So now you know that Golden Retriever is the right breed for you. And you’ve probably decided that you want to adopt a Golden Retriever puppy rather than an adult dog. So what are the secrets of Golden Retriever puppy’s adoption?
1. The number one thing you need to do is to become an educated buyer. First of all it’s the good idea to start looking for a reputable breeder. I hope by not you’ve already decided to stay away from the pet stores. If not, I’ll just say that most of the pet stores have poor quality puppies that come from puppy mill and are very likely to have a bunch of genetic disease that might show up later in puppy’s life. And you are buying a pup to have fun and enjoy time with him, not to have a head ache, right?
2. So once you’ve found a breeder it’s time to have a closer look at the litter. Your goal here is to find the most friendly, well-balanced pup that communicates well with people and its pears. The best pup should be neither too scared nor too excited about the things. What you are looking for is balance in everything regarding your pup.
3. Of course, the best way to find out more about your pup is to spend time with him. Make sure you observe puppies as a group and then stand some time with them individually. Ask the breeder to show the pups and the breeding couple. Gather all the information you can and try to get some practical advises. The most breeders like to talk about their dog and will gladly provide you with tons of information before and after the adoption.
4. Now that you’ve chosen the puppy to adopt it’s time to prepare yourself and your home to its arrival. What you need to remember is that your puppy is a baby and should be treated that way for some time. It means that in many cases you’ll have to teach your pup the basic dog ethics so that he would learn right from wrong. It also means that you’ll have to “baby-proof” your house.
Be sure to remove all the wires within your pup’s reach, since the Goldens tend to chew, so your friend might get hurt or even killed by the electricity. Also remove all chemicals and sharp objects. The rule of thumb here is that everything that may be dangerous to human is dangerous to your pup. If you need to restrict pup’s access to certain areas you may want to consider using baby gates.
5. When you first bring your pup home try not to invite all the friends and family at once. Too many people might either scare your little Golden, or overexcite him, giving a wrong idea about how he should behave at your place. Just give him an opportunity to investigate your home. Eventually he’ll get tired and fall asleep.
6. There are also a couple of things you need to buy before you bring home the pup you’ve adopted. This would include different grooming tools as well as your puppy’s bed. When your pup falls asleep for the first time just bring him to the dog bed so that he would get an idea about the place he should sleep.
7. Also be patient to your new pet and try not to confuse him. If your Golden need something to chew then do not give him your old slippers but buy a proper chew toy. Otherwise he’ll learn that chewing slippers is ok and will wonder why you are upset finding you new pare of slippers one mate short.
8. Remember, with adopting a Golden Retriever puppy comes great responsibility but with the right approach he can be an incredible fun. So dedicate some time and effort to learning about the right ways of choosing, training and caring about your Golden so that both of you will enjoy the process.