Read time: 7 mins
21 Dec 2019
Golden Retrievers love any food they can get their paws on. To avoid excess weight gain, you should choose a nutritious food to keep them fuller for longer.As a breed, Golden Retrievers come exactly as advertised. They're golden and they love to retrieve. These giant softies are full of beans but gentle and keen to please, making them pawsitively ideal furry family members. Reliably laid-back, there's only one thing that's sure to rub them up the wrong way, and that's being mistaken for a Labrador.
Playful Goldies have bags of bounce so plenty of exercise is called for to keep them in tip-top condition. They're prone, however, to a few genetic health problems, including hip and elbow dysplasia. By keeping your Golden Retriever at a healthy weight you can help troubleshoot potential issues. And after all, a slim and satisfied pup is a happy one.
While Golden Retrievers love a good walk (or three) every day, they also love their food. In fact, they love any food they can get their paws on and will beg, scavenge and steal if given the opportunity. Unfortunately, that way chubbiness lies, so we recommend you go easy on the treats, filling them up with nutritious meals instead.
Golden Retrievers have a tendency to munch on anything and everything, so it's important to make sure they don't Rover do it (sorry). Vets estimate that nearly half of all UK dogs are overweight and Goldies are no exception. If your dog is on the chunky side, taking a close look at their diet is the important first step towards keeping their weight in check.
Getting your furry friend into a routine is another good tip for keeping the weight off. We don’t recommend leaving food out all day long, as it'll give your dog the chance to chow down whenever they fancy. Instead, feed at least two square meals a day at set times to regulate their appetite.
Like the sweet-natured and obedient dogs they are, Golden Retrievers love a schedule, so keeping their mealtimes regular and correctly portioned will help them learn when it's food-o'clock. Keeping temptation (in the form of, well, pretty much anything edible) out of paw's reach can help curb their scavenging tendencies too.
Based on our current customers, we estimate that adult Golden Retrievers need around 1,012 calories per day. This can vary based on your pooch’s age, weight and activity level.
Golden Retrievers are among some of the most intelligent dog breeds. This makes it relatively easy to obedience train them and teach them new tricks. It helps that they are so food motivated and will do almost anything if promised a treat for their hard work.
It is for this reason that they were once widely utilised for hunting and are now the most reliable service dogs, assisting those with sight and hearing impairments. They are also highly sensitive to human emotion, whether you’re happy or sad your Goldie will be there to lend a paw.
A common, rather unkind if you ask us, myth is that all Golden Retrievers smell. They can develop an unpleasant scent, especially as they get older, but this can be prevented with regular grooming and good dental hygiene.
Given their adventurous nature, a Goldie will explore here, there and everywhere. This could involve lakes, ponds and who knows what else. Rip to your cream carpets. If they are not properly bathed afterwards, the bacteria they have picked up on their travels can harbour within their coat and contribute to the secretion of bad smells.
Toys, beds, collars, harnesses etc should all also be washed regularly to prevent dirt from lingering on your pooch.
No, Golden Retrievers are not hypoallergenic.
This is due to their double coat which has evolved over time to keep them warm during colder months. Their undercoat sheds heavily in Spring to prepare for the warmer months, but typically a Goldie will shed moderately all year round, making them unsuitable for allergy sufferers.
It’s useful to note that no dog breed is considered 100% hypoallergenic, whilst some breeds are regarded as non-shedding, they will still produce dander (dead skin cells) which can also trigger allergy symptoms.
There are a few things you can do to minimise the effects of shedding from your Golden Retriever:
• Feed your pooch a high-quality food rich in protein sources and veg
• Maintain a regular brushing schedule, every few days should do the trick
• Hoover regularly
• Train your pooch to stay off the furniture / stay out of certain rooms
• Make lint rollers your best friend - they will change your entire existence
By nature, Golden Retrievers are not what you would describe as a yappy dog. Any barking is usually done in response to a trigger, such as caution with an unknown guest or to let you know that the Postman is at the door.
They may also bark when you’re out on a walk in an expression of excitement, they just want you and all their doggy friends to know that they’re having a good time.
Whilst they rarely bark unprompted, when they do you’ll be sure to get a shock. Their ferocious bark is enough to send even the bravest of intruders running, but we all know that they’re really big softies.
According to research conducted by Pets4Homes UK as of 2022, the average cost of purchasing a Golden Retriever is £1,832.
First and foremost, you should ensure that you’re buying your pup from a reputable breeder or rescue centre. This will ensure that your dog has been bred and cared for in the right circumstances.
A sound woof of advice from us, if it seems too good to be true it’s likely that it is. A dog is a huge investment in time, money and love, so make sure that you take the time to do plenty of research before making any decisions.
As well as the cost to purchase a Golden Retriever, it is impawtent to be mindful of the other expenses involved when bringing a pooch into your life.
• Vaccines / Flea and Worming Treatments (first dosage and boosters)
• Neutering / Spaying (usually from 6 months onwards)
• Equipment (collar, harness, lead, bed, bowls, brushes, poo bags, toys)
• Food
• Insurance
• Daycare / Boarding
Goldies know how to turn on the charm and are experts at winkling treats from your pocket. But treats shouldn't make up more than 10% of their daily calories, so you might have to learn to resist the twinkly-eye treatment.
Snacking is as bad for dogs as it can be for humans, and as this breed leads with its nose, controlling calorie intake is essential. Butternut Box is here to make that simple. Our recipes are formulated to be complete dog food plans. They contain only good stuff like high-fibre lentils and are freshly prepared with human-quality meat. This helps to slowly release energy, eliminating sugar highs and lows, while delivering all the vital nutrients your pup needs.
By asking you to answer just a few simple questions when you sign up, our very clever algorithm calculates exactly the right volume of food and calories for your Golden Retriever's age, weight and bounce rate. It’s the pawfect way to help them stay lean mean machines.
As Butternut Box meals arrive at your door already perfectly portioned, there's no measuring needed. All you need to do is dish up at the right time and – ta-dah – your pup will show you the famous Golden Retriever food-disappearing trick.