He althy golden retrievers do not need special care other than good food, companionship and affection, routine veterinary care and plenty of exercise physical. It is also necessary to provide them with basic dog training to stimulate their minds and get them to behave appropriately anywhere.
Of course, the golden retriever will need special care if he is sick. The care of the sick golden retriever will depend on the disease it has at the time, and should be recommended by a veterinarian. To prevent diseases of the golden retriever, it is advisable to make periodic veterinary check-ups. But, if this is not your case and your furry companion is in perfect condition, read on and discover from our site all the care you should offer your golden to provide him with the best quality of life.
Feeding the golden retriever
When we talk about golden retriever care, without a doubt, the first thing that comes to mind is its diet. Puppies that have not yet been completely weaned should be fed by their mother and with the supplements recommended by the veterinarian. The quantity and frequency of their food will depend on the quantity and quality of their breast milk, as well as the recommendations made by the veterinarian.
On the other hand, golden retrievers that have already been weaned will follow a mainly solid diet that must be balanced to provide them with the nutrients they require. There are many opinions about what is the best food for these dogs, from those who support feeding exclusively with balanced feed (of different brands), to those who consider that the dog's diet should be based on cooked food. There are also those who believe that dogs should be fed raw food. For this reason, it is best to decide on your golden retriever's diet with the help of the veterinarian and choose to buy quality food. If your dog is a newly adopted puppy, check with the shelter and ask what he ate and how often. In any other case, the diet and frequency of meals should be recommended by the veterinarian.
Daily food rations
Generally, golden retriever puppies are fed three to four times a day, while adult dogs eat twice a day. It's important to keep fixed meal times for your golden retriever, removing his food bowl 20 minutes after putting it down, even if he hasn't eaten. In this way you will help regulate your dog's digestion, favoring his he alth. In addition, this will allow you to train your dog to go to the bathroom in certain places.
Water is another thing, since your dog must have fresh water available throughout the day.
Other advice on feeding the golden
When you change your golden's food (for example, from puppy food to adult dog food), it is recommended that you mix the two foods for a while. This will make it easier for your dog to get used to the new food.
Although the diet can vary depending on how you decide to feed your golden retriever, you should never give him candy or chocolate. Especially chocolate can be very harmful and even deadly for your dog.
With this breed it is very important to keep the food portions in relation to the amount of exercise the dog does, since golden retrievers have a tendency to obesityIf you use food to train your dog, subtract a little from his daily ration to compensate for the extra calories he receives during training sessions. Keep in mind not to remove too much from the daily ration of him, because during training he also burns calories.
The golden retriever's hair care and hygiene
The golden retriever does not require special care such as particular haircuts, but it does need frequent brushing because it loses a lot of hair. It also needs exercise, companionship, and affection.
The brushing of these dogs should be done with a metal bristle brushOnce achieved, to offer the best care to the golden retriever, it is best to brush the dog's hair once a day, especially during times of shedding, to avoid the accumulation of dead hair. If you don't, not only will your house be impregnated with hair, but it could also form tangles in the dog's coat and encourage the appearance of external parasites such as fleas. Likewise, these tangles could cause pain in the animal when trying to comb them.
If you notice that your golden retriever is losing hair excessively or even shows areas with no hair at all, you should go to the vet because it could be a sign that his he alth is going bad. Excessive hair loss can indicate physical problems like skin allergies, or emotional problems like chronic stress.
The golden retriever bath
Your Golden Retriever should only be bathed when dirty and with a dog shampoo, as frequent bathing damages the protective layer of its fur. Options for keeping your dog clean without over-bathing include "dry" dog shampoos. You can find these at pet stores and use them on your dog more often than wet shampoos. You can also clean your golden's coat with a damp cloth or even completely wet, but without using shampoo.
To offer the best care to the golden retriever, it is important that you pay attention to its ears because it is common for them to harbor external parasites, such as fleas, ticks and fungi. That is why it is good to clean them frequently following the instructions in the article "Cleaning a dog's ears step by step". If the dog scratches a lot, scrapes its ears and neck against the walls or the floor, or walks with its head tilted, it may have a problem with parasites in them and, therefore, you should take it to the vet immediately.
You can check the ears and other parts of the body during daily brushing. Keep in mind that golden retrievers are prone to skin conditions. So also take advantage of daily brushing to detect any irregularities (bald areas, etc.) in your dog's skin and coat. If you detect something that catches your attention, take it to a specialist.
For more information, don't hesitate to consult our article on golden retriever hair care.
Exercise and living conditions
Golden Retrievers are dogs that need a lot of affection and company. They are not dogs to live isolated in the garden, but must be part of the family. They are dogs very attached to people and do not usually have a single owner. If they don't get enough attention and companionship, golden retrievers will find ways to relieve their anxiety, usually by chewing on things or digging in the garden. Also, golden retrievers need to get plenty of exercise every day, as they are very active dogs. It can be easy to exercise them when they are taught to fetch toys, as they have a lot of fun chasing after a ball. Likewise, this type of exercise prevents obesity.
On the other hand, within the care for the golden retriever, is the socialization process. In this sense, it is good that they play with other dogs and sniff each other during walks. Although they tend to be social dogs, it is advisable to socialize golden retrievers from when they are puppies. If you have adopted an adult dog, you can do so by following the instructions in our article "Socialize an adult dog".
In addition to socializing it properly and offering it long walks, it is also advisable to encourage the golden retriever to exercise through swimming. This breed of dog loves to swim, so it will not be difficult for you to get him to dare with this practice. Of course, you should never throw your golden retriever into the water, you should let him or her go in of their own free will. On the other hand, if your golden does not have diseases that limit mobility, such as hip dysplasia, it is also a good idea to make him practice a canine sport with which he can burn energy, such as agility, canine freestyle and flyball.
Golden Retrievers can adjust to living in an apartment if they are given the exercise they need. However, it is better for them if they have a medium or large garden. As we mentioned before, the ideal is for the dog to live inside the house, with the family, and, at the same time, to be able to exercise in the garden. This, of course, does not eliminate the periodic walks that the golden needs to socialize.
