Edie MacKenzie

Edie MacKenzie is a published author, traveler, dog lover, and tortoise enthusiast. Passionate about what she does, her books provide peopel a firm grounding in the dog breed and their unique characteristics with a nice touch of humor.

Training Your Golden Retriever

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Golden Retriever Training

Your Golden Retriever isn’t like a human, so they need to learn in different ways.

Dogs don’t have human responses, meaning that they don’t operate with the principle of right or wrong.  Instead, they operate on a principle of response, guided by the actions you give them.

If their actions lead to a bad response from you, then they not that what they are doing is wrong and will avoid doing that type of behavior.
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The Best Basic Training For Your Golden Retriever

If you’d love to discover EXACTLY how to get your dog to stop urinating on
your carpet and actually ring a bell when he needs to potty. . .

Train Golden puppies to NEVER chew on furniture or expensive rugs – even when
you aren’t there to supervise. . .

Learn simple techniques for getting any Golden Retriever to stop barking at
strangers or from begging you to let him back inside – Plus a TON more
step-by-step dog obedience strategies THOUSANDS of regular people are
already using.

Check out Chet Womach & Bauer the Golden Retriever-
Hands Off Dog Training

If your Golden Retriever does something right, he should be praised for it.  If your Golden Retriever is listening to what you say and doing well, you should reward him with a treat or praise.  Letting him know that he is doing good leads to positive response.  On the other hand, if he isn’t listening to you or doing the total opposite of what you say, you shouldn’t reward him at all – but instead scold him with a stern NO.

When training your Golden Retriever, timing is the most important factor.  If your dog is doing something wrong, you shouldn’t wait or hesitate to correct him. Doing so may send the wrong impression.  When your Golden Retriever is doing something wrong, you should correct him right then and there, so he will know without a doubt what he is doing wrong.

For example, if your Golden Retriever is chasing cars, you obviously want to stop this habit before it gets it out of hand.  The second you see him doing this, you should always stop him and let him know he’s wrong.  This way, he will know that chasing cars is something he shouldn’t be doing.  It may take a bit of time for him to realize this, and you’ll need to hold your ground and continue to correct him when he is doing something that you don’t approve of.

This type of theory is similar to that of praise.  When you see your Golden Retriever doing something right, you should praise him instantly.  If you don’t praise him instantly and instead wait until he has stopped, he will assume that you are praising him for stopping.  To be on the safe side and get the most from your Golden Retriever, you should always praise him when he is behaving in the right way, then correct him when he is behaving in a negative way.

If you take your time and show patience with your Golden Retriever, you shouldn’t have any problems training him.  The training process may take quite a bit of time, although it is more than worth it in the end.  Once you have trained your Golden Retriever, he will react to what you say, and avoid doing the things he has been corrected for.  Training is essential for Golden Retriever – and will make him a much better dog when he grows older.

Selecting Your Golden Retriever Puppy

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Once you have decided on a breeder that you can trust, you’ll need to start thinking about what type of Golden Retriever 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 Retriever puppy, you may be able to compare.

Some Golden Retriever 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 Golden Retriever 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 Golden Retriever 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 Golden Retriever puppy will grow into a strong and healthy adult – and be around for years to come.

Hip Dysplasia And Golden Retrievers

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The Golden Retrievers Major Health Issue

Hip dysplasia is a poor formation of the hip joints, which is a common growing disease with younger dogs of virtually every breed including Golden Retrievers .  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 like all Golden Retrievers, he won’t let you know he hurt any at all.

Buying A Golden Retriever Puppy

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Your New Golden Retriever Puppy

We all know a  Golden Retriever puppy is beautiful, can become 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 Golden Retriever 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 Golden Retriever 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 Golden Retriever 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.
————————————————————–

The Best Basic Training
For Your Golden Retriever

If you’d love to discover EXACTLY how to get your dog to stop urinating on
your carpet and actually ring a bell when he needs to potty. . .

Train Golden puppies to NEVER chew on furniture or expensive rugs – even when
you aren’t there to supervise. . .

Learn simple techniques for getting any Golden Retriever to stop barking at
strangers or from begging you to let him back inside – Plus a TON more
step-by-step dog obedience strategies THOUSANDS of regular people are
already using.

Check out Chet Womach & Bauer the Golden Retriever-
Hands Off Dog Training

Bedding For Your Golden Retriever

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Your Golden Retriever And Their Bed

Bedding for your Golden Retriever is very important, as this is where he will be spending quite a bit of time – especially at night.  The ideal bedding for your Golden should be a natural fiber, such as wool, as wool absorbs most moisture and will keep your companion warm.  When you get your blanket, you can try thrift stores, as they aren’t very expensive.  You don’t want to buy an expensive blanket, for the fact that Golden Retrievers love to chew.  They can chew or tear the blanket in no time at all, which would make an expensive blanket a waste of money.

When bringing your Golden puppy home, he may be a little upset having to leave his mom and the others of his litter.  The scents and memories that he come to know and love are now being replaced with totally new ones.  If you provide a towel for your Golden to sleep with, it may help to ease him a bit.  Towels are a great way to remind Golden puppies of their mom and their litter, which will help them to sleep and relax.

If you are planning to have your Golden Retriever sleep with you, you should be ready to get up in the middle of the night and take him outside to use the bathroom.  You should keep his food and water near his bedding at all times, so if he gets hungry or thirsty he can get what he needs.  Then, you should planning on taking him out around an hour or so after he has eaten.

If you plan to leave your Golden Retriever outdoors, you’ll obviously need to use a different style of bedding.  Doghouses are essential for Golden’s who stay outdoors, as it helps to keep them warm and free of weather.  Inside of the doghouse on the other hand, most people tend to use straw so the Golden can make a bed out of it.  You can also use a blanket or quilt as well, so that your Golden can wrap himself up in it should he get cold.

You can also use wooden shavings as well, as most Golden’s tend to like them.  Newspapers work good as well, as they give your Golden something to lay on besides a wooden floor.  Although doghouses work great for outdoor dogs, you should take your dog for walks on a daily basis and let him join you in activities that he finds enjoyable.  This way, you can build a unique and lasting friendship with your pet.

Golden Retrievers can quickly become the best friend you have ever had – as long as you take care of them.

Making sure that you have the proper bedding for your Golden Retriever is a great place to start.
————————————————————–

The Best Basic Training
For Your Golden Retriever

If you’d love to discover EXACTLY how to get your dog to stop urinating on
your carpet and actually ring a bell when he needs to potty. . .

Train Golden puppies to NEVER chew on furniture or expensive rugs – even when
you aren’t there to supervise. . .

Learn simple techniques for getting any Golden Retriever to stop barking at
strangers or from begging you to let him back inside – Plus a TON more
step-by-step dog obedience strategies THOUSANDS of regular people are
already using.

Check out Chet Womach & Bauer the Golden Retriever’s-
Hands Off Dog Training

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