Making Our Golden Feel At Home

by Mary
(St.John's NL Canada)

We have recently got a 4 year old Golden to our family,she is a little nervous when some people try to pet her, mostly females,......is this normal? or is there anything that we can do to make her feel more at home? We love our new family member and our kids love her too and we want to help make her feel more at home and comfortable....any ideas??


Response from Golden Retriever Magic:

I am happy to see you have adopted an adult Golden girl. Yes, her behavior is likely very normal. Just like humans, different Goldens have distinct personalities and their reactions to certain situations vary as well.

That being said, I am not certain what kind of life you Golden has led up until coming to your loving home. She may have been with another wonderful family or she may have had an abusive owner. Regardless, the move to another home is a major adjustment for her (perhaps even more than it has been for you).

Be patient with her, as you are doing. Introduce her to may different understanding and gentle people, particularly women, so she gets more and more used to them. Have these women gently pat your Golden and give positive reinforcement in the form of praise and treats.

In time, your Golden will learn that the people you introduce her to are friendly and caring. The hope is to condition her to understanding this and condition her out of any prior experiences she may have been harboring.