Should I Get A Miniature Golden Retriever
If the prospect of these pups appeals to you, and you have the time and finances to properly love, care, train and support a dog, then you should consider buying a Miniature Golden.
Remember to always do your research when it comes to breeders and only buy from registered organizations who breed their dogs responsibly and provide all the correct papers and health information on your handover.
As we mentioned earlier, its best to avoid those mixes with Cocker Spaniel genetics as these can be more inclined to bite and nip.
Diet Plan Of A Golden Retriever According To Age
Like humans, your Golden Retriever food preference and requirements vary according to its age. So, you should also make adjustments in your diet plan as it gets older. Therefore, to help you, I have a diet plan for your pet:
Age of Golden Retriever |
1 cup of wet food + ½ cup of dry food+ 2 cups of water | Milk |
Furthermore, you must remember that each cub contains 250 grams. Thus, you can either increase or decrease the quantity of food according to your dogs requirements. But dont leave its bowl with food all day.
Also, change the diet plan of your dog every week to find the one that suits it.
Your Golden Retriever’s Health
We know that because you care so much about your dog, you want to take good care of her. That is why we have summarized the health concerns we will be discussing with you over the life of your Golden. By knowing about health concerns specific to Golden Retrievers, we can tailor a preventive health plan to watch for and hopefully prevent some predictable risks.
Many diseases and health conditions are genetic, meaning they are related to your pets breed. There is a general consensus among canine genetic researchers and veterinary practitioners that the conditions weve described herein have a significant rate of incidence and/or impact in this breed. That does not mean your dog will have these problems it just means that she is more at risk than other dogs. We will describe the most common issues seen in Golden Retrievers to give you an idea of what may come up in her future. Of course, we cant cover every possibility here, so always check with us if you notice any unusual signs or symptoms.
You May Like: Best Gifts For Golden Retriever Lovers
Know When Their Bladder Is Full
Heres a great rule of thumb when youre training your pooch. On average, they can hold their pee an hour for every month in age. A four-month-old puppy should be able to wait four hours between outside times. Younger pups need to go more often. After they wake from a nap, eating or drink, and before bed are all critical for both avoiding accidents and training them when they should go.
When you see your pup walking around in circles and sniffing, its a sure sign that its time to take them out.
You Must Make Room For Your Dog And Her Hair
Golden Retrievers are mediumlarge dogs. A male Golden is about 23-24 inches tall and weighs between 60 and 75 pounds . Females are smaller, but they still need space to move, being 20-22 inches tall and weigh between 55 and 70 pounds .
Youll have to give your dog enough room to move freely around the house. Having a yard can be helpful, but as Goldens are very social dogs theyll prefer staying inside with their families rather than running around by themselves outdoors. So be sure your house or apartment is large enough to host such an active and intelligent dog, even if youve got a yard.
The dog isnt the only thing youll see around the house all day. Free your schedule for cleaning up hair as Golden Retrievers shed all year, becoming heavier in spring and autumn. The easiest way to reduce the amount of lost hair is by brushing your dog 3-5 time a week, for about 15 minutes. However, youll still need a powerful pet hair vacuum cleaner to remove the mess from your carpets and sofa.
Also Check: When Are Golden Retrievers Full Grown
Diet Plan A Golden Retriever
Since the nutritional requirement of a Golden Retriever varies according to its age, it requires different amounts and types of nutrients in each stage of its life. Therefore, you should ensure that your dog is getting a sufficient amount of nutrients at each phase.
Thus, to ease your struggle with the diet plan of your Golden Retriever, you can read further to take reference:
Bringing Home A Golden Retriever Puppy
Once the big day arrives, it is important to consider how you are going to get your new pooch home. Since this will most likely be your golden retriever puppys first car ride, there should be a passenger who will be sitting with them in the back to calm and soothe them during the trip. Remember to cover the backseat with a towel, as nausea has been known to occur.
There are some who prefer to hold their new puppy on the car ride home while the four-legged friend is swaddled in a towel. This is not recommended due to the increase in injury risk should there be an accident. Most importantly, for puppies on their first car trip, they should be given time to take a bathroom break before the trip starts, as well as when you are en route.
Now that he is home and all the excitement has calmed down, it might be time to start considering important aspects of your parenting plan. First off, you need to plan for appropriate socialization not just with the dogs and humans at home, but also with other dogs, humans and other animals outside. This ensures that they are a well-rounded well-adjusted member of the furry society.
Youll also need to begin training your puppy, while one can do this on their own with proper research and preparation, there are plenty of dog training schools available that will also boost your dogs social skills while youre there.
You May Like: What Is The Difference Between A Golden Retriever And A English Golden Retriever
Your Golden Retriever Puppys Health
When it comes to your puppys health, heres the most important thing you can do: have a good relationship with your vet.
Theyll be the ones get you started on vaccines, help you choose an appropriate food, and prevent or treat any illnesses or injuries that may occur.
In addition to having a good relationship with your vet, here are some other tips to keep your pup healthy:
- Dont let your puppy eat poop which could potentially be infected with a virus, bacteria or parasites
- Dont let your puppy drink from standing water, which can often hold bacteria and parasites
- Choose a good food to help strengthen your puppys immune system
- Avoid places with other dogs, like the dog park, before your puppy is fully vaccinated
- Talk to your vet about supplementing with vitamins
- Talk to your vet about vaccinations
You can read more about common golden retriever health problems here.
Introducing Nose Work To Your Golden Retriever Puppy
Besides your puppys talents and impressive skills, for most breeds its actually their nose that deserves the most praise. Lets play a game of hide and seek with a toy to spotlight their gift of good sniffs!
How to prepare
- Find an old towel to use.
- Stuff a Kong or a toilet roll with some food
How to do it
TIPS
· Dont make it too hard to begin with thoughlet some of the toy poke out from under the towel
· Once your puppy has had a few practice runs you can start to make it more difficult. I could personally play this game all day.
If only this could work so they help us find our keys.maybe well teach them that trick when theyre older.
Also Check: Easy Golden Retriever Drawing
In The United Kingdom
Golden Retrievers were first accepted for registration by The Kennel Club in 1903, as Flat Coats Golden. They were first exhibited in 1908, and in 1911 were recognized as a breed referred to as Retriever .
In Scotland
In July 2006, the Golden Retriever Club of Scotland organized a gathering of Golden Retriever enthusiasts at the ancestral home, Guisachan House. A photograph taken by photographer Lynn Kipps to commemorate the occasion captured 188 Golden Retrievers, and so holds the record for the most Golden Retrievers in one image.
Priority Health Schemes And Tests
The Kennel Club’s Assured Breeders must use the following schemes, tests and advice. All other breeders are strongly advised to also use these.
- Elbow dysplasia screening scheme
- Eye screening scheme Find results for the pre 2020 MRD open resister. This only lists dogs that were diagnosed as ‘affected by MRD’. MRD results published after 31 Dec 2019 can be found in their Health Test Results Finder entry
- Eye testing – PLA
Also Check: What Is The Best Way To Groom A Golden Retriever
Why Get Dog Insurancefrom Pumpkin
While Golden Retrievers are a generally healthy breed, unexpected ruh-rohs can happen to any dog at any age. If your pup gets hurt or sick, pet insurance can help you say yes to the best care, even when its costly. When it comes to shopping for this breed, youll want to choose an insurance like Pumpkin that covers hereditary conditions Goldens are prone to developing, and that can be costly to treat. While a reputable breeder will conduct genetic testing on your pups parents to help minimize the chances of passing down hereditary conditions they cant always be avoided. Lets look at some common ones, and how Pumpkin Insurance could help cover the cost of care!
What Are Miniature Golden Retrievers
Despite what their name suggests, Miniature Golden Retrievers arent simply pedigree Golden Retrievers selectively bred to be smaller. They are a cross mix of different dogs instead of just a size variation on the breed standard.
This is different to the Mini Husky, for instance, which is just a smaller version of the Husky.
The breeds used to create the Mini Golden are usually either a Golden Retriever and Poodle, or a Golden Retriever and a Goldendoodle .
Some breeders also mix in Cocker Spaniels, although this can result in some less than desirable characteristics, which well discuss later.
This specialist breeding is designed to create a dog matched as close as possible with a standard Golden usually between a 50 and 75% genetic match. The idea is to create puppies that have the same wonderful character and temperaments of a normal Golden, yet in a smaller size.
Miniature Golden Retrievers are also known as Petite Golden Retrievers and Comfort Retrievers. The latter is actually the trademarked name for the puppies bred by Kathy Burgess, who claims to have created the first Miniature Golden.
Burgess Mini Golden Retrievers are so popular and well known that their trademarked name has now become synonymous with the breed.
Read Also: What Is The Difference Between A Golden Retriever And A English Golden Retriever
Tug As A Form Of Exercise For A Golden Retriever Puppy
Tug is a very good exercise for dogs of all ages except for during the stage when puppy teeth are coming out and new adult teeth coming in to replace them. Teach your puppy to play tug early and he can enjoy it until he is about 3 1/2 months. Make sure you stop before he looses his first teeth at around 4 months. Tug can then be resumed when all adult teeth are in.
The most current training recommendations for tug no longer include the idea that the dog can never win and that you must always be in charge. Puppies need to win the battle for the toy when they give a good tug at it. If the puppy never wins, hell loose his motivation to play the game.
Old fashioned traditional trainers claimed that you must always be the pack leader and that letting a dog win a game of tug would make him believe that he was in charge. This is not true.
Consider a child racing his Dad down the street. The Dad lets the child win and the child beams. Does it undermine the Dads authority? No. It gives the child confidence and makes him want to be faster and better.
The same holds true with puppies. Let them win when they do a good job!
Final Words: All You Need To Know About Golden Retriever Puppies
Golden Retriever puppies are cute little bundles of joy.
These active, playful, loving and loyal puppies turn into faithful companions who will be with you through thick and thin. From puppyhood, you need to take the right care of your pups to ensure that they turn into excellence adults.
Have questions? Leave them in the comments, and Ill get back to you as soon as possible.
You May Like: When Do Golden Retrievers Grow Out Of Puppy Stage
Loud And Incessant Barking
We do not recommend using bark collars. A dog barks for specific reasons that come naturally for a canine. It is unfair to punish them for an instinct to protect, defend, or inform.
A better way to combat loud, incessant barking, is to be a bit like a detective and track what/when/why your dog barks. Does your dog only bark when the neighbor dog approaches your property line? If so, your dog is likely frightened or feeling defensive. Before you can tackle a change in behavior, you must first understand why the behavior is occurring.
How To Pick A Golden Retriever Puppy From The Litter
Im going to be honest here
There are no tricks to getting the perfect puppy for you.
The most important thing is to find a breeder that breeds parents that resemble the dog you want.
Do you want a sweet, calm golden?
Then look for a breeder that breeds sweet, calm goldens.
Do you want a dog to go hunting with?
Then look for a breeder that breeds hunting dogs.
After finding a good breeder, talk with them and tell them what you want.
For instance, when my wife and I went to pick up our golden retriever, Oliver, we told the breeder that we wanted a big, calm golden.
It was obvious to see which of the puppies were going to be big, and from being with these puppies the previous eight weeks, they were able to help advise me on which ones seemed to be on the calmer side.
Here are a few other tips for picking a puppy:
Read Also: Golden Retriever Puppies Nc Adoption
Teach Your Puppy Their Name
Just like with people, its important that our puppies know their name. Kind of awkward if they dont.
Lucky for you teaching them their name is easy peasy.
Can Breeding Miniature Goldens Be Bad For The Dogs Themselves
There will always be questions raised over the ethics of selectively breeding dogs to fit certain characteristics that suit us as humans rather than those characteristics that are necessary for the breed.
However, breeders have undertaken much research and study in order to create Miniature Golden Retrievers that are not only suitable for people wanting smaller dogs, but that provide benefits to the dogs themselves.
Smaller sized dogs are not only easier to care for, theyre also likely to live longer, as demonstrated by the increased lifespan for Miniature Goldens over the breed standard.
Many dogs will also shed less hair and should avoid the inherited diseases that can afflict Golden Retrievers.
Don’t Miss: How Do You Trim A Golden Retriever Rear
Diet Plan For Adult Golden Retriever
After your Golden Retriever is a year older, you should start giving it a meal two times a day. Further, you must ensure that your pal gets enough amount of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals in each meal. Besides this, start adding some healthy natural snacks to the diet plan of your Golden Retriever as treats.
In addition, dont forget to include omega-rich foods in its diet for the proper growth of a healthy skin coat and fur. Moreover, you can start mixing dry food with wet food and give it to your dog to get the benefits of both foods.
However, make sure you dont include harmful human foods in your dogs diet, as mentioned above.