Things to consider before getting a Golden Retriever

Is this breed a suitable choice for me?

Golden Retrievers are one of the most popular dog breeds out there and are preferred by so many people because of their ability to socialize with adults, children, and other animals. While Golden Retrievers are the ideal fit for many families, it is important to carefully consider all elements of caring for a Golden Retriever before making a final decision. We have highlighted the top 10 things to consider when choosing to purchase or adopt a Golden Retriever to ensure they are the perfect fit for you!

1.    Breed Temperament

Golden Retrievers are one of the most loved dog breeds due to their gentle and friendly temperaments. These dogs are also extremely intelligent and agile. They are great at retrieving game for hunters, working, tracking, exercising, problem-solving and overall, just being a very humble companion.

All of these qualities make the Golden Retriever an ideal pet who will become a loving and loyal member of the family.

2. Golden Retrievers and Children

Golden Retrievers absolutely love children. If you have children, your dog is going to love you even more. There’s just something about the fun, exciting curiosity of children that these dogs love. They’ll be sure to be your child’s best friend and will watch out after them. With appropriate training, Golden Retrievers are known for being very gentle around children, using a balanced amount of force when playing and they easily recognize children’s body language.

3. Adjusting your home

One of the most important things to consider before getting a Golden Retriever is that Golden Retrievers are a medium to large breed of dog. They are not as large as a Saint Bernard or a Great Dane, but their height can grow to 21 to 24 inches tall and they can weigh 55-75 pounds. This means that you will need adequate space in your home and garden to accommodate their needs.

You will also need to adjust your home for the puppy phase. Items that you may require include a puppy pen, pet protection gates and a good selection of toys. There are specific toys for every growing phase. Try to buy your dog chewy toys for the first couple of months, as this is when they start “teething” and this tends to make their palate itch. They’ll try to scratch that itch by chewing on virtually anything they can find around the house. Having chewy toys will help them understand that they shouldn’t destroy household objects. As they grow older, they will find interest in bouncy balls, ropes, squeaky toys or small rubber toys.
Additionally, you must consider the outdoor boundaries of your home; is your outdoor space fenced? Could your new dog escape through gaps? Amendments may be required to ensure your dog is safely enclosed within your outdoor space.

4. Time & Lifestyle

Ask yourself this question: what do I do in my free time? Do I have time available to carry out daily tasks to care for my Golden Retriever? The addition of a new dog to a family can create a significant change to daily routines, for example if you are leaving the house for a period of time you will need to consider your dog’s needs (including food, water and space to exercise) are being met in your absence. You will also need to ensure that you have time to play and cuddle with your dog on a daily basis, in addition to meeting their exercise needs.

5. Exercise Needs

Ask yourself this question: do I have a habit of exercising daily? Remember that Golden Retrievers are breeds that are used in work and require lots of exercise. You must make sure you’re going to have extra time to bring your dog for regular walks and not just give them an occasional, small walk. Golden Retrievers need about 30-60 min walks daily with lots of jogging to make sure they burn all of that energy! If your dog comes home from their walks tired and immediately searches for water and a nap, then you’ve done your job!

6. Grooming

Golden Retrievers are known for their beautiful golden fur. Golden Retriever’s coats can be kept in a healthy and glowing condition with regular brushing, preferably daily, with a minimum weekly. This will avoid their fur matting and will also reduce the amount of shedding within the house. Their coat can be kept trim with a scissors and you may choose to bathe your Golden Retriever every month or every two months.  

7. Dog Training

There are hundreds of videos online of puppies bringing the newspaper or doing cool tricks, but you need to remember that just because you’re getting a Golden Retriever, as smart as they are, they don’t come trained. That is something you need to work on every single day until they get it right.

The good news is that Golden Retriever’s can be taught almost anything thanks to their amazing intelligence. Some of the tricks (or rules) you might want to teach your dog are waiting at the door before going inside or outside, waiting at the end of a road before crossing a street, not asking for food every time you’re eating, staying home alone without causing any trouble or knocking over any objects, staying home without crying or howling and basic dog tricks like sitting, standing, rolling over and giving you their paw.

8. Veterinary Care

Even though Golden Retrievers are usually very healthy dogs, a yearly appointment with the vet is extremely important. A first visit to the veterinarian is a must and they will tell you when and how to vaccinate your pup. Vaccines will help your dog boost its immune system so that if they come into contact with specific pathogens, they won’t get sick. Deworming a puppy is also very important, as this could cause issues at a young age specifically because their immune system isn’t that strong!

Keeping a close eye on your dog’s behaviour is very important but so is visiting the vet every once in a while to make sure everything is healthy. There are also developing conditions that show up with old age that can be caught early.

9. Cost of Care

Getting a dog can be costly and it’s important to budget for many factors that you may not have considered.

Initial Costs include:

• The purchase cost
• Veterinary check-ups
• Microchipping
• Vaccinations
• Dog Licence
• Neutering
• Food & health items including flea & worm treatments
• Pet Items: bed, feeding equipment, toys, protection gates, leads, collars and car travel equipment

Ongoing costs:

• Pet insurance if required
• Annual veterinary checks
• Food, health items & supplements
• Shampoos, brushes & grooming accessories
• Toys and pet items
• Costs associated with travel and holidays

10. Long-term commitment

You are sure to enjoy your Golden Retriever right from the start if you feel that everything we’ve mentioned above makes a Golden Retriever the perfect choice for you. When thinking about Things to consider before getting a Golden Retriever remember that a dog is a lifelong responsibility and must be treated as a member of the family.