Selecting Your Golden Retriever Puppy

Once you have decided on a breeder that you can trust, you’ll need to start thinking about what type of puppy you want. This decision could take you some time, as it can be quite a few weeks or even months before the right litter is whelped - although it will be worth the wait. If your breeder has a few litters available when you look for your Golden puppy, you may be able to compare.

Some breeders may require that you put a deposit down on the puppy of your choice, if the puppies aren’t a certain number of weeks old. The good litters rarely go unsold, as most are already spoken for before the puppies are seven weeks old. If you want to get in on a good litter, your best bet is to get to your breeder early - before all of the puppies are sold.

When you arrive to get your puppy, you shouldn’t be alarmed if the breeder does the selecting for you. Most quality breeders will spend quite a bit of time with the puppies and they will know just what their individual temperaments are. The better breeders however, will do temperament tests to determine the temperament of the puppies they have with each and every litter.

By performing these tests, the breeder will get assistance in selecting which puppy goes to which type of home. If you’ve chosen one of the better breeders, you should let him do his work and help you select the puppy that he or she thinks will be your best match. Breeders can obviously select you a better puppy, as they have been around the litter for several weeks - and you have only been around the litter looking at them for a few minutes.

Although all Golden puppies are appealing to the eyes, you need to base your reasons on more than looks. Before you pick your puppy up, you should always make sure that he has a strong build, with straight legs. The puppy should be strong and muscular, yet be squirmy and active when you first try to pick him up. You should also make sure that he has healthy teeth and gums, and look over the rest of his body to make sure that he is healthy.

If your breeder does allow you to select your puppy from the litter, then you should take the puppies that you are considering to get away from the remainder of the litter and observe each one carefully, and how they react to you. Puppies that are around 7 weeks of age should be apt to explore their surroundings. Even though they may be a little cautious at first, the puppies should still be more than anxious to look around and sniff their surroundings.

When you single out the puppies, make sure you speak to the ones you are interested in and see how they react to your voice. Try moving around and playing with them, and see how they respond to you. Some puppies will be faster than others, although you shouldn’t pursue any interest in a puppy that doesn’t show any interest in moving objects or their surroundings.

If you take your time and evaluate each puppy that you are interested in, you can find the best puppy for you and your family. Golden Retriever puppies are great to have, providing you get one that’s healthy. Getting a healthy puppy should be your desire - as a healthy puppy will grow into a strong and healthy adult - and be around for years to come.

Feeding Your Golden Retriever

All Golden Retriever puppies will nurture from their mother until they reach the age of seven weeks. Once they reach the age of three weeks, they should be fed with puppy food, which you should soak and mix into a warm grubby compound. This way, it resembles the food they get from their mother, and they will learn quickly how their food tastes and how they should eat it.

Once you bring your puppy home, you should always make sure that you use the same food that he has become accustomed to. The breeder will start training the puppy with food, and it’s up to you to ensure that he gets the food he has come to know. Golden Retriever puppies have very delicate stomachs, and they can be very receptive to any changes in their food.

When you first bring your new Golden Retriever puppy home, he or she may not be too interested in eating for the first few days. Being in a new home can be stressful for the puppy, which is why you shouldn’t force him to eat. The puppy will also realize that he doesn’t have competition at the food bowl, because he is away from his litter. You shouldn’t worry if he doesn’t immediately eat, as it will take him some time.

Once your puppy has slept through the night, you should take him outside and let him relieve himself, then bring him in and give him some food. You should also plan feedings throughout the day, such as the morning, middle of the day, then at night. Once you have planned feedings, you should make sure that you stick to this plan so that your puppy will get used to it.

Keep in mind that the last feeding of the day doesn’t necessarily need to be set in stone. You should always aim to feed your puppy at least a half an hour before you head to bed, so that you can take him outside after eating. If you time it just right every night, you can feed your Golden, take him out to use the bathroom, and still have plenty of time to get ready for bed. At night, when you sleep, you should have puppy pads or newspapers in an area that your Golden is familiar with so he can use the bathroom if he can’t get you to take him out.

First the first few weeks, your Golden will eat a little bit of the food. Once he has reached 8 weeks of age, he should be on dry food with a little bit of warm water added to it. The best way to feed is to keep adding a little bit of warm water to the food, and let the pup eat until he is finished. If you continue to do this throughout feedings, your Golden will begin to eat all of his portion.

Keep in mind that you should never rush him, or change anything about the way he feeds. Golden Retrievers will eat their share, although it will take them a bit of time to develop the proper eating habits. As the puppy gets older, his stomach will grow and he will begin to eat more. During this time, you won’t need to add any water to his food. Golden Retrievers are a truly unique breed, a breed that loves to be fed - and craves attention. If you stick to your plan when your puppy is little - he will be a healthy eater as he gets older.

Tips For Training Your Golden Retriever

Although there are many training tips for Golden Retrievers, teeth is the most common. Golden puppies love to chew, and will chew anything they can get. Although chew toys are preferred, there is a way that you can help your Golden fulfill his natural instinct to chew, and help him to ease the pain of teething as well.

To start, simply fill an old sock you have with several ice cubes. Next, put a knot in the sock and place the sock with the cubes in the freezer. When your puppy starts to chew on things, simply give him the sock. You can keep several socks with ice in it in your freezer if you want, so your puppy will always have a chew toy. Although this is great to use, you should never leave your dog alone with the sock. He could end up chewing the sock and swallowing pieces of it, which could lead to very serious health problems.

Leashes

During leash training, a lot of people prefer to attach the leash to the Golden then drag him in the direction they want him to go. This isn’t the best way to train, as it often sends the wrong signal to the puppy. Instead, you should first get your Golden puppy used to the collar and the leash. You can do this by putting his collar and leash on inside the house or outside in a fenced in area, so that he can walk around and move about freely with the leash on, dragging it alongside him.

Once you have given him some time, pick the leash up, then start calling him to you. Once he comes over to you, start praising him for it, so he knows that he is on the right track. Always be patient when leash training, as it will take some time for him to get used to it. If you continue to praise him when he is doing it right and continue giving him time to get used to the leash, you shouldn’t have any problems.

Digging around

Digging is something that Golden Retrievers love, as it is essential to their nature. Digging can be somewhat frustrating if you don’t give your Golden an area to himself, as he will dig holes in your yard. If you keep your Golden indoors, he may try to dig in the floor, on the couch, or on the bed. Digging is part of their nature, and you should never punish a Golden for digging.

To help him fill this need, you should give him an area to dig in. You can get him a kiddie pool or sandbox, filling it with either soil or sand. Then, try burying a treat or toy in inside, so your Golden will dig to get it out. Once he learns this is where he should dig, he will more than likely head to that area when he has the need to dig. Later on, when he becomes a bit older, you should invest in obedience training classes that will help him to get his digging habits under control.

The above tips can help a great deal when training your Golden Retriever puppy. Golden’s are great dogs, although you’ll need to have a bit of patience with them. Even though they are very smart dogs, it may take them time to learn. Once they start learning however - they will become an integral part of your family that you couldn’t begin to live without.

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.

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 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.

Buying A Golden Puppy

We all know that Golden Retrievers are beautiful, obedient, and make great family pets and hunting dogs. Golden’s also make great guide dogs for the blind, narcotic detection dogs, and even tracking dogs for finding missing people. Although there are many other dog breeds out there, Golden Retrievers remain one of the most versatile and most astonishing breeds that you can get.

Before you rush out and buy a Golden Retriever puppy, you should first take the time to learn a bit more about the breed. You can attend dog shows, meet with various owners of Golden Retrievers, and even go to your local kennel club. Most people who own Golden Retrievers are extremely proud of them and will be more than happy to share their enthusiasm with you.

When you buy you’re Golden Retriever puppy, it’s always a great idea to buy from a backyard breeder or local puppy mill. Backyard breeders are normally the best way to get a Golden puppy, as they know and care a lot about the breed in general. Although you can always go to a reputable breeder, backyard breeders aren’t just in it for the money - they actually care about their dogs and want you to get the best Golden possible.

You can also visit the Golden Retriever Club of America and their local member clubs, as they can supply you with a list of breeders in your area. If these breeders don’t have any Golden’s for sale themselves, they will be more than willing to help you find what you’re looking for. This way, you can get a Golden from a very reliable source.

Whatever you do, you should never rush into buying a Golden Retriever. You should always take your time, and have a little bit of patience. When you buy your puppy, you want a healthy puppy who will grow up to be a fine testament of the breed. By taking your time and making a careful decision, you can save yourself a lot of time and money later on down the road.

Golden puppies that are poor quality, are normally produced by breeders who just want to have a litter or breeders who are just looking for the profits and care very little about giving thoughts to looks, quality, or temperament. If you buy a puppy from either of these breeders, you’ll more than likely end up with a puppy who has poor health, poor temperaments, and even disqualifications in breed.

When you get your puppy, you should always think long term. Only buy from a quality breeder, and you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Always remember that you aren’t just buying a Golden Retriever puppy - you are buying a companion and a friend for life.