat discussions occur infrequently.
Coat care is extremely important to the health of all dogs, especially Golden Retrievers, and having knowledge about your Goldens hair coat can make it much easier to maintain.
How To Puppy Proof Your House
When puppy-proofing your house, think like a puppy.
Crawl around on the floor and take note of what you see.
Puppies will chew nearly anything, so make sure that there are no valuables down at puppy-height, or things that could be poisonous to them or be a choking hazard.
Make sure there are no open cabinets or pantries where your puppy could get into food.
Be careful of small trash cans that could hold some smelly trash that would be enticing to a puppy.
And hide your cords and cables and make sure your puppy cant shock themself by chewing them.
Your puppy should be under supervision or in a crate or playpen at all times until theyre mature enough to not ruin your house or cause themselves harm, but puppy-proofing the house will help keep them safe, too.
And finally, next are a few other random tasks to do before you bring home your new puppy.
P.S. Getting a golden retriever puppy? Check out the Golden Retriever Puppy Handbook!
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Final Thoughts On How To Take Care Of A Golden Retriever
I believe the number one thing that any dog owner can do is to show their dog lots of love!
The Golden Retriever especially needs a lot of love and attention in order to be happy. They value the time spent with you, and any dog owner knows that the time spent with their beloved Golden Retriever is never enough.
A Golden Retriever quickly steals your heart and becomes your best friend. Their beauty both inside and out becomes addicting that most owners of this beautiful breed usually own more than one.
Keep in mind that if you let a Golden be a Golden, by letting them do what they love such as meeting new people and going swimming, then you will be rewarded with a happy dog.
How do you take care of your Golden Retriever to ensure their happiness?