They have a beautiful coat, an amazing face, a strong, sleek, and muscular body, a fantastic personality, a tail that never stops waging, and they are a joy to watch at work, when flushing a pheasant, swimming in the water, or chasing a Frisbee.

The Golden Retriever was originally bred as a hunting dog in Scotland, around 1908, but is now very popular as a house pet, a therapy dog in convalescent homes and children’s hospitals, and is used by law enforcement for drug detection.

Although they do not make very good guard dogs, they will bark loudly if a stranger approaches.

If you have children the Golden Retriever can be the perfect pet. Because of their natural nurturing instincts, and very gentle nature they make the perfect companion.

In 1974 President Gerald Ford made the First Family dog a Golden Retriever named Liberty.

If you are considering getting a Golden Retriever puppy, you need to find a reputable breeder that specializes in breeding Golden Retrievers.

There are plenty of pet shops and back yard breeders that are selling Goldens, that may have serious breed problems ranging from aggression, to hip and eye problems, and a host of other problems that may not be noticeable at the puppy stage.

A reputable breeder will check the blood lines of the parents carefully to make sure they do not have a history of these problems, before breeding. This will be your best chance at having a trouble free pet.

Training your Golden Retriever is not as hard as you may think. These are very intelligent dogs, and eager to learn. They want to please you, and hate to be scowled.

The first thing to remember is that puppies will be puppies, so don’t expect too much too soon.

You can start to bathroom train right away, but if there is anything around you care about within the puppies grasp like shoes, or your favorite slippers, I would put them away, because your puppy’s going to chew them if he gets them.

Give your puppy something of his own to chew. They are teething, and want to naturally chew things because their gums hurt. Make it clear early on that he or she is to chew what you gave them, and nothing else.

If you expect your Golden to respond to your commands, then you want to avoid confusing him. It’s easy to forget that they do not understand the English language.

They respond to certain sounds, or words, based on your body language, and tone of voice. The trick to making the training as simple as possible is to use a few basic words and stick with them.

If you want your Golden to get out of the trash, and you say “no” one time, and “stop” the next time, and then “hey” the next time, they never really get what you are telling them.

The six words that I have found over the years that work best are “NO” “SIT” “DOWN” “COME” “HEEL” and “STAY”. I find they work best if said without the dogs name. These are discipline words, and are better left by themselves.

It’s important that you show your Golden Retriever that you are the boss. You must establish that you are the leader to be successful with his training.

If you give one of your commands, and he does not comply, reinforce the command with a little different tone of voice until he complies.

If that still doesn’t work, don’t just walk away. That will send a bad message. Stick with it until you get the desired results. It will happen.

Never yell at your pet or hit them, or raise your hand in a gesture to do so. You also never want to use anything like a rolled up newspaper, or a belt, or any object of this type to discipline them.

This will only scare and confuse them, and loose their trust, which will make it much harder to achieve the results you are looking for.

If you use the word “No” Firmly, to stop him from what he is doing, or gently show him you want him to “Sit” or lay “Down”, or use the word “Come” when you want him to come to you, or say “Out” when it is time for her to go outside – I think you will be very surprised at how fast he or she learns.

Whatever words work for you are fine, as long as you keep them simple, and stay with the same words all the time I think you will get surprising results.

And don’t forget the most important word of all, GOOD. Using that word combined with boy or girl, or the dog’s name such as “Good Sammy”, can work wonders.

They learn to like that real fast. Saying Good Boy, or Good Girl, or What a Good Girl, with the right tone in your voice, combined with a pat on the head, a biscuit, or a rubbing of their belly, will practically send a Golden Retriever into orbit.

They are beautiful animals. Just be patient, and you will have a great friend for many years.

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To help get you started, here are a few of the most common problems that your puppy may experience that you don’t have to seek veterinary care for.

Cuts and Scrapes

Cuts and scrapes are part of the life of a puppy; just like children, they tend to get into everything and part of learning what is safe and what is not is getting into things that are not the best idea. This means that cuts, scrapes, and scratches will occur in the life of your pet, and it is your responsibility to discern between what things are safe to have in your small dog’s environment, and what things are not.

Whether your dog stays in the house all day or they spend a majority of their time outside, it is going to be difficult to pick up any and everything that could potentially draw blood from their delicate skins. Sharp objects, rocks, and even other pets can cause cosmetic damage to the skin of your pet, but remember that it is just that-cosmetic. They won’t kill your pet, and if you clean them right and do the right thing you might not even have to worry about a scar later on down the line.

In this case, some warm water and antibacterial soap is the best thing to have around. Your dog’s skin heals a lot like yours, so keeping the wound clean and bandaging it if necessary can make all of the difference in the world.

Paw Problems

Again, remember that your puppy is new to the world and they are going to have to find out a lot of things the hard way. Chances are that whether you have them inside or out, they are going to stick their noses-and their paws-where they don’t belong. This means that somewhere along the line they may end up with an object or a piece of an object in their delicate little paw pads.

While your little guy may be wailing like there is no tomorrow, don’t let that fluster you. This type of thing happens all the time but as dogs get older the skin on their paw pads gets tougher, as do they. You may see a bit of blood, but what is important is removing the object (usually with the help of a pair of tweezers) and cleaning the area as you would any other wound. Paw pads go directly on the ground, so it may be harder for them to keep this area clean than other wounds they may incur. Be careful to pay close attention to the area and make sure that it looks clean and that is as comfortable for them as possible.

Internal Parasites

Another part of puppy-hood is contracting internal parasites. They can come from a variety of places, and they can be pretty nasty at that. If not treated, worms and other parasites can do harm to the inside of your dog’s body and so it is your responsibility to make sure that your pet is de-wormed and ready to go. Luckily, this does not require the services of a veterinarian, at least in common cases.

Worms can be cured with a simple pill that can be bought over the counter, or picked up from your vet’s office. After they take the pill, the worms will likely be flushed out of the body; they should be fairly apparent in your pup’s waste material.

Of course, getting your dog to swallow the pill is half the battle. In most cases rolling it up in a piece of cheese or lunch meat or hiding it in a glob of peanut butter should do the trick just fine-your little guy probably won’t even notice!

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The retrieving experience should be playful and fun for the pup. Take your dog to a field or park where you can throw a dummy for him to fetch, keeping him on a long lunge line. When throwing the dummy, enthusiastically tell him to fetch. As soon as he reaches the dummy and picks it up vigorously encourage him to return to you. The secret is to run away from your dog so that he has to chase you carrying the dummy. Do not get discouraged if your dog will not pick up the dummy. He can learn that skill when you teach him basic obedience. The training strategy is to teach your pup to come back to you when playing fetch even if it is without the dummy. Using a dog whistle for the return signal is recommended because the sound is more commanding than voice.

Before serious obedience training, it is important to allow your puppy time to adjust to the house rules, boundaries, and be introduced to the leash. Even though the brain of a pup is completely developed, the focus is scattered, and he will bounce from one activity to another. Your puppy will often drop off to sleep since physical growth takes so much of the energy.

The word no will be the most used word for the first few months. Remember, when reprimanding your dog you need to catch him in the act for him to understand the correction. Set up times when you actually let your dog do the misdeed so you can correct and teach him. Eventually just a firm no when he is tempted will be enough to stop any wrong moves.

The sit command is the second command I teach after teaching the dog to come back. If you teach your dog to sit every time he comes to you, it will stop problems of jumping on people. This can be taught in a soft manner as early as eleven weeks.

The first weeks and months is the time to instill a winning attitude in your dog. The result will be a puppy that wants to come back to you, who will listen to you, and who will be broken to the leash. Your retriever will be ready for formal training lessons at four months.

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*Approximate Adult Size. The approximate adult size (two years old or older) of the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is 17 to 21 inches to the withers (highest point of the shoulder) and 37 to 51 pounds.

*Special Health Considerations. Most dog breeds have certain inherited health problems associated with that specific breed and the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is no exception. Although considered to be a very healthy breed, be on the look out for Canine Hip Dysplasia (genetic based looseness in the hip joint that can lead to arthritis pain and lameness), eye problems, auto immune problems and thyroid problems. This disease list is an informative guideline only. Other diseases may also be significant threats, please contact your veterinarian for a complete list.

She should visit the veterinarian several times in the first year for shots, boosters and check up. Then, as an adult, she should visit the veterinarian yearly for shots and check up. As she gets older, six years and on, she should visit the veterinarian twice a year for check ups and shots. Remember; avoid feeding your dog sweets.

*Grooming. They have a double coat of medium length and medium soft outer hair and a soft, dense inner coat. Bath her rarely as this strips her protective oils from her coat. She should be brushed regularly. Brushing will help her maintain a clean and healthy coat and help you keep a closer eye on her health and strengthen your emotional bond with her.

Her teeth should be brushed at least twice a week with toothpaste and toothbrush designed for dogs. Brushing removes the accumulation of plaque and tartar which can cause cavities (rarely) and periodontal disease. Dog periodontal disease can lead to pain, loss of teeth, bad breath and other serious disease.

Her toenails may need to be examined for growth and clipped regularly. The toenails of the rear feet grow slower than the toenails of the front feet.

*Life Span. The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever can live between 12 and 14 years with proper nutrition, medical care and excellent living conditions.

*History. The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is from Nova Scotia, Canada where they were used to help hunt ducks by luring them with their antics. They may be a cross between the Golden Retriever and the Chesapeake Bay Retriever. They are listed with the American Kennel Association.

Litter Size: 4 to 6 Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever puppies

Category: Gundog.

Some Registries:

* Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Club of USA

*UKC United Kennel Club

*NKC National Kennel Club

*CKC Continental Kennel Club

*APRI Americas Pet Registry Inc.

*AKC American Kennel Club

*FCI Federation Cynologique Internationale

*NZKC New Zealand Kennel Club

*KCGB = Kennel Club of Great Britain

*ANKC = Australian National Kennel Club

*ACR = American Canine Registry

Terms To Describe: Intelligent, outgoing, alert, loving, affectionate, agile, want to please

*SPECIAL GOOD POINTS

Good watch dog.

Easy to train.

Very playful, loves to retrieve, especially in water.

Not a big barker.

*SPECIAL BAD POINTS

Poor guard dog.

*Other Names Known By: Little River Duck Dog

*Every dog is an individual so not everything in this information may be correct for your dog. This information is meant as a good faith guideline only.

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Most breeders require that you must put a good cash deposit on puppies you select, if puppies are not a particular number of weeks in age. These nice litters very rarely stay unsold, since most of them already marked before they are even about seven weeks. In case you want to buy in a decent litter, then the best bet would be to ask your breeder well in advance. In this way you can eliminate all the chances of other people getting the better puppies before you actually do.

As you come to take the puppy, you must not be stunned if your breeder selects it for you. Many quality breeders spend quite a lot of time along with these puppies and generally know each ones individual temperaments. Some of the better breeders do some temperament tests in order to know the temperament of puppies they possess with all the litters they own. The temperament is very important since this puppy will have to spend the rest of its life with you and hence has to suit you well.

By doing these tests, breeder will be a better judge in choosing where each puppy goes to . In case you have selected good breeders, you must let him do the homework and aid you in selecting the puppy which he or she considers to be your idea match. These breeders will obviously give you a good puppy, since they have seen the litter for the past several weeks – but you been have around the litter only for the past few minutes.

Even though all Golden Retriever puppies are pleasing to the eyes, you must base reasons more than their looks. Prior to picking the puppy , you must clearly be sure that it has a very good build along with straight legs. Puppy must be very strong and also muscular, and yet be very squirmy and proactive as you try to lift it up. Also make sure that it has very healthy gums and teeth, and look around the parts of its body to ensure that it’s healthy and strong.

If the breeder doesn’t let you select the puppy from his litter, then you must take the marked puppies away from rest of the litter of other puppies and watch each of them carefully, as to how they react. Generally puppies which are about 7 weeks old must be able to explore the surroundings. Although they can be cautious at the start , these puppies must still be anxious to sniff and explore around their surrounding area.

If you can take the time and evaluate all of the puppies that you are considering then you will find the right puppy to suit you and also your family. These Golden puppies are nice to have, only if you get a healthy one. Buying a good and healthy puppy must be your one and only desire – since its the healthy puppy that will progressively grow up into the healthy and strong adult – and also be around you and your for all years yet to come.

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Puppy Housetraining: The Ultimate Guide.

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The good news is that training a golden retriever puppy, is something that you can easily do in your own home. Believe it or not, golden retrievers have a very strong desire to please you, and love to be praised in return. So, when training a golden retriever puppy, you will want to praise him a lot when he does something good, such as come when hes called. If you do this, you will find that he will want to please you so he will  continue to do things that you praise him for. Remember, you should scold him when he does something wrong to. Just a stern “no” is all you need. It may take a few times, but your puppy will begin to understand that is not what you want him to do, and will not do it. You can also give your puppy a small treat when he dose something good, but try not to over feed him as golden retrievers are prone to obesity and heart disease

A good tip to follow when training a golden retriever puppy, is to keep them active. Retrievers are a very intelligent breed, and they love to be active. If you keep them active, you will notice that they will be more attentive when you are training them. They also love water, and swimming is great for a puppy, as it helps build strong muscles without stressing the bones which are fragile in puppys. The great thing about training is your dog will be very obedient, and you will be proud to show him off. If you are interested in training a golden retriever puppy and would like more information check out http://www.squidoo.com/trainingagoldenretrieverpuppy

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*Approximate Adult Size. The approximate adult size (two years old or older) of the male Golden Retriever is 22 to 24 inches to the withers (highest point of the shoulder) and 60 to 80 pounds. The female ranges from 20 to 22 inches to the withers and 55 to 70 pounds.

*Special Health Considerations. Most dog breeds have certain inherited health problems associated with that specific breed and the Golden Retriever is no exception. Be on the look out for Canine Hip Dysplasia (genetic based looseness in the hip joint that can lead to arthritis pain and lameness), epilepsy (common in dogs), allergic skin problems (immediate Veterinary care required), congenital eye defects and Von Willebrands disease (a problem with blood clotting), kidney problems, Lymph Cancer. This disease list is an informative guideline only. Other diseases may also be significant threats, please contact your veterinarian for a complete list.

She should visit the veterinarian several times in the first year for shots, boosters and check up. Then, as an adult, she should visit the veterinarian yearly for shots and check up. As she gets older, six years and on, she should visit the veterinarian twice a year for check ups and shots. Remember; avoid feeding your dog sweets.

*Grooming. The Golden Retriever has a dense and firm, water repellent outer coat and a medium inner coat. She is a shedder so brush regularly but only bathe when necessary. Brushing will help her maintain a clean and healthy coat, avoid mats and help you keep a closer eye on her health and strengthen your emotional bond with her.

Her teeth should be brushed at least twice a week with toothpaste and toothbrush designed for dogs. Brushing removes the accumulation of plaque and tartar which can cause cavities (rarely) and periodontal disease. Dog periodontal disease can lead to pain, loss of teeth, bad breath and other serious disease.

Her toenails may need to be examined for growth and clipped regularly. The toenails of the rear feet grow slower than the toenails of the front feet. Generally a guillotine type trimmer is the best for this chore and competent instructions to accomplish this can be found on the net.

*Life Span. The Golden Retriever can live between 10 and 12 years with proper nutrition, medical care and excellent living conditions.

*History. The Golden Retriever comes from Great Britain. A Lord Tweedmouth was said to have interbred Yellow Retriever to a Tweed Water Spaniel to develop the Golden Retriever. Some say that the Newfoundland and possibly Bloodhound were also involved. They were first registered by the American Kennel Association in 1925.

Some Registries:

* Golden Retriever Club of America

*UKC United Kennel Club

*NKC National Kennel Club

*CKC Continental Kennel Club

*APRI Americas Pet Registry Inc.

*AKC American Kennel Club

*FCI Federation Cynologique Internationale

*NZKC New Zealand Kennel Club

*KCGB = Kennel Club of Great Britain

*ANKC = Australian National Kennel Club

*ACR = American Canine Registry

Litter Size: 6 to 10 Golden Retriever puppies

Category: Gundog, Sporting Group

Terms To Describe: Powerful, active, kind, self-confident, eager, alert, reliable, friendly, trustworthy,

*SPECIAL GOOD POINTS

They make a medium watch dog.

Sensitive to moods of owner.

Wants to please.

Wants to be friends with everyone.

Very gentle.

Very obedient.

*SPECIAL BAD POINTS

They make a poor watch dog.

May shed a lot.

*Other Names Known By: Yellow Retriever, Golden Flat-Coated Retriever

*Every dog is an individual so not everything in this information may be correct for your dog. This information is meant as a good faith guideline only.

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We all know that Golden Retrievers are beautiful, obedient, and make great family pets and hunting dogs. Goldens also make great guide dogs for the blind, narcotic detection dogs, and even tracking dogs for finding missing people. Although there are many other dog breeds out there, Golden Retrievers remain one of the most versatile and most astonishing breeds that you can get.

Before you rush out and buy a Golden Retriever puppy, you should first take the time to learn a bit more about the breed. You can attend dog shows, meet with various owners of Golden Retrievers, and even go to your local kennel club. Most people who own Golden Retrievers are extremely proud of them and will be more than happy to share their enthusiasm with you.

When you buy your Golden Retriever puppy, it is always a great idea to buy from a backyard breeder or local puppy breeder. Backyard breeders are normally the best way to get a Golden puppy, as they know and care a lot about the breed in general. Although you can always go to a reputable breeder, backyard breeders are not just in it for the money, they actually care about their dogs and want you to get the best Golden possible.

You can also visit the Golden Retriever Club of America and their local member clubs, as they can supply you with a list of breeders in your area. If these breeders dont have any Goldens for sale themselves, they will be more than willing to help you find what your looking for. This way, you can get a Golden from a very reliable source.

I have had a number of Goldens for many, many years, and I have always bought from a backyard breeder, that is, somebody who loves their Golden and who has a litter perhaps once a year and sells the puppies. It is not a business for them, it is something they love doing.

Whatever you do, you should never rush into buying a Golden Retriever. You should always take your time, and have a little bit of patience. When you buy your puppy, you want a healthy puppy who will grow up to be a fine testament of the breed. By taking your time and making a careful decision, you can save yourself a lot of time and money later on down the road.

Golden puppies that are poor quality, are normally produced by breeders who just want to have a litter or breeders who are just looking for the profits and care very little about giving thoughts to looks, quality, or temperament. If you buy a puppy from either of these breeders, you will more than likely end up with a puppy who has poor health, poor temperaments, and even disqualifications in breed.

When you get your puppy, you should always think long term. Only buy from a quality breeder, and you should not have anything to worry about. Always remember that you are not just buying a Golden Retriever puppy, you are buying a companion and a friend for life, and what a wonderful friend they are.

Let me finish this article by saying that there is a lot of information available to you to help you as you make this important choice. Your local bookstore, your local library, and indeed the internet are all sources of information on Golden Retrievers. Enjoy your purchase, I know you will.

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