Vaccinations And Healthcare For Puppies
There should be a few shots that your puppy should have had before you even picked them up from their previous owner. These would include distemper & measles. But if they havent already had those jabs, then so be it. As you can go and get it done yourself.
If you are by any chance unsure of the exact shots that your new puppy will need. Then head over to AKC.org where you can find out more information. Here is a screenshot of the guide that they have with the information on jabs for puppies:
How To Know If Your Golden Retriever Is Happy And Healthy
Your Golden Retriever can live for about 10 years, so with good care and regular veterinary attention, you should be able to enjoy a decade with your new pet. Enjoy!
They Are Not Watchdogs
While there are certainly exceptions, as a general rule, Golden Retrievers are not watchdogs.
Golden Retrievers are friendly by nature and tend to be more suited towards the ‘welcoming committee’ than ‘neighborhood watch.’ However, they may bruise a new guest with their powerful, rapidly wagging tail.
But again, there are exceptions. A Golden Retriever’s intelligence and loyalty should never be underestimated.
Why Do Golden Retrievers Need A Lot Of Room
Retrievers are large dogs. An adult male is about 2324 inches in height and weighs between 60-75 lbs. While an adult female is about 20-22 inches tall and weighs 55-70 lbs.
The good news is that golden retrievers can live almost anywhere, but theyll need some space in your home to move around freely. Fortunately, this doesnt necessarily mean that you need a yard.
Because golden retrievers are so social, they often prefer to stay indoors and hang out with their families as opposed to spending time outdoors alone. So whether your home is large or small your going to have to make sure there is plenty of room for your golden to move around.
Offer A Variety Of Appropriate Things For Your Puppy To Chew
Puppies are going to chew, period and the end. Its important to give them lots of options for appropriate things to chew so that theyre not chewing your furniture. Every dog is different so offer different textures, shapes and sizes and be sure to follow the age guidelines listed by the manufacturer. Related to the idea of loving them from day one if you want a cuddler, if you want a dog that loves to play with toys and balls, offer them early so they get in the habit.
Ill do another post about our favorite toys, bones, accessories, etc.
Why Golden Retrievers Are Easy To Train
Golden retrievers are very smart dogs.
In fact, according to Dr. Stanley Corens book, The Intelligence of Dogs, theyre the fourth smartest breed out of 138 evaluated breeds.
But its not just their brains that make them easy to train.
What good would it do you if they were smart but had no motivation to obey?
Another trait that goldens have that makes them easy to train is that they like to please people.
Theyre loyal, family dogs that enjoy spending time with you and obeying you.
They were originally bred to retrieve gunned down birds in the marshes and fields, so theyve been obeying people for hundreds of years.
And finally, heres one more reason theyre easy to train:
Golden retrievers love treats!
They love to eat so having a tasty treat will motivate many goldens to learn and obey quickly.
However, its not always rainbows and butterflies when it comes to training your golden retriever
Golden Retriever Puppy Biting
Golden Retriever puppies like to play with their mouth and teeth Ouch!
It is natural and completely normal. The bad news is that you CAN NOT stop it, they NEED to bite, you can redirect their bite to appropriate things, like toys. The good news is that you can teach them to control the pressure they make with their mouth until mouthing turns into soft kisses. .
Playing with a puppy’s mouth is a great way to teach him to how control his teeth. Yelp! like a puppy in pain to let him know it hurt!
Finally, you can also start golden retriever training obedience commands, since puppies can learn very fast many things but you need to concentrate your attention on the three topics above, because they are key factors to help your puppy become a friendly and social dog, one you can trust and trusts you.
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.
Go For A Drive With Your Puppy
Now that your puppy is happy sitting in the car, we can try and go for a short drive with them. Weee!
PRO TIP: Make sure this is done when theyre on an empty stomach and between meals. Were sure you dont want to spend your afternoon cleaning up puppy vom.
How to do it
Watch out! Never leave your puppy alone in the car!
PRO TIP: Remember to carry your puppy in from the car since its not safe to put them on the floor until theyre fully vaccinated. Lucky theyre getting the royal treatment.
Puppy Proof The Confined Area
Are there toys that your puppy can easily pull apart and choke on? Are there items that, if swallowed, could cause poisoning or stomach issues? Can he be cut or get entangled in anything? Can he snag an ear, paw, or tail?
If youre using puppy pads, will your Golden puppy chew and swallow them? Are there electrical cords within the puppys reach that are chewable and that could pose a shocking hazard?
You get the picture!
Whether opting to use a crate or confined area, make sure the place you have chosen for your Golden puppy is safe and free of hazards. Look at it from your puppys point of view to pinpoint any potential safety issues.
Golden Retriever Obedience Training
A well behaved dog is a joy to be around and is welcomed by all in far more places than a dog who is out of control. But a dog can never learn how to behave properly without guidance from their owner.
This means teaching your Golden Retriever just a few basic commands that if they reliably follow, allows you to provide this guidance, to steer them through life safely, keeping them from ever being a nuisance or a danger to themselves or others.
The following articles discuss the basics of obedience training a golden retriever before taking you step by step through effective techniques to achieve a happy and obedient dog. Here are some training tips.
Teaching Your Golden Retriever Puppy To Wait
The practice of patience: Waiting. What a lesson to teacheven for humans.
For your puppy, waiting means not moving when we move away. But you can also use this lesson later on for things like waiting at doors, before you let them out of the car, or in their crate. Unfortunately, using it for teaching them to wait on tables is way past their learning capabilities.
There are two aspects to teaching your puppy to wait:
First, well work on duration.
Now, lets practice distance.
Adopting Golden Retriever Puppies
According to the AKC, most breed rescues report that a majority of their rescue dogs come from individual owner surrender, with the most common reasons being a change in lifestyle or the breed not being a good fit. This means that there may be many dogs and puppies out there that are looking for a new forever home.
Finding a golden retriever rescue can be as simple as searching the internet. The AKC also has an excellent list of golden retriever rescues on their site.
Buying Or Adopting A Golden Retriever
Once you have decided to get a Golden Retriever, you need to decide whether you want to buy or adopt a dog.
If you want to buy a baby Golden Retriever you need to consider few things. Firstly and most importantly, you want to buy a healthy puppy from a reputable breeder.
Buy from a reputable breeder
The demand for Golden Retriever puppies has skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, crooks and scammers have seen an ideal opportunity in this to cheat potential buyers and steal money from them. If you want to know how to spot and recognize a scammer, you can read this article.
Reputable breeders care for their puppies and will demand that you come to visit and interact with them. They will also ask you questions to determine if you are the right person to buy their puppy. You can find more about choosing the right Golden Retriever breeder in this article.
The price range for a baby Golden Retriever is between $300 and $3000. A Golden puppy from a reputable breeder will cost you around $1000. Those that wish to own a puppy with a champion bloodline will pay up to $3000. On the other hand, those that are ok with owning an unregistered puppy with a shady background can find one for just $300.
You can find out more on this subject in this article.
Choose the best puppy from the litter
Adopting a Golden Retriever
Be Patient With Potty Training
I had this dream that Zoey would just be potty trained within a week of coming home. WRONG. We had so.many.accidents no matter how diligent I was about crating, looking for signs she needed to go, how many trips we took outside, etc. It seemed like she could just squat and pee in an instant. While there are definite dos and donts of potty training, you just have to give them time. A puppys bladder is not matured enough to hold it for any length of time until about 4 months old. Before this they literally have to go when they have to go.
Hitting that 4 month mark was magical and we had very few accidents after because wed done all the work on good potty habits before. Another friend of mine recently brought home the cutest lab puppy but she was so upset because he was having accidents everywhereincluding in his crate. I encouraged her to be patient and he did eventually mature out of it.
Just a note: I am not a fan of using puppy pads in the house. I personally dont ever want to train my dogs that its okay to go inside. But thats just my opinion, I know for some city dwellers or those with small dogs it can work well.
They Are Not Aware Of Their Size
Adult Golden Retrievers typically weigh between 5575 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.
How To Handle Your Golden Retriever
Finding A Golden Retriever Breeder
The first step is to do your research. Sadly, there are many puppy mills posing as reputable breeders along with plenty of online scams. Be aware, and reach out to different online forums for conversations about getting your future furry family member.
Be sure to ask questions, make arrangements to meet the parent dogs or mother, and follow your gut. If something seems wrong at a breeder you visit, or the golden retriever puppy seems too good to be true, theres likely something sketchy going on. The AKC also offers resources for finding a breeder, with fairly strict guidelines on who they let participate.
Raising A Golden Retriever Puppy Setting Up
Before your puppy comes home, you should work to set up everything that theyll need. Its much easier to do this before you have an excited puppy running around your feet at every turn.
Three of the most important things to set up are your crate, your puppy zone, and any baby gates that youve bought.
Make sure your puppys crate is big enough for him to turn around in, and sleep comfortably in. But, remember that if its much bigger than this, your Golden may try to use one end as a bed and the other as a toilet.
If your crate is too big when your puppy comes home, you can use a crate divider to create a smaller bedroom area.
A puppy zone is an area in your house that is puppy proof. It usually contains your puppys crate, some toys, and fresh water. You may choose to feed your puppy in their puppy zone too.
Some people create a puppy zone within a playpen. But others like to dedicate an entire room, like the kitchen. If you want to do this, its best to use baby gates on the doors, so that you can get out easily without releasing your puppy.
Best Golden Retriever Training Guide
Golden Retriever training may seem daunting now that you have a rambunctious pup; dont despair. This guide has the best golden retriever puppy training tips, step-by-step exercises and so much information you will feel like an expert very soon. From potty training to obedience, you wont have time to get bored.
The golden retriever dog is among the 10 most popular and intelligent dog breeds. They are handsome and charming; with the right amount of training, exercise and social interaction they can become friendly, playful and very social dogs. It is no wonder then, that they are a favorite breed as pet companions, guide dogs for the blind, therapy dogs, drug sniffing and search and rescue, among others. Training a golden retriever requires a little bit of patience, a variety of treats and toys, and a fun attitude. So, gather those up and lets get started. This article is divided into life stages, and what you should focus on each one of them:
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.
Create A Feeding Program Golden Retriever Puppy
Feeding your golden retriever depends on its age. Since you have a puppy, you will need to feed them more often than the old ones. You can also ask your veterinarian for this matter, or you can use the following feeding schedules:
- Puppies aging nine to twelve weeks old need to be nourished four times a day
- Puppies aging four to six months old need to be fed three times a day
- Puppies aging seven to twelve months old need to be nourished two times a day
- Dogs aging past one year needs to be nourished one time per day
Make sure to provide your puppies with plenty of water, and change it from time to time. Use a stainless steel bowl over plastic containers because they are more durable and cost lesser bacteria. Giving treats to your pets is quite inevitable, so instead of giving them junk foods or any unhealthy treats, try to provide them with the following:
- Steamed sweet potatoes
READ – 12 Interesting Facts about Yorkie Poo Dogs
Golden retrievers are known for its long and shiny coats. It would help if you kept it clean and wavy by brushing it daily. They need it to prevent their hair from severe shedding and matting.
Taking care of your dog in its younger stage will result in a loyal and healthy dog. Its essential to use a natural brush to deal with the hair tangles in your dogs fur.
Sweep all the fur from the back, stomach, chest, tail, and ears regularly. During the brushing, check for parasites like ticks and fleas in its fur.
Make Dog Training Clear
Using the clicker training method can help you communicate very clear feedback when your dog gets it right. is extremely effective and is used worldwide to train all kinds of species!
This method uses a special sound to mark a specific behavior. Using a dog clicker, like the Downtown Pet Supply training dog clicker, lets your pet know he has earned a reward. It doesnt take long for a dog to understand and then repeat the behavior.
The Best Program To Start Training With
This course was the best investment Ive made in a long time. It breaks down how to train your puppy right from the earliest of stages and also gives you access to a professional trainer .
I cant guarantee it will work for you, but if it worked for me when I had no previous background in dog training, then it will work for you. You can get it now for under 50 bucks too which makes it well worth the risk of trying out.
After you go through the course I can almost guarantee you will be able to handle any situation that you get into with your dog. Its reasonably priced too at just under $50, I would highly recommend you get training of some sort. But if you are looking to get hold of this then you can check out my review.
Next, its time to talk about vaccinations and healthcare for your pup. As this could be a big grey area for many parents out there. With all the training working up an appetite, then it may be time to look at what foods you may need.
Can You Raise A Golden Retriever In An Apartment
Dog Trainingapartment dogsgolden retriever puppy
Is it possible to raise a golden retriever in an apartment? The short answer is yes, it is possible as long as youre doing these 4 things. I break it down in the video below .
To be honest, there are SO many people who have a YARD and dont give their pup these four basic things, because they think the yard will take care of it.
This is why Ive found that many people who raise bigger dogs in apartments have more mentally healthy dogs because they make a mindful decision to ensure their golden retrievers needs are met. So lets get into what these four things are!
BIOLOGICAL NEEDS ARE MET
What are the components of making sure biological needs are met?
First, is ensuring your pup has proper nutrition. Nutrition affects behavior just like it does with humans. Imagine eating cheeseburgers and fries for every mealeventually, youd feel pretty crappy right? Same with our pups if youre feeding low quality kibble every day, this can influence their behavior.
Second, ensure your golden retriever is receiving age-appropriate exercise. Keep in mind, puppies do not have their growth plates fully set in so its important we dont OVER exercise your pup. If youre unsure what is appropriate, this is a great conversation to have with your vet. As an adult, your golden will need a LOT of exercise, so you can play fetch on a long line leash, plan play dates with your friends dogs, or even go on a hike.
EMOTIONAL/SOCIAL NEEDS