Golden Retriever Puppies: Education, Care And Diet

Golden Retriever puppies are incredibly cute and curious, but before a new pet arrives in your home, there is a lot to learn about caring for this creature.

Golden Retriever – buy a puppy

If you decide to get a golden retriever, then, of course, you will be interested in how much a golden retriever puppy cost. On the websites of nurseries or in advertisements in the newspaper or on the Internet, you can observe a range of prices of $400 – $1500, the price may be even higher. Remember that a puppy will definitely not cost cheaper, because a lot of efforts and finances of the breeder have been invested in raising it.

The price of a golden retriever puppy will also depend on the origin of the animal. Check out the pedigrees of the parents, a dog from an outbound foreign mating or imported parents will cost more. Pricing influences the breed of parents, their success at exhibitions.

Do not agree if you are offered a Golden Retriever puppy without pedigree, because this is the only confirmation of the dog’s breed – you will get a mestizo or mongrel who does not possess the qualities for which the breed is valued.

The cost of retriever puppies will also depend on the health of their ancestors. Check for certifications and tests to ensure that parents have been tested for hereditary eye disease, dysplasia, and other hereditary diseases.

An inexpensive animal is most likely a breeding marriage, such a pet may have cryptorchidism or an incorrect bite. Of course, this will not prevent him from becoming a family favorite, but it will close the door for him to pedigree breeding and participation in exterior exhibitions.

Golden Retriever – buy a puppy in the kennel

An excellent solution would be to purchase a dog in the nursery, because here you can pick up a healthy and mentally and physically individual with the necessary documents.

When buying a golden retriever puppy, the kennel will give you all the documents. All the necessary data will be entered into the puppy card: the name of the individual and the nicknames of the parents, the name and address of the owner, the coordinates and address of the breeder, the stamp (identification number) applied to the left ear. Be sure to check the stamp on the ear with the stamp on the puppy card.

A conscientious breeder must fully prepare the animal for sale: get a puppy card, get a tattoo, vaccination, prevention of worms, get a veterinary passport, mark in it with what drugs the available vaccinations were made. He must also give the new owner information about when the prevention of worms was done, with what drug, when it needs to be repeated. The same information should apply to vaccinations. The breeder should not only tell what kind of food and in what mode the animal ate, but supply it with food for 1-3 days. The same rules apply to the acquisition of a Labrador Retriever.

Golden Retriever puppy 2 months old – nutrition and education

It is very good if a two-month-old dog meets the standard indicators of weight, height and other measurements typical for the breed. It should be understood that some individuals grow faster, others slower, this is determined genetically. You should not overfeed your pet, from this it will not grow faster, but will only acquire problems with the development of the skeleton.

The standard weight for a two-month-old individual will be 7-8 kg, height at the withers – 30-32.5 cm, head girth – 29-32.5 cm, chest girth – 45-46 cm, muzzle girth – 20.5-22 cm, the girth of the pastern is 4.5-5.5 cm, the girth of the forceps is 10.5-11 cm.

Usually, it is at the age of 2 months that the puppy leaves its mother, sisters, brothers and moves to a new home. Changing the conditions of feeding and maintenance should be painless for the animal, therefore, for the first 2-3 days, adhere to the rules of the breeder’s house, the usual regime and diet. After getting used to a new place, slowly create a feeding regime and living conditions convenient for the owners.

Feed the puppy 1.5-2 months 5-6 times a day, the intervals between feedings are equal. 2-4 months – 4-5 times a day, the intervals may be uneven. Poor appetite can be corrected by reducing the number of meals, while increasing the single dose. Along the way, you should find out the reason (stubbornness, whims, malaise).

Labrador puppies up to 3-4 months practically do not drink water, breeders recommend soaking the food with water. But this does not mean that the pet has limited access to fresh, clean water. Veterinarians advise against practicing mixed feeding; gastrointestinal problems may occur. Food for natural feeding should be fresh, food warmed up.

Approximate ration for feeding a Golden Retriever 1.5-2 months

• 8:00 – 80 g of kefir or 1% fermented baked milk, egg yolk (hard-boiled), 50 g of cottage cheese.
• 11:00 – 40-80 g of scalded finely chopped meat (without films, fat), mixed with 50-90 g of vegetables (pumpkin, cabbage, carrots). Vegetables – boiled, stewed, raw, grated. Do not take potatoes, they cannot be absorbed by the dog’s body.
• 14:00 – 100 g of rice, buckwheat porridge. 15-20 g of finely grated raw carrots with a teaspoon of vegetable oil.
• 17:00 – 100 g of boiled sea fish (peel the product from the insides, head, fins, bones, scales), finely chopped greens in combination with vegetables or porridge.
• 20:00 – 100 g of thick vegetable puree soup, 30 g of cottage cheese or grated cheese.
• 23:00 – 100 g of raw meat.

Do not feed: tubular sharp bones (bird, fish, beef), boiled bones, fatty meat (pork), boiled potatoes, pasta, chocolate, canned food for people, raw fish, barley porridge. Sour and rotten foods are prohibited.

Add vitamins to the diet after 3-4 months, add drugs to strengthen joints in a preventive dose. Give any fortified supplements in courses, between which there should be a break of 1-2 months.

Remove the bowl after feeding, even if there is some leftover food left in it.

Now your dog is a wonderful grown-up puppy, but after 10 months the dog will change not only externally, he will acquire a number of habits, habitual behavior. It is important to understand that neglected or unnoticed negative behavior by the dog will be perceived as desirable behavior. The dog will be regarded as approval if you turned your back on some of his actions.

Eye contact will be an indicator of the right relationship. The puppy should look into your eyes, it should be easy to attract and hold his gaze, otherwise it will mean that the role of the leader is lost by the owner, the pet is allowed too much and there is no need for him to seek approval. Not only should you feel comfortable living with your dog, but also all household members, neighbors, and people around you.

Remember that up to a year, the pet’s skeleton is fragile and unstable, loads and training should take place in a playful way, the duration should not exceed a quarter of an hour. Avoid monotonous long walks, when the dog has to run for a long time after a bike or walk, jumping over wide or high obstacles, stairs. All this will lead to abnormal joint formation and abnormal growth. Jumping at an early age can lead to injuries (dislocations, fractures), impaired posture, structure of the paws.

One of the great things about the Golden Retriever is its porting, which is a gun-toting hunting dog. Use this quality, do not try to suppress, accept everything offered with encouragement. If you are walking off a leash, do exercises that use your pet’s eyes, scent, and wits. During your daily walks, be creative – regularly practice searching for hidden treats or toys, master walking around, endurance, train the execution of commands and other actions that you want to teach the retriever.

The very smart Goldens learn with ease, joy, and without pressure. This is a brave, curious and kind universal dog, capable of performing not only hunting tasks, but also other tasks: performing agility, being a guide for the blind, finding dangerous substances, looking for people in the rubble, being a nanny for children. But the retriever will not be a protector and guard.

At 2 months old it is necessary to bring up subordination in the puppy, the command “to me”, “give”, search and supply of objects, a collar and a leash. At 3 months, teach the commands “sit”, “stand”, “lie down” for a treat or toy. At 4 months – staying close (both on a leash and without), exposure in any position, food with permission, on command. At 5 months. – search and ordering on command, the ability to draw conclusions, find relationships. At 7-9 months. – consolidation of the acquired skills, consolidation of subordination, it is not worth learning new commands. 10 months – continuation of training. Call the puppy as often as possible, calling him by name, only after you have attracted the attention of the animal, you can give commands. Show maximum attention and patience, because it will take a lot of time to master the commands, do not neglect the reward system that all dog handlers use. A reward can be a treat, words of approval, a favorite toy. Do not punish the pet – this will turn it into a wild uncontrollable animal, it is better to correct unwanted actions by distraction from the activity, over time the puppy will understand what is required of him.