10 Mistakes First-Time Golden Retriever Puppy Owners Make

Getting a Golden Retriever puppy can be overwhelming.

Yes, they’re super cute and sweet, but there are a lot of mistakes you might accidentally make that could have lifelong effects.

If you want to raise your Golden Retriever puppy into the best dog they can be, avoid these 10 common mistakes.

[Havok]

Basically the things you need to keep in mind should you get a Golden Retriever are:

0:11 - 1) Start training your dog since the very beginning since when he/she is a puppy;
1:01 - 2) Keep an eye on your dog when he/she roaming around in the house and/or interacting with other people;
2:15 - 3) Don't feed your dog too much;
3:03 - 4) Give proper exercise to your dog, in other words take him/her for a walk, play or somehow spend time with him/her, otherwise he/she could get stressed and consequently start destroying things in your house/yard;
4:25 - 5) Don't be too hard on your dog, should he/she make a mistake, otherwise it might compromise your progress with training him, not to mention your relationship;
5:25 - 6) Teach your dog how to be calm when you groom him/her;
6:50 - 7) Don't let your dog say hello to everyone, otherwise he/she can get too clingy and intrusive with people and other dogs, and there could be issues making the latter feel uncomfortable;
8:37 - 8) Provide mental exercise for your dog, in this case a good hint can be getting toys for him/her;
9:23 - 9) If you're having issues about how your dog behaves, don't assume that said issues go away by themselves;
10:15 - 10) Make your dog socialize since the very beginning since when he/she is a puppy.

[voodoochildaz]

My addition to this list is one of mindset. Dont get a Golden Retriever for a pet! They are awful pets. They are outstanding friends and family members however. Forget the word 'pet'. You are adopting a family member. Get your head in that place with these dogs. They want to be with their family. They are not the kind of dog to be left outside. They prefer to be included with.... Whatever you're doing. Set boundaries, but let them be the family member they want to be.

[jbsparkssp]

We adopted two Goldens which was a challenge but a most rewarding one. This is our first experience to raise a GR from 8 weeks of age. Our girl is now 1.5 years and we just brought home her half brother. So love and depend on GH to guide and encourage us.
One tip I find most helpful is to teach “look at me” from the start. Also, to praise “come” and “sit” no matter that it may be mostly coincidence.
Oh and thank you GH for explaining proper potty training “rewards”!

[SleepyTinksy]

Hands down the biggest mistake I made with my golden puppy was letting him say hi to everyone as a puppy. I wanted him to like people, and of course everyone wanted to say hi to him because he was just so cute! Unfortunately, as you stated in your video, he now expects it and it has been so much work to try to curb this behavior. If I could go back in time and change just one thing I did raising him, it would be to not let him greet everyone he wants in the first 6 months!

[pinguisoul]

Getting my golden puppy on the 25th, so excited. Been binge watching all your vids really helped so far :)

[MEGANSTUTES-cgxu]

Just lost our second Golden on Sunday. We miss her so so much. Taking some time to heal and spoil our chocolate lab, but looking forward to our next golden girl!

[AnneMB]

Great tips! We went to puppy school ‘before’ picking up our gorgeous Golden. So valuable for early training. Garrus is now a 7 year old, well behaved family member. Your vids are a must for research and tips.

[dogie]

All Goldens have that sweet face and surprisingly protective without threatening behavior: Tucker just knows who is untrustworthy and he makes sure he puts himself between me and Mr. Undtrustworthy. I dog sit my neighbor's Golden, because Tucker adores me over other dog sitters. He is a joy. Even my Cavalier worships him and he can stand a lot of that! 🤩

[manuelcabrera]

I was gifted a male 3 month old golden retriever today and I feel so blessed. I had a female german shepherd i loved her so much she sadly passed away and im grieving to this day. God is good.

[whitkat]

Early training is all important. Starting the day you meet or even before if you have a willing breeder. My late-service dog started training at 2 weeks old. Her first lesson was learning to hear and react to a human voice. Starting training at 6 mons is like waiting to start raising your child at 5 years. The same with grooming. So many people tell me, they can't be bathed until they are 6 mos old. It's the same as training. You can't wait. Wash them, brush their teeth, brush them. Start early and make it a habit.

I will disagree with his take on socializingWhile it's harder to socialize an older dog it can be done. It just takes more work, patience and energy. We're finding due to the pandemic there is a whole generation of puppies that weren't shown the world properly. That doesn't mean they're a lost cause. Take the time to introduce them to the public the same way you would if they were tiny. Go slow, give them time to adjust, but it can be done.

[Ryan-ysbq]

My latest has been home for 2 weeks he’s had just one accident on a puppy pad, he comes, sits and stays so far and waits at a distance when i put his food down, definitely easier to train early

[jlily]

I am getting my first golden retriever in one month!! I'm so excited 😆😆

[bobbycorrigan]

I have a 9 month old Golden, had her potty trained in 3 weeks. She is a good ball. Her sister is a 6 yr old German shepherd female, plus our gray long haired cat, best of friends. Never a dull moment, lol.

[geojerry]

Great info...thanks. We have a new golden retriever...had him about 4 weeks.

[voodoochildaz]

I have some addendums to rhe training point. First, they enjoy it. Golden LIKE to be trained. Center of attention, quality time with favorite humans, and good brain challenges. Goldens sincerely love training. Related to that, they are also high trainable. If you are new to Goldens but have experience training other dogs? Set your sights a bit higher and feel free to be a bit more ambitious with training goals.

[fennec_kb]

just got my pup 4 days ago and he is 7 months old. buddy is so smart and he already has learned to ding his little doorbell to go outside and he has had very few indoor accidents. his only problem right now is biting people and chewing on socks.

[amymbeauty]

All these tips are absolutely spot on!

[ajlendful]

Calling your dog fat is not "sensitive subject". I'm actually laughing

[dianestone]

A great breed had two lost one at 10 yrs old and one at 12 1/2. These are great tips

[randomnessofrandomness]

When myfamily got a dog he was not a golden retriever but we got him in November so he did not get enough exercise for him because now all he has is energy.