Taking Care Of A Golden Retriever Puppy: Adopting
Most breed rescuers claim that most of their rescue dogs come from individual owner surrender, with the most common factors being a lifestyle shift or a breed not being a good match. This means that there might be many dogs and kittens out there looking for a new home forever.
The biggest difference between the breeder and the rescue team is that the rescue does not always have young puppies to choose from. However, the advantage is that most are mandated to only recognize dogs that have been microchipped and/or neutered. This means that you may end up with a dog that has already been housebroken, and you do not need these standard medical procedures. You could even find a golden retriever mix that has all the characteristics you expect from the breed, along with a little extra. Finding a golden rescue retriever can be as easy as searching the internet.
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.
Immediately After Birth To Five Months Old
The first five months of a puppys lifetime are its most impressionable. This is when you can really shape your puppys personality.
First Seven Weeks
During its first seven few weeks of life, the new puppy will struggle to walk, staggering and falling at intervals. A few weeks after birth, the puppy will achieve stability while walking. It is very important for a puppy to be with its mother and litter during this time because they will teach the pup necessary behaviors.
During this period, the mother will instill the importance of obedience and affection in the puppy. Carefully socialize the infant dog without removing it from the litter to get it used to human contact.
Third Month
The third month of a puppys life is the perfect time to introduce it to its permanent human family. Spend a lot of time with the new puppy to socialize it. However, be careful during the puppys movearound eight weeks or slightly later, the puppy will experience its first fear-impact period.
During this time, any frightening experience will have a long-lasting impact on the puppy. Work to prevent these frightening experiences, and if they do occur, remove the puppy from whatever is causing the fear immediately.
Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Months
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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 crate at 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
Stage Four: Sexual Maturity
Starting at around six months old and continuing until as late as sixteen months, Golden Retrievers will grow to their full size, and if they have not been neutered, they will reach sexual maturity and start entering heat cycles and displaying mating behavior.
At this age, your dog may also be trying to understand and define their role within the pack, and as a result, may start challenging both human and animal members of the family. They can also start displaying territorial behavior.
During the early months of this period, you may feel like your dog has unusually long legs for their body, but this will even out over time. Their ears and nose also tends to grow faster than the rest of them, so they will go through a period of floppy ears as well.
Goldens grow very fast during this period, which leaves their bones vulnerable to injury. This is a good time to be wary of anything that puts excessive pressure on the joints, such as big jumps.
Key Development Milestones:
- If not neutered, begin displaying mating behavior
- Start of territorial and challenging behavior
- Legs, ears, and nose grow disproportionately faster than the rest of the body
- Fragile bones due to rapid growth
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Vigilant Supervision: Behavioral Correction
A new golden retriever pet parent must be prepared to be ever vigilant in watching their new pup like a hawk! If your puppy accidentally pees inside or chews on a household item, you cant yell or punish your pup if you werent supervising them properly. Thats like punishing at a 2-year-old who just burned their hand on the stove-top flames. Yes, inform them that fire is unsafe, and they should never touch the stove when you are not around.
You are the parent, and you are always responsible for their safety and well-beingso that moment is 100% on you.; Puppies, in so many ways, are like human children. You would not harm your human child.; Therefore, you should not harm your canine child!
Biting & Chewing
Dogs use their teeth for a lot of things. It is a natural canine behavior. However, you dont want your dog biting your neighbors kid or tearing your new comforter to shreds. ;You need to direct their biting properly, so they know when it is okay, and when it is not okay to chew on something.
To curb their desire to nibble on your favorite shoes, provide your puppy with lots and lots of chew toys. If they start chewing on a household item, redirect them to a chew toy.
Puppies are also capable of adjusting their bite pressure. If your golden retriever puppy has not yet learned what hurts you and what does not, you will need to yelp like an injured dog to let them know. Yes. Yelp.
Choose The Right Food
When you have a purebred dog with a lot of beautiful hair, you need to feed it right to keep its coat healthy and shiny. Many dog food brands have special ingredients made for large dog breeds.
Make sure that the first two ingredients are meat and not grain products, which could affect their digestive system.
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Difficulty Walking On Leash
Some Goldens either never really got the hang of leash training, werent ever trained, or have regressed due to poor reinforcement. Either way, its important to correct this behavior as soon as possible. While on a walk, if your pup goes wild, stop.
Wait until your pup calms down. Once they do, continue the walk. You will literally repeat this repeatedly. Granted, youll need ample amounts of time to make this successful. Try walking three times a day this way for a few weeks to see if the behavior improves.
Learn More Golden Retriever Care Tips
Golden retrievers will give you unconditional love, support, and acceptance like nothing you have ever experienced. Its important to take care of them and treat them like a member of your extended family.
If you enjoyed these tips for golden retriever care, check out our blog for more animal-care articles like this!
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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!
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:
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Golden Retriever Breeder Research
A responsibly bred Golden Retriever puppy will usually cost you upwards of $1000 in the USA .
However, this price will be considerably higher for show quality dogs. It will also vary depending on your location and demand.
Dont forget that the cost of sale is just the beginning. Your biggest expense is likely to be annual pet health insurance. Its a good idea to get some quotes in for this it will be several hundred dollars a year.
You can find breeders through your national Golden Retriever breed club. Here are a few Golden Retriever breed clubs from around the world:
If you email the club secretary theyll be able to let you have details of reputable breeders in your area.
Finding the breeders is the first step. But, you also need to ensure they are a good and reputable breeder, not just someone trying to make a quick profit.
Planning Appropriate Puppy Socialization
Socialization, with both humans and other dogs , is one of the most important things to think about with your new puppy.
A well-socialized puppy should turn into an adult dog who interacts well with all dogs and people, which makes your life so much easier as a dog-owner.
The first couple of days, its best if your puppy just meets those people, and any animals, who they are going to be sharing their home with, but after that its good for your pup to meet as many dogs and people as is safe and possible.
Although your dog shouldnt be out and about, other than in your garden, until theyre fully vaccinated, some vets host puppy parties at their clinics so that younger puppies can interact with one another in a safe and clean environment. This is a great idea because, once your pup has been fully vaccinated, they will already be out of the stage in their life when theyre most receptive to new things, including meeting new dogs without being nervous or aggressive.
Its also great for your pup to meet a variety of new people, and it wont be hard to convince your friends to come over and hang out with your adorable new pal!
However, it is important to talk to anyone meeting your pup about any rules you have for interacting with them, as your dont want puppy to be scared or to pick up any bad habits.
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Care Of Your Golden Retriever
When You Bring Your New Puppy Home! Caring for your Golden Retriever Puppy
Finally, the day dawns when you collect your new puppy from its breeder and you bring him or her home!First, show puppy where to toilet and praise him when he performs. It s a good idea, for the future, if you say a certain word when the pup is actually doing it so that he can then learn to associate that word with toileting as it will help with house-breaking and general training.Your puppy will be tired after the journey so show him his bedImmediately after puppy has eaten, bring him out to toilet, this is what he will have been used to when with his mother. Also do this when he wakes up from sleep.Let puppy get used to his new home and you in a calm manner and start as you mean to go on if he chews at the furniture tell him No! in a sharp tone and gently remove him from the chair-leg etc.
Puppy will be teething hard and it s preferable to give him suitable toys to satisfy his craving to chew rather than let him loose on the leather suite! Never leave him with toys unsupervised.Your puppy needs plenty of sleep little naps during the day as well as a full night s sleep. Ensure puppy can sleep as much as he needs without the children disturbing him.
First thing after he wakes, hell need to go to the toilet!
Diet Nutrition And Water Intake
Dogs in the wild would hunt and scavenge, eating a wide variety of different foods, taking care of their own diet and ensuring they get all the nutrients they need. Modern dogs no longer hunt and scavenge and instead rely on their owners to provide them everything they need.
Very cheap dog foods and human table scraps really dont cut it when it comes to providing for your dog. You need to research, find and provide a good scientifically formulated diet to match their very particular nutritional requirements.
You should note that a puppy has different nutritional requirements to an active adult dog, that is again different to a very senior dog who may have somewhat slowed down. There are dog foods balanced to meet a dogs different needs for each stage of their lives and activity levels.
One thing you really need to watch out for with Golden Retrievers is over-feeding. Obesity in Golden Retrievers is a common problem, mostly because its hard to say no to a well-practiced begging routine from a very skilled and beautiful looking beggar!
If you feed your Golden the correct amount twice per day, perhaps a few treats when training, and then feed them table scraps and leftovers, its very easy to provide too much food and of the wrong types. And a Golden will never say no, they just love to eat!
As well as good food, your Golden needs access to a good, clean and fresh supply of water every day.
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Golden Retriever Care Dog Learn
The Golden Retriever is an all-around fantastic pet: affectionate, athletic, intelligent, and sociable. Part of its appeal is that Golden Retriever care doesn’t take a lot of work. Below you’ll find plenty of info on raising Golden Retrievers from puppies to adulthood, including details on development and exercise needs, Golden Retriever maintenance, feeding, and ideal living environments.
Golden Retrievers And Children
If you have a young family then Golden Retrievers can be fantastic with children. If socialised properly from a young age, Retrievers can be quite calm and tolerant. While they usually have a great temperament, its best to always supervise your dog with children.
As puppies, its normal for Retrievers to be mouthy, which means they have a tendency to nip and play bite. This is especially true when theyre teething. Although they dont mean this in an aggressive way, its best to use positive training techniques to let them know that biting you can be sore and isnt a fun game. That way, when theyre adults theyll know this isnt a good way to play with humans or other dogs.
Always supervise children and vulnerable adults with your Golden Retriever and make sure you can recognise the signs of unhappiness or anxiety in your dog to help avoid any conflicts. As with every breed, you should always teach children how to approach and play with dogs with care and kindness, to prevent any issues.
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