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.

Crate Training Your Golden Retriever

October 12, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

A lot of people normally have the wrong conception when it comes to crates and your Golden Retriever.

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.
————————————————————–

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

Filed Under: Dog Training Tagged With: Conception, Crate Training, Dogs, Doing The Right Thing, Extra, Golden Puppy, Golden Retriever, Habit, Leads, Lot, Natural Instincts, New Toy, Traffic

Common Golden Retriever Health Problems

October 10, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

Golden Retriever Health

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.

Filed Under: Dog Health Tagged With: Airborne Disease, Blood Circulation, Common Ailment, Common Ailments, Common Health Problems, Diarrhea, Dog Breeds, Golden Retriever, Golden Retriever Health, Gums, Heart Failure, Heatstroke, High Risk, Hot Day, Hot Days, Lung Arteries, Nervous System, Rabies Shots, Rapid Pulse, Vaccinations

Characteristics Of The Golden Retriever

October 9, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

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 and the Golden Retriever, 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 the Golden Retriever 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 Retriever 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.
————————————————————–

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

Filed Under: Dog Information Tagged With: Aim, All Breeds Of Dogs, Blind Friends, Breeds Dogs, Breeds Of Dogs, Frequent Basis, Golden Retriever, Golden Retriever Puppy, Golden Retrievers, Guide Dogs, Hunting, Love, Many Other Types, Natural Instinct, Obedience Trial, People, Physical Activity, Source Of Water, Temperament, Young Kids

Characteristics Of Reputable Golden Retriever Breeders

October 7, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

Golden Retriever Breeders

When you decide to get a new Golden Retriever puppy, the first choice you will face is what type of Golden Retriever breeders 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 Golden Retriever 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 Golden Retriever 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 Golden Retriever breeders

A hobby breeder is the ideal way to get your Golden puppy.  Hobby Golden Retriever 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 Golden Retriever breedersaccept 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 Golden Retriever breeders, you can rest assured that you getting a healthy puppy from the 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

Filed Under: Dog Information Tagged With: Backyard Breeders, First Choice, Golden Retriever, Golden Retriever Breeders, Golden Retriever Puppy, Having Puppies, Hobby Breeders, Impulse, Litters, Little Bit, Lot, Money, New Puppy, People, Pet Shop, Pet Shops, Poor Choice, Puppy Breeders

Breeding Golden Retrievers

October 4, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

Golden Retrievers:  Easy To Breed?

For beginners, breeding Golden Retrievers is nearly impossible.  Breeding can be very complicated, although it can be easy as well.  You should never attempt to breed unless you know a lot about requirements for hobby breeders, as it is simply unfair to the breed if you have a litter of puppies that simply aren’t what they should be.  People who look to buy Golden Retrievers only want top quality, which is why you shouldn’t attempt to breed just have a puppies or make a few bucks.

Breeding Golden Retrievers is a very serious hobby, one that should be left to those who know how to make the right choices.  There is a certain amount of cost and care involved with breeding, especially if breeders of Golden Retrievers are going for a certain quality.  There is also a lot of responsibility involved as well, which can take quite a bit of time to say the least.

Motivation for breeding Golden Retrievers

Breeding can help to fulfill the need of a Golden, although the dog still has no knowledge of it missing, no regrets, or no guilt towards living a life without having been breed.  A pregnant Golden Retriever female doesn’t gain anything in regards to health, as it instead causes problems.  Female Golden Retrievers that have been spayed on the other hand, cannot be bred.  If you have chosen to have your Golden spayed, always remember that she will be unable to breed.

When looking to breed, quality breeders will have a lot of choices in front of them.  They will need to determine the pair, such as the mother and the father.  To get the highest quality possible from the litter, the breeder will need to determine the traits of both dogs, temperaments, and how well they seem to react to one another.  The breeder will also need to determine in either of the dogs have any type of health problems, to prevent any diseases or ailments from being passed on to the litter.

Sometimes, when breeding Golden Retrievers, the mother of the litter will prove to be unfit, which requires more work for the breeder.  If the mother isn’t doing her job of nurturing her young, the breeder will need to do it for her.  This can be the most time consuming aspect of breeding, as the breeder will have to feed the young and make sure that they turn out as healthy as possible.

Aside from that, breeders also face quite a bit of costs as well.  The prices for daily care, food, and vet bills can be very steep to say the least.  When you crunch the numbers, you’ll quickly realize that breeders don’t make much money at all when they sale.  Most breeders do it for a hobby, not looking to make money.  Quality breeders of Golden Retrievers on the other hand aren’t concerned with money at all, as they are more concerned about the quality of their litters.  Quality is better than quantity, as even the best breeders out there have problems selling puppies from time to time.

Although breeding is fun for hobby breeders, it is something you really shouldn’t be doing if you don’t have the experience.  Although your Golden may get knocked up by a dog of a different breed without you knowing it, you should do your best to avoid it at all costs if you can.  A pure bred Golden Retriever should be bred only with dogs of her breed, to help preserve the breed and keep their bloodline going.

If you have thought about breeding in the past – you should really study long and hard before you actually make a reality of it.
————————————————————–

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 Retrievers-
Hands Off Dog Training

Filed Under: Dog Health Tagged With: Ailments, Diseases, Dogs, Female Golden Retrievers, Females, Golden Retriever, Golden Retrievers, Guilt, Health Problems, Highest Quality, Hobby Breeders, Hobby One, Motivation, No Regrets, Pregnant, Puppies, Quality Breeders, Retrievers Golden, Right Choices, Top Quality

Bedding For Your Golden Retriever

October 3, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

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

Filed Under: Dog Information Tagged With: Bedding, Companion, Different Style, Doghouse, Doghouses, Golden Puppies, Golden Puppy, Golden Retriever, Golden Retrievers, Memories, Mom, Natural Fiber, Newspapers, Scents, Shavings, Sleep, Thrift Stores, Towels, Waste Of Money, Weather

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • Next Page »

Recent Blog Posts

  • Train Your Dog to Respond to Tornado Sirens
  • Euthanizing Your Dog at Home A Peaceful Farewell
  • Dog Ear Cleansing Solution – A Smoothing No Sting All Natural Cleaner

Copyright © 2025 · Author Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in