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Living with a golden
Swimming
- Golden Retrievers love to be in the water, in fact it
can be difficult to keep them out of the water. You may
need to buy an extra towel or two.
Shedding
- Golden Retrievers shed all year around, and should be
brushed regularly. All breeds with longer coats tend to
knot when left un-groomed.
Fragile Items
- Golden Retrievers are very happy, bubbly and full of
energy. They wag their tails. They wag their tails a
lot - and it is not uncommon for them to knock items off
of tables. Fragile items may need to be stored above
"tail-wagging" level.
Toys
-
Golden Retrievers LOVE toys and will grow quite fond of
their things. They may also view personal items (shoes,
socks, underwear, etc) as toys if they are left lying
around.
Closeness -
Golden Retrievers like to be involved in all family
activities. They love human interaction and attention,
even going to the point of being "lap" dogs. Very BIG
lap dogs.
Visitors -
Golden Retrievers are generally friendly to visitors.
In fact, they will often shower them with the same
affection or demand the same attention in return. It is
not uncommon for Goldens to greet visitors with a prized
toy as an acknowledgement of their enthusiasm.
Exercise
- Golden Retrievers love exercise and need regular
exercise to be happy, healthy dogs. Most are considered
moderate- to high-energy dogs.
Food
- Because they are high-energy dogs, Goldens LOVE food.
You may want to discuss your Golden's diet with your
vet. Together you can pick the right formula and the
right amount.
Cats
-
Goldens usually get along
just fine with cats. Be prepared for initial curiosity.
Try to make sure that the dog cannot get at the cat's
litter - it can be extremely harmful to dogs. Goldens,
like most dogs, LOVE cat food (particularly canned.) Be
careful not to leave cat food out and about, as it won't
be there long - and is also very high in fat - and too
much sampling of cat food will cause your dog to gain
weight.
Training
-
Golden Retrievers are very smart
dogs, and often take to entertaining themselves,
especially if they do not get enough attention or
exercise. Our foster families have spent some time with
our dogs and provided a degree of training. However,
obedience training is always a good idea. Fortunately
Goldens are very intelligent and very easy to work
with. For basic obedience help, click
here.
Children
- Our policy is that we will not place Golden Retrievers
under the age of 3 with families having children under
the age of three. Young Golden Retrievers can be very
excitable around young children, so we recommend older
Goldens for families with very young children. Young
Goldens can also be "mouthy" -- barking or using their
tongues or mouths in play -- and this can cause panic or
fear among younger children. We recommend that families
with very young children consider adopting older, more
mature Goldens, |
