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!
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
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.
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