Golden Retriever Advice

[ColoradoMom!!]

Some of you may remember me from my short "I want this puppy" thread when I fell in love with a picture from the pound, but was too late to adopt that dog before he was gone.

Well, we're back to plan A which is the best I think anyway! We had decided on a Golden Retriever and have applied with a rescue. We've passed the phone interview, and are set for a home visit next week. If we pass that, we get to meet with dogs and their foster families. I am really thrilled with the whole resuce idea, and that the dogs have been fostered to see their temperment, etc. and are matched with their new families. We are planning on a dog between 2 and 5 years old.

So anyway -- we will need to buy everything and wanted some advice. Are there better dog beds, food bowls, etc.? What have you learned from experience that may help us? Please don't discourage me from a Golden. I know the health issues, but after much research and soul searching, we are excited for our Golden opportunity!

 

[teacups]

Please don't discourage me from a Golden.

Then I can not speak.







Wow. That would cause a rukus woudlnt it?
For the bed... get one that zips off so you can wash it.
NO RAW HIDE CHEWS OF ANY KIND PLEASE. Ask your Vet. They are dangerous. I feed Eukanuba large breed to my lab if that helps you.

Good luck.

 

[Sinderelli]

We have a golden retriever "Biscuit"- and he is the kindest, most gentlest dog I have ever encountered. The worst thing he does is jump on people (never me or DH). He trained VERY easily- 2 or 3 days for basic commands and a couple of weeks for potty.

The one thing I woud suggest is keep chew toys around- they are VERY mouthy dogs and will chew socks, shoes, stuffed animals, rocks, etc. Biscuit loves Nylabones.

Good luck with your Golden. I don't think I could ever own another breed after experiencing owning mine

 

[Sinderelli]

Here's Biscuit when we first got him

 

[Disney Ron]

10 days ago I had to put my 14yo golden Alex to sleep. He was my buddy. He NEVER barked and was the gentlest dog ever. I could never replace him so I'm not. They are great dogs and I wish you many years of happiness.

Daddy misses you Alex.

 

[Lanshark]

We've had two goldens and they are wonderful. I've never used rawhide but have 4 nylabones around the house. When they get chewed down, and it takes awhile, I get a new one. I like the Nylabone brand and it seems to be the one Jake prefers. Walmart is much cheaper than pet smart.

Since Goldens have sensitive skin I've been using Nutro Lamb and Rice. We've have very few problems since we switched to this food.

They shed a lot so get a good vacuum. I bought a Dyson for this reason. In the spring and summer we have Jake shaved down. He is much cooler and more comfortable.

We have a fenced yard but Jake is not outside except to go potty and unless we're outside. Goldens have a lot of energy so invest in tennis balls. You throw, they retrieve, repeat the process 100 times. It will be to your benefit to teach your dog to "drop it" so you don't have to dig the ball out of their mouth.

Have fun, they're wonderful dogs

 

[teacups]

10 days ago I had to put my 14yo golden Alex to sleep. He was my buddy. He NEVER barked and was the gentlest dog ever. I could never replace him so I'm not. They are great dogs and I wish you many years of happiness.

Daddy misses you Alex.

I'm so sorry.

 

[komondorok]

Congratulations!

Rescue should be able to guide you in most everything. Steel bowls are better than plastic, the raised bowls even better for the larger breed dogs.

My recommendation is to sign up for Sally Terroux's 9 week beginner obedience class. She is one of the top dog trainers in the country and we are lucky enough to have her here in Denver.

Her basic obedience class is just as much training for the new owner as it is for the dog. It is not just obedience, but the class is filled with all sorts of tidbits on how to reinforce a well mannered dog.

Her kennel is up in Arvada, but when we were taking lessons from her, her classes were held right off Santa Fe and Evans.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

Just a heads up that not all goldens are alike or the mellow dog people portray! We had a golden die of cancer at age 5 in 2004 and he was my ultimate dog. We then got a lab mix, which we still have, but last May adopted a 3 year old golden rescue. He is a crazy dog! Very hyper. He was garage raised and adapting well to being in the house, but just wants attention all of the time. We also have issues with garbage surfing and underwear chewing. He's insane.
I give them rawhides with no issues. Each dog is so afraid the other will get "his" bone they eat them pretty quickly. Same with chew-eez type bone snacks. Maybe if I get a nylabone they will have it more than an hour or two!
Robin M.

 

[Lanshark]

I second the need for obedience classes. Our first golden, Max, was from a rescue and a couple of years old. He was very hard to handle. He would listen to DH but not to me. I handled him during training and it made a world of difference.

Also, make sure you learn how to groom/brush him/her. Consistent grooming will help the shedding and keep him happier. Both of my goldens loved to be brushed.

My rescue golden had a strong tendency to try to dart out of the front door everytime I opened it. The dog I raised from a puppy does not do this. I found that Max loved the car. Everytime he darted out I panicked. I finally figured that if I quickly got in my van and called him he always jumped in the car. I never scolded him but would take him for a ride. When he got really old, he'd still dart out, walk up the driveway and then turn around and come back in. I really loved that dog.

 

[Disney Doll]

10 days ago I had to put my 14yo golden Alex to sleep. He was my buddy. He NEVER barked and was the gentlest dog ever. I could never replace him so I'm not. They are great dogs and I wish you many years of happiness.

Daddy misses you Alex.

I'm so sorry for you.
It is hard to lose our beloved pets.

 

[Lanshark]

10 days ago I had to put my 14yo golden Alex to sleep. He was my buddy. He NEVER barked and was the gentlest dog ever. I could never replace him so I'm not. They are great dogs and I wish you many years of happiness.

Daddy misses you Alex.

They become much more than animals, don't they?

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

10 days ago I had to put my 14yo golden Alex to sleep. He was my buddy. He NEVER barked and was the gentlest dog ever. I could never replace him so I'm not. They are great dogs and I wish you many years of happiness.

Daddy misses you Alex.

Just 10 days ago, I am so sorry.
Thank you for the well wishes.

Thanks everyone for all the good advice - keep it coming.

 

[Luv'sTink]

Our Golden (9) is addicted to "grunting" stuffed toys. She has never chewed on any of DS stuffed toys, somehow she just knows the difference. The only bad thing she does and this only started a few years ago, is when we leave she gets upset, if she can find paper she will chew it, otherwise she never touches anything. She doesn't bark excessively, she isn't hyper, she listens very well, she goes potty when told to "go potty", my sister calls her the "perfect dog" she isn't perfect but she is a really good dog! She loves to go camping with us, but, when someone walks through our campsite she growls at them...a low deep throated growl, no teeth, no barking, it is just a warning.

Make sure he/she has his/her own toys and sleeping area.

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

Congratulations!

My recommendation is to sign up for Sally Terroux's 9 week beginner obedience class. She is one of the top dog trainers in the country and we are lucky enough to have her here in Denver.

Her kennel is up in Arvada, but when we were taking lessons from her, her classes were held right off Santa Fe and Evans.

WOW - there you go - what a great find for me here on the Dis board! Thank you so much - I will look her up!

 

[monsterkitty]

We have a 2-year old Golden Receiver - he brings nothing back .

Yes, we are those parents who take their dog to day care. Pirate only goes twice a week, but that does the trick. Pirate, who used to steal shoes but has since moved onto socks, is what some would classify as a hyper Golden. Ok, who am I kidding, everyone who meets him would classify him as a hyper Golden. He is a dark red Golden and our vet and the doggie daycare guardians have a theory about goldens - the darker they are, the more hyper they are. Whether it is true or not, who knows.

We also have a 15-year old mutt, and Pirate is soooo gentle with her. The guardians at daycare can't believe that this bundle of engery is so gentle with any older dog that goes to daycare. Pirate also enjoys giving our two cats baths. The 21-year-old cat doesn't like it, but the 5-year-old loves Pirate baths.

Now to anwser your questions:
What is the best dog bed? We bought a nice, big bed from llbean for our older dog because she can no longer get on the bed. She hates it. Pirate hates it. The cats love it. Pirate prefers our bed or the cool, tile floor.

Food bowls - Pirate would eat off of the floor if he had to. Oh, wait, he is the hoover vacuum for all the food his older sister drops out of her bowl. Both dogs have a stainless steel bowl.

Water bowl tip - get a tip-proof bowl. Goldens love to play in the water and the water dish is a very minature swimming pool to Pirate.

Pirate could eat a car and poop out a tin can, so stick with the very strong Kong toys (the colors of the Kongs indicate their strength). Pirates favorite toy is a Jollyball. http://www.dogtoys.com/dogteaserball3.html This toy usually lasts about 2 or 3 months compared to 2 or 3 minutes.

While I joke about Pirate being hyper and a sock stealer, he is a very smart dog and was very easy to train. Yes, he is hyper, but he listens and settles down as soon as you give him the command.

My SIL got her two Goldens from a rescue group here in the Denver area, and as they are older, they are much more calm than Pirate. They still love to play and are so cuddley that you just have to love them.

Good luck on the interview!

 

[komondorok]

WOW - there you go - what a great find for me here on the Dis board! Thank you so much - I will look her up!

www.sallyterrouxdogtraining.com

9 Week Beginners Obedience & Pet Behavior

Includes -

• Loose leash walking as well as heeling.
• Sit stay and lengthy down stays with distractions to teach self control.
• Stand stays for grooming, bathing, and vet exams.
• Random come instead of just calling your dog from a stay when he or she is already under control.
• Control of jumping up and play biting.
• Boundary line training; teach respect of doors and gates, prevent or cure separation anxiety, behavior in car, with children, animals and with company at the door
• Respecting property and controlling out of sight behavior.
• Control of barking -- develop the degree of watch dog you want. Prevent biting & Lawsuits!
• Develop play retrieving as controlled or as enthusiastic as you wish!
• Eliminate possessive and "keep away" behavior!

 

[NMAmy]

Sunny is our first golden--we got her from the Humane Society as a puppy. She had a VERY long puppyhood but she's 3 now and is really one of the best dogs I've ever had. I love that she is just the friendliest thing ever. I never have to worry about her being aggressive. She plays with my neighbor's grandkids through our fence. They'll knock on my door and ask if Sunny can come out to play.

She is rather goat-like in her eating habits and we have to be pretty careful about what we leave around. She's never touched a remote or cell phone but considers ink pens to be fair game. She'll take my mittens out of my coat pockets and socks out of the laundry baskets but she doesn't chew them just teases us with them. When she was a puppy she destroyed a pair of scissors! I never thought those would hold any interest but thank heavens all the pieces were accounted for.

You've gotten lots of wonderful advice on stuff to buy but I just wanted to add how very much we adore our golden.

 

[Disneynutbsv]

Golden's are wonderful!!

Here's my Sammie

 

[2BigKIdz]

So sorry for the loss of Alex. We lost 3 pets this year, 2 dogs (15 and 11 and a cat 16.5), it's an awful, awful thing.

I have never had a golden but would definitely recommend this bed http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2750699 and it is on sale. My collie Jack wouldn't be bothered with a bed until we got this one and he loved it and it's plenty big for a big dog, Jack was 114 lbs. It's very thick and cushiony and you can take the cover off and throw it in the washer. My 2 little dogs now have tons of room on it together.

Congratulations and hope you have your new family member soon!