How to Take Care of a Golden Retriever Puppy

Docile and good-natured, golden retrievers are one of the most popular breeds of dog. As puppies, goldens require a certain amount of breed-specific care and training to help them become confident, balanced adults. Fortunately, providing care for these furry balls of energy is usually fun and simple.

Things You'll Need

  • Toys
  • Slicker brush
  • High-quality, hypoallergenic puppy food
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Instructions

    • 1

      Provide mental stimulation for your golden retriever puppy. According to the Complete Guide to Responsible Dog Ownership, golden puppies can become extremely destructive if bored. Therefore, keep your golden contained when unsupervised to prevent him from chewing objects in your home. In addition, give your puppy toys to chew on and play with when you cannot spend time with him.

    • 2

      Exercise your puppy daily. Golden retrievers are extremely active dogs, even when they are puppies. Lack of an outlet to burn energy can create frustration in the dog, which ultimately can lead to bad behavior. Goldens typically excel at many activities, including fetching, swimming, agility and obedience trials. They also make good companions for those who walk or jog.

    • 3

      Brush your puppy daily. Golden retrievers are double-coated, which means they have lots of fur. All that hair has to go somewhere, and it usually ends up on your carpet or furniture. Brushing daily, however, will help keep shedding at bay and also will prevent knots and tangles. Goldens are prone to developing matts behind their ears, on their stomachs and on the backs of their legs, so pay special attention to those areas.

    • 4

      Touch your golden's paws and ears on a daily basis. Golden retrievers are prone to developing allergies, which usually affects the ears and feet. Touching those areas now will familiarize her with having those spots handled, which can make ear cleanings, nail trims and foot soaks easier later on.

    • 5

      Feed your puppy high-quality hypoallergenic food. Goldens are very susceptible to allergies--including those that are food-related--and feeding your pup a high-quality food that is free of preservatives and artificial flavors and colors may help to prevent problems from occurring.

    • 6

      Provide lots of interaction between other dogs and humans for your puppy. Golden retrievers typically are outgoing, however, if they do not receive proper socialization they can become fearful, shy and even aggressive. Enroll your golden in an obedience or puppy class to make him familiar with other animals. Encourage people to pet and play with your golden pup so that he gets used to interaction with people besides you.