Is It Difficult To Raise a Golden Retriever? 5 Tips To Get Started Right

Golden Retrievers are the most sought-after dog breed for families with kids because of their warm and loving nature. They are intelligent, thus, easy to train.

Golden Retrievers are known for being loyal, intelligent, and obedient dogs. While they are great companions and family members, they can be difficult to raise if not appropriately trained. 

This article will cover the basics of raising a Golden Retriever puppy, their temperament, level of maintenance, and tips to use when caring for a Golden Retriever.

Are Golden Retrievers High or Low Maintenance?

Golden Retrievers have long been considered one of the most popular dog breeds in America due to their intelligence, loyalty, obedience, and friendly nature. 

However, training them requires considerable time and effort, as they have a low attention span and are quite mischievous.

However, they are relatively low-maintenance compared with other breeds, such as Border Collies or German Shepherds, which need more frequent grooming sessions and more rigorous exercise regimes to stay mentally and physically healthy. 

In this sense, then, Goldens may be described as medium-maintenance dogs.

Golden Retriever Temperament and Behavior

The Golden Retriever is an active breed that loves playing, running, and exploring the outdoors. 

They are very social animals, so they should be around people as much as possible. As long as they get enough exercise and mental stimulation, Goldens can make great family pets. 

Like their name, these are natural Retrievers, so make sure to play a game of throw and fetch with them.

Goldens tend to bond with one particular person in the family but will get along with everyone else too. They are known for being gentle and loyal, which makes them excellent companions for children if appropriately trained from a young age.

Raising a Golden Retriever

Raising a Golden Retriever puppy requires patience, consistency, love, and understanding of their nature to achieve the desired behavior outcomes when training them up into adulthood.

It’s important to remember that puppies will make mistakes during their formative months as they learn how best to interact with humans. 

As such, you should not respond harshly or punish them severely when they make mistakes. Instead, you should correct them gently while reinforcing desirable behaviors.

If you want an easy time raising your Golden Retriever, implement the following

Choose a Reputable Breeder

When choosing where to buy your Golden Retriever, it’s essential to research different breeders to find out who has good reputations within the community. Visiting pet stores isn’t always recommended since they often get puppies from unethical sources, so beware.

Ask whether puppies come vaccinated and dewormed; requesting their vaccination and medical records would be wise. 

This will help you be better informed about their parentage and their overall health, thus allowing you to make an informed decision.

Give Them a Suitable Name

Once you’ve decided which pup to take home, it’s time to pick a name. This can be a lot of fun, and there are plenty of creative ways to go about it. Think of their looks, behavior, favorite things, or even heroes from your past.

Alternatively, you can ask your kids to name the puppy, and they will strengthen their bond. Note that any chosen name must not sound similar to ‘come here’ commands, as this could lead to confusion when training in the future.

Train Your Golden Retriever

Training Golden Retrievers are generally considered easy because they’re highly intelligent and easily motivated by food and praise. However, due to their mischievousness and low attention span, you will need loads of patience and consistency,  which are the two key components in dog obedience training.

You also need to socialize your Golden Retriever with other animals/people to become truly accustomed to their environment. Many mistakes made by first-time Golden Retriever owners include being too eager or impatient during sessions, but if this doesn’t happen, results should come relatively quickly.

Although puppies are potty and crate trained by the breeders before selling, you must carry out the training at home as it’s a new environment. You must also teach your dog how to respond to basic commands.

You must understand that dog training is a lifetime commitment for every dog owner; as such, you should stay updated on the developments in the dog pet niche. You can also explore different sports and other activities that will keep your Golden Retriever busy as they have high energy levels.

Things to Get For Your Puppy

Before bringing your new companion home, you’ll need some essential items such as bedding, feeding bowls, and toys. These will keep your Golden Retriever comfortable during those first few days while getting used to the surroundings.

Get them various toys as Golden Retrievers love chewing; as such, they should always have something to distract them and, at the same time, give them stimulation, which all puppies need for mental development.

Having said that, however, don’t overindulge either – dogs thrive best when routine stability exists to avoid spoiling too much; otherwise, they may develop behavioral problems.

Puppy-Proof Your House

As with children, puppy-proofing your house means making sure toxins are put away out of reach. You must also look into potential dangers such as exposed electrical cords if planning on allowing pup access outdoors without supervision.

Of course, accidents happen, but taking preventative measures helps minimize current and future risks since bad habits tend to gain momentum quickly once established. 

Challenges You’ll Face When Raising a Golden Retriever

While Golden Retrievers can be relatively low maintenance compared with other dog breeds, they require additional input from owners. Golden Retrievers shed quite a lot in certain seasons; as the owner, you need to provide them with regular grooming sessions.  

Golden Retrievers are highly energetic; as such, you need to ensure that they exercise every day, such as taking long walks, playing catch and fetch games at the park, hiking, running, or swimming.

Another issue you need to pay attention to is the ears, as Golden Retrievers are susceptible to waxy ears. This is because they have long ears, which inhibits air circulation. Therefore, clean their ears often to prevent infections.

Golden Retrievers don’t know how to limit themselves with food and have a high chance of being overweight or obese. Therefore, you must regulate their meals by feeding them a healthy and balanced diet. And incorporate exercise to control their weight.

Teeth cleaning and nail trimming must be frequent, meaning vet visits often crop up unexpectedly, so having good pet insurance coverage benefits is vital for your peace of mind.

Key Takeaways

• Golden Retrievers require moderate levels of maintenance
• They are warm, loving, and a brilliant dog breed
• They are suitable for families with kids as they are loyal and highly active
• Their intelligent nature makes them easy to train, thus easy to raise