Pet Owner's Guide to the Golden Retriever

by Bargh, Bernard

• ISBN13: 9780948955433
• ISBN10: 0948955430
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-09-01
• Publisher: Ringpress Books Ltd

Summary

The golden retriever, with its friendly, outgoing character, its good looks and intelligence, is one of the most popular companion dogs in the world. Part of the Pet Owner's Guide series, this book is written by a British expert and covers all aspects of the golden retriever, from choosing a puppy, personality, and health concerns, through to daily care, obedience training, and breeding.

Table of Contents

In The Beginning	6	(5)
A brief history
Choosing a Golden Retriever
Breed Characteristics
Temperament
Buying a Puppy	11	(16)
Finding a puppy
Finding a breeder
Male or female?
Selecting a puppy
Housing and bedding
Equipment you require
Arriving home (Paperwork; The first night)
The first weeks (House training; Finding a vet; Worming; Exercise; Sleep)
Feeding (Complete feeds; Orthodox; Natural; Vegetarian)
Diet sheet
The Next Steps	27	(10)
Lead training
The first outing
Preparatory work
Teaching manners
Jumping up
Heel-work
Chewing
Establishing a routine (Exercise, Preparing food; Grooming; Bathing)
The veteran Golden
Standard and Show	37	(13)
Interpreting the breed standard
General Appearance
Temperament
The head
Shoulders, topline and stifles
Coat and colour
The champions
On with the show
Types of shows (UK and America)
Learning to show your dog
Trimming
Entering a show
Final preparations
Dog show bag
Your own bag
The big day
Judging
Ring procedure
The Versatile Retriever	50	(9)
Gundog Training
Lessons for the owner
Obedience
Walking to heel on the lead and the `sit'
Walking to heel off the lead
The `stay'
`Come'; Retrieving
Game Retrieves
Gunfire
Obedience Competition
British titles
American titles
Agility
Other roles
Breeding	59	(9)
To breed or not to breed
What age to mate
Breeding programmes
In-breeding
Line breeding
Out-Crossing
Choosing a stud dog
The in-season bitch
When to mate
The mating
Post-mating
Whelping and Rearing	68	(8)
Detecting Pregnancy
The in-whelp bitch
Whelping quarters
Equipment for whelping
The whelping
Post-whelping
Care of the bitch and puppies
The bitch's diet
Nail trimming
Worming
Weaning
Selling the puppies
Health Care	76
General Maintenance: Inoculations
Exercise
Grooming Worming
Ectoparasites (Fleas, Lice, Ticks, Mange). General Observations: Motions
Sickness and Vomiting
Refusal of food
Temperature
Common Ailments: Anal glands
Pyrometra
Kennel cough
Cystitis
Growths
False or phantom pregnancy
Hereditary conditions: Hip dysplasia
Hereditary cataract and PRA
Entropian
Osteochondritis
Epilepsy