Golden retrievers can be great pets. They are affectionate, loving and a friend for life, but they also require a lot of work to make them great pets. If you are considering getting a golden retriever, then you should equip yourself with the knowledge of beautiful golden retrievers.
Here are five tips for raisin golden retrievers:
1. Do You Have the Energy?
Golden retrievers are one of the most energetic dogs you can find. They love going outside for a walk; they love to run and play fetch. Golden retrievers need regular exercise. Just going for a 5 min walk to a nearby tree is simply not enough. You will have to devote at least 45-60 minutes a day to keep the dog calm and happy. On the positive side, you will also remain fit and get to enjoy nature.
2. Maintaining a High-Quality Diet
When you want to ensure that your golden retriever has healthy growth and development, you need to feed it high-quality food. Meat is an essential part of their diet – but you can supplement it with dry food as well. However, if you have a puppy than the dog may not be ready to eat adult food yet; you will need to buy special puppy food until the dog is nine months old. Buy breed specific food. You can get ample information from the veterinarian or a breeder of golden retrievers on what is the best food for your dog.
You can also offer treats to your retriever. While golden retrievers will eat almost anything, avoid too many sugary foods. Stick to fresh fruit and vegetables. You can also buy dog treats from a pet store, but, please, remember to avoid feeding them human food like pizza, burgers, processed foods, and chocolates. Golden retrievers cannot tolerate such foods and will quickly get sick.
3. Adopting a Feeding Schedule
Develop a feeding schedule for your dog. Golden Retriever puppies need to be fed 4 times a day, and once they get to be 12 months and older, you can feed them one to two times a day. Always leave ample water for the dog. And do change the food dishes every day as bacteria can grow rapidly in standing water and old food. Since golden retrievers are sloppy eaters, you should place the food on a tray so that you have less cleaning to do afterward.
4. Grooming is Essential
The best thing about golden retrievers is their wavy coat, but in order to make it look nice and shiny, you need to brush it regularly to prevent matting and decrease shedding. When you brush the coat, always inspect the ears, mouth, eyes, and skin to look for unusual bumps, bruises, ticks, and scratches. Trim the dog’s nails. Because a golden retriever’s coat acts as insulation, you should not shave it as it is there to prevent heat loss.
5. Training the Dog
It is very important to train a golden retriever as this as this will help it grow into an obedient adult who is easy to handle. Golden retriever puppies are fast learners, and you can teach it to go potty outside in no time at all. As the pup grows, encourage them to socialize with humans and pets. This will prevent the dog from being fearful and upset. The earlier you teach them to socialize, the more well-behaved your dog will become.
If your golden retriever makes a mistake such as doing potty in the home, never hit or shout at the dog. Golden Retrievers are very sensitive dogs. If you treat the dog with kindness, this dog will remain affectionate. If you hurt them, they may not be able to forget. Like any pet, golden retrievers need to be treated with care and kindness. If you do, you will have a friend for life.
