Grooming, Exercise and Training

Wellington, age 3 years

Golden Retrievers do not require an extraordinary amount of grooming. Brushing their coat weekly, plus cutting back their toenails and trimming the hair between the pads of their feet and around the ears once a month, lowers the risks of encountering a matted coat and hot spots, infected ears and toenails so long your dog rocks back on it's paws, possibly causing orthopedic problems as it ages.

For the how-to's of grooming your Golden Retriever, we recommend the following:

On-line Grooming Tutorial with photos
Grooming Your Golden DVD or VHS

Stone, age 10 weeks

Golden Retrievers are an active, energetic sporting breed.   Daily walks or free exercise are important to their physical and mental health, as well as socialization with other people and animals.

It is especially important not to force exercise Golden Retriever puppies during their first two years. Bone growth plates are still growing and might be injured during hard exercise. Swims, daily walks on soft surfaces, and casual short hikes on flat ground are great exercise for puppies. Avoid jogging, biking, trotting behind a moving car or steep climbs and descents with Golden Retrievers under the age of two.