Picture taken from www.dogbreedinfo.com
From the desk of Sharda Baker.
Hi and Welcome Everyone!
This is Sharda with another Golden Retriever newsletter!
Let’s start!
There are so many decisions to make prior to getting a new dog. First you must decide the breed, the place you will purchase the dog from, if you should choose a male or female, as well as decide if a puppy or an adult dog is right for you.
Taking the time to make these decisions is important for both you and your pet.
The Benefits of An Adult Golden Retriever
Choosing an adult Golden Retriever allows you to know the size, appearance, temperament and behavior of the dog.
Adult dogs will already be trained and housebroken, so this will save both your household items and your patience.
Adult dogs will know how to behave in the house, car and on the leash – so will be less time-consuming from the training aspect.
They will still require your love and attention, but less emphasis will need to be placed on training new concepts.Adult Golden Retrievers tend to be calmer and less stressed by new environments.
This is just a generalization, and watching how the adult dog responds to you and your family will give you clues as to how socialized and well behaved the adult dog is.
Adult dogs can bond to new families and individuals with good care and lots of attention. It may take a few days for the dog to settle into the new home, but within a week or so there should be a comfort level and trust.
In a month the dog will be right at home with its new family.
The Problems with an Adult Golden Retriever
Perhaps the biggest problem with any adult dog is the bad habits that the dog may have learned from the previous owner. While not impossible to correct, it will take some time to re-train the dog to behave in a way that is acceptable in your house.
Often it will be a bit confusing for the dog, and it requires special attention and positive rewards to encourage the dog to use the new behaviors.
Adult Golden Retrievers may be uncertain in a new environment, and may have a period of adjustment where they do not listen well to new owners, or where they regress in their behavior.
Positive attention and time will allow the bond to develop between the dog and the new family.
Adult dogs may have more difficulty in socializing with other animals already in the household and attention should be given to introducing the dog to other pets.
Whether you decide that a puppy or an adult dog is the best choice for you, it is important to consider how much time you have to provide training and socialization.
Generally the smaller the amount of time you can provide to train the dog the older the dog should be. If you have lots of free time a puppy is an excellent choice. If you have limited time to train an animal consider an adult dog.
Either a puppy or an adult dog will still require your love and attention and will quickly become a member of the family.
That’s it for today.
I hope you learned something from today’s newsletter.
Remember, Think hard and choose wisely!
I’ll be back for more about Golden Retrievers.
Until then!
All the best and take care
Warmly,
Sharda Baker