Each puppy is unique and you will receive a Puppy Packet when you pick up your Puppy with instructions specific to your new puppy, including what, when and how much they eat. We have also listed some common tips, tricks and important knowledge below.

Golden Advice

Avoid Slick Surfaces

Avoid allowing your puppy to play on slick floors. Slipping and sliding can be hard on their muscles and joints and should be avoided.

Do Not Shave Golden Retrievers

Golden's should never be shaved unless for medical reasons. Golden's have a special undercoat that helps keep them both cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Shaving the under coat can damage the hair and cause it to grow back uneven and less effective at helping your pup regulate it's body temperature.

Dogs with Allergies

Dog's can have allergies just like humans including specific food allergies. One common food allergy in dogs is a chicken allergy. If your pup is experiencing hot spots or other mild signs of allergies, this may be due to a food allergy. You may want to try a food without any chicken in the ingredients. If your dog is having a severe allergic reaction, you should get them to the vet immediately.

No Excessive Exercise

Dog's joints, muscle and bones grow very fast and continue to grow until the puppy is 18 months to 2 years old. Excessive exercise can hurt the dog's growth leading to potential health problems. You should limit their walks to less than a mile per day while they are less than 1 year old and less than 3 miles per days, not exceeding 6 miles per week, while they are still under 2 years old. Until your pup is fully grown, they should not involved in high impact activities such as jumping up to or down from high places like a bed or vehicle, or going on runs. Even after the dog is fully grown, their daily exercise should be limited, dogs are not adapted for extreme endurance walking/hiking like humans and should not be exposed to that type of activity.

Maintain Healthy Weight

Your dogs daily food intake is very important and should be adjusted as necessary to maintain a health weight for your dogs sex/size. Depending on your dogs activity level/metabolism you may need to increase or lower their daily portions to maintain a healthy weight. It is ok to give your dog treats in moderation; however, don't forget to account for these extra calories in their overall food plan.

Trick Training Tips

Goldens are extremely food motivated so treats are a very effective way to incentivize your pup to learn something new. We recommend getting small low calorie treats for training so you can give them a lot of small rewards with out harming their diet.

Potty Training

Puppies have to go potty very frequently. You can begin training by taking the puppy outside to potty or to a specified potty location on a frequent basis and rewarding the puppy when they potty where they should. Puppy pads should not be your dogs primary location for potty and they should also be supervised when they have access to them because they may eat the pad.A rule of thumb for potty frequency is no longer than 1 hour for every month of age. For example, a 2 month old would need to be taken out to potty at least every 2 hours. If your dog has been accident free for a long period of time and then begins having accidents this may be a sign of another problem. If your dog suddenly starts having peeing accidents, this may be a sign of a bladder infection that needs treated. If your dog starts pooping inside again, this may be due to an issue with their food or something they have eaten. Last and most important, Never harm the puppy for having accidents, this is not only cruel it likely will only teach the dog to go potty in a hidden location.

Feeding Schedule

Puppies will need to be fed multiple times per day to help them digest their food.

Socialization

Just like humans, dog's need socialization to become well adapted. Once the pup is fully vaccinated you can introduce them to other dogs so they can learn to be social. When encountering new dogs, also be on high alert for potential aggression from the other dogs or even your dog and be ready to stop them from fighting.

Common Dangerous Activities

Many people think that it is ok to keep their dog in the bed of their pickup; however, this is a very dangerous and should never be done because this could result in injuries or death of the dog in the even of an accident or the dog simply jumps or falls out.

Another activity people often do with their dogs bu don't realize is dangerous is allowing their dog to run along side them while they ride a bike. Many dogs have been accidentally ran over or have had their legs broken by getting caught in the bike wheels.