Puppy Care
2 Year Health Guarantee
We here at Hearts Of Gold believe SO strongly in Life's Abundance Dog food that we offer a 2 Year Hip Guarantee against genetic moderate or severe hip dysplasia, and retinal eye disease on all of our Golden Retriever Puppies that are kept on Life's Abundance Pet food & wellness supplements for their first 26 months of life. Click here for more
Online Puppy Training Course
EVERY Hearts of Gold Puppy Parent is given a Free 7 Day Trial to our highly recommended 8 Week Puppy Training Online Video Puppy Training Course ~ the Puppy Academy.
We highly recommend this course because you can start right the moment you bring your puppy home! You will have to wait 16 weeks, otherwise, for vaccinations before enrolling in another puppy class. The Puppy Academy Online course comes with 8 weeks of step-by-step video instruction, powerful visual aids, and activity sheets that will help you transform your nugget one lesson at a time! With this course, you will also be given access to our bi-monthly dog training webinars with one of our certified dog training experts, who will offer timely tips and advice and answer all your puppy training questions!
If you love the PuppyTraining Course (which we know you will), it is high value at an affordable cost of only $29.99/month. No contracts or hidden fees and you can cancel anytime!
What is included with your puppy:
Limited AKC Registration Application or Full AKC Registration if you have decided to purchase a puppy (with Hearts of Gold's approval) for breeding or showing, and a copy of your new puppy's pedigree.
Your puppy's vaccination/deworming records.
Personalized New Puppy Care Information Folder. We provide you with all the information you will need to continue providing top-quality care, nutrition, training, and love for your new puppy! You will also be provided information on spaying/neutering your puppy to protect his/her health and prevent unwanted breedings.
Dewclaws ~ We do NOT remove dewclaws as new studies are linking dewclaw removal to potentially causing arthritis problems in your puppy.
Lifetime support for the life of your puppy!
What we recommend when driving your puppy home:
If you are driving your puppy home we recommend the following for the drive home:
A travel crate for the ride home
Old towels or blankets to place in his crate to keep him warm and help him feel more comfortable. If you'd like us to rub one or two on his litter-mate, let us know. The smell often makes him adjust to the crate easier.
A water dish in case he/she needs a drink during the ride home. However, we don't recommend this unless the drive is more than about two hours. Also, unless the drive home is more than four or five hours, please don't feed him until you get home as he/she may get car sick and/or have to go potty.
You may want to bring along some paper towels and even some wet wipes in case of an accident on the way home.They do happen from time to time.
A couple of toys for the drive home may help keep him calm and cry less---sometimes not.
A collar to wear when you are not leash training. This is the collar that will have your puppy's ID tags on it.
You may wish to bring one or two gallon jugs with that we can fill up for you so you can mix it with your own water at home and make this change gradual as well. We have well water here that does not contain any chemicals whatsoever. A sudden change of water can make people sick, and can really cause problems with a little puppy.
What we recommend when flying your puppy home:
If you are planning on flying with your puppy, you will need the following for the flight home:
Airline approved soft travel crate.Veterinary signed
FDA Health Certificate, required to be allowed on a plane (we will provide this for you ~ just make sure you give us advance notice so we have this ready for you!)
Puppy Potty Pads (10-12)
Chew ToysPortable plastic water/food dishSmall Bag ofLife's Abundance All Life Stage Dog Food
NOTE: We can give you some great flying tips during our final Puppy Phone Appointment chat so you are sure to have an uneventful, successful flight home with your sweet puppy!
Items to have on hand in preparation for the big Go Home Day:
His food. We STRONGLY suggest you continue to feed him the best quality, most digestible food we've ever tried, Life’s Abundance Adult and Puppy Formula. If you choose to continue feeding Life's Abundance Nutritional System for the first 26 months of your puppy's life, we offer a solid 2-year Health Guarantee. Click here for details. We believe that these products provide the optimum nutritional benefits ensuring good health and longevity for the dog, which is why we are willing to stand behind this guarantee.
Please order your puppy's food ASAP, so you'll have it in time for his/her arrival at your home. The website to order your Life’s Abundance Nutritional System is www.PetNutrition4U.com. Or you may call your Life's Abundance order in at 1-877-387-4564, but you will need to give them our Representative ID numbers, 20973596. We recommend “Auto-ship” every 8-10 weeks, based on the weight of your Golden Retriever. Remember to place your order on Auto-ship, as this will save an additional $17.77! To feed your adult Montana Mist dog weighs 70 pounds, it will only cost you approximately $78.44 a month to feed your dog the very finest premium dog food and vitamins on the market today, We challenge you to find a healthier commercial dog food and vitamin supplements for less money! You won't, so why not just stick to what your puppy is already used to and doing wonderfully on he/she will have one less thing to adjust to when he/she leaves our home to become a member of your family.
However, should you choose to switch to a different brand, please mix it with the bag of food we send home with him to avoid too much stomach upset or loose stools. Also, make sure it is a completely digestible food that DOES NOT contain CORN, WHEAT or SOY!!! These ingredients are only fillers which will cause excess and often loose stools. They are not good for dogs--ever!! Plus, these ingredients can cause severe allergic reactions in dogs, even if there is no history of allergies in the lines.
Good quality treats for training and rewards. Use only in small amounts, as too many can cause digestive problems and/or diarrhea. Also, poor quality treats can contain unhealthy ingredients, much like feeding a newborn baby French fries. Remember also, it's not the size of the treat that you give your puppy, it's the fact that you were happy with him and let him know by rewarding him with a treat. A tiny piece is PLENTY!! Life’s Abundance also sells excellent quality dog treats, which we recommend, so you know you're offering a healthy treat that your puppy will LOVE!! Here are just a few of the quality treats we use and highly recommend you have on hand for your new baby's arrival:
Ceramic or stainless steel food and water dishes.
A large 36 to 42 inch crate for house-training. Don't bother buying a smaller one as Golden Retriever puppies grow very quickly and will outgrow it in no time at all. We prefer and recommend wire crates over plastic ones. For one thing, most of them come with dividers that allow the crate to grow with your puppy and make housebreaking quicker. Also, your puppy will not feel like they are being punished just for existing if they can see you and not feel separated from you. Goldens are very social dogs and the last thing he/she ever wants to be away from you. Also, remember that ALL PUPPIES will chew. You won't want to give your puppy free roam of the house until he/she is passed this stage. Not only can they wreck your new shoes, but they WILL chew electrical cords, which can be extremely dangerous--and expensive to replace. You'll want to keep him crated whenever you are not able to supervise him. A puppy is a lot like a 12-18 month old baby. Even human babies need to learn where to go potty and what they shouldn't put in their mouths. Please do not expect your new puppy to act like a dog!!
Old towels or blanket that can be washed easily or thrown out should they become soiled or chewed up. Don't waste your money buying a cutesy bed for your puppy, as it'll likely be chewed the first night. Wait until he/she is at least 12-18 months before trying to use something you'd like to last more than one night. When a puppy is bored, he'll chew....
Speaking of chewing... LOTS of chew toys. We've found that puppies love little stuffed animal toys that squeak. Rope toys are also a favorite, as are rubbery squeaky toys. Tennis balls are another favorite. Raw-hides are not recommended as they can cause choking hazard if puppy is able to bite off pieces.
A good collar for when you are NOT leash training your puppy. You should also get him an ID collar tag that contains your contact info, in case he should get lost—your new puppy will also be micro chipped for additional identification protection. We also recommend using a martingale collar for leash training. The results you will achieve when you use one of these will amaze you. Plus, they are safer than the old fashioned choke collars, and are absolutely safe for your puppy as long as he is in your sight when wearing this collar. You do not want your puppy getting caught up or tangled with this special collar if he were to get out of your sight.
A fenced in yard. We require all of our puppy parents to have a securely fenced yard to ensure a safe and happy environment for their new puppy. Golden Retrievers are active, curious dogs who love to play and explore, and a fenced area gives them the freedom to do so safely. When our moms have puppies, they and their little ones stay inside our home for quite a while, but once they’re ready to explore outdoors, the fence keeps everyone protected while they learn their boundaries—something Goldens pick up on quickly because they’re such smart dogs!
The First Few Days at Home:
Just a little advice on what to plan for and expect for the first few days living in your home:
The first few days can be quite stressful for your new puppy, as everything is a change for him! He will already be weaned off of his mother, but will still be very used to sleeping with his littermates so will be a little lonely and likely cry at night when in his crate. We strongly encourage you to drape a sheet over the entire crate so that he can’t see out. This creates a den type atmosphere in which he will feel safe. Expect some fussing for the first two to three nights, the first night of course being the worst. If after he falls asleep for a while, he wakes up again and starts to cry, he probably needs to go potty. When you take him out to go potty, keep it all business, NO playing or praise whatsoever. If it's no fun to get up in the middle of the night, he'll soon decide it's not worth it and just sleep through the night for you. However, if you make it fun, he'll look forward to that special playtime and continue to wake up to play at 3 a.m. for months! Remember, you're the responsible one and have to make the rules. If you let him call the shots, he will and they likely won't be what you have in mind. Typically they can sleep for several hours at night. If they hear you get up, plan on taking them out. So keep those late night trips to the frig quiet. haha
I usually throw some kibble in the crate to get them to like going in. I will often times feed them their meals in the crate. You will find them racing to their crate and jumping in expecting to be fed.
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