Puppy care after purchase
Keep in touch
Thank you for providing a safe and loving new home for one of our golden retriever puppies. If you have any questions or problems with the puppy, please e-mail, call, or write us (see Contact Information below). We enjoy hearing how our puppies grow up, and we are very happy to help you in that process in any way that we can. We love to hear that the puppy is doing well, but it is also important that we are informed of any problems with your puppy or adult dog. If for some reason you ever need to find a new home for your puppy/dog, please contact us first.
General information on golden retrievers
On-line resources
The Golden Retriever Club of America has useful information and links on its web site at www.grca.org.
Books
It is a good idea to have one or more reference books about dog training and health. While I do not agree with everything in the books listed below, they are very useful.
- Mother Knows Best: The Natural Way to Train Your Dog, by Carol Benjamin
- How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend, by The Monks of New Skete
- Golden Retrievers for Dummies, by Nona Bauer
- UC Davis Book of Dogs edited, by Mordecai Siegal
- The New Golden Retriever, by Marcia Schlehr
Golden retriever health
Food intake precaution
It is extremely important that you...
- Do not let your puppy grow too fast
- Do not let your puppy eat too much: no excess calcium, and no excess calories
- Do not let your dog get fat
If you feed your puppy too much it will grow too fast and be much more likely to develop joint disorders and other health problems. Your puppy will not grow to a larger adult size if fed more, but it will reach its maximum size sooner and with worse health.
Puppy food
Your puppy should be fed a high quality food that is designed for large breed puppies. We recommend Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy Food until your dog is one year old. This food has reduced calcium and the proper balance of nutrients to maintain good joint health. Do not feed the puppy any additional mineral supplements.
Puppy weight control
Usually the amount of food suggested on the dog food bag is too much. It is best to monitor your dog's weight on a regular basis by feeling his/her ribs and then adjust food intake as needed. Decrease the amount of food your puppy gets if you cannot easily feel the puppy's ribs. Increase the amount of food your puppy gets if it is too thin. People often keep their pets too fat and it does great harm to their health. MANY CANINE HEALTH PROBLEMS ARE CAUSED BY OBESITY. It is a good idea to keep the puppy quite thin, at least until it has stopped growing (about one year of age).
You can use the following table as a guide to the proper weight for your dog at various ages.
| 9 weeks | 10 lbs |
| 12 weeks | 15-16 lbs |
| 16 weeks | 25-26 lbs |
| 20 weeks | 32-43 lbs |
| 6 months | 40-50 lbs |
| 12 months | 55-60 lbs (females) 65-70 lbs (male) |
Hydration
Make sure your dog has access to fresh clean water. Dogs cool themselves by panting. They can become dehydrated quickly, especially on hot days or during exercise. Make sure that your dog's water bowls are filled at all times whether you are home or not. It is also a good idea to bring water for your dog whenever you take him/her for long hikes, bike rides, or other activities in areas where natural and safe sources of water will not be available.
Exercise
Regular exercise. It is important for the health and longevity of your dog that he/she gets regular exercise. Walking is great for your dog at any age.
Don't over do it. Do not let your puppy jump too much or exercise excessively. Too much exercise before your puppy's joints have matured can cause permanent damage. It is especially important to not let your puppy engage in rough exercise such as jumping for frisbees and playing rough tug-of-war until it is an adult.
Neutering and spaying
For maximum joint health and other health aspects, it is best to wait until 1.5 years of age to spay or neuter your dog.
Safety
Do not leave your puppy unattended in an unsafe environment. It is a good idea to prepare your home for living with a puppy. Like children, puppies will get into things, and they won't understand the danger. Be aware of the following...
- Poisonous plants or other substances
- Electrical cords or other things that could choke a puppy or get wrapped around its neck
- Areas where the puppy could fall or become trapped
- Children or pets that could harm or injure the puppy
- Excessive heat or cold
- Excessive sun, rain, or snow
- Hot asphalt that could burn his/her foot pads
- Broken glass or other items that could cut the puppy's feet
- Cars that could hit the puppy, objects that could fall on the puppy, etc.
Socialization
Do not leave your puppy alone too much. Dogs are social animals and they will not thrive when left in solitary confinement. It is very important that the dog gets quality time with you on a regular basis and is housed near the rest of the family.
Veterinary care
Take your dog in for vaccinations and physical exams as directed by your veterinarian.
Observe your dog for any signs of illness or injury on a regular basis. It is up to you to notice if there is something wrong with your dog and determine when it needs to go to the vet. If a dog doesn't eat like he/she normally does or is unusually tired this may be a sign that something is wrong.
Check your dog's feet, ears, teeth, etc., on a regular basis. Your veterinarian can help you to understand what healthy dog parts look like and what preventive care is needed to keep them healthy.
Reproduction
Do not breed your dog unless it has a good temperament, health, conformation, and it has all of its clearances (hips, eyes, heart, elbows, thyroid, etc.). If you don't know what these are, please contact us.
Training your dog
Dogs enjoy learning new things and they will be more closely bonded to you if you train them. In addition, the dog will be much easier to live with if it is trained, and the training might just save its life some day.
Training classes and books
It is a good idea to take your dog to training classes and also read books on dog training. Good dog training classes can be very helpful especially if you haven't trained a dog before or if you are doing higher level training. Reading books on training is also very useful.
Housebreaking
It is much easier to housebreak a puppy if the puppy is confined to a small space (such as a dog crate) when it is not being watched. The puppy must be taken out to relieve himself/herself on a regular basis and the time between toilet breaks can be longer as the puppy gets older. If the puppy is confined to a crate too long and makes a mess in the crate it will make the housetraining more difficult. When the puppy is taken outside to relieve himself/herself each time use the same command to indicate that he/she should relieve himself. Take the puppy to the same place each time, the smell will encourage the puppy to relieve himself/herself. Praise the puppy when he/she does his business.
Be positive
Golden retrievers are very easy to train and they respond very well to positive reinforcement. If the dog does something right when you are training him/her, immediately let him/her know with verbal praise in a happy voice, petting, playing, and/or edible treats.
Good timing is essential
It is important that the dog receives rewards (or discipline) as quickly after the desired (or undesired) action as possible. By receiving a reward the instant that he/she does something well the dog quickly learns that you want him/her to do that particular action.
Be consistent
It is important that you don't expect the dog to read your mind. For example if you allow the dog on the bed, he/she will jump on the bed even if he/she is covered in mud. It is not fair to get mad at the dog in this scenario (it is possible however to teach the dog to only get on the bed after you give a certain command). The dog will be better adjusted if it has stable rules it lives by and commands that it obeys. Teach the dog commands when you have the time, energy, and concentration to do the training. Only after the dog is performing commands consistently should you use the command in a distracting situation.
For the safety of your dog
It is important that some commands are very reliable. There may be times that your dog's safety is dependent on him "staying", or "coming" or "heeling' immediately. If you want these commands to be reliable in an emergency then you must practice them under a variety of circumstances. Start by training the dog in a comfortable place without any distractions. Once the dog is responding reliably then practice in more challenging circumstances. After the dog understands a command, it is important that you enforce the command if the dog chooses not to respond.
Don't call your dog and then punish it
If you call your dog to you before a punishment, he/she will not want to come when you call it in the future. Go and get the dog if you are going to do something unpleasant.
You are the boss
Do not let your dog display any dominance toward people. You should be able to take food from the dog when it is eating and treat minor painful cuts, etc., without the dog showing any aggression or dominance towards you. You should also be able to touch the dog all over its body. It is a good idea to practice these things regularly and discipline the dog if it shows any signs of aggression. If you play rough with your dog (tug of war, etc) it is a good idea to teach the dog a command that means that the rough playing is over and he/she should be gentle. It is a good idea to practice this during games with your dog.
Provide exposure to varied environments and people
Make sure the puppy/dog has sufficient immunity before you take it to places where lots of dogs go. Some diseases will require multiple vaccinations before the puppy/dog is adequately protected. Once your dog has developed disease resistance, it is good to socialize the dog to many different places, things, and people. This will give your dog an education and comfort with things that people take for granted, and this type of desensitization can reduce any fear or confusion that your dog may experience in other strange or unfamiliar settings. Taking your dog to dog-training classes, stores that allow pets, parks, etc is useful.
Lots of love and attention
The more time you spend with your dog playing, training, brushing, petting, etc., the better dog it will be.
