Puppy Pointers

Please read over and familiarize yourself with this information before picking up your puppy. If you have any questions after reading this information, please feel free to contact me.

FEEDING
Since weaning your puppy has been fed Canidae. You will be sent home with a small bag of this food. Feed about 1/2 cup 3 times a day. Increase the amount as your puppy grows. The pups are currently eating at 6:30 a.m., 3 p.m. and 11 p.m. You may gradually change this schedule to suit your convenince, just aim for approximate 8 hour intervals. At 16 weeks of age you can delete the middle meal and only feed 2 meals a day. Feed twice a day until at least 8 months of age. It is okay to feed two meals daily for the lifetime of your dog. If Canidae is not available I recommend another premium brand pet food.
Pay careful attention to the weight of your puppy/adult dog. WEIGHT GAIN IN YOUR PUPPY MUST BE CAREFULLY MONITORED AND CONTROLLED. Your puppy should only gain 1-2 pounds per week between 7 & 11 weeks and 3 pounds per week for the rest of his growth. A FAT DOG IS NOT A HEALTHY DOG. Excess weight can break down muscle tissue in a puppy and put more pressure on the hip sockets. Rapid growth rate is a factor in developing hip dysplasia. You should always be able to feel the ribs through a thin layer of fat/skin.
If you decide to use a different diet, check with us or your Veterinarian for a good balanced diet. Transfer your puppy to his new food gradually by adding progressively larger amounts of the new food to the old. An abrupt change in diet can result in loose stools and an upset stomach. The cheapest food is never much of a bargain because of the problems that come with inadequate nutrition over the lifetime of your dog.
Always have fresh cool water available. Changes in water can lead to loose stools, so do not be surprised if your puppy has loose stools for a few days after you take him home. Also, the nervousness of a new home can lead to loose stools.

HOUSEBREAKING
Dogs are den animals. They do not like to mess in their own nest. We've found that the use of a crate will provide your puppy with an area large enough to live in comfortably, but not so large that he will want to mess it up. The use of a crate is by far the best way to housebreak a dog and will accomplish the task in a short time. Later the crate will provide a safe home for the puppy while you are out of the house and will eliminate the chance of his chewing on furniture or getting into trouble. The initial cost of the crate will be more than saved by clean carpets and un-gnawed on furniture.
Purchase a good quality crate large enough for a fully grown Golden: at least 21 wide, 36" long and 24" high. You may want to block part of the crate until your pup is a little larger. The General Cage fold down crate is ideal. If you plan to travel with your dog, a crate is the safest means of transporting and many hotels will allow crated dogs in their rooms.
Your puppy should have plenty of opportunities to go outside. The more frequently he goes out, the less likely he will soil inside. ALWAYS take him outside immediately after letting him out of the crate. (With a very young puppy I carry them outside). When you let your puppy outside, take him to the area of the yard where you want him to relieve himself, stand with him until he does, and then praise him. It's not as easy as just putting him outside, but he will catch on much more quickly if you go out with him.
At first he should only be out of his crate when he is being actively supervised, but as he becomes more trustworthy, he can be out more on his own. Remember BE PATIENT, BE FIRM and USE YOUR CRATE. You'll be glad you did.


CHEWING
Goldens are great chewers, Use your crate to limit the puppy's activity whenever you are unable to actively supervise him and keep a constant eye on him. He won't know not to chew on electrical cords and plants, or any other undesirable objects. He should have ample time to play and socialize after going outside, but only under supervision. Make sure he has his own toys to chew on (old shoes or socks are not appropriate, because he doesn't know the difference between old and new). I keep a toy basket where puppy's toys are kept and teach him where it is. In our experience Nyla Bones or Kongs make excellent unsupervised play toys (in their crate). I only recommend squeaky toys and fleece toys with supervision, because they are easy to destroy and swallow. Never give your dog rib bones as they can splinter and lodge in their gums, stomach or intestines. Goldens do have a preference for dirty socks and underwear, so beware! Also be sure to “retire” toys as they become too small to be safe for your growing pup. Surgery for a swallowed toy that has blocked the intestines is very traumatic to the dog and your wallet!

DISCIPLINE
A good Golden wants nothing more in life than to please you. Different dogs need different amounts of correction; some will respond to very light corrections whereas others will test a little more and need a firmer hand. Learn by your puppy's reaction to a correction to tell if you are over correcting or under correcting. If the puppy repeats the same offense after a correction then you aren't getting your point across. Also some pups need only a verbal “uh-uh” while others respond better to a physical pop or shake.
For chewing or other mouth related mistakes, squeeze the muzzle and say "NO" firmly, but do not yell. Immediately give them a toy, or take them to their toy basket and praise them when they take a toy. Since Goidens are bred to retrieve I DO NOT correct when they bring me inappropriate items. I merely remove it from their mouth and give them something appropriate.
For general inappropriate behavior, shake them gently by the scruff of the neck. This is the way the mother dog reprimands puppies. Remember, correct inappropriate behavior and praise good behavior.
Be very careful that you don¹t give "positive reinforcement for bad behavior". i.e.; talking sweetly if they seem afraid- this reinforces their fear. Be supportive, but firm. Do NOT pet them when they jump on you, even when they are small.
Your puppy is learning from you the day you take him home. Make sure you are teaching good behavior. Anything a puppy does at 10 pounds he will also do at 70 pounds and it might not be as cute then.

TRAINING
Training for your puppy begins the day you take your puppy home. Everything you do or don¹t do with your puppy makes a difference in the dog¹s future behavior. If you wait until he is 6 months old to take him to obedience class you've waited too long. Between 7 and 16 weeks there is a window of learning that can never be duplicated. Use it wisely. I start teaching my puppies a few house manners immediately.
1. Wait to go through the door. If they attempt to come through a door without permission the door is unceremoniously closed in their face, with the command "get back". They are permitted through the door with their name.
2. Come when called. I teach this several ways. I encourage my puppies to chase me. When they catch me they either have a fun roll in the grass, a treat, or a toy. Do not chase your puppy. If you do, you are teaching your puppy it is a game to run away.
3. Teach the puppy to be held and handled. This will make it easier later to give medications, trim toe nails and to be groomed.
4. Decide NOW if they are permitted on the furniture and start training now. If you don't want a 70 pound dog on the couch, don't sit on the couch and hold a 10 pound puppy.
5. Start teaching sit and down with a food reward. Later the food is discontinued, but puppies learn very readily using food.
6. Go into their crate with a food reward. Lead them into the crate and give them a treat. Usually I will do my training with one of their actual meals and use their food as the reward.

GROOMING
Start teaching your puppy at a very early age to accept being groomed. That includes brushing, trimming toe nails and cleaning ears. Goldens' coats will go through various stages throughout the year. Dogs kept indoors all the time will have less variation in their coat usually, then those who are kept both indoors and out. Most dogs will go through a major shedding sometime in the spring or summer. Bathing in warm water will help them release the dead coat and get the shedding process done more quickly (use undercoat rake to remove dead hair). NEVER be tempted to have your Golden’s hair clipped down. If you don't want the coat, don't buy a Golden Retriever. When you clip the coat off you cut off the guard hairs that are your dogs' protection from the elements. The outer coat helps protect them and also acts as a cooling system. Once the undercoat has "blown out" the shedding will decrease to a nominal amount.

The grooming procedure should follow these steps. Do all the dirty things first: trim nails, flush out the ears with an ear flush and then thoroughly brush out the dog. Any trimming I do will be done before the bath. I tidy up stray hairs around the feet and up the pasterns on both the front and back feet, blunt the end of the tail and trim around the edges of the ears with strait shears. I trim behind the ears with thinning shears. After these things have been done, you can then bathe the dog. Never bathe a dog that has not been thoroughly brushed out. Bathing will not get mats out, but will set the mats harder. One other hint: When bathing your dog secure them to something so that both of your hands are free to do a good job. After bathing, allow the dog to shake several times. Encourage shaking by running your fingers backwards up their back. Then use several towels to get them nearly dry. Don¹t use a heat dryer, but a fan can help!

EXERCISE
A Golden, like all Sporting Dogs, needs considerable exercise, especially as they mature. Providing this exercise is important for the dog's health and well-being. If you jog and want your dog to jog with you, please wait until he is at least one year old, however feel free to take him on long walks prior to that time. From about 4 months old a pup should be fine gradually increasing the length of their walk from about 1/2 mile to up to 2 miles. Just be sure to stop with your dog before they are ready to quit! Never let your dog run loose regardless of his age. If there is no one outside with him, he will go elsewhere to seek human companionship. Be careful about letting your dog play at the local dog park. Some dogs there play too rough and can harm a younger dog. Play with dogs of similar size and temperament is fine in small groups with adult supervision.

GENERAL HINTS
Young puppies require a lot of sleep. They are just past the infancy stage and will sleep a large part of the time. Typically pups will cycle between periods of play followed by periods of rest. If you have children try not to let them tire the puppy. Teach them that when he is in his crate he is not to be bothered. He will quickly learn to go into his crate when he becomes tired and no longer wishes to play.

Obedience training is a wonderful activity. It will help to make your dog a pleasure to live with and we strongly recommend that you consider obedience classes for you and your dog. Finally, if you have any questions, please feel free to call me. We're happy to help in any way we can.

The Central Oklahoma Golden Retriever Club has monthly meetings the third Wednesday of every month (except July and December when we schedule parties). Meetings are held at the Will Rogers Garden Center at 3400 NW 36 in OKC at 7:30 PM. We have an education program at most meetings. You are welcome to come.

Feel free to contact me at any time during the life of your dog if you have ANY questions, problems or concerns.