Exercise and training

My favourite place in the whole world..


Apart from this one...

Lillevenn does her fair share of imitating a couch potato, however she and her puppies come from working lines and therefore like wide open spaces and more importantly the opportunity to practise what they were born to do - retrieving! Working lines need a certain amount of mental stimulation to keep them happy. Lillevenn practises retrieving regularly for fun with the Southern Golden Retriever Club and in April 2011 took a more serious step and won her first working test (beginners class).
For more on training a gun dog see Lillevenn's breeder Christine Bridgwater on Countryfile (March this year):
click here

Because golden retrievers are susceptible to hip dysplasia, it is sensible not to put too much wear and tear on joints until dogs are 12 months. This means avoiding jumping (even climbing stairs should be avoided for a small puppy). Small puppies get all the exercise they need from play. For older puppies, a useful rule of thumb is to limit walks by the age of the puppy as follows: 13 weeks = 13 minutes walk, 20 weeks = 20 minutes and so on. By the time a puppy is 12 months they will have worked upto almost an hour's walk.