Some pointers on the care and feeding of your new Golden Retriever puppy

Feeding

Very young Golden Retriever puppies have delicate digestive systems, much like new babies. High quality puppy food is carefully formulated for their best health and will also have the correct balance of vitamins and calcium. We suggest that when you take a new puppy home, it is best to continue the same feeding schedule they had at the breeding kennel, at least until they get a bit older. We start our puppies on one of the good quality puppy foods, with a bit of warm water and the puppies get three small meals of this a day. When they get used to this, we gradually add a bit of fresh ground mince meat to the diet as well.

As your puppy gets older, you can begin to slowly change his diet and add other foods. Just be sure to make changes or additions to their diet slowly over a few days to give the young stomach a time to adjust, and avoid tummy upsets or diarrhoea. As your puppy gets bigger and stronger, his teeth will quickly become strong as well and it will no longer be necessary to soak the dry food. The best diet for the older puppy or dog should always include LOTS of raw meaty bones such as chicken pieces and frames and other raw meaty bones from lamb or beef. (NEVER FEED COOKED BONES)

Goldens grow to their full adult size in only one year and since Golden Retrievers are such big dogs, it is of vital importance for the growing puppy to receive the right vitamins and minerals for the first 18 months, in order to build the strong bones he will need for life. A diet which is made up of over 50% raw meaty bones + high grade puppy dry food will usually give your dog all of the nutrients it needs for optimum health. This includes most especially the right balance of calcium and Vitamin C, which are crucial to the growing puppy and adult dog. Regular feeding of raw meaty chicken bones can also help protect against the development of hip dysplasia, as the chicken bones are all calcium and the joints contain Chondroitin. (note: Hip dysplasia is polygenic with a variety of causes besides just genetic factors. Therefore along with ensuring your dog comes from good breeding stock, it is very important to maintain the best nutrition with the right levels of calcium and Vitamin C AND to try to avoid puppies becoming over weight or experiencing too rapid growth during the first year.)

I feed my pups high grade puppy dry food with the raw meaty bones as the base food for the first full 18 months before switching to high quality adult formula dry food. Rawhide chews, pigs ears and marrow bones (when the pups are bigger) can be great for them as well, to help promote healthy teeth and give them something that they are actually allowed to chew on! A 'kong' type toy with a treat inside can also be a big help if you are going to be away and wish to keep puppy occupied.

I also recommend that you look carefully at the protein content of the dry food you buy as many ‘popular’ brands of dog food found in supermarkets have only about 16% protein while the better quality puppy and dog foods have at least 22 - 28% protein plus a much better balance of added calcium, minerals and vitamins needed for a healthy diet.

Worming

All young puppies are susceptible to worms, most especially round worms. Your puppy will have been wormed every 2 weeks from the age of three weeks old.  When you take him home, you should continue the fortnightly worming schedule with a suitable puppy wormer until the age of 3 months, after which time worming can usually be reduced to six monthly. If you live in an area where heartworms are a problem, you will need to keep your dog on regular anti-heartworm tablets or injections as well. If in doubt, consult with your local Vet.

Bath time and grooming

If you wish to bathe your new puppy, you should be very careful to keep him warm and then dry him thoroughly afterward to prevent chilling. Use a good doggie shampoo and make sure that the water is warm but not hot. Goldens are water dogs by nature, so do try to make it a fun and enjoyable time for you both from an early age. Most Vets do not recommend that dogs should be bathed very often as they need the natural oil for skin condition. I would recommend no more than once a month unless they happen to get into something particularly dirty.

Goldens have a lovely double coat that is very easy to care for. Though they don't need frequent brushing, their skin and circulation will benefit from some regular grooming. Even just a couple times a week. A good brushing when they are shedding fur can keep the amount of loose fur under control. Dogs who spend a lot of time outdoors will have a major fur shed usually every spring and a smaller one in autumn.