Puppy Family Recommendations
What to feed?
Royal Canin Golden Retriever Puppy kibble — Highest quality kibble is the most important thing you will ever buy for your Golden retriever. Please feed this kibble from Go Home until your puppy is 16 months old, and then transition to feeding the adult formula. You can moisten kibble with warm water 5-10 minutes before serving.
Zesty Paws Salmon Oil — A few pumps on top of each serving of kibble will support your puppy’s coat and bone development.
Please have a few cans of the food your puppy has loved throughout infancy on hand at home with you to mix in with your puppy’s kibble if needed as they settle in at home. They won’t always need to add wet food to their kibble, and they may not need it at all, but it will help them eat if they’re feeling anxious as they settle and you will be glad to have something that will help your puppy eat and will not cause stomach upset. In order of puppy preference, the wet food supplements they have thrived on during transition from their nursing dam have been:
Royal Canin Puppy appetite stimulant wet food supplement
Royal Canin Mother and Babydog Mousse wet food supplement
Royal Canin Puppy wet food supplement
We recommend serving your puppy’s food in a stainless or ceramic dish, and washing the dish in the dishwasher, or hand-washing with detergent and hot water, after each meal. Serving plastic dishes to a Golden retriever will often result in flew (lip) irritation because the inner mucus membranes of the flews rest on the dish while a Golden eats, and even the most thoroughly washed plastic still harbors bacteria which then enters those mucus membranes and can cause infection, painful rashes, and pimply bumps. We use plain stainless dishes with rubberized undersides to avoid tipping.
Where to sleep?
Crate or Pen/Gate — We prefer this pen/gate to a crate, but we do expose puppies to both options. You can arrange the pen/gate in a square or circle during house training, and later use it stretched as a gate to block off your kitchen. The pen/gate has vertical bars only, so puppies and dogs are not able to scale or climb it. Please always remove your puppy’s collar before placing the puppy in the crate to avoid choking or hanging.
Waterproof Crate or Pen Bedding
Waterproof Blankets to cover sofas and beds
Snuggle Puppy — Your puppy will come home with a large stuffed plush toy that has been with the litter for 8 weeks, laundered regularly. Some puppies may also like a Snuggle Puppy, but we avoid placing them with litters due to concern with potential swallowing of the battery insert. You may like to try a Snuggle Puppy if your puppy has difficulty settling in a crate or pen to sleep, but you will need to watch closely to be sure your puppy doesn’t tear the fabric to expose or swallow the battery insert. Most Goldens do not shred plush toys, but prefer carrying them gently around the house.
How to bathe?
Weekly Ear Wash - Zymox Ear Cleanser is the second most important thing you will ever buy for your Golden. Please clean your puppy and dog’s ears with this product once per week to avoid ear infections. Epi-Otic is another great earwash, available from your vet.
Soft Undercoat Brush - This can be used on wet or dry hair. We use it during bath time to massage conditioner into the coat.
Waterpik Shower Attachment - This is one of our favorite things!
Dry Brush - This is used on dry hair only. The Chris Christiansen Gold Series brush is the very best brush you can use on a Golden. It removes dead undercoat without damaging topcoat or hurting the skin, and it leaves the topcoat shiny and soft. Our dogs love this brush!
Slicker Brush - If you want a brush to remove even more dead undercoat, this is the safest option for a Golden. The above dry brush with the softer gold pins is really all you need in most climates, but if you’d like another option, this is it. Please never use a Furminator, or any other brush or comb that has a cutting blade in it, as a blade brush can make your Golden retriever very sick by ruining their coat’s ability to keep them warm and cool.
What to play?
Kong Wubba — This is the absolute favorite!
Chuck-It LARGE Size Ball and Launcher - Please do not give your Golden a tennis ball, because the fuzz will destroy their teeth and gums, and build up inside their intestines, causing blockages and poor digestion. Please only give your puppy and dog the LARGE size of this Chuck-It RUBBER ball, because the medium size is the same size as a tennis ball, which Goldens can and do swallow, especially when running and retrieving.
Please avoid rope toys, as they cause obstruction and intestinal laceration that is very difficult to survive. Safe toys for Goldens will be three inches (3”) wide or wider, to avoid choking. Please watch your puppy to avoid ingestion of stuffing, and please throw away any ripped toys to avoid choking.
What to chew?
Please avoid rawhide, as it causes obstruction and bloat that is difficult to survive. Please avoid pointy chews such as antlers and “bully sticks,” as these cause puncturing of gums and intestines, as well as intestinal obstructions.
How to exercise?
Collar - A rolled leather collar will minimize coat damage and matting.
Apple AirTag (with AirTag collar holder) (or Fi collar if you prefer Android) - Please put a location tracking device on your Golden! Even a dog with the very best recall can still become spooked and run from you if there is an accident, or can be lured away from you. This is such a simple way to prevent tragedy.
Leash — This Ruffwear Front Range leash is our absolute favorite. Please avoid “flexi” or retractable leashes.
Harness — The Ruffwear “Flagline” Harness is the very best harness for a Golden puppy or adult dog, because this model is so adjustable and will not slip off a breed standard body. (The Ruffwear “Front Range” Harness is a close runner-up, but Goldens can slip out of the Front Range when backing up or stopping suddenly.)
Cold Weather Sweaters, Jackets, and Coats
Training Treats - Please give these slowly and hand them directly into your puppy’s mouth, watching to avoid choking. Please do not ever toss or throw small treats or pieces of kibble into the air for your puppy or dog to catch, because small pieces can land lodged into the throat, which causes suffocation quickly.
What’s safe for travel?
Crash-Tested Seatbelt-to-Harness Attachment
Ventilated Hard Travel Crate for Hotels
We do not recommend using a crate inside your car, as Goldens can succumb to heat stroke in a matter of minutes when there is poor ventilation, regardless of temperature, such as in a car or airplane hard-sided enclosed crate. Use a seatbelt-to-harness instead, so your dog can breathe.
Swimming Life Jacket — Goldens are strong swimmers, but if they’re in open water with tides or currents, they need to wear a life jacket.
What to read?
Your Golden Retriever Puppy Month by Month
Golden Retrievers for Dummies — I wish this series of how-to books had been titled differently (Golden families aren’t dummies!), but I still love this one because so many sections were written by very experienced Golden breeders, vets, and leaders in the health and preservation of the breed.
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