10 Mistakes First-Time Golden Retriever Puppy Owners Make

getting your first golden retriever is so exciting but it can also be overwhelming as a new owner here are 10 mistakes that first timers often make so you can avoid these common pitfalls the first is putting off training until your puppy is older it's best to start training as soon as your puppy comes home puppy brains are little sponges and you want to take advantage of that early training helps establish good routines and habits and helps to prevent unwanted behavior it allows you to get ahead of behavior issues before they even begin plus training promotes a positive trusting bond between you and your puppy and it helps you raise a puppy that loves to listen to you you might be thinking about putting off training until your dog is six months or a year old but by then it's likely that some unwanted habits have already set in it's never too late to start training but when you wait you definitely miss out on the prime time to teach your puppy how to be a polite housemate and a good member of your community next up is a little-known mistake that could save you a lot of money if you avoid it giving your golden retriever puppy too much freedom around the house whether you have a young puppy or even an adult rescue golden it's important to limit their access around their house until they've shown that they can handle it allowing your pup free rein of your home before they have good house manners can result in potty accidents and damage to your stuff it's better to limit the space your dog can access initially and puppy-proof that area so that they can't eat or destroy anything baby gates and playpens are super useful here puppies and newly adopted dogs need active supervision around the house when they aren't confined or else they might make some less than great choices behind your back counter surfing digging through the trash potty accidents and destructive chewing are all unwanted habits that can happen if your golden retriever is given too much freedom too quickly once your pup gets a handle on appropriate manners in the house then you can start giving them more freedom in small doses speaking of potty accidents we're going to talk about one of the biggest potty training mistakes first time golden retriever owners make but first let's discuss a couple of health related pitfalls this next mistake can be a little controversial among golden retriever owners but it's got to be said a lot of first-time gold retriever owners cause them to become overweight by feeding them too much no one likes to hear that their beloved gold retriever is overweight and it can be a sensitive subject but this mistake can take a toll on your dog's health so it's important to bring it up most golden retrievers are total foodies and seem to have a bottomless pit for a stomach as an owner you want to make your dog happy and food is certainly the way to a golden retriever's heart but overweight dogs can struggle with a range of health issues most notable for golden retrievers are joint disorders like hip and elbow dysplasia excess weight puts even more stress on those joints overweight dogs are also at risk of dying earlier which i know you don't want for your dog talk to your veterinarian about coming up with a healthy nutrition plan to keep your golden in good shape for life another health related mistake that first-time golden retriever owners make is not providing enough appropriate exercise first-timers can underestimate how energetic golden retrievers can be if you don't give your golden enough proper exercise it can result in unwanted behaviors like barking destructive chewing digging jumping and mouthing pretty much all the things that you don't want your golden to do it can also contribute to weight issues like we talked about earlier younger pups often need exercise more than older dogs but it can really vary from dog to dog golden retrievers are generally an active breed and a short walk around the block just isn't going to cut it long strolls hiking and swimming are great exercise outlets and if you have safe ways to allow your golden to run around off leash that is ideal fetch is often a go-to way to tire out an energetic dog but it shouldn't be the only way your dog is exercised too much fetch can put a lot of stress in their joints as your dog slams on the brakes to grab the toy the repetitive nature can also have a reverse effect for some dogs they actually get more amped up than energized as opposed to getting tired out i'm not saying to never play fetch but definitely rotate some other fun games into your dog's exercise routine as well games like hide and seek and tug of war or even doggy play dates can be really fun ways to exercise your dog okay now let's get back to potty training here's another common error many first-time golden retriever owners make punishing their puppy for potty accidents in the house i'm not saying you should just let your pup pee and poop all over the house but if you hit or scold your dog after they have a potty accident it can actually slow down your potty training progress you might think that punishing your pup will make them less likely to potty in the house the next time but what it actually does is teach them to be really sneaky they learn to be very stealthy when they go pee or poo in the house so they can avoid another punishment if your pup has a potty accident it's best to quickly and calmly take them outside to see if they have any more business to do then thoroughly clean up the spot with an enzymatic cleaner the best way to potty train your golden is to provide them with lots of opportunities to go outside as well as heavy supervision so that they never have an opportunity to make a mistake and if you can't supervise them then they need to be confined in a crate or a pen if you want to potty train your puppy fast you can download the free potty training cheat sheet which i'll link to down in the description up next is an overlooked mistake that can cause a lot of headaches down the road not teaching your golden retriever how to be calm during grooming first-time owners often overlook introducing their dog to brushing nail clipping and dental care or they might try to do too much all at once such as trying to trim all their nails in one go which freaks their puppy out and this can really bite you in the butt as your pup gets older grooming can be a stressful scary experience for a dog so it's up to you as their owner to teach them how to enjoy it or at least tolerate the process if you don't your dog might become unruly or out of control when you try to groom them the best way to teach your dog to be calm for grooming is to use positive reinforcement training and do it in baby steps pairing grooming procedures with delicious treats and going slow so that your dog isn't overwhelmed can make grooming a much more cooperative and stress-free experience overlooking the importance of grooming can also have negative consequences on your golden's health routine brushing helps keep their coat free from mats and skin issues brushing their teeth can prevent serious dental diseases and even extend their lifespan and if you neglect to trim your golden's nails they can become very long and actually cause issues like torn or split nails or cause deformed feet or injured joints regular professional grooming can certainly help with this but it's also important to keep up with it at home this next mistake can really make your life hard as a golden retriever owner it's common for first first-timers and it's a little counter-intuitive letting your gold retriever say hi to everyone they see on their walks golden's are loved for their never met a stranger personalities but it's important to channel this sociability many times new owners will let their excited puppy say hello to anyone they see but there are a couple reasons why this is a mistake first it can be a safety issue if your dog is an enthusiastic creator they could potentially knock someone over if you have a puppy that may not be an issue now but in a few months when they're a 60 pound energetic dog it can be also not every dog will be as friendly as your golden retriever which means your pup could end up in a scuffle if they waltz right up to the wrong dog second letting your dog drag you over to say hi to everyone as they pass is also a matter of etiquette as adorable as your puppy is there are some people who simply don't like dogs and other dogs might be afraid of your dog in other words allowing your dog to invade others personal space is kind of rude third if you let your golden retriever say hi to everyone they see you create an expectation that everyone is here to say hi to them they will expect that whenever they see another person or dog it means that they get to go over and say hi goldens who have a history of saying hi to everyone often become very frustrated when they aren't allowed to do so they might pull hard on the leash whine bark or plop down on the ground and protest rather than letting your golden say hi to everyone it's better to teach your golden how to calmly let people and dogs pass them by when you think about it the majority of people and dogs or golden retriever will see in their lifetime are just gonna walk on by they're not going to get to make best friends with everybody they see so it's best to avoid creating that unrealistic expectation when you first bring your pup home we talked about lack of physical exercise but sometimes first time owners also overlook this next mistake not providing enough mental exercise yep it's crucial to give your golden retriever's brain a workout too while physical exercise is essential you need to balance it with mental enrichment in fact engaging their brain can sometimes tire them out even more effectively than physical exercise if you neglect mental enrichment your golden retriever may find themselves bored even if they've exercised and a board dog is just trouble waiting to happen puzzle toys can be an easy way to add in some enrichment to your dog's routine training is also an excellent way to drain some mental energy you can even try out some dog sports like agility nose work and rally obedience just remember that both their bodies and their brains need a workout this next mistake is an easy one to fall into especially for new owners assuming that problem behaviors will go away on their own while it may be tempting to cross your fingers and hope that their frustrating habits will vanish things almost never happen that way what tends to happen instead is that the behavior gets worse or becomes ingrained as a habit making it even harder to stop instead of wishful thinking it's best to address the issue right away and seek professional help find a professional trainer who uses positive reinforcement methods many first-timers attempt to diy training but you'll save a lot of time energy and headaches if you just get a professional on board to help your golden retriever is going to be part of your life for many years so it's worth it to sort out behavior issues sooner rather than later so that you can enjoy them even more this next mistake is one that just doesn't get talked about enough but it can have huge implications for the rest of your dog's life and that is not socializing your puppy properly many first-time golden retriever owners wait too long to socialize their puppies or don't do enough of it socialization is about exposing your puppy to the world in a way that builds their confidence and prevents future behavior issues when it's done right socialization can have a lifelong positive effect on your puppy's behavior and personality the thing about socialization that many first-time owners don't realize is that it's time sensitive the window of time to socialize your puppy ends around 16 weeks of age this is because of how a puppy's brain develops they are much more open to new experiences before 16 weeks old puppies who are under-socialized can develop issues like fearfulness reactivity sound sensitivity and even aggression so it's definitely not something you want to put off until they're older unfortunately many people just aren't aware of the need to socialize their golden retriever puppy or maybe they are aware but they decide to wait until their puppy is fully vaccinated to begin socialization the issue with waiting until your puppy is fully vaccinated is that most puppies complete their vaccines at around 16 weeks old this is the same time that the critical socialization window closes there are ways to get your puppy out and about in the world while still keeping them safe and healthy which you can learn more about in this next video about my biggest regret in raising my golden retriever puppy thanks for watching and i'll see you in the next video

Channel: Golden Hearts

Views: 538,233

Keywords: Golden retriever, golden retriever puppy, golden retriever dog, golden retriever puppies, golden retriever tip, golden retriever tips, golden retriever training, golden retriever puppy training, dog, puppy, golden hearts, golden retriever care, Golden retriever puppy mistakes, biggest mistake raising first golden retriever puppy, puppy raising mistakes, golden retriever mistake, golden retriever regret, puppy regret, avoid puppy raising mistake, golden retriever training tip

Id: uzHpvyTMzkk

Length: 11min 42sec (702 seconds)

Published: Sun Jul 03 2022