[Me_and_Koda]

On July 8th me and my family will be getting an 8 week old golden retriever pup. Me and my family don't really know how to fully prepare for a golden or any puppy really. We know that you need basic things like food, water, leash etc. But this is also our first puppy. Even though we already know the basic things we would love to get some info on what else we need to do to get our house ready and what else the pup needs. I hope we learn many new ways to prepare for our furry friend!

 

[CAROLINA MOM]

Welcome to the forum.
Congratulations on your new little one.

Here is a thread that might be helpful for you-

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com...62978-10-products-help-survive-puppyhood.html

The Puppy up to 1 year section has several threads you may want to read through, they are at the top of the section and are called "Stickies" .

Golden Retriever Puppy (up to 1 year) - Golden Retrievers : Golden Retriever Dog Forums

 

[Swampcollie]

Take a yard stick and put tape line on the stick at 24". Walk around the house and take note of everything that is below that height. Everything 24" and blow is "fair game" for an 8 week old puppy. If you don't want it peed on, pooped on, barfed on, chewed up or eaten, move it out of the puppies reach. In most homes, puppy proofing can be a pretty big task.

 

[Foster's Mom]

In the weeks leading up to Foster coming home, we read A LOT of information about training, neutering, the best foods, etc. While you have the time, do a bunch of research and reading.

We also researched veterinarians and once we chose one, we had the first visits all set up before we brought him home.

Keep in mind the first couple of weeks your puppy will probably need to sleep in the crate in a space where he can see your bed. We dragged Foster's to our door frame because it wouldn't fit all the way through, but he could still see us.

 

[nolefan]

Before and AFter Getting your Puppy by Dr. Ian Dunbar

Golden Retrievers for Dummies

Look for these books used on line and read them now BEFORE the puppy comes home.

At my house the puppy is confined to the kitchen because there are no rugs to ruin and this is where my family spends the majority of our time. We mostly live in the kitchen when there is a puppy in the house.
The trick to making this work is a crate, baby gates and an exercise pen.

If you haven't started researching a good vet as suggested above, now is the time. Get referrals from friends. You should LOVE your vet and feel that he or she LOVES dogs.

If you haven't started researching a good place to take puppy kindergarten classes, now is the time to start finding one. I recommend looking for "dog training clubs" or "obedience clubs" in your area. Not Petsmart. Getting a GOlden Puppy for your first dog is like jumping into the deep end of the pool, they are wonderful dogs but they are more work than the average puppy. Your whole family is going to need to have an understanding of how much supervision, training and exercise your puppy is going to need every single day for the next couple of years. It is absolutely a lot of fun, but this is going to be a big commitment.

 

[Charliethree]

Before and After You Get Your Puppy can be downloaded.

https://www.dogstardaily.com/files/BEFORE You Get Your Puppy.pdf

https://www.dogstardaily.com/files/downloads/AFTER_You_Get_Your_Puppy.pdf

 

[Gleepers]

Take a yard stick and put tape line on the stick at 24". Walk around the house and take note of everything that is below that height. Everything 24" and blow is "fair game" for an 8 week old puppy. If you don't want it peed on, pooped on, barfed on, chewed up or eaten, move it out of the puppies reach. In most homes, puppy proofing can be a pretty big task.

This made me laugh. So true.