Bringing a new furry friend home is among the most exciting experiences. Are you planning to pet a dog for the first time? Do you want a golden retriever to be your first pet? Golden retrievers are classic dogs belonging to American family dogs.
These dogs are popular for their loving, warm nature, playfulness and patient nature with kids. But the question arises, is golden retriever good for first time owners?
Yes, Golden retriever is a good pet for first time owners. These dogs love to please their owners and can be trained easily. Though their long dense coat requires daily grooming, but it is not so difficult to groom them. They are easy to handle and tend to obey their owners.
Though some dogs are exceptionally not so good, but most of the Golden retrievers are soft-mouthed, eager to please, amiable, trainable, tolerant, affectionate, and good with respectful children.
This Golden retriever is an excellent option for first time pet owners as they are easy to care for and have a friendly, playful nature with a patient personality. If you have children in your home, this dog is good with kids also.
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Are Golden retrievers suitable for you?
Similar to other dogs, to be a pet owner, one has to evaluate all the Golden retriever’s needs to make sure that this dog is a perfect fit for them. These dogs are generally active type dogs that require more play and exercise. Like other dogs, they also require basic socialization and obedience training.
These dogs tend to respond well to their training and are not particularly stubborn. These dogs have long and dense hair coat; thus, require daily grooming. They shed heavily as well. But with proper care, you can easily manage this dog.
Are Golden retrievers good as a first pet for the families with children?
If you have kids in your home, still you can pet a golden retriever as your first pet. They are gentle, patient, and lovable with kids.
Since they are bigger in size, so they can knock down your kid. It is advised to let the dog and kids play under an adult’s supervision.
Common disease conditions in Golden retriever:
As a prospective owner of a Golden retriever, you should be aware of their health issues that are more common in this breed. They are more prone to elbow dysplasia.
Heart problem is also more common in the golden retriever breed. Mostly reputated owners avoid breeding dogs with weak hips or with heart issues. But some puppy mill operators, backyard breeders, and others breed golden retriever to make a fast buck.
Certain cancers like lymphoma and hemangiosarcoma are also common in this breed. Their eyes are significantly more prone to pigmentary uveitis; thus, it is recommended to screen them for eye tests annually.
Also, hypothyroidism and other thyroid-related problem are common in this breed. Luckily, you can easily get it to treat. Overfed Golden retrievers are obese and tend less to move. So, it is advised to keep an eye on their diet.
Tips before you buy a Golden retriever puppy:
If you have planned to have a golden retriever as your first pet, then follow the tips for a better experience:
- Ensure that you are buying the pet from a reputable breeder. Other breeders can sell you a mix, weak or unhealthy golden pet to earn fast bucks. Though puppy from reputable breeds is not 100% secure from health issues, they have gone through many health screening. This reduces their risk for some health issues.
- Make sure the puppy you are going to buy is socialized.
- Scan your pet for some overgrowths of skin, tail, or other external body parts.
- Check their eyes if they are not opaque and pale. Also, check for the extra secretion.
- Open their mouth and check for some anomalies in their mouth. Touch their muzzle. It should be moist. Make sure there is no mucous secretion from their nose.
- Let them walk and check for if any lameness is present.
- Ask your breed for vaccination history. Make sure the dog is vaccinated against all major infectious dog diseases.
Fun things to do with Golden retriever:
- These dogs can prove to be your great playing companion. They love to chase balls or Frisbee around the yard.
- You can company your dog for long walks, hikes, and jog.
- This dog is also proved to be a great hunting companion.
- Golden retrievers love to be agile and obedient, and they enjoy the rally, dock diving, flyballs, tracking, and field trials.
- Golden retrievers are excellent therapy dogs.
Reasons why Golden retriever as good as the first-time dog
There are several reasons that make this dog the best and perfect fit for the first-time dog.
Personality:
- Golden Retriever dogs have amazing, cheerful, and eager to please personality. This dog is known for its playable, fun-loving nature. Also, they are patient with kids and rarely get aggressive.
- The good thing about Golden retriever is that they don’t bark so much, they are typically quiet type dog. Another fact that I like about golden retrievers is that they mature slowly. They continue to show childish behaviour and remain goofy and playful.
Trainable:
- These dogs are easy to train. They respond well to training. Also, they are social dogs so socializing them is not so difficult.
- You can use several tricks to train them, and they will obey all your commands.
Easy to care:
- They are relatively easy to handle and can be managed easily. This is the perfect dog to make you learn how to care for dogs.
- Though they have dense, long hair coat and shed a lot during the season. Still, you can control their shedding with proper nutritious dies and regular brushing and grooming.
Love to play: They are active type dogs that love to play. They are intelligent dogs and love fetching or retrieving things.
The Bottom line
Have this good looking, loving, and playful dog. You would probably love to have this dog as your first pet, especially when you have kids.