Golden Retriever Wallpapers & Awesome Cuteness Ahead

As you might imagine, golden retrievers are a bit of an obsession for me. I'm constantly looking for images of the breed, when I'm not training or playing with my own pup. Check out the awesome images I've found today.

These golden retriever wallpapers will make your day:

• A Golden Labrador - this is a mixed dog, between a Labrador Retriever and a Golden Retriver. Incredibly cute as you can observe, even though it's still a pup.
• The Golden Cocker Retriever - this mixed breed is a combination between a Cocker Spaniel and a Golden Retriever.
• Goldendoodle Puppy - though not an adult dog yet, you can already see that it's going to be a grooming nightmare, haha.

Quick Tip Of The Day: Training a Dog to Bark Less

Humans have difficulties understanding what’s going on in another human’s head, especially if he is of the opposite sex. We have even greater difficulty understanding another what goes on in the head of other species.

For example, when we hear our kid crying our first instinct is to go there and tell him that everything is alright, hug him and so on. he stops crying because we made him feel better and assured. That may work well with children, but by doing this with your dog when he’s barking or crying for attention you’re actually teaching him that barking will get him what he wants and that’s not reassurance, it’s the plainly getting you to turn your head at his direction or come over.

The best (and maybe the hardest for those of us with neighbors) thing to do is to ignore your dog’s barking and come over and praise him when he’s quiet.

Quick Look At The Golden Retriever Breed

AKC Group: Sporting

Country of Origin: England

Life Span: 12-plus years

Function: Hunting also all around companion

Color: Very blond to dark red or auburn

Coat type: Double coated; thick weatherproof topcoat and a soft dense undercoat

Grooming: Frequent brushing at least twice a week

Height/weight: 

Males: 23-24 inches/65-75 pounds

Females:211/2- 221/2 inches/55-65 pounds

Activity: High

Intelligence: High – Dominating the obedience ring and are strong competitors in hunting trials, tracking and agility. They can make exceptional assistance dogs as well as patient therapy dogs. Good with children and other pets. Exceptional companions, as with any animal always with adult supervision.

Temperament: Friendly, reliable and trustworthy

Home Environment: Live indoors, with outdoor exercise

Attitude toward Strangers: Will bark and then offer to carry your best silver to the car

Golden Retrievers Waiting To Be Rescued

These golden retrievers are waiting to be adopted. They are in good health, are current on their vaccinations, they are all free of heart worms and have been spayed or neutered.

Bonnie             ADOPTION PENDING 

Bonnie is an approximately 11 week old golden puppy we pulled from a local animal shelter. She is your typical loving, playful, "hey do you want to pet me?" kind of girl. She needs to go to a home with a fenced yard so she can run and wear off some of her puppy energy. If you are interested in Bonnie and have children, they should be at least 6 years of age.

Frank              

Frank is our Alabama boy that came to us in such a pitiful condition. He has gained some weight and his hair is slowly coming back. Frank is wonderfully sweet. He loves to walk with his leash in his mouth and hey if he can't walk with his own leash-he will walk another dog with their leash in his mouth. He should go to a home with a fenced yard as he is a young boy and still active. He loves to eat-no surprise there, car rides, and loves everyone he meets. Because he came to us from a shelter, if you have children, they should be at least 8 years of age.

Taylor              

Taylor is a 5 yr old golden that we pulled from a local animal shelter. He is crate trained and housebroken, gets along well with other dogs and seems to be ok around cats. He lives to play ball so a fenced yard and someone with a good throwing arm is a must for this boy. Like most of the goldens that come to us he needs an obedience class but he lives to please. Because he came to us from a shelter, if you have children, they should be at least 8 years of age.

Hefner             ADOPTION PENDING 

Hefner is an approximately 2 yr old male we pulled from a shelter in Alabama. He is extremely sweet, has some obedience manners, loves to carry his blanket with him in case he needs a soft spot to lay down on. We think he was hit by a car and his previous owners never had it fixed. His front leg is a little crooked, but it doesn't seem to slow him down or bother him. Hefner is a wonderful boy who would make a great addition to any family. Because he came to us from a shelter, if you have children, they should be at least 8 years of age.

George                        

George, is a 1.5 year. His mother was a golden and dad was a handsome dark stranger. He and his 12 brothers and sisters came to Dixie along with their pure bred mother on their birthday. They were born in an area shelter and rescued within hours by a Dixie volunteer. The pups became the "Beatles Litter". George is housetrained, crate trained, loves to sit in your lap and snuggle. He weighs less than 50 pounds so you hardly know he is there. He would get along well with an bossy cat, but a timid feline would live under the bed. George has lived with his foster mom since he was born. She gave a Scooby birthday party for all the pups last year and everyone had a wonderful time. If you want a great boy to sit in your lap and want to become a special member of the Dixie Family than this boy is for you. Because George is a mix, we are reducing his adoption fee to $175.

John                 

John, like his brother George is a member of the "Beatles litter" He is 1.5 years old, weighs less than 50 pounds, he is crate trained, housetrained and would do well with a bossy cat. John's foster mom would like to find a family that would love him and bring him to birthday parties and "Beatles Family outings". The other 10 pups from this litter have all found homes of their own and have been perfect fur kids. Because John is a mix, we are reducing his adoption fee to $175.

Why Golden Retriever and Goldendoodle Exercise is a Must

There are many ways to keep your dog fit and happy.  One of the best is by exercising your Goldendoodle on a daily basis, which can go hand in hand with Golden Retriever training.

Just like in humans, exercise offers the same benefits: helps prevent (and reverse) obesity, may delay some age related conditions, improves temperment, andpromotes overall health, among other things. Exercise also provides for a better behaved dog — a dog that doesn’t have to channel his energy toward destructive behaviors.

How much exercise is enough?  When I’m putting my Golden throught his paces in the backyard, I generally let him decide when he’s had enough.  I’ll throw — and he’ll retrieve — rubber ball after rubber ball, and when he’s had enough he’ll lay down and rest for a while or become interested in something else entirely. 

However, how much exercise your Golden Retriever needs depends on many additional factors like age, size, weather, and how healthy the doy already is.  I know that for my three year old Golden, a nice 15 minute walk around the block would be a good start — but he needs something more vigorous each day. Another thing that will influence his needs is whether he is a purebred dog, or if it's a mix. A Goldendoodle might have different needs for example, because he might've inherited that side from his poodle parent.

As always, check with your veterinarian before instituting an exercise regimen, especially if your Golden is largely sedentary now.  Find out from your vet what exercise would be best suited to your particular Golden Retriever.

Use common sense: If it’s hot outside make sure your Goldendoodle has plenty of water available, and if he wants a rest, let him rest.  Be vigilant for overexertion.

Here are some quick exercise ideas:

Go Fetch.  Retrievers, as the name implies, excel at this type of activity.  With practice you can teach your dog to bring objects back to you and drop them at your feet.  Training a Golden Retriever to retrieve is relatively painless.

Your local dog park can be a great exercise outlet for your Golden Retriever, plus it works well for socialization training, but only if your Golden gets along well with most dogs. 

Swimming is great exercise for Golden Retrievers.  Look for safe spots for your dog to play in the water, including ponds and lakes with public access that allow pets.  Swimming is easy on the joints and is a great cardiovascular workout — for both dog and owner!

Dog Training - Important Lessons For Puppies

Sit is one of the simplest, and I think the most important, lessons that your puppy should learn.

Take the treat between your thumb and first finger and place it in front of your puppies nose. The great thing about using the liver is it’s strong smell. When you see that you have your puppies attention let the puppy have the treat for free. Take a step back and then offer a second treat. You will quickly discover that your puppy has figured out that when your hand goes forward with your two fingers together that a treat is avaiable.

With your puppy standing facing you, take the treat in your fingers straight to your puppies nose and slowly move the treat in a straight line over the puppies head towards the tail and say clearly SIT.

By passing the treat past the nose and then above the head you are attempting to make your puppy lift its head up and naturally fall back into the sit position.

When your dog falls naturally into the sit position give the dog the treat and make sure you follow up with positive reinforcement to let the puppy know that you are pleased and they have completed the task. I am a big believer in positive reinforcement. If you show the dog that following your commands results in praise they will be more likely to continue following your commands. This will make the dog training experience positive for both you and your puppy. Repeat the task 4-6 times and then let your puppy play.

Remember you have a puppy, so training sessions should be short and sweet. Treats should be used every time in the beginning stages of training. As the dog begins to make the connection between your command and what they should do, scale back the treats but continue the positive reinforcement.

Why is “SIT” so important. Your dog can’t pull you around at the end of a leash if your dog is sitting. Your dog can’t jump up on a person if they are sitting. Your dog can’t knock over a small child if it’s sitting.

Sit is a simple and very effective way to keep your dog safe and enjoyed by all who come in contact with you and your dog.

Some dog owners will use a clicker in place of a dog treat. If you would like more information on dog clickers please read our article on dog clickers and how and when to use them.

Buying Guide to Dog Collars For Owners

When you compare features of dog training collars, remember that not all these features match your needs. So what features do you need? Let this article help you in your search for dog training collars that are perfect for your pet.

Varying ranges – decide if you need short, medium, or long range

Short, medium, and long distance are the usual choices for transmission range. Short if you’re letting your dog roam the yard, medium if you’re taking your dog out on the park, and long if you’ll be bringing your hunting dogs to the hunting grounds or working dogs out on the farm.

Ruggedness – the collars should survive getting soaked, the transmitter getting dropped

You may have hunting, working dogs, or merely some small toy dogs running around your backyard, but it’s comforting to know the collar will still work when wet. Some owners see their dogs running back indoors when it rains. It’s not uncommon to find some dogs that stay outdoors, despite the rain. With a collar that’s designed to be waterproof, you can still mange to send a signal, a call back to your dogs, even when the collar (and your dog) is really wet.

Rechargeable batteries are better than buying new ones over and over

Battery life has something to do with being ruggedly designed and being waterproof. The device on the collar is better able to survive getting soaked if it did not have parts that could be removed easily. So you want collars with batteries that need not be removed, as with a child’s toy. When the power indicator says battery low, just plug in the collars into any outlet and come for them later.

Docking station – recharging speed and other benefits

Although collars often come with power cords and recharging units, it’s often good to have a dock. It’s more of a cradle recharging station, neat to look at, and helps keep things tidy. Docks usually help keep wires tidy. The price of course can be affected by getting such an item. Or if the recharging wait time is not significantly upped by getting a docking station compared to just plugging both collar and transmitter to the outlet, perhaps you can dispense with this item. Best to check with different models in case the added features appeal to you.

Expandable collar count – in you want more collars, or you get more pets

You’ll notice which packages (transmitter and collar/s) come with single or more collars, and which ones can accommodate more collars – these are the expandable types. The foregoing info may be of use to you, especially when you start thinking of getting more dogs, or more training collars. Some farmers or hunters, satisfied with some brands, tend to get more collars. It may happen to you.

Golden Retriever Training

Training your Golden Retriever can be a great time investment after welcoming your new family member.  While Golden’s are naturally affectionate and friendly, an untrained Golden Retriever — especially a young one — can be a handful.  Remember: A full grown Golden Retriever can be upwards of 70-80 pounds of frolicking, bounding energy, and can easily knock a person to the ground.  (Just ask my kids.)  They’re naturally given to jumping up to greeting people “face-to-face” when meeting someone for the first time.  Fortunately, Golden’s are very receptive and obedient when it comes to being trained.  But owners should plan on dedicating the time and effort (with patience) to make training truly effective and long-lasting.  Golden Retriever training can be fun and will pay off in the long run.  And your dog wants to please you, so it could be a great experience for trainer and trainee alike.

More resources to follow soon, but here’s a quick tip for puppies that want to chew on everything.  (Golden’s are retrievers, after all, and spend lots of time “mouthing” everything from the sweater your just bought to your hands.)  Set aside some designated chew toys for your Golden early on — and make sure that you dispose of toys that have become damaged from play.  You don’t want your pet swallowing the “squeekies” that come out of those things.  A stern “No!” will usually stop inappropriate chewing, and then be sure to replace the inappropriate item with a toy.  Be consistent with this and always praise good behavior when training golden retrievers.

Golden Retriever Potty Training

Fewer things can be more frustrating than potty training dogs when it comes to teaching your new pet the ropes.  Golden Retriever potty training (and specifically, training golden retriever puppies) in this respect is no different.  So, with that said, here are some handy tips for starting.  Your puppy will need to “eliminate” usually within 10-20 minutes of eating or drinking, so be sure you have the time to spare at feeding time.  Also, let your dog out first thing in the morning, after naps, and, of course, right before bedtime.  You’ll be establishing a schedule that your dog will begin to understand and adhere to.

Expect accidents, especially for puppies younger than 16 weeks old, and definitely for puppies new to your home environment.  When accidents happen, don’t make a scene about it.  Just clean it up calmly, almost ignoring your dog as you’re doing it.  However, rewarding your dog for eliminating in desired spots (in the backyard, for example) will accelerate successful and permanent potty training for your Golden Retriever.  A treat and a few loving pets will suffice to let your Golden Retriever know you’re pleased.

Here are some signs to watch out for when your dog is about to eliminate, whether in your house or outside: Sniffing around the floor while walking in circles is a dead giveaway that your dog has to go — get him outside in a hurry!  Then of course there is the obvious, like standing by the door and whining.  But also watch out for when your dog hides behind furniture or moves to the other side of the room away from you.  These are sure signs that your Golden Retriever (or any dog for that matter) is about to let loose, so take action and get your pet outside quickly.

Potty training dogs is a must.  After all, what’s the alternative?  And as with all training, a good dose of patience is required with Golden Retriever potty training.