What do I need to know about getting a golden retriever?

[Tilllly]

As a puppy

From a reputable breeder

Advice gratefully received ☺️

I have to agree on the puppy pads too! Just be aware that they can be a hazard, mine would chew them so we ditched them within 24 hours for being a choking risk. There was no way we could have left them in his crate or pen!

Going out every 20 mins to the garden was a pain at first but that phase doesn’t last long. Mine is 18 weeks now and hasn’t had a house accident for about 4 weeks (we got him at 10 weeks) He barks at the door to go outside now and we put all the rugs back in the house over the weekend now we can trust him (we can’t trust him not to dig one of the rugs though)

My lab bounces round in tiny circles on my rug , I'm hoping she will grow out of it once she is older .

Daisy strong

Just as reassurance OP, I used puppy pads for my youngest and just moved them to the back door. Took her out regularly, lots of praise when we went in the garden, ignored when she peed on the pads.
Eventually she just stopped weeing on the pads- but it took her no longer than the others.

My advice comes with a more pictures tax btw.

💪💪💪💪🥰

I would totally come and help. Where are you?

Oh yeah just so you know , since you have a retriever , balls from pet shops are generally rubbish they go all furry . I found out on MN Doghouse a few years ago , if you go on Ebay you will find tennis clubs from round UK sell their used balls(to raise funds👍🏻) in say lots fifteen or thirty or even more . Now , tennis clubs don't use their balls that much and they are good sports brands and they don't go furry . My lab loves a ball so these were a winner and they are good price for proper sports balls , saves a fortune 🐶.

My grown up GR requests puppy pictures. I'm just the intermediary.

@SirSamVimesCityWatch

I took the advice to not let her on the bed

Here she is, not on the bed

With her toy dog Stanley

Just be prepared to lose the bottom third of your bed when she's fully grown!

(We kept ours off our bed for years, but relented a few years back and she spends a good part of each day there now. She's getting old and I figured she deserves some comfort in her old age!)

@Tilllly thank you for bringing smile on my face fir the day ahead!!! She is unbelievably pretty pup 🥰
Do you all think, in future as a first time owner, who only had cats, could have a goldie? As some say you need to start with smaller breed.... but every time I try to persuade myself on a different breed (I also love spaniels), I still feel pain not having a golden retriever 🥺

@TT82

I do
I've got 3 cats, and whilst I've had dogs before, it's been a few years and never a GR

Do your homework and be prepared for the hard graft of puppyhood, and I don't see why not

I had a dog as a kid, and so had DH, but I don't count that as having owned a dog before. Our golden retriever was our first pet and she's been easy as pie.

In my experience small dogs are neurotic, yappy and annoying!

@Tilllly @SirSamVimesCityWatch oooo you give me a hope!!! 🥰 Last year I started researching and reading, joined here a few threads on puppies and dogs ownership.. It is unfortunately not in the nearest future (need to move part-time, though work from home most days, need time for classes, socialising etc. Also need my husband to agree....and this is the most difficult part). But at least it gives me a hope it is possible once all of this sorted!
For now I will enjoy stories and photos of your dogs and pups 😊

Honestly @TT82 I think people overstate how difficult it is. We got our GR when we were both working full time out of the house (although I was a teacher so had the holidays) and we didn't do classes etc. She went to a couple of puppy parties at the local vet which were free, we bought and followed a book "puppy training the guide dog way" and that was it. Socialising We made sure we took her to the park every weekend and a couple of weeks nights, and walked her on different routes so she go used to buses etc. We had a neighbour come in every day for an hour or so in the middle of the day when she was a puppy but that was only for about 6months. If you think back to the 80s and 90s I bet you will have known loads of people with dogs who weren't at home with them all day!

@SirSamVimesCityWatch unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) we live in Switzerland and here dog ownership is very regulated: dog school, classes, none of the registered breeders let me a dog if both full time, regardless that I work from home 4 days at least and flexible.. So decreasing 1-2 days a must here, I already asked. But at the same time we have forest, lake, hikes on the doorstep, so should be a good environment for a goldie. My son is 10yr and here tyey are very independent, no pick up or drop off, only bring to sports.... So looks like the most difficult obstacle will be my DH 😅🙈

In that case, I'll wish you luck in converting your DP to the Goldie cause!

@Tilllly when I got my GR I already had two cats and then I've got another since her. One cat accepted her fine. The other took about a year. When I got a kitten the acceptance was the other way around for the cats. My dog was born in a house with two cats so she's fine. Expect last night I heard her whining and the youngest cat was by the back door and my dog didn't want to walk past her. Cat has launched herself on dog a few times.

Sorry, that was for @TT82

@BirthdayRainbow i have a ragdoll cat, who is the most patient kind but still playful cat I have ever known, has very dog-like personality, everyone comments. He likes dogs, not scared unfortunately of anything. So a kind dog breed and training will be a must, also not letting them together unsupervised. As even with babies this cat just suffers but never fights back 🙈

My kitten thinks she's a dog at times..

@TT82 lifelong cat owner and not even particularly liking dogs person, we have a GR and he is WONDERFUL

@TT82 my mum and dad have a rag doll cat and he and my dog adore each other, slow and gentle and consistent training for the dog when you introduce

Ooooooooo 🥰 very encouraging!!

And where's the photo proof? 😇