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The Combination Approach To Feeding Your Golden Retriever

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Although you can get commercial food for your Golden Retriever, the ideal way to feed is to use a combination approach of both commercial food and fresh people foods.  Most commercial food is good for your Golden, although it lacks nutrients and vitamins that fresh food has.  Vets will tell you that fresh food is good, providing you don’t overdo it.  Golden Retrievers love fresh food as well, as they can smell it a mile away. If it smells good to them – they’ll want it.

Most commercial foods will offer your Golden great sources of protein and vitamins, although fresh food contains far more essential sources.  Chicken and meat for instance, have far more protein and minerals than any type of commercial dog food.  Fish is another great choice, as it contains a lot of the protein your dog needs to maintain a healthy brain.

All dogs are well within the capacity of staying healthy, although you need to provide them with the minerals they need.  Each dog is an individual, meaning that you can’t continue to feed him the same food on a daily basis.  Golden Retrievers love people food, and they also love variety.  What they need one day may vary the next, so you should always mix it up a bit and give them something different each day.

To be on the safe side, you should give your Golden a little bit of everything.  This way, he will get everything he needs with his diet.  When you design the diet for your growing Golden Retriever, you should always make sure to include animal protein.  This is very important for your Golden, as he has to have it.  Without animal protein, your dog will find himself literally struggling to stay healthy.

To keep your Golden Retriever healthy, it is very important that he gets quality nutrition.  Although quality nutrition is very important, you should never him eat so much that he gains weight too fast.  If you monitor his diet and know exactly what you are feeding him, he should remain in his weight class.  Sometimes this can be hard to help though, especially if your Golden starts to develop allergies to a certain type of food.

If you ever have any questions regarding the diet of your Golden Retriever, you shouldn’t hesitate to ask your vet.  Your vet could make some recommendations for you, even tell you the best type of commercial food for your dog.  Depending on his individual needs, what he requires may be totally different than what another dog needs.  As long as you keep your dog on a healthy diet and make sure he gets the food he needs – he should grow to be a healthy dog with plenty of energy.

The Combination Approach To Feeding Your Golden Retriever courtesy Dog Articles.

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Helping The Mother Dog Give Birth

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Sometimes you may have to assist the mother while she is giving birth.  Puppies are usually delivered head first in a diving position while some are born tail and hind legs first.  If the mother is having a hard time with the delivery, you can help her by gently pulling out the exposed puppy as she restrains.  However, if only the legs are out, call the vet immediately for advice.  If the mother does not lick the newborn puppy, you will need to remove the membrane from his face and clear the fluid from his nose and mouth.  Rub the newborn puppy vigorously with a towel in order to stimulate his first breath.  Do not handle the newborn puppy more than what is necessary.

Helping a weak puppy after delivery

Once the puppy has been cleaned, check to make sure that he is breathing properly.  If he looks normal but appears weak or lifeless, gently but firmly massage him with a towel, particularly around the head and the chest.  A puppy that stays in the birth canal for a long period of time results in a lack of oxygen to the brain.

If he is still not breathing after you are finished rubbing him with a towel, suspend him by his hind legs for a few seconds to allow the fluids to drain from the air passages.  Gently shake him while keeping a secure grip on his hind legs.  This should stimulate him to start breathing.  Once the puppy is breathing, keep him warm and comfortable by wrapping him in a towel until the mother has finished giving birth.  When the whelping has finished, show the weak puppy to his mother and make sure that he finds a productive nipple.  Observe him for a few days to ensure that he is not bullied by stronger puppies in the litter.

The mother normally chews through the umbilical cord.  If she does not, you can tie off the cord using a thread about 2 inches from the puppy’s belly and then cut it on the opposite side of the knot, away from the puppy.  Be very careful when doing this and do not pull on the umbilical cord.

Sometimes the mother may reject the puppy if it is taken away.  In this case, bring the puppy to her and allow her to lick him and then place him where he can suckle.

Helping The Mother Dog Give Birth courtesy Dog Articles.

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Can Dog Food Make My Dog Less Aggressive?

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There is no direct link between dog food and aggression in dogs.  It’s probably not possible to point to one particular dog food and say that you shouldn’t feed it because it will make your dog more aggressive.  However, feeding a dog a generally poor diet can be a contributing factor in aggression.

There are studies which have suggested that feeding a dog poor quality foods can contribute to aggression.  Preservatives and sugar in dog food may be linked to hyperactive behavior which may increase the possibility of aggression.  Artificial coloring in some foods have been linked to aggression, hyperactivity, timidity, learning difficulties and other behavioral problems.  Insufficient cholesterol in the diet may also be a contributing factor in some dogs since it is needed for proper brain function.  Poor diet can also contribute to allergies which can, in turn, increase a likelihood of aggression if the dog is in any kind of physical distress.

At this point some of these links between diet and aggression have only been suggested.  There may be little scientific data to back up the assertions. But a poor diet can worsen health and temperament problems in general.

None of this speculation changes the fact that all dogs need to be raised with firm and gentle kindness.  Puppies should be well-socialized from an early age and introduced to lots of other friendly people and dogs.  But dogs should also be fed a good, nutritious food.

Dogs in general should have a diet that begins with several named meat sources.  Owners should try to avoid generic fats and proteins.  They should avoid foods that use corn gluten meal.  They should avoid meat by-products and digest.  They should avoid BHA, BHT and Ethoxyquin (artificial preservatives).  They should look for foods without artificial colors, sugars and sweeteners.  Look for foods with fewer grains.  Look for foods that meet AAFCO specifications.

If owners follow these suggestions then they will usually find good dog foods.  If there is any truth to the idea that dog foods can contribute to behavior problems and to aggression, then these foods will be much less likely to have a negative effect.

One theory that should be debunked is the idea that feeding your dog meat leads to aggression or that feeding your dog a vegetarian diet will make him more peaceable.  Your dog is a carnivore in the broadest sense.  He is actually an omnivore in practice – something of a scavenger and able to eat lots of different kinds of food.  But physically, he needs meat protein to survive and be healthy.  Feeding your dog meat or diets that are based on meat protein do not make him aggressive.  They merely meet his dietary needs.

On the other hand, feeding your dog a vegetarian diet can lead to poor nutrition.  Your dog is not a vegetarian in any way, shape or form.  One of the reasons that you so often hear corn and other grains blasted for their use in dog food is because they are vegetable-based and, therefore, harder for your dog to digest.  The same is true for vegetarian-based diets for dogs.

They are harder for your dog to digest and they do not contain the meat protein that your dog needs to be healthy.  In addition, they do not make your dog more peaceable or do anything to prevent behavior problems.  In fact, by contributing to poor nutrition, vegetarian diets are likely to worsen behavior problems.

Can Dog Food Make My Dog Less Aggressive courtesy Dog Articles.

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Rabies: Is Your Dog At Risk?

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In almost every case of rabies, the infection is fatal. All mammals (including humans) are susceptible to this virus infection, which causes an acute infection of the brain. During the illness disturbances of behavior are noted, which in some species results in unprovoked aggression and the biting of other animals. This is usually the case with an affected dog. And because the rabies virus can be present in saliva, bites and licks from infected animals can spread the disease.


The good news is that the rabies vaccine is very effective in preventing the spread of rabies to pet dogs and cats. And, rabies vaccinations are required by law in most areas, which helps to protect both people and pets. These vaccinations are considered to be core vaccines for dogs and cats.


The particulars of the rabies protocols differ slightly from one state to another and even from one veterinarian to another, but typically, the first vaccine is given to puppies at 12 weeks. A rabies booster vaccine is given a year later and then it is administered either annually or every three years.


Insuring that a pet receives and keeps current with the rabies vaccine is an important component of dog ownership. It protects the family of the pet, the pet itself, as well as other animals and people. When a person is bitten by a dog one of the first things checked is the veterinarian record.


In most cases, if the dog is current with his vaccines, according to the state protocols, the danger of the individual being exposed to rabies is considered negligible. But if the dog was not vaccinated it is likely that the animal will be quarantined for a period of ten to fourteen days. In most cases, the owner of the pet will be responsible for the cost of this confinement which will take place in a secured facility.


Incubation in a person is usually three to eight weeks but it can be as long as two years. Initial symptoms may include numbness around the area of the bite, fever, headaches, and general fatigue.


If a dog is bitten by a rabid animal or is suspected of being infected with rabies the outcome will be much more positive if the dog has been vaccinated against rabies. If so, in most cases the pet will be re-vaccinated and confined for a period of time (which varies from state to state, generally from 30 – 50 days).


If the animal was not vaccinated and the exposure is confirmed the usual recommendation is euthanasia for the pet. Otherwise, the pet is quarantined for a lengthy period of time, often for as long as six months. The confinement takes place in a secure facility and the pet owner is liable for the expenses incurred. Fines are also assessed for not having the pet properly vaccinated.  If the dog shows signs of illness euthanasia is likely.


When an animal is infected with the rabies virus the infection or virus is replicated in tissues throughout the body and it eventually reaches the brain. When it does there is personality change in the animal. The dog is likely to be aggressive and dangerous to be around. Soon afterward the animal’s throat is likely to become paralyzed, preventing him from swallowing. In this phase you are likely to see drooling or foaming at the mouth. Death usually occurs within ten days from the time the brain of the animal becomes infected.

Rabies: Is Your Dog At Risk courtesy of Dog Articles.

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