Before bringing your Golden Retriever puppy home, I recommend that you give clear thought to the daily routine your puppy will have. You should chart out a daily routine with specific timings (like a time-table). This will keep it easy to structure his day. This will also be important to plan how your puppy will spend his time. Remember that if left alone to his own devices for too long, your puppy WILL get into trouble.
Plan his days right from the start – here are some questions to think about:
Who will wake up in the morning to walk him, feed him and allow him to relieve himself?
Who will be with him throughout the day? To have someone with the puppy all the time is often difficult especially when the parent works. In that case, think about what times in the day he must be alone and where will he be at that time. It is best not to leave a puppy alone for more than 2 hours at a stretch if possible.
How many meals are you going to give him? What are his mealtimes and what will you feed him (see
nutrition
)?
How often can you allow him outside so that he can relieve himself? Who will let him out?
Where does he relieve himself? Best to have a marked -off, pre-designated space (see
toilet-training
).
Where and with who will he sleep?
Taking the time to answer these questions and to map out the days of your puppy will allow you better understand the amount and type of care he needs. Also, this will give you an indication is you are indeed
ready for a dog
BEFORE you actually bring the puppy home.
Often a plan like this forces you to recognize and reconcile any time conflicts. You can make any needed arrangements well before the actual need arises.
Try to map out a daily schedule for your Golden Retriever puppy. This will give needed structure to his day and will allow you to recognize and resolve any potential conflicts.
