When To Start Walking Golden Retriever Puppy

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. Follow this link for a how-to-guide.

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.

Tire Out Your Dog Before Walks

Every time you put on the leash, your dog gets super excited. Golden retrievers tend to get more excited than most other breeds. Try tiring your dog out before taking him for a walk. You might find that it makes a difference. Easy ways to do this is to play fetch with them, or make them chase their favorite toys. Sometimes, your dog might even be too tired to go for a walk.

Golden Retriever First Heat: When Does It Happen

Your Golden Retriever will get hot when shes as young as six months old. For dogs of a smaller breed-the average age, however, is six months. But on the other hand, giant breed dogs get hot as late as 18-24 months.

One of the most important things you can bear in mind is that you dont have to breed your dog in the first cycle because it is still growing andfor all purposes and purposesalso a puppy itself. Youre expected to wait for the second or third cycle to breed the Golden Retriever. The vet will help you to decide the right age.

Also Check: Are Golden Retrievers Easy To Potty Train

What Supplies Do You Need

If you are serious about training golden retriever puppies, you may need some supplies in addition to the time spent. These are listed below:

• Crate: If you want to crate training with your puppy, you will obviously need a crate. It is very important that this training equipment is at your house from day one. You can choose a;soft dog crate;or a;heavy duty dog crate.
• Baby gates: You dont have to get these, but they are useful. These tools prevent problematic situations when you cant pay proper attention to your puppy.
• Leashes: There are indoor and outdoor leashes. You can choose them according to your goals.
• High-quality food: Consult your breeder or veterinarian about the appropriate food. If for some reason you need a change in the food field, pay attention to the gradation.
• Toys: Golden Retriever puppies have a lot of energy. You might want to buy them some chew toys.
• Bedding: If you buy a crate for your puppy, you need to have some bedding in it for convenience. Anyway, there are crates that come with something like this.
• Treats: These will be very useful during the training. Use them wisely and not excessively.
• Collar: If you get used to your Golden Retriever with a collar from day one, it will be beneficial later on.
• Brushes: This is one of the most important grooming tools. This will help keep your dogs coat healthy which is extra important for golden retrievers.;

Golden Retriever Puppy Zoomies

At first, it might not seem like zoomies should be anything to worry about. But all puppy owners can tell you just how destructive these random bursts of energy can be.

Especially with a relatively large breed like the Golden Retriever.

In fact, it can lead to broken ornaments, ripped fabric, muddy pawprints all over the house, and knocked over children. It can be quite distressing for new puppy parents!

Running after your puppy can often make this worse as it seems like a fun game to your puppy.

Instead, encourage calm behavior by rewarding your puppy when theyre relaxing peacefully.

You wont be able to avoid the zoomies altogether, but you can try to minimise them by ignoring this behavior and rewarding calmness.

Recommended Reading: How To Potty Train A Golden Retriever

Why You Should Exercise Your Golden Retriever

Like us, goldens need exercise to stay fit and healthy.;

Goldens who donât receive enough exercise may become bored and destructive.;

Even adult goldens may chew the wrong items like your furniture and dig in your garden when under-exercised.;

Or they may bark excessively, jump on counters or people even when trained not to, or be mouthy.

Also, he may gain too much weight. This can lead to heart disease, risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and damage to hips and elbows.

A dog who receives enough exercise has toned muscles. Exercise also keeps his body and metabolic system functioning properly and engages his mind.

According to the ASPCA, one out of four dogs in the USA is obese!

What To Buy For A Golden Retriever Puppy

Once youve chosen your Golden Retriever puppy, you need to make sure youre prepared for their arrival at home with you.

Theyll be old enough to come home at 8 weeks. So, you should have plenty of time to prepare.

We mentioned the key products Golden Retriever puppies need at the start of this article. So, you can scroll up to remind yourself.

We also have a number of articles that review the best products for Goldens. And you can find more reviews on our main products page

Here are some you might enjoy:

Now, once youve got everything you need for your new puppy, youll need to start setting it up in your home.

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Ways To Exercise Your Golden Retriever

Now that you have a good idea of how much exercise your golden retriever needs, and what happens if they dont get enough exercise, here are 13 ways to exercise your golden.

But before we dive into this list, know that exercising your golden isnt just about physically getting them tired.

Since theyre such smart dogs, mental exercise is just as important as physical exercise.

These following suggestions for exercising your pup will cover both mental and physical exercises.

1. Play fetch with your golden

Dont forget that golden retrievers are retrievers, and most of them love to chase around a tennis ball or a frisbee.

2. Play tug with your golden

Another good game to play with your pup is tug.

This is also a great opportunity to work in some training, as you can teach your golden to drop it, take it, and even have them do sits or downs to resume the game.

3. Play chase

This is a great game to play, especially with puppies, since most puppies love nothing more than to chase or be chased.

I would definitely advise you being the one whos being chased more, as it will get your dog used to running towards you, which will help when you teach them to come to you.

4. Get your dog hooked on chew toys

Teaching your dog to love to chew on chew toys is one of the best things you can do for your puppy.

Chewing releases feel-good endorphins and channels their chewing energy into an appropriate toy, instead of something in appropriate, like your household items.

8. Train your golden

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.

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How Long To Walk A Golden Retriever Puppy

Golden Retriever puppies require daily walks as well, but you will want to reduce the duration and length, depending on their age.

Golden retriever puppies require short 10 to 15 minute walks or no more than about 5 minutes per month of age. As a golden retriever puppy grows you can add an extra few minutes each month to your regular walking routine. Doing so will guarantee your puppy grows into a strong and healthy dog.

Providing the proper amount of puppy exercise is also a great opportunity to introduce your young pup to other people and dogs. A regular shorter walk gives them a chance to become better socialized, which will make for a happier adult dog in the long run.

Raising A Golden Retriever Puppy Finding A Vet

Most of us have our puppies vaccinated. Vaccines are not completely without risk, but the risk of serious disease for unvaccinated puppies is usually considered by experts to be much greater.

Most puppy parents want to know which shots their puppies need, when their puppies can go outside safely, a few want to know what happens if they decide not to vaccinate their puppies.

Youll find information on all those topics in the articles below:

Youll also find lots more information in our puppy health and care pages.

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What Happens If Your Golden Retriever Doesnt Get Enough Exercise

Whenever Oliver doesnt get enough exercise, he lets us know by standing by his toy bin and staring at us, or sitting in front of us panting when were trying to relax.

Then, as we get up to go somewhere, he usually thinks were getting up to go play fetch with him, so hell run in circles or leap up in the air.

So if your golden isnt getting enough exercise, they will let you know!

Here are some other signs that your golden has extra energy:

• Biting more than normal
• Running around the house or having zoomies
• Destructively chewing things like shoes or furniture
• Jumping

You probably noticed that all of the things above are unwanted behaviors.

Cuddle with mom or, take a nap and look cute arent on this list, which supports the old saying that a tired dog is a good dog.

So if you want your golden to stop doing some of the bad behaviors above, then exercise them!

In addition to unwanted behaviors, golden retrievers are very prone to obesity, which is another potential problem if you dont exercise them enough.

This can lead to heart problems, joint problems, and other potential health problems.

So if you dont want your golden to become overweight and suffer through potential health problems, exercise them!

Which leads us into the next section

Over Exercised Dog Symptoms

Golden Retrievers can go hard and keep going, often not knowing when to stop. With any dog, it is possible to over-exercise them, especially in hot weather. It is important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of a dog that has overdone it. Read Overexercised dog symptoms; and Dog exercise in hot weather to learn more.

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Short Crate Training Sessions

Short crate training sessions are one of the most sure-fire ways to get your pup comfortable with its crate. ;Your golden retriever should feel as though the crate is a home, not a jail.;

Small sessions in the crate help to establish this concept with puppies. Let your new puppy explore their crate. Leave the door open while they sniff around. Place their food inside and let them eat in the comfort of this new domain. Then shut the door for 10 minutes. When they are let out, sit with them, play with them, and snuggle with them.

You can reward your golden pup with treats while they are inside the crate, to further establish the crate as a comforting space. No need to reward them after theyre out of the crate as the reward upon leaving is the joy of your company! This also helps to establish your authority and dominance.

For more info on crate training, check out our article How to Crate Train a Golden Retriever.

Is My Dog Too Old To Run

Just like humans, dogs lose their stamina with age advancement.They may also develop age-related conditions such as arthritis that can makerunning sessions painful for them. Respiratory and heart diseases may alsoaffect your old dog, making him an unsuitable running companion.

Dogs over ten years of age are more likely to be affected by age-related issues, and their energy levels are also lower. Regular visits to your dogs veterinary will help determine if he can still withstand the pressure of those runs and jogs.

Read Also: Potty Training Golden Retriever Puppy

Golden Puppies Exercise Needs

Up until three monthsâ old, itâs important not to over-exercise your puppy.

Donât overdo it. Puppiesâ joints and bones are still growing and canât take too much. So, jumping and running arenât good choices.

For growing puppies, the âfive-minute ruleâ is generally applied. It means that a golden puppy needs no more than five minutes of exercise for each month that heâs alive.

So a three-month-old puppy should receive no more than 15 minutes of exercise up to two times a day.

Of course, you shouldnât have the puppy engage in any kind of grueling routine. And break up the time he plays.;

For example, have a short 10-minute walk and, after a break, a three-minute fetch session. Then, after another break, a two-minute training session. Vary the activities.

Doing all these activities will not only help your pup exercise, but it will also help further your bond.

My rescued golden retriever Riley came to me when he was about six months old.;

To say that he was energetic would be an understatement.;

He would jump on us, be mouthy, and generally destructive when he arrived. Of course, he needed training.;

But I also had to meet his exercise needs so that we could have a great relationship.

So I took him on long walks, played fetch with his Kong ball, played tug and release, and played with puzzle toys.;

He also played with my other dogs. And he went to daycare two or three days or half-days per week.

How To Train A Golden Retriever Puppy To Walk On A Leash

Walking on a leash is not a natural ability in puppies ;they need to learn it, but its easier than you may think!

To train a Golden Retriever puppy to walk on a leash, practice at home first by introducing him to a collar and/or harness. Teach a leash cue, and start very short walks. If the pup pulls, dont yank or drag the leash, stand fast, and wait for him to come back to you. Reward with a treat and praise.

;Review the following steps:

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Before The Pup Arrives Home

In a lot of ways, training your Golden Retriever begins before the puppy even arrives home. Dog training demands a tremendous amount of energy and time from both you and your puppy. Not only will you need time, but a few supplies as well.

For this reason, we recommend you have the following supplies ready before your new puppy arrives:

Recommended Supplies

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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