General Stuff About Goldens | Texas TLC Goldens

Why Canine DNA Testing is Important

Most people that go to a breeder to get a pure bred puppy do so because they want to have a clue what the dog will be like when it grows up. They also do it because they perceive the dog is less likely to have some unexpected ailment as it ages. The truth is this: there is no way to guarantee no problems but a purebred dog that is properly vetted really makes the odds much better. The key here is to assure the breeder properly tests their breeding animals to give you the best chances. Just because a dog is purebred and registered does not help you in this area. ALL dog breeds have potential issues as they grow that will not necessarily be visible as a puppy and the specific problems vary somewhat by breed. While no breeder can guarantee perfect health or the life of the dog, smart puppy buyers will hedge their bets and REQUIRE testing of the parents for known genetic issues in the breed to dramatically reduce the chances of problems as the puppy matures.

There are many other things that go into what qualifies a breeder as a “Good Quality breeder” so for this article I’ll narrow the down the discussion. Good Quality Breeders of any purebred dog should test the genetics of all their sires and dams and publish the results. The two main areas of concern are genetic defects (DNA) and hip/elbow health (which have a genetic component). I’ve discussed hip/elbow already in my article: “Canine Hip / Elbow Dysplasia” so in this article I will concentrate on genetics specifically for the Golden Retriever breed.

It is entirely possible that you can buy an untested purebred Golden Retriever that will live a long, healthy and happy life but why would you roll the dice? If a dog is “clear” for all the components I list below, they are clear. That means they will not experience any of those specific issues in their lifetime. Unlike Canine Hip / Elbow Dysplasia which has a genetic component and graded on a scale from X-rays, the following potential issues are either true or false and not expensive/difficult to test.

Usual disclaimer: The following information is based on our experience and extensive research. As always, you should do your own research and consult with your veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns.

The following is a list and description of genetic defects common to the Golden Retriever breed.

Degenerative Myelopathy (DM)

This particular genetic issue is not all that common in the Golden Retriever breed but does happen. It is not part of the standard genetic “panel” for the our breed in some genetics labs but we at Texas TLC Goldens still test for it.

The Animal Genetics laboratory has this to say about DM:

Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is a progressive neurological disorder that affects the spinal cord of dogs. Dogs that have inherited two defective copies will experience a breakdown of the cells responsible for sending and receiving signals from the brain, resulting in neurological symptoms.

This genetic malady typically starts very late in the dog’s life and usually starts with a weakening of the back legs that eventually leads to the inability to walk. If not contained it can then work it’s way through the body and cause other issues such as bladder control and could eventually make the front legs unusable.

Muscular Dystrophy (MD)

Also referred to as “Muscular Dystrophy in Golden Retrievers (GRMD). The Animal Genetics Laboratory has this to say about this genetic malady:

GRMD is a mutation of the dystrophin gene that causes a deficiency of dystrophin proteins in Golden Retrievers. The lack of dystrophin proteins leads to the progressive degeneration of skeletal and cardiac muscles. The disease is similar to the human disease, muscular dystrophy.

MD presents itself with difficulty walking and/or swallowing and typically starts at 6 to 8 weeks of age. Life expectancy is roughly 6 months for affected pups.

Because this mutation is linked to the X chromosome, only male dogs are actually affected by it for female dogs can be a “carrier” and transmit the defect. Because a single parent can transmit the defect and cause the symptoms in any or all of it’s pups, any sire or dam with this defect should never be bred.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA, GR-PRA1 & GR-PRA2)

This is a severe defect that can affect the eyes of many different breeds. You will see them listed commonly as PRCD-PRA. Two golden Retriever specific variants have also been identified (GR-PRA1 and GR-PRA2). While all three defects have the same or similar effects, they must be individually tested for.

Animal Genetics Laboratory has this to say about these defects:

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) is a category of genetic mutations that cause vision loss and blindness. Photoreceptor cells in the retina begin to degenerate, typically progressing from a loss of night vision to complete blindness.

GR-PRA1 and GR-PRA2 are inherited in an “autosomal recessive manner”. What this means is that it takes defective genes transmitted from BOTH parents for the puppy to experience symptoms which is referred to as “affected”. It is possible that the pups will be “carriers” with a single copy of the gene and pass on the defect later but they themselves will not be “affected” by the defect.

Ichthyosis-A (ICH or ICT)

ICH is a defect that can cause very scaly skin and hair loss. We have seen statistics that 30% to 60% of all Golden Retrievers have this defect. If there is any good news here it is that the defect is not fatal and it requires both parents to have the defect to actually make puppies “affected” (show symptoms). It is fairly common for Golden Retrievers to be a “carrier” and is common practice for breeders to carefully breed a sire or dam that is a carrier. A sire or dam that is “affected” should not be bred in our opinion. As far as we can tell this defect is specific to the Golden Retriever breed but do your own research.

Animal Genetic Laboratory has this to say about ICH:

Ichthyosis is an autosomal recessive genetic mutation that affects the skin of Golden Retrievers. The mutation prevents the outer layer of the epidermis from forming properly, resulting in skin that becomes darkened and thick and flakes excessively.

It is important that you verify the testing of BOTH parents. If only one parent is a carrier and you are not a breeder then you are fine as long as you spay or neuter your pet. As a breeder, it’s still manageable but requires special attention to breeding pairs. We at Texas TLC Goldens have thus far been able to assure that none of our breeding dogs do not have this defect but have not completely ruled out the possibility of dealing with it in the future since it is so very common in the breed.

For more information ICH, read the more detailed article I wrote on the subject.

Afterword

There are many different possible genetic defects that are possible in dogs but the list above are the most common in Golden Retrievers. The good news is they are easy and inexpensive to check and ANY breeder that provides good quality pups will test for them all and publish the results.

Testing is cheap, accurate and easy to do so we can think of no excuse for not providing them to customers. We don’t understand why ALL breeding dogs are not tested but it’s possible that the breeder can be sure their breeding dogs are clear “by parentage”. In that case you really should check the tests of both parents of their breeding dog and not take their word for it. For example: We know Emma is completely clear “by parentage” but we will actually test her before we breed her.

Do your research and know what you are getting. After all, you will have that dog for many years and why else would you want to spend the money to get a purebred dog?

About the Authors

Bryan and Terri Curry love all dogs in general, especially Golden Retrievers. They have had dogs for all but 6 months of their long lives and all have lived happy and much longer than average. Bryan and Terri are co-owners of Texas TLC Goldens; a small responsible breeder producing high quality Golden Retriever puppies.

Note to Webmasters and Facebook friends

Please consider sharing links to our blog posts if you find them interesting. It is a simple thing to do and sharing links not only spreads what we hope is good information, it helps our site.

If you are a webmaster and would like to post this article in it’s entirety, please contact us.

Thanks!!!

Please feel free to share this page:

Why Dogs Eat Grass

Image result for eat grass If you have had dogs for a while, you have almost certainly observed them eating grass at one time or another. Many of the popular reasons for this are essentially urban legend but there are tons of opinions out there, many from people that might actually know what they are talking about so they are difficult to ignore for most people. I’ve tried to list a few of the popular reasons people believe they do it and explained the thought behind it and end the article with actual science.

Dogs are NOT carnivores

Well… not completely. Unlike cats, dogs are omnivores meaning they eat meat AND plants but they tend to lean towards meat and protein. This is the reason that all properly formulated dog foods will contain carbs and plant material. It is also one of the reasons that custom made or boutique diets of nearly pure protein are a bad thing.

It is believed by some that our dog’s ancestors ate the ENTIRE carcass of their kills including the stomachs and the prey were mostly herbivores meaning those stomachs were full of grass and other greens. They posit that this practice rounded out the diet. Modern wild dogs have often been observed eating fruits, berries and grass.

It’s also been observed that when some dogs that eat a lot of grass and then have their diet changed to higher fiber mixes stop eating grass.

Some have suggested that dogs eat grass to settle their stomach or treat worms or improve digestion. Again, none of this is proven (well.. except maybe the worm thing – read on) and is most all educated speculation but some of it seems logical to some extent.

Given these observations, some think it is reasonable to believe your dog just wants to balance out their diet.

They eat to throw up or because they are sick

This idea seems very popular for some reason but has not been anything close to proven. WebMD says that less than 25% of dogs that eat grass ever throw up from it. They further say that owners report less than 10% of dogs who eat grass seem sick before they do it.

More likely, the dog throws up because the grass they are eating is not properly chewed and gets stuck in and/or tickles their throats and throwing up is just an instinctive reaction.

The dog is bored

This idea actually has a little merit in many cases. Dogs put things in their mouths, it’s what they do. If they get bored, they chew on things and eat. Some people have observed that if their dog is eat grass, then does a lot of exercise like chasing balls or Frisbee, they stop eating grass.

There actually was one scientific study done on the subject

Stanley Coren with Psychology Today found an actual study performed that included quite a lot of actual science.

The research was conducted at the University of California, Davis, by Karen Sueda, Benjamin Hart and Kelly Cliff and published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science

I’ve not read the actual study but Dr Coren summarized the study by saying that most all of the popular reasons I’ve listed above were completely “debunked”. In essence, domestic dogs do not eat grass because they are sick, or have an upset stomach or to balance out their diet. While the study did not find a provable reason for the behavior, their best guess is that it is done to help clean out parasites from the digestive track in wild dogs. They further speculate that domestic dogs do it out of instinct handed down from their ancestors even though domestic dogs are typically much less affected by parasites due to modern medical care and food sources.

While this explanation is the one I tend to believe, it is also possible that domestic dogs just like to eat grass.

Is eating grass harmful to dogs?

Usually not but WebMD has this to say on the subject:

Although most experts agree that grazing itself isn’t harmful, one thing to keep in mind is that certain herbicides and pesticides used on lawns can be quite toxic, especially if ingested. Additionally, a number of common house and garden plants are toxic, which could lead to problems if your dog munches on them along with the lawn.

Remember that while you may know what toxic chemicals may be on YOUR grass, how do you know about other places? Err on the side or caution and know what your dog is eating.

That last bit about toxic plants is important for you to know about.

Did you know that Aloe plants many flowers and Sago Palms are toxic to dogs? There are many different plants that are bad for them.

Azaleas

A good reference for toxic plants can be found on the ASPCA website.

Summary

While there are many theories and urban legends about why dogs eat grass, the only scientific study I could find referenced seemed to debunk most all of them and suggested domestic dogs just eat grass out of ancestral instinct. It is also possible that the dogs just like grass. Chemicals on the grass could be dangerous for your dog and some plants are just toxic so know what your dog is eating.

About the Author

Bryan Curry loves all dogs in general, especially Golden Retrievers. He has had dogs for all but 6 months of his long life and all have lived happy and much longer than average lives. Bryan and his wife Terri are co-owners of Texas TLC Goldens; a small responsible breeder producing high quality Golden Retriever puppies.

Note to Webmasters and Facebook friends

Please consider sharing links to our blog posts if you find them interesting. It is a simple thing to do and sharing links not only spreads what we hope is good information, it helps our site.

If you are a webmaster and would like to post this article in it’s entirety, please contact us.

Thanks!!!

Please feel free to share this page:

The Importance of Fenced Yards for Dogs

I like many people, believed for years that fences were only important to keep your dog contained. While this is true, it is not the only good reason to make sure your fur baby has a secure fence. Terri and I have in fact been successful with no fence before (Harley and River‘s first 2 years of life for example) but it is hard, risky and requires a LOT of attention and work to keep your pup safe. In the article below I’ll attempt to line out the risks involved that I am aware of with not having a good fence and maybe a few things you can do to mitigate the risk.

To be clear, people have been successfully raising dogs without fences longer than America has existed. It absolutely can be done but there are risks and you should be fully aware of those risks and be prepared to mitigate those risks. Having a fence is probably the single most effective physical thing you can do for your dog(s) to keep them safe.

As always, this article is based on our extensive personal experiences and research. You should also do your own research and/or consult your veterinarian before reaching any final conclusions.

Keeping them contained

Yes, keeping your dog contained is the primary reason for having a fence. It can keep them out of the dangerous streets and prevent them from becoming irritants to the neighbors. In general dogs (especially Golden Retrievers) LOVE to play and run. When they play and run, they have no concept of danger from the road or property boundaries. This especially troubling for hunting and shepherd breeds since when they get a scent or see something that looks like it should be chased, they often focus on that to the exclusion of all else and potentially run for miles. Even Golden Retrievers are prone to this. Our Harley loved chasing deer before we built our 5′ non-climbable wire fence in our immediate back yard. Our local deer know her and are in fact playing with her but it becomes dangerous as she is FAST and could get off the property or injure herself in the forest. In our case, we are on the back side of almost 3 acres of heavily wooded land so the road is a bit of a hike but she’s fast enough to do it.

If something happens (fireworks for example) that panics your dog, they can run for miles in a wide-eyed panic. Boundaries can to some extent be trained but even then, they will often forget in the heat of the moment. A properly sized and secure fence (see below) is the best deterrent to these issues.

Wild and Other Animals

Do you live in a suburb or city and think you don’t have to worry about wild animals? Think again. Deer, Coyotes and other wild animals are feeling the pressure of human expansion and encroaching more and more into suburban and urban areas. Feral dogs (domestic dogs gone wild) will join up in packs and pose some scary risks – scarier even than coyotes in some cases. In our case, we live in the country and have massive amounts of deer and other wild animals. Your neighbor’s pets may even pose a risk since you really don’t know in most cases if they are all vaccinated or prone to attack other animals.

Other animals pose several risks. They are often carriers of dangerous parasites and deadly diseases that can be transferred to or infect your dog.

Aside for the physical risk of meat eating wild animals, allowing a coyote (for example) to even walk through your yard poses a very real risk of infecting your not-yet-fully-vaccinated puppy with the deadly Parvo virus for example.

Those beautiful and seemingly harmless deer are covered in fleas and ticks and are commonly carriers of Giardia and other parasites which they leave behind (pun intended) in their scat (puppies LOVE eating deer scat). In the fall when deer are in “Rut”, bucks get aggressive at times and their antlers are weapons at that point. In the spring when doe’s have babies, they are very defensive of their children and their hooves can be deadly.

Neighborhood or feral dogs pose both physical and infectious / parasite risk (although the infections are the biggest risk to not-yet-fully-vaccinated puppies). Image result for images dog chase deer Wild animals can lure your dog on a chase that takes them to dangerous places or make them become hopelessly lost. Deer are notorious for this. They may be running out of fear or actually playing with your pup but the effect is the same.

Wild dogs are VERY often infected with the venereal disease called Brucelosis. While sex is the primary transmitter, it can also be transferred by urine or simply sniffing the privates of an infected dog or drinking water tainted with infected urine or postpartum fluid secreted by infected females.

One last issue (and yes this has happened to us): Wild animals are not selective where they die.

If a deer (for example) dies somewhere within a mile or so of your home, you dog will know it after they begin to decay. Almost all dogs are drawn to animal corpses and will go chew on them, maybe even eat them. This is expected behavior, not a sign of a behavioral problem in your dog. It is your job to prevent it happening. Those corpses are nasty, rotten, covered in all kinds of bad things and your dog will likely bring back trophies. Fences prevent this entirely as long as the wild animal did not jump into your yard before passing.

These are but a few examples; use your imagination and do research but unknown animals around your pups are a very real risk.

Fences are Convenient

Most dogs need exercise; especially active working breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers and Border Collies. If you do not have a safe back yard for them to run an play in, you will need to jog or bike with them on a very regular basis or take them to dog parks after they are fully vaccinated. It’s much simpler to have a back yard to let them run and play in. Even playing fetch is much safer with a fence.

Potty training is much easier with a proper fenced yard of your own. Your puppy will need to go outside a LOT during training and using a leash to “walk” them takes longer to train than just letting them go out back. It is much less likely that your yard is infected with parasites and disease than anywhere else.

A word of caution here: If you just moved into an existing home with a fenced yard, make sure you know who the previous owners were or if they had dogs. Parasites and Parvo can stay troublesome in the soil for a very long time. It is possible to treat the ground but it often kills the grass so do your research.

So What is a Secure and Proper Fence?

This bit will concentrate on effectiveness, not your personal preferences. There are many fencing materials to choose from that may affect the visual effect on your property. I will not discuss that here and those things are a personal choice and beyond the scope of what I’m trying to communicate.

The specific fence you choose will depend on many factors some of which include:

Dog breed and size
Dog attitude
Neighborhood restrictions
Budget
Prevalence of wild animals

Height

The height of your fence is very important but specific requirements will vary. Note that the height of your fence is not just to keep your dog in but also to keep other animals out. Coyote, deer and large feral dogs can easily jump over a 4′ fence for example. If your desires included keeping out wild animals, go with a 5′ to 6′ fence. 5′ will keep most canine species out and 6′ will keep almost all of them out. Either of these will discourage deer (use 8′ if you want to keep ALL deer out). Keep this in mind as you evaluate your specific circumstances.

Climbing Dog — Dog climbing hurricane fence enclosure

Try to use some form of “non-climb” fence as the most common way for pups to get over a fence is jumping part of the way a literally climbing the rest of the way. Wooden fences are very hard to climb but it can be done if they can hook their paws in the “dog-eared” tops of the fence. Hurricane fence is not all that hard to climb since the layout of the wire gives convenient footholds for the pooch. Wire mesh “non-climb” fences have openings that are narrow and tall. this configuration is hard for most breeds to negotiate since the taller opening makes it very hard to get the “next” step up.

Small breeds are the easiest to fence in. If you have a small breed like a small poodle and live in an urban area, a 4′ fence may do what you need. Remember though that smaller breeds fit through smaller holes or can dig out easier and a 4′ fence is easy for wild animals and feral dogs to get over.

If you have a larger breed like a Golden Retriever or any mid sized jumping breed like a Border Collie, consider 5′. If your dog is really active and loves jumping a lot, you may need 6′. Our German Shepherd mix Gandalf that we had fenced for over half his life could get over a 6′ wooden fence when he was younger and really motivated so taller is better.

Secure

A tall fence means little if it has holes or loose fence slats, easy to dig under or is made of wood and your dog is very motivated to chew. Our Aussie mix Lexi for example suffered from separation anxiety and chewed her way through a wooden fence several times during her long 17.6 year life.

Holes and loose or missing slats are easy to remedy: FIX THEM. Be sure to check your gates as well as they tend to be the places where gaps occur most often. Be sure to also look for gaps at the bottom of the fence or gate that your pup could squeeze through.

If your dog suffered from a high level of separation anxiety and/or is an extreme chewer, consider a hurricane or non-climbable mesh fence to prevent chewing their way out. If you have an existing wood fence you can line the lower parts with thicker wood. You can also put up an electrified wire down low (be sure to use one that is dog safe). We did this for Lexi since she was so very persistent and it was very effective. Even when it was powered off, our dogs avoided the fence. Be warned that these wires require maintenance and can be rendered ineffective by tall grass and weeds.

If your fence is easy to dig under there are a few things you can do. You could line the problem areas with large rocks (5 – 10lbs) Image result for images dog dig under fence This can be decorative and if the dog tries to dig under the rocks, they simply fall down into the hole they dig. You could also try a or a xeriscape border of medium sized rocks (rocks big enough to be hard for your dog to move), bricks or pavers. It’s also possible to bury 2×10 treated boards in problem areas as dogs seldom dig further than 10″ deep to tunnel out. This can hide your efforts and be more attractive since they would be mostly underground but requires a LOT more work than rocks to install and over the years will rot. The electric fence wire referenced above will often work as well if you keep the wire low enough.

Afterword

We at Texas TLC Goldens do not (as of this writing) refuse to sell our puppies to families that do not have a fence. We allow it because we have personally been successful in the past doing it but recognize that it requires careful, constant and fully informed effort to keep the pups safe; it is not easy. We expect any applicant to describe in detail how they will handle their pups without a fence and encourage ALL of our puppy parents to get a home with a fence and/or build one as soon as humanly possible. Another temporary solution for puppies if you have a yard but no fence is to put up a temporary fenced enclosure (dog run) that you know is clean and healthy for them to eliminate in. If after a few litters we have too many bad experiences with puppy parents without fences, we may change the policy but for now we are trying it; hopefully this article will help.

About the Authors

Please feel free to share this page:

Canine Hip / Elbow Dysplasia

Hip and Elbow Dysplasia is a common hereditary skeletal defect found in most large breed dogs (including Golden Retrievers) and giant breed dogs although it is occasionally found in smaller breeds. If affected your dog may experience discomfort (best case) or complete lack of use of one or more limbs (worse case). While not all dogs in the higher risk breeds are noticeably affected, most will experience some amount of it in their geriatric years. Dogs tend to be stoic and don’t show minor pain or discomfort typically but we at Texas TLC Goldens know from experience that it can be debilitating in the geriatric years. Of the many dogs we’ve owned, only one was noticeably affected (Aussie mix: Lexi) but it was a horrible experience and was eventually what ended her at 17 years, 7 months of age.

Disclaimer: We at Texas TLC Goldens are not veterinarians nor trained experts. The information contained in the article is based on our painful personal experience and extensive research. While be believe our words to be accurate, you should do your own research and consult your veterinarian for expert information.

What is Dysplasia?

Image result for image canine dysplasia Dysplasia is a malformation of the joints in the hips and elbows. It causes the joints to not fit as well as we wish causing excessive wear on the joint and triggers accelerated osteoarthritis. Hips are typically more affected since they support more weight but elbows can also be a problem. It is incredibly rare for a large or giant breed dog to have zero dysplasia so measuring the amount becomes a really important thing.

What are the symptoms?

Image result for image canine dysplasia It’s possible for puppies to start showing signs as young as 4 months old. It is more likely to appear in their older years as Osteoarthritis combines with Dysplasia to accelerate the condition. In extreme cases (like our Lexi in the last year of life), complete loss of the use of limbs is possible.

The pethealthnetwork.com lists these possible symptoms for the hips:

“Bunny-hopping” or swaying gait
Weakness in one or both hind legs
Pain when touched in hip or pelvis area
A change in behavior: reluctance to rise/difficulty rising, unwillingness to play or climb stairs, exercise intolerance, reduced activity levels
Audible clicking sound coming from hips while walking
Shrinking of hind leg muscles (atrophy)

What can I do?

Know the parents. There is no way to completely prevent the issue as the severity of the condition is almost always inherited from the parents. Knowing the parents is the single most important thing you can do to try and prevent issues but is not an absolute guarantee. The best bet to begin with is to choose responsible breeders that test and openly publish test results. Texas TLC Goldens policy is to never breed an Golden Retriever that is not rated OFA “Normal” or better on both hips and elbows ir if they are at or below the PennHIP mean score. We used OFA for Harley but has since been using PennHIP. Either is acceptable and depending on circumstances at the time, we might use either one but there are pro’s and con’s to both.

The industry standard test for canine hip and elbow dysplasia is administered by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and has been around for a very long time. It is reasonably accurate for dogs over 24 months old but is still subjective and is based on a single hip X-RAY, usually taken without anesthesia. There is instruction available for vets concerning taking OFA X-RAYS but I am unaware of any certification requirement as of this writing. The evaluation and grading of the X-RAYS themselves is performed by experts at OFA. You should look for results in both hips and elbows of “Normal”, “Good” or “Excellent” (note that “Excellent” is exceedingly rare based on the benchmark OFA uses). OFA will evaluate tests before the dog is 24 months old but will only certify the joint condition after 2 years old since that is the age where the dog is considered fully mature physically and because it is harder to visually view a puppy’s X-RAY and form an opinion.. OFA publishes the results online the ask the breeder for a link to the results so that you can verify. You can also search the parents in the OFA database based on name, AKC registration number and other criteria.

The PennHip tests cost us $500 per dog after much shopping around and is much more expensive than OFA testing but is also completely objective and more accurate. It is based on three different X-RAYS, taken under anesthesia by trained and certified Veterinarians and then actually measured for objectivity. PennHip claims accurate testing any time after 4 months of age but we recommend a minimum of 6 months old. PennHIP results are harder to interpret since they don’t use the fuzzy “Good, fair, normal, excellent” descriptions. They instead use a “Distraction Index” (DI) fraction to measure the “Tightness” of the joint and each hip gets it’s own score. A huge database has been kept for all tests over the years and accurate averages for each breed are known. Any score that is lower than the breed average is considered acceptable for breeding dogs. As of this writing, the average (mean) DI score for Golden Retrievers is .54.

There is no objective way to compare specific ratings between OFA and PennHIP since the tests are so very different and because of the margin for human error in OFA testing.

Figure 2 below came from a very good document written in 2009 by Simon Verge, DMV who was also a breeder. The thing to note in figure 2 is the WIDE disparity of DI Ranges compared to the OFA categories. The DI is objective while OFA is subjective. Both are valid, but PennHIPP is considered more accurate since it is an objective test using math and measurements. Note that Figure 2 compares tests for Burmese Mountain Dogs but that breed is VERY similar to the Golden Retriever as it relates to Hip Dysplasia.

Comparison of hip results for 143 Bermese Mountain Dogs over the age of 2 who all had both OFA and PennHIP testing done.
Courtesy www.hautbois.ca

Feed your puppy properly. Be sure to get a good quality commercial food that is specifically designed for large breed dogs. The correct food can regulate the puppy’s growth properly. Growing too fast or too large can dramatically affect the joints.

The American Kennel Club has this to say on the subject:

Slowing down these breeds’ growth allows their joints to develop without putting too much strain on them, helping to prevent problems down the line.

We feed our puppies Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Focus Dry Dog Food but it’s not the only choice out there. Do your own research but avoid home made diets, boutique foods, table scraps and fad foods (like grain free).

You should also control your dog’s weight for their entire life. An overweight dog puts substantially more stress on the joints. Golden Retrievers tend to overeat so you, as the human parent in control, should control this and feed a really good, healthy diet using good quality and scientifically proven commercial foods in the proper amounts. Most people apparently misunderstand what healthy weight actually looks like so consider reading the article I wrote on the subject.

Supplements like Glucosamine are safe, help slow progression and in some cases help recover active joint problems to some extent. If you use this supplement we suggest adding to to food to make regular usage simple. Some commercial dog food’s actually include this supplement. We started giving it to Lexi during the last 3 years of her life since her food at the time did not include it and she lived to 17 years, 7 months. This supplement does not guarantee no problems but it does seem to help somewhat.

Moderate certain physical activities while puppies grow. OK so this one is the hardest. Excessive running and hard turns on hard surfaces like concrete or tile floors or hard packed dirt cause repetitive impacts to the joints while growing and can affect how they fit in their older years. Also avoid excessive jumping, especially from heights for the same reason. These things are very hard to do with Golden Retrievers since they are so very energetic and excitable but do your best. If you must throw a ball for them as we do, try to make the throws short and on grass while they are young. Try to prevent your puppy from jumping off the back of the couch (yes, they will try to do this) or truck tailgates. Agility training is fun but hard on their joints. If you plan to do this before 2 years old, try to moderate the jumping and tight turns but frankly, that is VERY hard to do in this case. You get the picture I hope.. The goal here is to moderate the behavior, not stop all their (and your) fun.

Summary

Canine hip and elbow dysplasia is a thing and should be something you care about. The single biggest thing you can do to increase your chances of a good skeletal life for your new puppy is to KNOW THE PARENTS since genetics is the biggest contributor. Feeding a proper diet is very important. Supplements and moderating physical activities that can aggravate the problem can help. As always, consult your veterinarian.

About the Authors

Note to Webmasters and Facebook friends

Please consider sharing links to our blog posts if you find them interesting. It is a simple thing to do and sharing links not only spreads what we hope is good information, it helps our site.

If you are a webmaster and would like to post this article in it’s entirety, please contact us.

Thanks!!!

Please feel free to share this page:

Dog Sitter / Kennel Advice

Now that you have a Golden Retriever, traveling for vacations or being away overnight may require a little more thought. If you have more than one Golden Retriever and a cat as we do, it requires a lot more thought. This is not however a bad thing. If you elect to not take them with you then the following may help you decide how they are cared for.

There are five options that we’ve researched and/or tried. See the bullets below for details.

Dog stays with friends/family.
- This can be the best option but not always. Your friends or family may not be used to dogs, be allergic to dogs, already have dogs that are not nice or don’t get along with others, not prepared to handle MORE dogs or not have current vaccinations for their dogs and other pets. They may not have proper fenced areas to let the dogs safely play and eliminate; the list goes on-and-on. The good thing about friends/family is that you KNOW them and should be able to TRUST them but be sure it’s a good safe place and that the humans are truly willing and able to be comfortable the extra pets and are physically able to safely handle them (energetic Goldens may not be a good option for an infirm 75 year old due to falling risk for example). Some friends/family will agree to do it even if they are not prepared or don’t really want to; this is not the best of scenarios. You should also evaluate how often that person will be home. If they work all day away from home that may or not be acceptable.
Dog sitters in your home
- Having strangers in your home when you are not present can be a little scary, so we suggest the following.
  - Use a bonded and insured sitter with good reviews. Don’t be a pioneer, let someone else be first. This person will be responsible for most of what you own along with your pets; don’t go cheap here. If you are in the San Antonio area we use Homey Hounds Pet Sitters and we’ve been very pleased with them thus far but do your own research.
  - Use a combination lock with a special combo for the sitter or re-key one lock in your home (easy to do with modern kwikset locks) then remove their access when you are home. The last thing you want is copies of permanent keys wandering around outside your control forever.
  - Meet and interview every human that will be in the home in advance and be clear that only those people are allowed inside. Also let your pets meet the sitters. You dogs are sometimes the best judge of character and it’s critical that your Goldens trust the sitter.
  - If your dog needs special care (medicines, heat, geriatric assistance, etc) make sure the sitter can demonstrate experience and willingness to do what is needed.
  - Carefully decide based on your dog’s needs how often they will visit and if they will stay overnight. Typically, you will need at least three visits per day if not staying overnight and the first visit should be quite early, and the last visit should be quite late.
  - Negotiate the length of their visits and assure they will also play with your dogs to keep them happy and give them exercise.
  - Assure your sitter has all your vet information and that your vet knows the dogs are being left home and with who.
  - For the most part, if you expect anyone else to visit while gone (family for example) try to prevent this. The sitter is also in a strange home and being alone with other strangers can be uncomfortable. Try to respect the sitter’s comfort.
  - You may want to install cameras in your home if that will make you feel better and can afford it. This should not be required but it can allow you to view your babies while gone. If you do this, be sure to advise the sitter of their presence.
  - Always keep your cell phone on and handy while gone and expect/demand communication.
- Advantages
  - The Fur Babies get to stay in familiar surroundings with comfy beds
  - No strange dogs around them upsetting them all day and night
  - No increased risk of communicable disease from other dogs.
  - The sitters serve as security of sorts since they will visit and show activity in the home. They usually report via email for every visit as well so you get constant updates.
  - Sitters also take care of your cats, feed your fish, etc. many are also willing to bring in the mail, newspaper and packages.
- Disadvantages
  - Can be more expensive, but not always. Our sitter does not charge more for extra pets and we have three Golden Retrievers and a cat in our home with more Goldens coming soon.
  - Visits only, not 24×7 supervision
  - Strangers alone in your home
Dogs stay at sitter’s home
- We consider this better than a kennel usually but research your sitter carefully.
  - The sitter should be at least insured for pet sitting
  - The sitter should be experienced and have many good reviews. Don’t be the first – leave that to someone else.
  - If there will be other animals, carefully evaluate what they are, their health/vaccinations and ability to get along with your dogs.
  - Some sitters keep cats, not dogs and others, dogs not cats. In any case, evaluate the combinations and if you have a cat this becomes even more important.
  - Tour the home and insure it will be a good place for your babies.
  - Interview the sitter. If you are in any way uncomfortable, leave.
Dogs stay in kennel/Doggie Hotel/etc
- This is our least favorite option. While it’s typically safe and some very few are comfortable, those are the exceptions. Typically, the sleeping quarters are concrete floored kennels surrounded by other dogs that bark all day and night. It’s scary for a Golden and can add stress. There is also the risk of disease and kennel cough in these environments. Kennels can be good for a quick few hours out or maybe a day or two in a pinch but be prepared.
  - Choose a kennel with many good reviews. Don’t be a pioneer.
  - A “puppy hotel” or “Doggie Resort” can be the exact same thing as a plain old kennel. A “Deluxe” kennel may be the same old cold concrete enclosure with 4 extra square feet and an old towel thrown in the floor. It’s entirely possible the accomodations are as good as you dream based on their descriptions but ignore the marketing and do your own research.
  - If they don’t ask for and require your dog’s health history and up-to-date vaccination records including kennel cough in the past 5 months, leave immediately.
  - Physically inspect the kennels and ask good questions about cleaning practices.
  - Be careful about kennels that insist on bathing your dog just before you pick them up. If they are doing that, there is typically a reason they need a bath.
  - We like the ones that “interview” your dog before admittance best. They are trying to assure your dogs (and every dog in the house) will get along with other dogs. Goldens will always pass the interview but the important bit is they interview ALL the dogs, not just yours. This is a preference, not a requirement
  - Tour not only the kennels but the play areas. Assure that your dog will be allowed out on safe natural ground on a regular basis to eliminate and play. Don’t make them do their business on concrete or in their kennel.
  - Try to get a kennel that also has a private outside “run” attached to the kennel so that your pooch can get onto natural ground and has room to move around when they want to.
  - Assure that the inside kennel has proper climate controls and is CLEAN.
  - We left our Goldens at one for a few hours during a funeral that had cameras that allowed us to view our dogs on our phones at anytime from anywhere – that was way cool.
  - Assure the kennel will allow you to provide your dog’s own bed and/or some towels that smell like home as well as a few toys.
Doggie Day Care
- This is where you will leave your Golden Retriever for just a few hours during the day or while at work. This is not a bad option but can be expensive if you have more than one dog. These operations typically have several to many dogs kept in the same room for the time you leave them there. There is the risk of some other dog that does not get along with others, so the daycare places the “interview your dog” before admittance are best here.
  - The center should REQUIRE up-to-date vaccinations including a kennel cough vaccine in the past 5 months.
  - A remotely viewable camera is ever-so-cool here but not required
  - Again, don’t be a pioneer here. Only use an established company with many great reviews.
  - The best daycare centers separate dogs into groups by size and temperament. This is typically not an issue for Golden Retrievers, but it does show care for the animals.
  - There should be at least one human in the room per 10 dogs always and “messes” should be properly cleaned up in real time.
  - Good pet sitters are cheerful and obviously love animals. If you do not get that vibe; leave.

Conclusion

The decision to leave your well-loved Golden Retriever behind with someone else for some number of days can be scary and for good reasons. Carefully research, investigate and qualify whomever will be watching your dog and the facilities they use. Think of this as getting away care for your infant child. Your fur baby is completely dependent on whomever keeps and cares for them. Unfortunately, there are some few dog sitters that do what they do because they cannot do anything else and that is not a good place to be. Some kennels struggle financially and cut corners. Some kennel employees are not dog lovers and remember, once you leave, they are no longer in your sight. This is not to say that kennels, doggie day cares, pet sitters are all bad; they are not; some are in fact, excellent. What I’m trying to say is that you should first think it through, then research, verify, then test, think it through again, then trust; in that order. You should be able to enjoy your time away without constant worry about your fur babies.

About the Authors

Note to Webmasters and Facebook friends

Please consider sharing links to our blog posts if you find them interesting. It is a simple thing to do and sharing links not only spreads what we hope is good information, it helps our site.

If you are a webmaster and would like to post this article in it’s entirety, please contact us.

Thanks!!!

Please feel free to share this page:

Potty Training Your Puppy

This subject is all over the web so I’ll not go over all the different methods of doing it; the key thing is to start early and be consistent. You should always be training; rewards should only be given when earned. Golden Retriever puppies from Texas TLC Goldens will have a head start as we plan to use artificial turf just outside their whelping box as well as a safe confined area in the back yard to give them safe places that simulate or actually are grass. Dogs don’t like eliminating near their food or where they sleep so once they are big enough to climb out of the box through the provided short opening (around 3 or 4 weeks old) they will start moving to the turf area to do their business. They will not be completely trained but they should have a head start when they go to their forever homes.

Notes before we start:

Your Golden Retriever puppy WILL have one or more accidents inside the house, guaranteed. It serves no useful purpose to scold them for this and frankly, is might be your fault (read on below). When this happens, clean it up quickly and thoroughly, especially if it happens on carpet. The smell will draw them back to that spot if you do not get it completely gone immediately. Be sure to use good clean water with soap on hard floors. On carpets sop it up with towels as much as possible then use one of the many sprays made for the purpose that include enzyme treatment, or preferably, shampoo the spot and then treat with enzymes.
No matter which method you choose to potty train, there is always one key component; you must pay attention 100% of the time. You must know what your Golden Retriever puppy is doing at all times until they are thoroughly potty trained, maybe even on a leash. Keep them in the same room you are in, pay attention and respond properly; you must be observant and respond properly in a very consistent fashion.
Training is at times, frustrating. Deal with it; you will be glad you did; it’s absolutely worth the effort.
The methods I supply below are not nearly the only ways to potty train your Golden Retriever; they are just the ways that we have used with good success. Do your own research, make a plan and act on your plan with consistency.

We’ve used two different methods for potty training that have been very successful. You can even combine both methods.

Puppy Pads

I don’t particularly LIKE this method since it typically takes longer than the manual method (below) and because I don’t particularly like cleaning up their messes on the pads constantly but it did work for us for three of our dogs years ago. It is also a good method to use if you cannot be right there with the puppy 100% of the time. It can also be used in conjunction with a specialized crate (see the YouTube video at the end of this article).

It’s best to use pads made for this purpose. Google them as there are many but proper pads will be waterproof on the bottom and come with an attractive scent that draws the pup to the pad.
Keep your puppy in a restricted area on hard floors with puppy pads placed away from their food and sleeping area. Place the puppy on the pad every time you think they might want to potty; praise them whenever they go on the pad; change the pads often. Never scold them for missing the pad but ALWAYS praise them when they succeed.
Once the puppy is addicted to going on the pad, start moving the pad closer to the back door then eventually out onto the porch then into the grass and continue to praise theme very time they are successful. Make sure the puppy continues to follow the pad wherever it goes.
This process can take weeks to a month or two but it does work. Once they get onto the grass, keep pads there for a week or two and encourage the puppy to go on the grass as much as possible including effusive praise every time they go on the grass. You can stop using the pads as soon as they get used to the grass.
Important note: once you move the pads outside it’s incredibly important that you watch the puppy closely. They will not know how to ask you to open the door and this is a critical transition time. If you see them standing at the door, they want to go outside. If you see them wanting to go potty in the house, immediately pick them up (they typically won’t have an accident while you carry them), take them outside and praise them when they eliminate in the proper place. If you miss them and they go in the house, just clean it up quickly and move on; it serves absolutely no purpose to scold them.

Potty Training by Hand

This has become our preferred method since I work from home and Terri is currently a full time student from home. We’ve found it to be quicker, less messy and much more effective than the puppy pad method but it requires a lot of work, close attention and consistency on your part. We used this method on our first two Golden Retrievers Harley and River and we have had two.. count them.. TWO accidents in the house since we first got them at 8 weeks old and they are over 2 years old now. The keys are vigilance, consistency, making it positive and thoroughly cleaning up accidents to prevent allowing the scent to draw them back to that spot. Believe us when we say it’s worth the effort.

The method is simple in design but work to execute. WATCH your puppy like a hawk and don’t let them wander off into other rooms (close those doors; they are sneaky little buggers). If you catch then in the act, try clapping your hands to surprise them a little and hopefully make them stop or if you spot them getting into “the stance” or carefully sniffing around the floor (you’ll learn to recognize it), immediately scoop them up cheerfully saying a key phrase like “go potty!” and carry them outside. Use the same phrase every time so that they can begin to learn that when they hear it, they should go outside and do their business. Don’t worry, they will almost never have accidents while you are carrying them. Take them to the specific place you want them to go and gently set them down, stand back, and watch. If they go, praise them when they are done. Be effusive and use consistent words that include her name like “Yes! Harley pottied outside! Good Harley, she pottied outside!” Note the key word “Yes”. If you are not using a clicker for training, always use a short, single syllable keyword that signified they did something good and always use it when they do ANYTHING good. Don’t say it over and over; once is much more effective. Also use the pup’s name, even if you only have one dog.

Note: If you do not have a fenced yard, take them out on a leash but give them time with plenty of free leash. Some puppies have to get over a “shy bladder” and may take a bit until they get used to it.

You should not just wait for the pup to show she needs to go. There are times that you will KNOW it’s needed. Generally a Golden Retriever can “hold it” for around one hour per month old up to around 6 to 10 months old once they learn that they SHOULD hold it. Also note that even when potty trained, male puppies may leave little dribbles on the floor when they get excited or play hard. This is normal and they will just grow out of it. You are looking for real puddles or piles, not tiny dribbles. Just clean the dribbles and move on.

Some examples of where you should proactively take the puppy outside:

Immediately on waking up from any of their many naps. Puppies usually want to relieve themselves right after any nap.
10 minutes after eating or drinking
Every 45 minutes when very young gradually moving out to longer and longer times. We actually set alarms on our phones so that we would not forget.
Just before YOU go to bed at night and at least once during the night, twice if they are very young. They will tend to “hold it” longer in the dark when they are asleep but don’t count on it. This is even true if you use a kennel at night. Their tiny bladders just don’t hold enough when they are young.

Teach Them to ASK to Go Out

So yeah, you’ve taught them that outside on the grass is the right place to go, but how do you know when they want to go out once trained? There needs to be some recognizable sign that they want to go out and it needs to be one you will notice, preferably with some sound. It could be a bark, a bell, scratching the door, pulling on your sleeve or some combination of these.

It is important you teach them to tell you when they want to go out or all your training will be for naught. We suggest you start this training at the same time you are potty training them. This training is not all that difficult. You can simply put a treasured toy (or a treasured human) outside a glass door and encourage them to get it. You may need to assist them a few times so that they will get the idea. Once they do the desired action, let them outside with effusive praise. Do this every day, every time until they start doing it consistently on their own.

A bell is easiest since you can have them ring the bell with their nose (even if in your arms) EVERY time they go out. The challenge with the bell is you need to have one at every door and you will not likely have a bell with you when you take them other places so you should also teach other methods as well.

If a bark is your desired method, first teach them to “speak” using any of the thousands of methods available via Google then have them “speak” every time before the door is opened. The upside of the bark method is they will always have it with them. the downside is… they will bark which can be loud and annoying.

Scratching the door is effective and usually audible enough but that means they will potentially leave marks and/or dirt on your doors. No method is perfect for everyone so choose your method(s) and TRAIN it.

Yes, a doggie door is nice and can save you many, many trips to the door but understand you will not have a doggie door with you when you travel.

Difficult Case – Real Life Example

We received our beautiful Emma in early October 2018 at 4 months of age. Apparently she was unintentionally TRAINED to do her business on concrete or other hard surfaces before she arrived in Texas. We can only assume that she was housed in a kennel with a concrete floor during her first 4 months of life in Europe, and learned (essentially was trained) that going on hard surfaces was the thing to do. When we first got her she had over 8 “accidents” in the house every single day including overnight. The only saving grace was that she never went on the carpet; only on our hard floors. It was frustrating and required a LOT of careful attention but we caught her doing it maybe half the time initially and immediately scooped her up, carried her outside directly to the grass and followed the method described above, occasionally offering treats along with the praise for a job well done.. After around 10 days she was making it though the night without an accident and has maybe one event in the house during the day every two days. After 3 weeks we had her fully trained (we thought). She rang the bell we mounted for the purpose to go out and was consistently making it through the night. This lasted for over two weeks and we thought we were done, then we went on a week long holiday trip to two different relatives homes 200 miles away. The first thing she did was pee in my brothers tile floor, twice in the same day, in the same spot, even though we took her outside plenty. After a day of working we were able to convince her that my brothers back yard was also a good place to go then she did fine. Apparently she originally accepted that OUR back yard was a good place to go but a NEW place had to be trained. Eventually we hope that she just accepts that GRASS is a good place to go, not just the location. She is a work in progress but our beautiful girl is worth it.

Interesting Idea

The following video is a blatant advertisement for the training crate they are selling but it also give a LOT of good ideas and advice; is worth the short viewing. We don’t use crates at Texas TLC Goldens but they are absolutely a valid choice for many. It’s possible this specific crate will be right for you but we’ll leave that choice to you with no recommendation either way. It could also be used in conjunction with the “Puppy Pads” method I described at the top of this article. It is very similar in nature to how we plan to get the puppies started on their training at around 3 or 4 weeks old.

Final Comments

Yes potty training can be hard and not an exact science but it WORKS. The potential difficulty can also speak to finding a breeder that does not house their puppies in fixed kennels with floors that resemble your house floors. We at Texas TLC Goldens plan to provide turf areas where the new puppies can start to go on (usually starting at about 3 weeks old). We will also take them outside to a safe 8’x12′ fenced off area inside our yard to let them experience real grass. While this will not completely train the pup, it should make your lives MUCH easier.

About the Authors

Note to our friends

Please consider sharing links to our blog posts if you find them interesting. It is a simple thing to do and sharing links not only spreads what we hope is good information, it helps our site.

Copying and using the text or images provided above in any way other than a link is prohibited.

Thanks!!!

Please feel free to share this page:

Are Rawhide Bones Safe for Golden Retrievers?

Rawhide bones are available everywhere and Golden Retrievers and most all other dogs simply LOVE them. They taste good, feel good on the teeth and are simply irresistible for your fur baby. Some Golden Retriever parents have given rawhide chews to their babies for their entire lives and did not detect any form of problem. We in fact gave rawhide chews to all our dogs historically with no apparent problems until recent research taught us to be more cautious. The questions is this: Are they good things to chew on? For Golden Retrievers, maybe not so much but your mileage may vary.

Warning: This article will sound overwhelmingly negative towards rawhide chews. In fact you might never actually see negative side effects to giving your Golden Retriever rawhide chews but you should know all about what you give your loved pet and what is said below is based on research, not opinion. I will list healthier / safer alternatives at the end.

Wait! I Thought Golden’s Have a “Soft Mouth”?

First, know this: Despite the famous “soft Mouth” of a Golden Retriever, they are aggressive chewers. Knowing how to consistently train your golden to chew on the right things is a critical skill when you have one in your home, but chew they will. They, like most dogs also have a strong preference for chewing leathery things but anything in or around the home will likely go into their mouths at some time or another. While they are maybe not as aggressive as some other breeds, they can go through weaker toys, shoes and chew bones with amazing speed. Chewing is in fact good for your golden so the key is to provide “Good Chews” and then let them do their thing.

Chunks, Chunks and More Chunks

One of the biggest challenges with Rawhide Chews is that an aggressive chewer can break off chunks of it and swallow them. This can present a substantial choking hazard. Even if it does not choke them at first, the rawhide is VERY slow to digest and can stay in their systems for months, accumulate and block them up farther down the digestive tract requiring surgery to correct if you catch it in time. If you have another breed of dog that is known to be less aggressive chewers (usually small breeds), this bit may be a lesser issue but for Golden Retrievers, it can be. The blockage issue is likely the biggest risk to rawhide chews despite the other risks discussed below.

What’s In Them?

What a rawhide chew is made of and what it contains is another thorny subject. Most rawhide manufacturers have no real enforceable rules that force them to completely state exactly what it’s made of and how it’s processed. The vast majority of rawhide chews are sourced from China but some few are made in the USA with hides from the USA.

According to PetMD, rawhides are typically made from the inner layer of horse and cow hides that are cut, processed and sometimes ground up to be pressed into attractive forms. I’ve heard rumors of other types of hides being used (including dog hide) but have not been able to find that in recent research. Flavoring (not always natural) is often added to make them more appealing. The American Kennel Club relates that the hides are taken directly from the kill room floor and stored in a heavy brine solution to slow decay but that it may be weeks or months before they are actually processed. The brine solution does slow the decay but it does not stop it so you have no idea what state it’s in by the time it’s dried and processed.

Since most rawhides are sourced from China, there is also the risk of all sorts of chemicals in the chew. This is not to say that all rawhides from China are bad or dangerous but you just won’t know since their oversight is dramatically less effective than in the US. If you can find a rawhide that is sourced and manufactured in the US, it is much less likely to have dangerous chemicals or exotic hides in the mix.

PetMD recommends that you wash your hands after handling a rawhide chew. Keep children and especially anyone with immune problems away from them. To us that’s a really scary recommendation.

Rover.com calls rawhides the deadliest chew toy available. They go on to say that processing the hides often involves all sorts of chemicals with hydrogen peroxide and bleach being common.

My Golden LOVES Rawhide Bones, How Can I Make it Safer?

Again, rawhide chews may never be a problem but if you insist on giving them, there are a few safer practices that can help make them less risky.

Wash your hands after handling
Buy American made and sourced chews and read the label
Watch to see if they gobble them down – stop if yes
If you see a bit of the chew about to break off, remove it before they swallow it
If you have more than one dog, give it to each in isolation. Having another dog in sight may encourage them to gobble it up.
When they get down to a piece small enough to swallow, take it away.

Alternatives to Rawhide Chews

Alternatives to rawhides are manufactured chews that typically don’t last as long as a rawhide but are generally MUCH safer with more good stuff in them and our Goldens love them. Again, read the label but our research makes us feel these are good alternatives to rawhide. There are others of course but here are a few suggestions.

Bully Sticks
Himalayan Dog Chews (often referred to as “Yak Sticks”)
Deer Antlers – note that deer shed their antlers every spring and grow new ones in the fall. these antlers are not harvested from the deer’s head. We gather them every year here on our property and the dogs LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them.. Just be careful walking around them barefoot. 😉Deer Antlers
Nylabones
Kong Toys – just put some kibble or peanut butter inside and they will go after them with gusto
Mammoth Bones – our all-time favorite. It is actually a cow femur and is huge (too big for a smaller dog), solid and long lasting! We cut one in half with a circular saw so that it would be small enough for a 6 month old Golden to pick up. We still have that same pair of mostly intact bone halves 2 years later and they chew on them constantly. We got ours at the local feed store but Google it – they are all over Amazon.

Edit 8/7/2020

Special warning about Bullibones

Deadly Bullibone – DO NOT USE, THEY CAN KILL YOUR DOG

Bullibones are advertised as a nearly indestructible and “Ingestible” chew toy that is safer than rawhide. In 4 words: that-is-a-lie. My brother has a lovely, friendly American Bulldog (Ares) that nearly died from chewing one of them to pieces and swallowing it. It nearly cost Ares his life.

Remnants of the Deadly bullibone including the chunk surgically removed from my brothers sweet dog

He only survived after a $5,000 emergency surgery to remove the bone from his intestines. According to my brother, the manufacturer was VERY friendly until they heard the problem at which time, they stopped responding to any form of repeated attempts to contact them. I cannot recommend strongly enough that you NEVER give one of these deadly, falsely advertised bones to your precious Golden Retriever.

Summary

Rawhide chews will be an absolute favorite chew for your Golden Retriever but you should do your own research as to what’s in them, where they are made, sourced and the dangers involved before giving them that treat. They depend solely on YOU to know what’s best for them. You may in fact never have a problem (that you can see) after giving rawhides to your precious Golden Retriever for life but there is some risk. There are many safer alternatives that the pups will love so shop around, research and make your fur-baby safely happy!

About the Authors

Note to our friends

Please consider sharing links to our blog posts if you find them interesting. It is a simple thing to do and sharing links not only spreads what we hope is good information, it helps our site.

Copying and using the text or images provided above in any way other than a link is prohibited.

Thanks!!!

Please feel free to share this page:

Golden Retrievers and Fireworks

In most of the places we have lived in our long lives, fireworks were permitted for everyone. Every 4th of July and New Year, fireworks stands open up and sell all manner of explosives and explosive rockets to individuals who them set off their own fireworks shows around their homes. The noise, aerial displays and strong smell of gunpowder fill our senses for around 2 weeks before and during the holiday itself and is tradition for many families. It is great fun for humans but terrifying and painful for Golden Retrievers and most any other breed of dog.

Your furbaby’s reaction can be more than just fear. Dogs can panic so badly they can injure themselves, break windows, knock over furniture and run away, often in such a panic that they run into the street and be killed or injured by passing cars. For most dogs, fireworks represent the scariest thing they will ever encounter and many thousands are lost and/or injured every year in the United States during fireworks displays.

I wrote an article on preparing your pup for the holidays that I also recommend you read but this article concentrates on one thing: fireworks, thunder and loud noises and the wide-eyed panic they can cause in your lovely pup. Note also that I speak to fireworks and to a lesser extent, guns but these practices can also help with fear caused by thunderstorms.

Why fireworks scare them

Golden Retrievers have sense of smell and hearing that are FAR superior to human senses and in fact, better than many other dogs. Imagine if you will that you could hear 4 times better and a 2 times greater range of sounds and without warning, multiple explosions happen near you and concussive waves wash over you and shake the ground. Now imagine that this happens and you have no idea what fireworks are, much less why they are going off. Now couple that with as sense of smell that is 8 to 10 million times better than yours and the unfamiliar acrid smell of gunpowder assails you along with the noise. It would be terrifying and could hurt! This is what it’s like for Golden Retrievers when not carefully trained and desensitized to these sorts of sounds and smells.

Golden Retriever Hunting Yes, Golden Retrievers can be trained to live with loud noises and often are since they are one of the best hunting retrievers that exist but it takes practice and training from a very early age. In practice most Golden Retrievers are not trained this way since they are most often family pets. Goldens are very emotional dogs. The loving, friendly and loyal nature you value so much also means that they can also fear as much as they love. Fear is irrational and instinctual so it will win the battle of emotions if not properly trained and/or cared for.

Training

If you want your precious Golden Retriever to attend the fireworks with you or become a hunting dog or even sit quietly in the house when it’s all happening outside, training will need to start early, often and be prepared to do this for weeks or months and then occasionally ongoing. Start as a young puppy by making increasingly loud noises around them. Start by simply clapping of hands close to them. Slowly increase the volume and add actual recordings of fireworks at ever increasing volumes. Eventually try popping some firecrackers or shooting guns at decreasing distance from them to add the gunpowder smell and more realistic experiences. In all cases make it a positive experience and/or a game; usually with rewards. The object of the exercise is to desensitize them; in most cases they will never lean to enjoy it since loud impact noises typically hurt their ears but you can make is so that they don’t freak out.

Prepare and plan

If you have not trained out the sensitivity to fireworks then be prepared for a known event and execute your plan. Here are some ideas:

Make absolutely SURE your pet is micro-chipped and that the chip is properly registered.
- This is absolutely the most important single thing you can do. Despite your best preparation and intentions, it is possible your panicked pooch could get out and just blindly run from the noise; sometimes for miles.
- Massive numbers of pets get loose in their panics and are lost every year during fireworks. A properly registered and functioning microchip dramatically increases you chances of retrieving your loved pet if they get out.
Provide a properly fitted Thundershirt of something similar
- Put it on well before the event. Soothing pressure shirts help a dog control their breathing and provide some amount of security but once the dog is scared, it’s too late; get it on beforehand.
Provide a “safe” room
- A room that is preferably small with no windows and no outside walls. Basically the most quiet room in the home.
- The room should be really familiar and be sure to put beds and toys that are familiar in with them.
- If you are not in the room then visit often and sooth him
Crate your Golden
- Put the crate in the quietest part of the home, preferrably near where you will be.
- Cover the crate so that it’s dark and warm; like a den
Provide familiar distracting noise
- Watch a movie that is not upsetting to the dog (Harley watches the TV closely and barks at horses, dogs and obvious villains)
- Play some soothing music
Be present
- Dogs are pack animals and more specifically for Golden Retrievers; people animals. Just being there and soothing them carries a lot of weight with your pup.
Play games inside the home
- Distract your pup with something she likes to do.
Provide some extra high value treats for good behavior
- Make it a very exciting treat. Maybe boil up some chicken and chop it into little bites and use it to reward good behavior.

Some combination of these ideas may help or prevent or cure the issue however it’s best if you do these things proactively before they are ever scared by the noise and smell. It is MUCH easier to prevent the panic than to cure learned behavior. If they are already scared it is never too late to soothe them and make them more secure but advance prep and execution is much more effective.

About the Authors

Please feel free to share this page:

Shipping Golden Retriever Puppies

The pet shipping policy at Texas TLC Goldens is simply: we don’t do it if the puppy will be in cargo. “But wait!” you say, “Doesn’t that limit your potential customers?”. The answer is: yes, but we don’t care. First, we require meeting our new puppy parents and a good parent should want to meet us as well. Shipping is also a “not fun” experience for the dog. We have had two very different experiences with shipping Golden Retrievers on planes, so we will relate them both and you’ll understand why.

Emma

We got our lovely Emma a few months ago from Europe; from Romania to be exact. We wanted the unique body style and color of a true “English” Crème Golden Retriever but it’s almost impossible when buying domestically to be sure you are getting exactly that since AKC does not recognize the European Goldens as being a different breed and does not note that anywhere in the pedigree. That said, unless both parents were actually shipped over from Europe with a proper “export pedigree” (yes that’s a thing) then transferred to AKC, you just don’t know so we knew we’d need to get the puppy directly from the source.

We found a good broker in Europe that has shipped well over 10,000 dogs, has outstanding reviews by the thousands and attractive policies. We asked extensive questions and required tons of paperwork and pictures before we closed the deal. The cost was not all that much more than a US based puppy even with shipping, so we moved forward.

Emma was 4 months old when she got on the plane. This is a minimum age for shipping since proper vaccinations must be complete; especially the rabies vaccine. She had a heath check by a certified vet just before departure and was placed in a fairly large crate with food and water and started her journey. The airlines used have a special compartment for animals that is properly heated and cooled and has proper cabin pressure. The animals are last on / first off to make their stay in the hold as brief as can be achieved and are never left out in the sun on a hot tarmack.

The first leg of her journey was from Budapest, Hungary to Dubai; a 5.5-hour flight. She arrived around midnight and was offloaded and cared for by what appears to be a really good quality pet service for the next 10 hours. She was bathed, fed, watered and given the chance to get out of the crate for a while. She boarded her last flight the next morning and then spent 16.5 hours in the air; just barely under the 17-hour maximum allowed by the airline. When she arrived in Houston, Texas she was not allowed out of the crate until she cleared customs which took another 3.5 hours, so she had spent 20 hours straight in that crate, most if it in the hold of an airplane.

When we picked her up the crate reeked; I mean REALLY smelled BAD. She was in shock by that time and scared to come out of it. We cleaned her up as best we could, put the crate in the back of our pickup and carried her wrapped in a blanket in the cab. She was quiet and withdrawn; that is until she spotted River and Harley in the back seat. She immediately came alive and was a puppy again! She was hungry, tired and still smelled bad, but she was a puppy again.

We made the short drive to our son’s home in north Houston then bathed and fed her. We also hosed out that horrible smelling crate so that we would not make people ill when we stopped to gas and get snacks. By the time we got home after a 4-hour drive, she was fully puppy again and already fitting in with the pack and has been a joy ever since.

Would we do this again? Maybe but only if there was no other choice. If you are not a breeder then there are few reasons to do this and I don’t recommend it, at all. We will likely need a good “English” sire in time so it’s possible if we don’t find what we need domestically but we really, really hated seeing how she arrived even though the broker and airlines did their level best to assure as much safety and comfort as possible. Emma is none the worse for wear now but that’s not the point.

Dexter

We wanted a beautiful dark Golden Retriever sire and our grandsons needed a puppy, so we decided to put the two things together and went on a search. Our rules were that he had to have dark and beautiful parents that were completely cleared for DNA defects and normal or better OFA clearances on hips and elbows. We were surprised how difficult it was to find what we needed in Texas. Most Golden Retriever puppies of this quality in Texas were either light or medium or had parents that were not fully tested and those that were had breeders so very proud of their dogs that it required a second mortgage to buy them.

We finally found what we wanted but, horrors, they were in update New York. The breeder was a really nice lady that truly cared for her 8 Golden Retrievers on 2 acres in her home and bonus: her husband is a practicing Veterinarian. The Dam was a sweet girl that was not too large and was almost mahogany colored with white accents on her belly. The sire was a magnificent looking boy that was quite dark all over and gorgeous long hair. Both parents were clear for everything we cared about but the Sire; he was a “carrier” for ich. This was almost a deal breaker since there was a 50% chance than any puppy in that litter would be a carrier as well, but the husband volunteered to have Dexter tested and he came back clear! Both parents tested normal or better on hips and elbows and the sire scored a very rare “excellent” on his hips! Typically getting full registration costs as least the price of the puppy (basically the puppy costs twice as much) but they made that bit affordable, so we could afford the trip.

Now the rub: how to get the puppy back to Texas. We were unwilling to ship a 2-month-old puppy in the hold of an airplane after our experience with Emma so we elected to have one of us fly up and carry him back in cabin. I even scored first class seats for the return flights on a sale. there was an extra fee for the pet in cabin but it was manageable. Sound good, right? Yeah read on…

I arrived in Syracuse, NY on a Saturday evening, rented a car and drove the 45 miles to pick up Dexter. I had a wonderful visit with the breeder and her husband and met all their dogs. I then loaded Dexter up in a small carrier of exactly the maximum size allowed to carry in cabin and drove back to Syracuse to a hotel for the night. I discovered when I arrived at the hotel that motion sickness in dogs can be a thing. I had never experienced it before since none of my dogs have ever had it but Dexter , did. He was miserable and a mess and scared, so I threw blankets on the floor of the hotel and slept with him after cleaning him and the carrier up and getting him fed and watered.

I resolved that I would prevent so much misery on the plane, so I called Terri; she researched and found that we should give him half a tab of Dramamine before the flight. I had a 7:30am flight so I got up at 3:30am and drove to a local Walmart to get the meds. As it turned out the first Walmart was closed so I had to find another, and Dexter spent over 30 minutes in the car during our search and again was sick. I’ll spare you the story of my walk through Walmart with a sick puppy but I got the medicine and gave it to him; terrified of what would happen on the flight.

Long story short, we flew 2 hours from Syracuse to Chicago and spent the 4-hour layover in the United lounge after a brief trip outside. We then flew the 3.5 hours from Chicago to San Antonio. Dexter was unhappy but quiet. He did not want water or food the entire journey, but he (and I) survived just fine. Dexter is now happy with our grandsons and a little ball of energy. He’s growing like a weed and should make an outstanding sire as well as a wonderful pet for our grandsons.

Your experience may vary but while the experience could have been better, it works. Knowing what we know now, if we decided to do this again we would come prepared with Dramamine and hand towels just in case. Not all puppies get motion sickness and frankly, this is our first but we’d be prepared.

Side humorous note: I carried Dexter in my arms 100% of the time when in airport terminals. This is not strictly permitted but I did it anyway. I now know what the beautiful people feel like in a crowd. Every single woman and child (without exception) and a few men immediately followed me with their eyes and smiled. Heads turned everywhere I went. Many wanted to pet him and quite a few asked questions. It was a surreal experience.

Summary

So, in the end, based on our experiences, even if we did not require meeting the prospective puppy parents, we do not ship our puppies in the belly of a plane, ever. If the parent wants to fly here and meet us and is willing to carry the puppy in cabin for the flight(s) we are fine with that but be prepared just in case…..

About the Authors

Please feel free to share this page:

Holiday Advice for Your Golden Retriever

Related image It’s that time of year again. Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner and you will likely spend time with family and friends celebrating. Remember that your Golden Retriever is family too! Your Golden wants to be with you and loves people but as much as we’d like to believe otherwise, Golden Retrievers are not actual people. Please give some thought to including them in a way that is safe and joyous for them as well!

Provide a Safe Space

Golden Retrievers love people and will typically want to be in the middle of things but this also adds stress. If you will be around lots of people consider giving them a safe space where they can relax and unwind a little when they need it. A kennel in the bedroom or even the back yard can serve if they seem stressed. Pay attention to them and give them a time out occasionally.

Watch What They Eat

While we at Texas TLC Goldens do not recommend it in most cases, many people feed their Golden Retrievers table scraps and other human food. This can be done safely in moderation but be very careful. Many human foods that are good and safe for us are just not safe for dogs and/or add useless calories. This is especially true during the holidays where sweets, chocolate and huge holiday meals abound. Please read the partial list of unsafe foods that we provided earlier and watch what they eat! Also be sparing with dog treats. While your Golden Retriever will love them, most commercial dog treats are full of very fattening calories and should be used as rewards that they earn for good behavior only and even then in moderation.

Do Include Them In the Fun!

Image result for picture golden retriever christmas Golden Retrievers love nothing more than doing things with their human parents and family. Let them join in! Take them with you if you are traveling if you possibly can. Leaving them behind is a very stressful thing and makes them sad. You can even dress them up and hang a special stocking just for them! If you do hang a stocking for your Golden Retriever we suggest that it be filled with safe toys rather than treats.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

About the Authors

Note to Webmasters and Facebook friends

Please consider sharing links to our blog posts if you find them interesting. It is a simple thing to do and sharing links not only spreads what we hope is good information, it helps our site.

If you are a webmaster and would like to post this article in it’s entirety, please contact us.

Thanks!!!

Please feel free to share this page: