Puppy or Adult? Your Choice
I admit, I’m prejudiced. For me, one of the true rewards of being a parent to a Golden Retriever is the pride of watching him grow. As a puppy, a Golden Retriever is a ball of nonstop fun. I enjoy watching the fuzzy dynamo grow from an awkward young baby (with four left feet!) into a gangly adolescent and finally into a full grown, well-trained adult.
It’s fun helping a Golden find his way as he matures. Make no mistake about it, this special parenting requires a special class of patience – and endurance.
If you happen to have this kind of patience and time, then a puppy is the correct choice. Having worked diligently with your new friend in his younger years, you’ll discover a delightful result – an unmistakable, unbreakable bond: unconditional love. Your loving four-legged friend will never leave you.
But beware, if you don’t pay attention to the small details of puppy training, the result could be disastrous. You may end up with one hyperactive, overgrown, unruly dog.
Now that’s food for thought. And that’s also why many individuals decide to adopt a full-grown adult dog. A well-trained adult Golden Retriever can be the perfect pet, saving time and energy that you would have to expend on a puppy-raising project. You don’t have to worry about the canine getting adjusted to you. Remember the overarching friendliness of this dog. He’ll start loving you practically from day one!
There’s only one slight disadvantage to adopting an already-trained adult. It may prove difficult to “untrain” him of any already established bad habits.
Puppy or adult? You know your situation best. Keep this one point in mind: If you choose a puppy, you can “custom train” him to the demands and circumstances of your own home.
Still More Choices
If you believe that adult or puppy is the only choice you have in the selection of a Golden Retriever, you may be in for a surprise. In your quest for the perfect pet, you inevitably will be faced with another question. Will this dog be a show dog?
It may surprise you if you’ve never owned a show dog before how many individuals answer yes to this question. Many people purchase a puppy from a breeder, then raise it on their own and take pride in showing it.
Don’t think you need to purchase a pup in order to be a parent to a show dog. If you’re interested in showing your pet – but not raising him from a pup – then an already mature show dog may be in your future.
The advantage here, moreover, is that you already know the full beauty of the dog, as well as his quality for show purposes.
Male or Female?
What? Another choice? ‘Fraid so! You’ll be pleased to know that when it comes to Golden Retrievers, this choice is of little or no consequence. In some breeds, deciding on a girl or boy may make a difference; when it comes to the Golden Retriever the differences are slight. The females are every bit the wonderful pet the males are, and the difference in size is negligible.
The only situation where the choice of sex appears is if you’re selecting a dog for breeding purposes. If your goal is to start a kennel, then a female is your logical preference.
If you’ve decided the Golden Retriever is a match for you, congratulations! You’re on the way to becoming the parent of one of the sweetest, kindest dogs on the planet. Now, you just have to choose one out of that litter . . . or that litter . . . wait look at the pup in this litter!
