The food you feed your dog is his or her sole supply of vitamins and nutrients. Feeding a quality food is extremely important. Different dogs will have different nutritional needs and it is up to you to determine you dog's needs. Choosing the correct food is not difficult once you understand a little about food and how it is labeled. The ingredients are listed in order of amount, by weight, contained in the food.
All dog food contains protein however, not all proteins are equal. There are different sources of protein and some are more digestible than others.
If the dog is unable to digest the protein, what vitamin and nutrients are in the food are simply passed through the body and eliminated in the stool. As a rule, grocery store foods contain poor quality proteins. Many of these companies do not consistently use the same ingredients but whatever happens to be cheapest at the time. Without a fixed recipe you can never be sure of what you are getting from bag to bag. Grocery store foods also contain a large quantity of cheap fillers. Nutritionally, these have little value and are present to make the dog feel full. All the dog can do with these fillers is produce big stools.
Premium foods are more expensive because the quality of the ingredients is better. The premium companies take great care to produce consistent, nutritionally balanced foods. Higher digestibility means more of the food is broken down and absorbed by the body. The more food digested, the less there is to eliminate which means smaller stools. The more digested, the less food that needs to be fed per meal. This means that premium food are a better value and may cost less in the long run than a cheap, grocery store food, PLEASE CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING BRANDS: Purina ProPlan; Nutro's Natural Choice or Nutro Max; Eagle; or Iams. These are quality foods that are nutritionally sound. Purina O.N.E. is the only food traditionally sold in grocery stores that may compare, but please consider one of the other brands first.
Once you have decided on a brand, you need to determine which type best fills you dog's needs. Food is categorized according to protein/fat content. They are listed on the label as Crude Protein/Crude Fat. Generally speaking, the higher the numbers, the higher the energy level of the dog must be. While the numbers may be slightly different, they are usually close to the following:
Feeding your dog a food that has more protein and fat than he or she needs is asking for an overweight dog. Senior dogs may also benefit from a lower protein/fat food to reduce the stress on their organs. The kidneys and liver filter out the excess from the body and the less work these organs have to do the better it may be for the dog. Organs can wear out and our golden oldies need as little stress in their lives to make their "golden" years the best we can make them.
Keeping your dog at the proper weight is extremely important. Excess weight causes increased stress on bones and joints. Over a period of time this can be a factor in the development of arthritis and aggravation of hip and joint problems. Too many dogs grow old before their time because their body's have worn out from having to carry too much weight.
To determine if your dog needs to lose weight, examine your dog while he or she is standing. Stand over your dog place your thumbs on the backbone, run your fingers over your dogs ribs. You should be able to feel ribs easily, without having to use much pressure. If the ribs are well covered by fat and are not easily felt, a diet and increased exercised is in order. If the ribs are protruding you may need to increase the food by half a cup or so. It is easier to put weight on than to lose weight so increase the food slowly, about a half cup at a time. If you notice a weight loss and you have neither decreased food or increased exercise you may need to consult your veterinarian.
Many dogs have special dietary requirements. Some are allergic to certain foods or may require more fat in their diets (even with a premium food). Itchy, flaky skin, sparse hair, poor coat condition, or persistent indigestion could be signs of a food allergy, inability to digest certain proteins or foods, or lack of sufficient vitamins in the diet. In addition, if your dog vomits whole chunks of undigested food several hours after dinner (3 or more) your dog may be having a problem digesting the food he or she is eating and may need a different diet. If you feel your dog may have a special nutritional or dietary requirement, consult your veterinarian or a person knowledgeable about canine nutrition. A change in food or a vitamin or a fat supplement may be needed.
We recommend that you feed your dog two meals a day. Divide the daily rations in half and feed breakfast and dinner.
ALL dogs require exercise. You need to tailor that exercise to the age, ability and condition of the dog. Even our Golden oldies need exercise to stay as young and as active as possible. Start slowly, always consider your dog's age, physical condition and limitations, and make sure it is fun for both of you.
Swimming is the best possible exercise your dog can get. If you are lucky enough to have a nice clean pond, lake or river to let your dog swim in take advantage of it. Please be careful however, to make sure the water is clean of garbage and debris. Your dog can easily cut himself severely on debris under the water. If you have ANY doubt please find another location. After swimming you will need to make sure your dog's ears are clean and you may want to rinse or even bathe your dog to wash away the "pond scum" or salt water. This will help to keep the coat clean.
Walking is good exercise for both of you. It provides time together (something every dog loves); mental stimulation for your dog (so MANY different smells) and physical exercise. If you wish to bike your dog, particular care must be taken. Dogs can easily cut a pad running over sharp rocks or glass. Pads can be scraped or burned running over hot pavement (think of your bare feet!). Jogging on grass will reduce the amount of pounding on the joints. It can be difficult to control both your dog and your bike if you choose to exercise that way. There is a devise called a "Springer" that is designed to help.
A caution to people who have young dogs. In dogs as in children, it is important not to cause an undue amount of stress on a developing body. Many breeders recommend that no serious running or jogging be done with a dog under the age of two. It is felt by some that pounding and stress of joints at a young age could lead to orthopeadic problems later in life. Remember that hip displasia is common in Goldens and it may be wise to take every precaution. This is certainly not a "for sure" so, as with everything, use your best judgement.
Whenever you exercise your dog, whether it is in your back yard, on the beach or at the park. ALWAYS insure you have cool water for your dog to drink. Dogs can quickly be overcome by the heat (see section on hyperthermia). If you do not have access to cool water and/or shade or the weather is hot and/or humid DO NOT EXERCISE YOUR DOG!! The only way your dog has to cool off is through panting. Heat and humidity can severely impair the effectiveness of panting. If your dog can not cool down and collapses from the heat you have very little time to try and help. Brain damage or death can quickly result.
When you exercise your dog you need to remember many of the same precautions people need to remember when they work out. Care must be taken not to push your dog too far or too fast. Dogs can experience stiff muscles, cramping, aches and pains, too. If you and your dog are "weekend warriors" you can both expect to be stiff and sore on Monday morning. Consistent workouts (i.e.: walks, swims, fetch sessions, etc.) during the week will help to keep you both in shape.
Many dogs will continue until they drop in an effort to keep up if they feel that is what their master wants. This does not mean that your dog is stupid, it means our dog has a high will to please, please you that is. You, as the master, must decide when it is too hot, too humid, too cold, or too far.