They Are Prone To Many Health Problems
As with any purebred dog, Golden Retrievers have their share of health problems. Some health problems that a golden can be prone to include:
Cancer, Hip & Elbow Dysplasia, Cataracts, Epilepsy, Hypothyroidism, Heart Disease, and Skin Conditions like Allergies. This is just to name a few, and not all goldens will have all of these problems, or have any of these problems.
If you are considering this breed, you need to be aware of the health issues that affect them.
When buying a purebred puppy, it is important to find a good reputable breeder and ask for the health clearances of the puppys parents. Health clearances show that a dog has been tested and cleared for a certain condition.
For more questions to ask a breeder, and to find out how to pick a puppy from a litter,
Train Your Pup To Respond To Cues The First Time
As you teach your Golden pup verbal cues like come, sit, stay, and the like only give the verbal cue once. If you give the same cue twice, you may inadvertently be teaching your pup to ignore you the first time. If theyre being stubborn, use your body language to create urgency. For example, try raising your hand in a closed fist as you give your cue firmly and gently. – Richard Lovejoy, Professional Remote Dog Trainer
Start As Early As Possiblle
Golden Retriever pups are the most responsive to training. So get started training right away and youll notice results far faster.
Use delicious snacks and vocal praise to pique peoples attention.
While youre teaching him to be a guard dog, its equally critical that you keep any uncontrolled aggressiveness at bay. When he barks or becomes violent with family or friends, do not praise him. Its critical that you maintain control and channel his rage correctly.
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The Key To Helping Your Golden Retriever
The sooner you recognize your dogs change in behavior, the better. You and I need to be paying attention to our dogs and their patterns.
How much do they eat?
How much do they drink?
When do they usually sleep?
Where do they usually sleep?
What really makes your dog happy?
If I am paying attention to these things right now, I should recognize right away if my dog has not consumed a normal amount of water during the night. One time may not be a concern. Maybe she was just not thirsty. But I know and now I can watch to see what happens tomorrow and the next day.
Has your Retriever ever been depressed? How did you help? How long did it take for them to come out of it? Comment below.
Theyre Great As Friends
They say a mans best friend is their dog, and this is undoubtedly true with a golden retriever.
No other friend is available to you whenever you want to hang out, always wants to do whatever youre doing, never mocks you or tells you that thing youre excited about is a bad idea. Who needs human friends when youve got a dog on your side?!
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Supplement Your Golden Retriever With Omega Fatty Acids
Your Golden Retriever needs a well-balanced diet to be healthy. As previously stated, your Golden Retriever gets all the nutrients that they need to be healthy for their fur coats from the food they eat.
Suggested Best Fish Oil For Golden Retrievers
If you have reservations about adding extra oil to your Golden Retrievers meals, you could opt for omega fatty acids supplements. These supplements are a more comfortable option, and with these supplements, you can ensure that your dog is getting the exact nutrients they need. I would recommend that you consult your veterinarian before giving your dog supplements.
Fish Oil is beneficial for your Goldens health and also for their coats. Read more about Fish Oil For Dogs on AKC.
They Help Us Get Some Exercise
We all like to think that were disciplined enough to get regular exercise but, honestly, we probably wouldnt go for long daily walks if it wasnt for our dogs.
Goldens need to walk for at least an hour a day, but can happily go much further, so they get us moving and keep us more fit and healthy.
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Do All Golden Retrievers Like Water
No, not all golden retrievers like swimming, but most of them love swimming instinctively and find it fun. Some golden retrievers also dont like water instinctively and a portion of those never do like water, but the large majority of goldens can be trained to like water & swimming easily.
Your golden retriever may not like water at all, and thats totally fine. There is nothing wrong with that. They are not hunting dogs, they are family members and companions, and its fine for family members and companions to not like certain things.
However, before you give up on ever playing fetch with your dog in the water, you should still try and use the methods we will discuss below in training your dog to like water.
Do female golden retrievers like water more than males?
This is a misconception. No, female golden retrievers dont like water more than males. There is no proof, data, or logic that supports the hypothesis that females will like the water or be better swimmers than males.
There are many differences between male and female goldens, but this is not one of them. You can take a minute to learn all the differences between male and female golden retrievers here.
How You Can Help Your Golden Retriever Stay Healthy
There are a few things that you can do to help your Golden Retriever stay healthy. It is important to keep in mind that no matter what you do, youre not going to be able to guarantee that your dog never develops a health condition. These things happen, sometimes even to the most vigilant dog owners. Also, a Golden Retriever typically has a lifespan of 10 to 12 years, and a lot of problems will become more likely when he starts to get older.
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How To Stop Your Golden Retriever From Raiding The Trash
Here are some things you can do to stop your golden retriever from raiding the trash
- Keep the trash can inside a cabinet
- Remove the trash can from your golden retrievers reach
- Train them to stay away from the trash
- Get a trash can with a tight-fitting lid
- Get a deterrent device online or from a store
I really dont like this last solution and I think its kind of cruel, but some dogs are just too stubborn and you may need the deterrent as a last resort for their own good. Eating from the trash can be very harmful to your dog, so getting a deterrent may be the lesser of two evils.
Keep the trash can inside a cabinet
Its the most obvious solution if you have a space in your cabinet, or even if you dont have space you should make one because this way will save you money and time.
Remove the trash can from your golden retrievers reach
Also, this one is very obvious. You can place the trash can behind a closed door, in the garage, or you can get a baby gate.
Train them to stay away from the trash
Since golden retrievers are easy to train, you can train them to stay away from the trash relatively easily.
Every time your dog goes to the trash, say leave and when they do leave, give them a treat.
After a while, they will stop without the treat. The problem is that even trained dogs may not be able to resist when they are alone and thats why you need to keep it out of their reach.
Get a trash can with a tight-fitting lid
You can check the .
Get a deterrent device
Dont Reward Your Dogs Depressive Behaviors
One of the most common mistakes we can make is to reward the dogs depression-behavior. The last thing we want to do is reinforce lazy, grumpy puppy. Dogs learn quickly, and if you are essentially praising when they are doing nothing, then they will continue to do nothing.
Instead, what you want to do is engage your dog in something they typically enjoy doing. Then, when your dog seems distracted and acting at least partially back to herself, heap on the praise.
Use the tail-wag as your universal sign for a happy dog. When the tail is wagging, then your dog is, at least momentarily, out of the sadness-funk. All you need to do now is add your atta-girl voice and keep doing whatever you are doing.
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When To Spay And Neuter Golden Retrievers
In recent years there have been newer recommendations put out for large breed dogs, including Golden Retrievers, on when to spay and neuter. Now it is recommended that you wait until your Golden is at least 18 months old before spaying or neutering them.
The reason to wait until your Golden is at least 18 months old prior to spaying or neutering is to ensure they have a chance to fully go through their version of puberty. A recent study suggests this can decrease the risks of bone and joint abnormalities as your Golden grows.
The information from this study came from the on-going Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, supported by the Morris Animal Foundation. If you are interested in contributing to the research helping to understand the development of cancer and other health conditions in Golden Retrievers, you can voluntarily participate in this study with your dog.
Up until recently, it was recommended that dogs be spayed and neutered before they are able to reproduce. For female dogs, this means before they go into their first heat cycle.
In addition to preventing your dog from getting pregnant, another reason it was highly recommended to spay before their first heat cycle was to prevent mammary cancer. Studies have shown that spaying your dog prior to their first heat cycle can drastically decrease the risk of them developing mammary cancer later in life.
Youll Have To Hide Your Shoes Because Goldens Love To Chew
These dogs like to carry things and, often when theyre bored, will start moving your stuff around the house. Theyre famous for their chewing habits so provide her with resistant toys, specially made for heavy chewers, and dont let her get too bored during the day.
Lock up your shoes, telephones, remote controls, games, kitchen utensils, clothes, and small pillows, or theyll meet a very messy end. Also, move your garbage can inside a cabinet or in a place your dog cant access.
She should never go through your dinner leftovers as eating human food can harm Golden Retrievers. For safety reasons, hide all electric cables before bringing your puppy or new dog home.
The crate is a good way to keep your dog away from temptations when youre not around. This way shell be in a safe place and you wont have to worry about the Nintendo youve forgotten on the sofa before going to bed.
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Why Is My Golden Retriever Puppy Skinny
Owning a small Golden Retriever puppy makes your house lively and happy. Besides this, these puppies can become the best companion for your kids to play, and share secrets. Thus, as an owner, your main motive is to give your pal a qualitative life. But have you ever thought that your Golden Retriever puppy might not be growing ideally and seems skinny?
So, why is your Golden Retriever puppy skinny. Usually, there are many reasons why your Golden Retriever puppy is skinny such as lack of nutrition, genetic factors, sickness or injuries, too much or too little physical activities, and picky eaters.
Since Golden Retrievers are outrageously popular nowadays, every family wants to own them. But parenting these high-maintenance dogs is a great responsibility. In addition, if you want a puppy, you must prepare yourself for lots of hard work.
However, I will explain why your Golden Retriever is skinny and some easy ways to manage its weight further in this article. I hope this article helps you in parenting your cute little friend.
Golden Retriever Pros And Cons
Getting a golden retriever is a big commitment, so to help you make the right choice, we made this list of pros and cons for you.
Yes, we do love golden retrievers here , but golden retrievers are definitely not for everyone.
The worst thing that you could do is get a golden retriever, find out that its not a good fit, and give them up, so hopefully, this list makes your decision a little bit more clear.
Alright now, lets dive in!
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Are They Healthy Dogs
While Golden Retrievers are generally considered healthy dogs, they are susceptible to a number of conditions, such as:
Elbow Dysplasia
This is an inherited condition common in larger breeds where the bones that make up the elbow joint develop abnormally. It can be very painful and result in lameness.
Hip Dysplasia
This is also an inherited condition where the thighbone doesnt fit properly into the hip joint. Like elbow dysplasia, it can cause pain and lameness.
Hypothyroidism
With this disease, the thyroid gland produces too much of the hormone that helps regulate metabolism. This can lead to weight gain, skin issues, and heart problems. Luckily, it can often be treated with prescription medication.
Cataracts
Like humans, these dogs can get cataracts as they age, causing a cloudy film to form over the eye. Cataracts typically need surgical correction.
Heart Disease
Golden Retrievers are prone to heart problems, particularly a disorder called sub-aortic stenosis, which causes a narrowing of the aorta and can lead to sudden death. This makes it especially important to schedule annual check-ups, so your veterinarian can listen for heart murmurs and other signs of this disease.
Cancer
Skin cancer, bone cancer, and other variations of this disease can be common in Golden Retrievers. Our illness coverage includes cancer, which can be very helpful since treatments like surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy can be costly.
Allergies
Skin Problems
Ear Infections
They Can Easily Knock Over Small Children
It is true that goldens make great family dogs, and they are great with children. However, when they are puppies they are very bouncy and energetic, and they are large enough to knock over a small child.
Puppies need to be supervised around small children. This breed is very energetic, playful, and loves to run and jump around. Even adults need to be careful because a golden can easily knock you over when they get excited and start running into your legs.
They certainly dont mean to do any harm, it is just their excitable nature.
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A Perfect Guard Dog Is Territorial
A perfect guard dog is territorial thinking of their home, apartment, or other location where they reside as their own territory. Strangers, intruders, and unknown visitors irritate guard dogs, and they will attack if they grow suspicious of them.
A guard dogs most fundamental feature is territoriality, which provides it with the necessary aggressiveness to fight and protect. Female dogs, on the whole, are less territorial than male dogs. You can learn more about the differences in male vs female golden retrievers here.
The More Serious Signs Of Aging In Your Golden Retriever
Older dogs are defined as being senior as well as geriatric, and often times people think of these terms as meaning the same. This is not the case.
Golden Retrievers are considered seniors at the age of 7.5 to 10 years old, right about the time when age-related issues start to become noticeable. Geriatric dogs are at the older age of the spectrum and they experience more health issues. A Golden Retriever is considered geriatric at the age of 10 and up.
Some more serious health problems that can affect your golden include:
Cancer
Golden Retrievers are more likely to develop certain types of cancer than any other breed. Unfortunately, cancer is the number one cause of death in goldens, studies show that 60% of goldens will die from cancer. Males have a higher rate of 66% and females slightly lower at 57%.
The 2 most common cancers found in Goldens are hemangiosarcoma and lymphosarcoma. Well briefly discuss them below as well as other cancers goldens may get.
Why do Golden Retrievers get cancer? To find out,
Arthritis
As goldens age, they may develop arthritis in their bones. Walking will become difficult and painful for them, as well as getting up and moving around. It is best to keep the walks short and more frequent to prevent your golden from getting stiff joints.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism can occur in any breed, but it is most common in medium to large breed dogs like Golden Retrievers. It usually occurs when a dog is middle-aged between 4-10 years.
Glaucoma
Diabetes
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Getting A Golden Retriever Puppy
Choosing to adopt or go through a breeder for your new golden retriever puppy is a personal choice that requires research. Thankfully, there are many resources out there to help you find a rescue or breeder that offers healthy, ethically-sourced golden retriever puppies.
Knowing what youre in for when you get a golden retriever puppy is an important step in being a responsible pet owner. Whether you find a responsible breeder or are planning on adopting, its up to you to be prepared for an energetic and friendly addition to your household.