The Combination Approach To Feeding Your Golden Retriever

Although you can get commercial food for your Golden Retriever, the ideal way to feed is to use a combination approach of both commercial food and fresh people foods. Most commercial food is good for your Golden, although it lacks nutrients and vitamins that fresh food has. Vets will tell you that fresh food is good, providing you don’t overdo it. Golden Retrievers love fresh food as well, as they can smell it a mile away. If it smells good to them - they’ll want it.

Most commercial foods will offer your Golden great sources of protein and vitamins, although fresh food contains far more essential sources. Chicken and meat for instance, have far more protein and minerals than any type of commercial dog food. Fish is another great choice, as it contains a lot of the protein your dog needs to maintain a healthy brain.

All dogs are well within the capacity of staying healthy, although you need to provide them with the minerals they need. Each dog is an individual, meaning that you can’t continue to feed him the same food on a daily basis. Golden Retrievers love people food, and they also love variety. What they need one day may vary the next, so you should always mix it up a bit and give them something different each day.

To be on the safe side, you should give your Golden a little bit of everything. This way, he will get everything he needs with his diet. When you design the diet for your growing Golden Retriever, you should always make sure to include animal protein. This is very important for your Golden, as he has to have it. Without animal protein, your dog will find himself literally struggling to stay healthy.

To keep your Golden Retriever healthy, it is very important that he gets quality nutrition. Although quality nutrition is very important, you should never him eat so much that he gains weight too fast. If you monitor his diet and know exactly what you are feeding him, he should remain in his weight class. Sometimes this can be hard to help though, especially if your Golden starts to develop allergies to a certain type of food.

If you ever have any questions regarding the diet of your Golden Retriever, you shouldn’t hesitate to ask your vet. Your vet could make some recommendations for you, even tell you the best type of commercial food for your dog. Depending on his individual needs, what he requires may be totally different than what another dog needs. As long as you keep your dog on a healthy diet and make sure he gets the food he needs - he should grow to be a healthy dog with plenty of energy.

Medical Problems Of Golden Retrievers

Epilepsy
Also known as seizures, epilepsy disorders normally occur from viral infections, and environmental factors as well. Even though an inaccessible seizure isn’t always a problem, dogs that have recurring seizures should never be bred. Vets can recommend medicines that control recurring seizures, although medicine isn’t always effective. Although epilepsy doesn’t affect the health of a Golden Retriever, it does have an effect on breeding. You can never tell if it is indeed heredity, therefore breeding is pretty much out of the question - to avoid passing it on to the litter.

Skin allergies
Skin allergy is the most common medical issue with Golden Retrievers. Skin allergy is normally the result of allergens such as flea bites, dust, airborne pollen, food, and even mold. Symptoms will vary, although they can include bits, scratching, licking, and even ear infections. Diet is extremely important here, as it can help to prevent a lot of these problems. If you consult with your vet, you can more than likely eliminate the risks your pet has of getting a skin allergy.

Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is a condition that causes the thyroid gland to malfunction. Golden Retrievers that are affected by this disease will normally show such symptoms as coat problems or obesity. This medical problem can also result in a lack of fertility as well. A lack of fertility can be a big problem for breeders, as it makes it very hard for the affected Golden Retriever to breed.

The treatment of hypothyroidism involves taking the oral supplement for hypothyroidism on a daily basis. Once it has been treated successfully, the prognosis will appear to be normal and dog will have a normal, healthy life span, providing there are no other medical problems. This condition is somewhat common with Golden Retrievers, and can be diagnosed by your vet.

Some Golden’s who suffer from hypothyroid problems will have seizures, although this will stop once they go on the oral treatment medicine. Even though the hypothyroid condition isn’t associated with epilepsy, you should monitor your dog to be on the safe side. You don’t want to take any chances with your dog coming down with epilepsy, which is why you should always have your vet do routine checks.

Even though medical problems are somewhat common with Golden Retrievers, you can help to prevent them by making sure your dog is healthy. If you do your part and make sure that you treat your Golden well, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Golden Retrievers are generally healthy dogs, although they can get ill from time to time. If you take your dog to the vet and get him treated as soon as he gets sick - he’ll be better and back to his normal self in no time at all.

Keeping Your Golden Retriever Healthy

Once you have helped your Golden Retriever build up his immune system, he will be healthy and strong enough to fend off any type of illness. There are ways that you can help your Golden with his immune system, which is more or less what you feed him. If you care about your Golden Retriever and want to help him develop a strong immune system - you’ll find this information very helpful.

When you feed your Golden, give him some homemade food. You can substitute this for canned food, or mix it in together. Homemade food tastes a lot better to your dog, and it contains a lot of the nutrients and vitamins he needs. When you give him water, give him spring water. Although many prefer to give their Golden water from the faucet, spring water is actually a lot better for him than any other type of water.

When you give him a treat or a bone, you should always give him raw bones with plenty of meat on the bone, as they will help him to develop a strong set of white teeth. Teeth are very important with Golden Retrievers, which is why you want to make sure that his teeth stay strong and healthy. If you give him a bone a day, he will have plenty to chew on to keep his teeth healthy. You can also use chew toys as well, especially when you are playing with him, as they will help him to develop strength in his jaws.

You can also help to keep your Golden Retriever healthy by knowing a bit about health problems that he could have. This way, you’ll able to keep track of what your vet diagnoses. If your vet tells you something that is wrong with your Golden, you should know a little bit about what he tells you, and how you can help to take care of the problem.

To help your Golden Retriever avoid any type of reproductive problems, you should look into having a male neutered. Reproductive problems are common with Golden’s, and can lead to more serious problems if you don’t do something about it. If you aren’t planning to breed your Golden Retriever, you should have him neutered as soon as you can, to help prevent any type of reproductive problems.

If you take care of your dog and keep him healthy, he will live a lot longer. You should always strive to keep your dog healthy, so he can live a pain free life. As long as you feed him a proper diet and let him get plenty of exercise, he will stay strong and healthy. Golden Retrievers that grow to be strong and healthy make great pets, as they can join you in exercise and provide plenty of fun for your entire family.

Human Food For Your Golden Retriever

A lot of people wonder what type of human food they should feed their Golden. Even though many prefer to stick with dog food and only dog food, there are certain types of human food that Golden Retrievers love - and is actually good for them. Golden’s crave attention as we all know - and when they watch you eat it never hurts to give them a bite - as long as you know what they should and shouldn’t consume with their diets.

For your Golden’s health, feeding him foods such as chicken, raw vegetables, turkey, brown rice, fruits, and oatmeal are always great. Even though we think of these type foods as “human food”, they are actually good for many animals as well. All dogs have taste buds and noses, meaning that they get very excited when they see you with food.

If your Golden Retriever runs to the refrigerator when you open it up, he’s trying to tell you that he smells something good. Even though he may run to the refrigerator, he isn’t begging for food as many think, he is simply wanting to have some real food. Once your Golden starts to do this, you should give him some of what he wants. Although most real food is great for Golden’s, there are some that aren’t quite so good.

Egg whites
If you feed your Golden a large amount of egg white in his diet, he will get a deficiency in biotin, which is a B vitamin, due to the amount of avidin, which is a very destructive substance. If you are feeding your Golden Retriever egg yolks, you shouldn’t worry as the effects of avidin will be offset by the high biotin levels that are found in egg yolks. You can also feed your Golden egg shells as well, as they contain a large amount of protein. If you want the best for your Golden - try feeding him raw eggs - with the shell intact.

Any form of Chocolate
We all know never to feed chocolate to any type of animal. Chocolate contains bromine, which is very toxic to both dogs and cats. Unsweet chocolate is by far the worst to feed to your Golden, as it contains a large amount of bromine. Bromine is a very harmful chemical, one that normally leads to death of your animal should he be fed any type of chocolate.

There are other foods out there that can be good or harmful to your Golden. If you have any questions, you should always ask your veterinarian. Your vet will be able to recommended real food that is beneficial to your Golden, as well as foods you should avoid. You can experiment with real food if you like - although you should never allow your Golden Retriever to consume any type of chocolate.

House Breaking Your Golden Retriever

To properly train house break your Golden Retriever, you must stick to a routine regarding your crate, and ensure that he doesn’t spend additional time outside of his crate. When he is outside of his crate, you should watch him at all times. If you don’t keep an eye on him when he is outside of the crate and he has an accident inside the house, you can’t blame no one but yourself as you didn’t correct him the second it happened.

To help your dog learn the right way to relieve himself, you should always praise him when he goes to the right location. You can crate him at night, then take him out when he wakes up in the morning and show him the correct spot. Give him some time, then praise himself once he starts to go. If you avoid accidents, you should be able to train your Golden without any problems. Once accidents begin to happen though, it can be extremely hard to break the pattern.

When you house break your dog, you should never give him any freedom. Getting it right is a lot of work for him, and chances are he’d rather be doing something else. If you are tolerant with him and allow him to make mistakes, you’ll find yourself needing to be a lot more stern to break him of the bad habits that you have tolerated and allowed. If you start when your Golden is young and enforce the rules, he’ll be a happy member of your family in no time at all.

When you house break, you should use confinement as much as possible. Confinement basically means that until you have housebroken your Golden Retriever, he isn’t allowed to freely move around the house. You should always keep a watchful eye on him and make sure that if he’s outside the crate - you know where he is at all times and what he is doing.

If you happen to take your eyes off of him even for a second, he could easily relieve himself on the floor. Once he starts to go on the floor, it can be really hard to break him of this habit. The smell will be there, and he will smell it the next time he is in that area. Each time he smells it, he will instantly go to the bathroom in that same area. The best way to prevent this from happening is to watch him at all times and ensure that he only goes in the area you have for him.

To housebreak your Golden Retriever, you should also allow him a way outside. Normally, a doggy door is the best way to do this, as your puppy can go outside and relieve himself when the time comes, without disturbing you. You should also use puppy pads or a litter box inside as well, so that he always has somewhere to relive himself. During times when he can’t make it outside, he needs somewhere else that he can go.

Housebreaking your Golden Retriever can take you some time, although it will be well worth it once your Golden is properly trained. He’ll be an essential member of your family, and not use the bathroom anywhere he takes a notion. He will only relieve himself outside or in an area that you have trained him. Golden Retriever’s need interaction with people, and if you are going to keep them inside - you’ll need to ensure that they have been properly house broken.

Hip Dysplasia And Golden Retrievers

Hip dysplasia is a poor formation of the hip joints, which is a common growing disease with younger dogs of virtually every breed. With larger breeds, unsteady hip joints are common, although hip dysplasia can be a serious problem that will limit the physical activity of your Golden. Although many Golden Retriever owners don’t realize it, hip dysplasia is something that dogs inherit from their parents, and gets worse with age.

The signs and symptoms of hip dysplasia is nearly impossible to detect with Golden puppies, although it will start to show once the pup has reached the age of nine months. Even though you may take your Golden to the vet to have him looked at, your vet will tell you that you need to wait to see if the symptoms are there, once the Golden Retriever has reached a certain age.

The symptoms and signs of hip dysplasia vary, although the most common include crippling or the inability to walk properly. This disease can get better once the dog gets older though, due to the joints stabilizing, the inflammation going down, and the muscles in the hips getting stronger and more mature. Keep in mind however, that Golden’s who have hip dysplasia when they are younger will more than likely develop arthritis when they get older.

Golden Retrievers that suffer from hip dysplasia aren’t fit for breeding, although they can still live a long and healthy life. There are certain drugs that your vet can prescribe to your dog, which will help him control his weight and help control the disease. These drugs can also cut down on the pain as well, helping your Golden enjoy himself as much as possible.

Some Golden Retrievers that have hip dysplasia won’t begin to show any signs at all until they get a few years old, once the muscles start to wear down and the damage to the hip muscles start to become more noticeable. Although your dog may be active and healthy for most of his puppy years, dysplasia can slow everything down and make your dog look as if he is old and is suffering from the physical attributes of arthritis.

To eliminate the pain of hip dysplasia, there are surgery options available. Golden Retrievers have a high threshold for pain, and won’t normally show any signs of being in pain, even though you know they are. X-rays won’t show any signs of pain, although the limping or slow walking will tell you that your dog is hurting. Golden Retriever’s who have this disease won’t know it - which is why you should help as much as possible. If you do your part and help your dog seek relief - he will feel better than ever before - although he won’t let you know he hurt any at all.

Eye And Heart Disease in Dogs

Eye disease is very common with Golden Retrievers. Most Golden’s will generally have hereditary cataracts, which is a common eye problem. At an early age, with affected Golden’s, one type of hereditary cataract will appear. Even though it may not cause interference with the vision of the Golden Retriever, some dogs will progress into total and quite possibly severe loss of vision.

Sometimes, Golden Retrievers can get affected by non hereditary cataracts, although an examination by a board certified veterinarian can determine just how bad the cataracts really are. If cataracts are indeed suspected with a Golden Retriever, then breeding won’t be recommended. Breeding a Golden who has this condition can lead to serious problems, such as passing it on to the pups.

Several families of the Golden Retriever breed have been known to carry genes for CPRA (Central Progressive Retinal Atrophy), which affects the retina, and can result in permanent blindness for Golden’s at a young age. There are other types of eye defects as well, such as retinal dysplasia, which prevents a Golden from breeding.

Trouble with both the eyelid and eyelashes are also a possibility with Golden Retrievers, with some being the result of hereditary factors. The eyelids rotating in or out, or the eyelashes rubbing on or in the eye are both common problems with the breed. Even though surgery can help to fix these types of problems, dogs that are experiencing this type of problem shouldn’t be allowed to breed nor compete in shows under any type of AKC rules.

You should always have your Golden Retriever checked annually for eye disease, as it can develop during any age. When you take your Golden to have him examined for eye disease, you should have a veterinary ophthalmologist do the exam. He has all of the necessary equipment, and the proper training needed to make sure that your dog gets the best examination possible.

Heart disease

SAS (Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis) is the most common and widespread form of heart disease within the entire Golden Retriever species. Before you breed your Golden Retriever, you should always have him examined for heart disease by a certified veterinary cardiologist. If the cardiologist detects a heart murmur, he will recommend additional tests for your dog.

In the event that the results prove negative, it doesn’t necessarily rule heart disease out, as some milder forms may still be present, although undetectable. If a Golden Retriever is diagnosed to have any type of heart disease, he should not breed. Breeding Golden Retrievers who have heart disease can lead to serious and sometimes fatal results. To be on the safe side, you should always have your Golden tested for his disease before you plan on breeding.

Socializing Your Golden Retriever

Socializing your Golden Retriever is very important. As you may already know, all dog breeds behave different in front of strangers, with some dogs choosing to ignore people altogether. They may choose to glance at someone, then go on to pay no attention to him. On the other hand, some dogs are the total opposite and love to meet everyone they can. These types of dogs love attention, and will take any attention they can get.

Some Golden Retrievers are happy with those they have come to know in their own family, or those they have selected to be friends. Others on the other hand, may feel comfortable just around those of the same sex. Most Golden’s like children, although there are a few rare cases in which certain types of Golden Retrievers like adults but not children. This is extremely rare, and is normally due to the way they were bred or raised.

When your puppy is between the ages of 8 weeks and 8 months, socializing him is extremely important. During this time, you should always do everything you can to ensure that your Golden Retriever meets other people. Although he may be shy at first and not have much interaction, he will eventually come around. You will need to be patient with him during these times, as he will need quite a bit of reassurance from you.

Your dog’s parents also contribute to socialization. If the parents of your Golden Retriever were good with people and other dogs, the gene could very well be passed on to your dog. On the other hand, if the parents were shy or aggressive dogs, those genes could be passed on as well. Pups inherit the traits of their parents ,which is why it is very important to make sure that the dogs being bred are compatible with each other - and share a passive temperament.

If your puppy was separated from his mother before he reached the age of seven weeks, he won’t learn many of the social signals taught to him by his mom and his siblings. Golden Retriever pups that are brought to a new home earlier than seven weeks will normally tend to end up nippy or aggressive around people. Although they may be aggressive towards people, they may be shy or fearful around other dogs, as they lack the social skills needed to be themselves.

Sometimes, if a puppy was injured or frightened during his early years, he can end up with a state of trauma. This type of thing leaves a huge scar in the mind of a puppy, making it very hard for him to get past it. Most Golden Retriever pups that have been injured or frightened by an individual never get past it. They may end up fearing humans in general, or being very aggressive towards them when they feel frightened. When you take your puppy home for the first time, you should always make him feel welcomed, and never let anyone or anything harm him.

To better socialize your Golden Retriever, you should always make sure that he gets plenty of interaction with other people and other dogs in his breed. This way, your Golden will learn how to socialize at any early age. When he gets older in life, he will carry these skills with him. Golden Retrievers that are sheltered or not given the proper amount of interaction will turn out shy towards people and other dogs. With your Golden being your companion for life - you should always ensure that he gets the socialization he needs.

The Golden Retriever

In a dog’s world, Golden Retrievers are simply the fatal attraction. They are a preferred dog breed, making great pets, hunting dogs, obedience competitors, show dogs, and even a combination of all these traits. No matter what your intent may be to own a Golden Retriever, you’ll have an excellent dog that will live up to it’s potential and then some.

Golden Retrievers are calm, well mannered, and extremely affectionate. They are easy to train as well, very intelligent, and great for those who need a companion. Golden’s are also loyal to their owners, lovable, and great with children of all ages. They also make great watchdogs as well, as they will bark loud and let you know when a stranger is near.

Like other dogs, Golden Retrievers will shed their hair throughout the year and more in the spring - no matter how many times you brush them a day. They also like to be in and near the water, similar to Labs. If you have any type of water on or near your property, your Golden Retriever will be in it, and tend to be either wet or muddy quite a bit - which can tend to get frustrating.

If you are always on the go or never at home, you shouldn’t get a Golden Retriever. If you prefer cats over dogs, you should look into another breed. Golden Retrievers crave attention and admiration, and normally don’t do too well if you leave them at home by themselves for long periods of time. Golden’s need attention, and desire to be around you at all times. If you spend a lot of time at home on the other hand, or have kids, a Golden Retriever will be a perfect addition to your family.

A lot of people out there prefer to get a puppy and raise it themselves. This way, the puppy will grow up with the skills they have taught him. This is a great idea and very rewarding, although it can consume a lot of your time and tend to be very frustrating at times. Those who don’t have a lot of time to spare or tend to get easily frustrated, shouldn’t get a puppy. Instead, they should look towards an older Golden Retriever who has already been house broken and trained.

Golden Retrievers are an excellent breed, and they can provide you with the companion you have been looking for. They can participate in several activities with you as well, such as hiking, camping, and walking. Golden’s love the outdoors, and they love just getting out there and doing things with you and your family. If you include your Golden Retriever in family activities - you’ll have a friend for life who will quickly grow on you over the years.

Traveling With Your Golden Retriever

Golden Retrievers love to be included in family activities, which includes take rides in the car and traveling. They love attention, and love for you to treat them just like they are a member of your family. When you first get your Golden Retriever puppy, you’ll have to teach him how to enjoy car rides and traveling, so he can come to appreciate it more as he gets older.

When you decide to take him traveling for the first time, you should always give him food in small amounts throughout the day, while he adjusts to traveling. If you feed him a lot of food before you head out, he may get sick in the car and have an accident. By reducing the amount of food that he consumes, he’ll be much more in control of his bladder and himself.

When you are traveling, always plan to make frequent rest stops and allow your Golden Retriever time to relieve himself. You should also take some time to exercise as well, stopping every few hours for bathroom breaks and exercise. Golden Retrievers will hold themselves if they need to, although it isn’t good for them. No matter how far you travel, you should always be kind to your dog and stop every so often to let him have some time.

A common mistake that many have made, and one you should avoid at all costs, is letting your Golden ride in a moving vehicle with his head out the window. Although you may think this is a good idea, your Golden can easily get an eye, ear, or nose injury. Cars and trucks move at very fast speeds, and something can pop up when you least expect it and do serious damage to your dog.

When you stop for a break or to fill up your car, you should never allow your Golden Retriever to be alone in the car with the windows up. Even though you may crack the windows for him, the heat of summer can result in a heat stroke if you aren’t careful. If your dog does get a heatstroke from being locked up in a hot car, he can easily die before you are able to return to the car. If you simply must leave your dog in the car, make sure that you park in the shade and give him plenty of air.

As long as you do your part and take care of your Golden Retriever when you travel, he will love to travel with you. Traveling is something that your Golden needs to get used to, although most adapt to it fairly quick. Once you have taken your dog traveling with you, he will know when it’s time to travel and eventually learn to tell you when you need to stop so he can use the bathroom.

Crate Training Your Golden Retriever

A lot of people normally have the wrong conception when it comes to crates. This conception leads people to believe that crates are a punishment for dogs, and therefore they won’t use them. Much to the contrary, crates are actually one of the safest places you can put your Golden Retriever, which also gratifies his natural instincts to situate himself within a den.

If you have a crate and leave it open, your Golden will start to go to it when he gets sleepy or when he gets confused. Although Golden’s tend to like crates, you shouldn’t overuse one by allowing him to spend hours at a time inside of one. While you should be training him to get used to the crate, you should never allow him out if he is barking. Once your Golden starts to appreciate the crate, you can leave him in it for a few hours here and there - such as when you are away from home.

When you get your puppy and bring him home for the first time, you should already your crate there and situated where you want it to be. You should set the crate up in a central area, but never in areas that have a lot of traffic. Most people who use crates tend to leave them in the kitchen near a door, so the Golden can go outside whenever he needs to relieve himself.

Once you bring the puppy home, you should put him inside the house and allow him to start searching for the crate. Leave the door to the crate open, and the Golden puppy should start to wander in and out of it. You can also put a toy or dog treat inside the crate, to give your puppy extra incentive to enter. Once he goes inside praise him, and let him know that he is doing the right thing.

If your Golden Retriever stays in the crate on his own, praise him for it. Once your puppy starts getting in the habit of going into the crate on his own, you should place a new toy or treat inside for him to play with. After a while, you can close the door and see how he reacts. If he starts to whine, you can talk to him and put your fingers through the door, although you should never immediately take him out - instead wait for him to settle down.

Even though it may take some time, crate training is great for your Golden. You can use the crate when you need to leave, when you have family over, or for when your Golden has a medical condition such as diarrhea. If you use a bit of patience and never use the crate for punishment - your Golden Retriever puppy should catch on to the crate pretty quick.

Common Health Problems of Golden Retrievers

There are many common health problems that your Golden Retriever will experience from time to time. Most of these ailments are nothing serious, providing you know how they should be treated and prevented. Below, we will take a look at the most common ailments, and tell you how to prevent your Golden from getting them.

Distemper virus

The distemper virus is an airborne disease that poses a high risk. This virus can be prevented by getting your Golden 3 different vaccinations when he is between 6 and 16 weeks of age, along with his regular annual booster shot. The symptoms from this virus include fever, cough, diarrhea, and vomiting. If your Golden Retriever has these symptoms, you should immediately take him to see the vet.

Heartworms

Heartworms are among the most common ailment with all dog breeds. They can reach lengths of up to 12 inches in the heart and the lung arteries, leading to heart failure, a decrease in blood circulation, and even death in some cases. The symptoms with heartworms may not appear until it is too late, so you are better off preventing them with the correct heartworm medicines.

Heatstroke

During the summer months or hot days, your Golden Retriever can get a heatstroke. You can prevent this from happening by giving your dog plenty of water, and never leaving him in direct sunlight. If you are playing together on a hot day, you should give him plenty of time to rest so he doesn’t overdo it. The symptoms indicating a heatstroke include a lot of panting or drooling, dark gums, a glazed expression, rapid pulse, and even vomiting. If your dog starts to show any of these symptoms, you should immediately take him to the vet.

Rabies

Rabies is one of the more serious ailments that your Golden Retriever can get, as it has an adverse affect on your dog’s nervous system. Normally, dogs get rabies through a bite of another animal that is infected with the disease. There are rabies shots that helps to prevent the disease, and your dog should get them at least once a year. The symptoms of rabies include seizures, aggression, and foaming at the mouth. If you suspect your Golden has rabies, you should call the vet immediately.

Tapeworms

Tapeworms are normally caused by fleas, and affect your dog’s stomach. The symptoms for tapeworms include a loss in weight, diarrhea, and even biting of the rectal area. You can easily prevent your Golden from tapeworms by using a rigid flea control. If your Golden Retriever exhibits symptoms for tapeworms, you should take him to the vet immediately. If the vet catches them in time, he may be able to kill the tapeworms with an oral medicine.

Hookworms

Hookworms result from your Golden coming in contact with feces, his mother, or the worm simply burrowing under exposed skin. You can prevent your dog from getting hookworms by cleaning his living area and keeping his skin clean. The symptoms that accompany hookworms include a dry coat, weight loss, weakness, and blood in the stool. As with all other ailments, you should immediately contact your vet if your Golden Retriever starts to show any of these symptoms.

Although these are just some of the most common ailments for Golden Retrievers, there are other ailments and health problems that your dog can get. If your Golden starts to show any signs of ailment, disease, or health problem, you shouldn’t hesitate to contact your vet and set up an appointment. Some of these diseases and ailments can be pretty serious - although they can be treated if you catch them in time.

Choosing The Right Breeder

When you decide to get a new Golden Retriever puppy, the first choice you will face is where to get your puppy from. No matter how hard you try, it’s nearly impossible to know whether or not the puppy you are buying will grow up to be healthy and strong. In order to even assume that your puppy will grow up to be healthy, you’ll need to trust the individual you get your Golden from.

There are three options available to you, in terms of breeders. You should carefully think about each one, as they all will vary. Below are the three options you have to choose from, and a little bit of information to help you make this very important decision.

Dealer or pet shop

A pet shop is simply the worst place that you can get your Golden Retriever puppy. The puppies they have for sale here are bred poorly, and raised in poor locations to say the least. At these types of places, the puppies are thought of as a profit and nothing more. There is little to no emphasis on quality here either - as pet shops prefer quantity over qualify.

Due to the way the puppies are bred and raised, pet shops make quite a bit of profit. With there being so little that goes into the breeding and care of the puppies, pet shops make a lot of money. They mainly rely on impulse buying, not giving you a lot of time to evaluate the puppies that they have for sale. If you’re looking for an addition to your family, and a puppy that you know is healthy, you’d be better off looking somewhere else for your puppy.

Backyard breeders

Backyard breeders are considered to be yet another poor choice for your puppy. Almost all backyard breeders are people who own a few Golden’s and find it to be fun to breed their female for the fact of having puppies, or breed her once or twice before they decide to go ahead and get her spayed. Backyard breeders don’t look for quality or go out of their way to care for their litters, as they are more or less breeding to make money - and nothing more.

Normally, backyard breeders know very little about the breed in general, and even less about how to properly care for their Golden Retrievers. Backyard breeders normally aren’t familiar with the problems associated with breeding, and most could care less. Their only goal here is to breed Golden Retriever puppies. Once the puppies have been bred, their remaining goal is to sell the puppies as fast as they can - for the highest possible price.

Hobby breeders

A hobby breeder is the ideal way to get your Golden puppy. Hobby breeders are loyal, committed, and think of their pups as more than just a hobby. Although they do make money breeding, they could honestly care less. Hobby breeders care more about the quality of their puppies than anything else, and they commit themselves to helping you get the best Golden Retriever pup possible.

Hobby breeders accept responsibility for each one of their puppies, and they stand behind each and every one of their pups. If you want the best pup you can get for your money, you need to visit a hobby breeder. They very rarely produce poor quality Golden Retriever puppies, as they care a lot about quality. If you get your Golden puppy from a hobby breeder, you can rest assured that you getting a healthy puppy from the start.

Characteristics Of The Golden Retriever

Almost all breeds of dogs are group oriented, as they need to interact with other species of their group to remain secure. Golden Retrievers, in particular, have been bred over the years to be geared more towards people. They make great guide dogs for the blind, friends for younger children, and even assistants for those who love to hunt. Due to the way they have been bred, they need to interact with people on a frequent basis.

They are merciful dogs at heart, and will tolerate several mistakes from you all the while wanting nothing more than you to acknowledge the fact that they are there and pat them on the head. Further proving that Golden Retrievers aim to please, is the fact that they were the first three dogs to obtain the Obedience Trial Championships - which is quite a statement indeed.

With Golden’s being so people oriented, it’s very important that they live with their owners. When you do any type of family activity, you should make sure that your Golden is included. Even though they don’t normally bark a lot, they will start barking if they get bored. Once a Golden Retriever is fully grown and becomes stout, he will enjoy many types of activities such as hiking, walking, hunting, jogging, and many other types of physical activity.

If you start your Golden Retriever puppy out early with exposure to kids, he will grow to become better than ever will kids. Although they can be very friendly around young kids, they can still knock them over or tend to want to lick them in the face. No matter how great your Golden Retriever may be around kids, you’ll never want to leave your dog and your kids alone. Even though Golden’s have a great temperament, a child can accidentally poke him or pull his tail and cause him to retaliate via his natural instinct.

All Golden Retrievers love the water, and choose to get wet any chance they get. If you have a pond or other source of water on your land, you can expect your Golden Retriever to get into it whenever he gets the chance. They are also drawn to mud, and will get themselves dirty on a frequent basis. Once your Golden is full grown, you can count on bathing him every couple of days.

During the summer, you’ll need to make sure that your Golden Retriever has plenty of moving air, shade, and water. They like the heat, although it normally isn’t good for them. As long as you take care of your Golden and don’t let him over exert himself, he should be just fine even in the hottest days that summer can dish out.

Characteristics Of Reputable Breeders

When you decide to get a new Golden Retriever puppy, the first choice you will face is where to get your puppy from. No matter how hard you try, it’s nearly impossible to know whether or not the puppy you are buying will grow up to be healthy and strong. In order to even assume that your puppy will grow up to be healthy, you’ll need to trust the individual you get your Golden from.

There are three options available to you, in terms of breeders. You should carefully think about each one, as they all will vary. Below are the three options you have to choose from, and a little bit of information to help you make this very important decision.

Dealer or pet shop
A pet shop is simply the worst place that you can get your Golden Retriever puppy. The puppies they have for sale here are bred poorly, and raised in poor locations to say the least. At these types of places, the puppies are thought of as a profit and nothing more. There is little to no emphasis on quality here either - as pet shops prefer quantity over qualify.

Due to the way the puppies are bred and raised, pet shops make quite a bit of profit. With there being so little that goes into the breeding and care of the puppies, pet shops make a lot of money. They mainly rely on impulse buying, not giving you a lot of time to evaluate the puppies that they have for sale. If you’re looking for an addition to your family, and a puppy that you know is healthy, you’d be better off looking somewhere else for your puppy.

Backyard breeders
Backyard breeders are considered to be yet another poor choice for your puppy. Almost all backyard breeders are people who own a few Golden’s and find it to be fun to breed their female for the fact of having puppies, or breed her once or twice before they decide to go ahead and get her spayed. Backyard breeders don’t look for quality or go out of their way to care for their litters, as they are more or less breeding to make money - and nothing more.

Normally, backyard breeders know very little about the breed in general, and even less about how to properly care for their Golden Retrievers. Backyard breeders normally aren’t familiar with the problems associated with breeding, and most could care less. Their only goal here is to breed Golden Retriever puppies. Once the puppies have been bred, their remaining goal is to sell the puppies as fast as they can - for the highest possible price.

Hobby breeders
A hobby breeder is the ideal way to get your Golden puppy. Hobby breeders are loyal, committed, and think of their pups as more than just a hobby. Although they do make money breeding, they could honestly care less. Hobby breeders care more about the quality of their puppies than anything else, and they commit themselves to helping you get the best Golden Retriever pup possible.

Hobby breeders accept responsibility for each one of their puppies, and they stand behind each and every one of their pups. If you want the best pup you can get for your money, you need to visit a hobby breeder. They very rarely produce poor quality Golden Retriever puppies, as they care a lot about quality. If you get your Golden puppy from a hobby breeder, you can rest assured that you getting a healthy puppy from the start.