Why is my golden retriever so obsessed with food
Why does my Golden Retriever drool so much? - 11 Reasons
Beinga dog owner, it is quite usual to see your dog drooling so much. The mostcommon causes of dog drool may be due to its happiness, excitement, or the sightof food. This behavior can be called normal.
Ifyou are having Golden Retriever as your pet, you may have noticed that hedrools just because of his love for food. Because of their larger jaws ascompared to other breeds, goldens are likely to drool while drinking orexercising.
But, if your Retriever drools much more than normal routine, thenthis situation can be alarming. Retrievers have a tendency to drool when theyare stressed or panicked about something.
In this article, the causes of excessive drooling or hypersalivation will bediscussed along with their possible treatments and consequences if not treatedin time.
Reasons for Excessive Drooling / HyperSalivation
11. High Temperature/ Hot Surrounding
It is a well-known fact that the Golden Retrievers are found in their best when the surrounding is cold. If you notice the unusual drooling in your Golden Retriever when the temperature has specifically increased in your surroundings, then it's because it is too hot for your retriever to bear.
It is a hell of a task to keep the retrievers cool. If it's hot out there, then it becomes necessary for you to take measures to control your Golden Retriever's body temperature to control excessive drooling.
Solution:
To cope with this issue, your retriever should have enough drinking water to maintain his body temperature. Don't forget to groom your dog to make him lose fur free so that air gusts can be felt on his skin. You should also make sure to have an adequate shaded area for your retriever.
10. Anxious and Worrisome
Another reason for hypersalivation of your Golden Retriever is that he is worried oranxious about some event. There could be a number of such events that canincrease the level of uneasiness in your Golden Retriever.
Maybe the addition of a new pet to the family is the problem as Goldens are said tobe obedient and they are keen on keeping their owner happy. The other event fortoo much drooling in your Golden Retriever can be at the time when you areleaving your home for some work.
Solution:
Tokeep your Golden Retriever at ease, it is necessary to make him feel that he isirreplaceable. There is a chance that his favorite treat does the trick.
9. Dental and Gum Problems
Dental and gum problems can also be the possible causes of Golden Retrievers excessive drooling.There is a chance that tartar enlargement is stroking against its cheeks and hence causing the drooling. To confirm this problem, you can pull your Goldens lip towards his ear and try to look if there are decaying teeth, unusual redness in gums, inflammation, or bleeding.
An injury in the mouth or broken teeth can be the cause of excessive drooling. You can confirm the hidden dental or gum problem by the gestures of your Golden Retriever. There might be some object stuck between your retrievers teeth causing drooling.
Solution:
If your Golden is refusing to eat, moaning or sniffling excessively, or is not in good mood, then try to consult your vet as soon as possible.
8. Liver Problems
The liver problem in your Golden Retriever can be another cause of excessive drooling. If your Golden is suffering from hypersalivation, then dont be late in visiting the vet and getting your Golden Retriever examined as soon as possible. There are some symptoms of the liver problem in your Golden Retriever such asclumsy movements, change in mood, weakness, etc.
7. Consumption of Poisonous Material
Theremight be a possibility that your Golden Retriever has consumed something whichis poisonous. If there is sudden drooling accompanied by foaming in the mouth(in serious cases), then it confirms the consumption of poisonous material.
The common cause for this situation may be due to the consumption of an insectwhich is poisonous or the plant with toxic properties. Golden Retrievers arehaving a strong tendency to lick things very often. This tendency lets them landin unwanted situations as mentioned in this paragraph.
Solution:
If drooling withfoaming is increasing, you should visit the vet as soon as possible.
6. Craving for Food
Anothercommon cause of drooling is due to carving for food by your Golden Retriever.If you notice that the excessive drooling starts whenever food is seen by yourGolden, then it is certain that he is expecting some food to eat.
Solution:
This cause of drooling is not very serious. You can control thisdrooling by following some steps. You should try to keep your Golden Retrieverfrom seeing the food very often. Try to present the food when its time for himto eat.
Another step is to present the food in the spots where you dont mindhaving the drool of your Golden. Try to sit in another room while eating thefood so as to control the excessive drooling of your Golden Retriever.
Here are the Top 10 DIY Homemade Dog Food Recipes to make it for your dog during the weekend
5. Motion Sickness
Whiletraveling in your car or a bus, if you notice excessive drooling in yourGolden Retriever, then it might be due to his motion sickness. Due to motionsickness, most of the Goldens are not at ease, therefore they start to drool.
Solution:
To control this behavior, a professional vet will recommend you the rightmedication. With proper medication, this problem can be solved without anydifficulty.
4. Objects Stuck Inside Mouth
Dogsjust love to chew everything regardless of their worst effects. If your GoldenRetriever is having something stuck in his mouth, then this can lead to theexcessive drooling. Due to some wires, pieces of strings, or bones sticking inthe mouth, there can be seen hypersalivation. To prevent this situation, eitherkeep an eye on your golden retriever or let these types of things placed awayfrom his reach.
Solution:
If there is something unusual in your golden retrievers mouth, just tryto remove it. This act should stop drooling. If you cant find anything inthe mouth, try to take your golden to the veterinary doctor as soon as possible.
3. Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus Condition
Thecondition in which there is a blockage in your dogs intestines or twisting of the stomach is known as Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus. Due to this problem, GoldenRetrievers wont be able to vomit the confined food, water or expel the gas in theirstomach, causing excessive drooling.
Solution:
Due to this problem, your golden retriever may be in a lot of pain. Inthis case, one should be proactive in visiting the vet to get the necessarytreatment.
2. Damage To Nerves
If your Golden Retriever had been in an accidentdue to which there was damage to his trigeminal nerve, then this can be anotherreason for unusual drooling. Dogs with this type of nerve damage cant closetheir mouths completely which leads to uncontrollable drooling. Nerve damage canblock your dogs potential to move its facial muscles efficiently due to whichthere could be a problem while having food or drinking water.
1. Rabies Causing Excessive Drooling
Rabiescan also be a serious cause of hypersalivation in your golden retriever. Theeffective duration of rabies vaccination is only 1 year. After this duration,it is necessary to get your golden retriever vaccinated.
Rabies vaccination is not only good for yourGolden Retriever but also for your family. In case of a dog bite by your unvaccinatedgolden retriever, there will be an infection of rabies to the bitten one.
Controlling Excessive Drooling
Thereare a number of things to do so that you can prevent the excessive drooling ofyour Golden Retriever. Some of them are written below:
Thepossible step to control hypersalivation is to find out the exact reason ofthis problem. Always try to check your Golden Retrievers mouth for unwantedobjects. If you find any unwanted object, try to remove it immediately.
Ifyou cant find the possible problem, then get your retriever checked by the vetto get the proper medication.
Dueto excessive drooling, there can be an irritation on the neck of your goldenretriever making him uncomfortable. You should tie a bandana around your goldenretriever to absorb the drool to remove the stickiness of the fluid.
Placinga washable towel near the food bowl of the dog may help in controlling thedrool. Its because dogs drools much when anticipating food.
Alwaystry to feed your golden retriever at least three to four hours before going ona ride in your car.
Youshould always try to dry the mouth of your Golden Retriever after coming backfrom an exercise or long walks. An exercised golden retriever will drool morethan usual.
Comment below and let me know are above reasons that cause your dog to drool or other reasons which I'm not cover!
Golden Retriever Behavior Problems: Common Issues & How To Fix Them
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Is your golden retriever struggling with some behavior problems?
Welcome to the life of a golden retriever parent!
Experiencing behavior issues from your golden retriever is totally normal, and in this article, well address some of the most common behavior problems and how to fix them.
Lets dive in!
The Truth About Golden Retriever Behavior Issues
No golden retriever is perfect and if yours is misbehaving, thats totally normal.
But heres the good news: all goldens have the potential to change their behavior and you can have a well-behaved golden with just a little bit of work.
Even if youve tried in the past to train them or stop a certain behavior and failed, its not a permanent problem.
And yes, golden retrievers are wonderful dogs with really good reputations, but that doesnt mean theyre all perfect angels.
They can definitely be tough to handle and in this article, youll learn how to do that.
How To Stop Bad Behavior In Your Golden Retriever
There are several ways to fix bad behaviors in dogs, but this article is going to cover these four:
- Satisfy their needs
- Give them a job to do
- Remove the temptation
- Dont reinforce bad behavior
First, well talk about these four overall strategies and then well get into the specifics of how to stop certain behaviors.
Are Your Golden Retrievers Needs Being Met?
Have you ever been around a baby late at night?
My nephew is one year old and if hes still awake at eight or nine oclock, he starts to get tired and fussy.
Its totally understandable its late for him and hes tired!
And you should think about your golden retrievers needs the same way.
Are they being bad because theyre tired and they need a nap?
Are they acting out because youve been at work all week and they want some attention?
Are they misbehaving because they want to play with you, but you havent had time to?
When theyre misbehaving, ask yourself if their sleep, play, and attention needs have been met, and if they havent, that may be your solution.
But those arent the only needs that need to be met.
There are also physical and mental stimulation needs.
A Tired Dog Is A Good Dog
Many of the behavior problems youre struggling with could be fixed or diminished if you exercise your golden more often (both physically and mentally).
Golden retrievers were originally bred to retrieve gunned down birds for their owners.
They had to work all day running through fields, streams, and marshes
It required a lot of energy to do all of that work, so being full of energy and desiring a job to do is in their genes!
But these days theyre house pets that we want to cuddle on the couch and watch Netflix with.
Can you see how your golden might be bored and looking for an outlet for all of their energy?
So the question is, how do you mentally and physically exercise your golden?
Here are seven ways to do that:
1. Give them puzzle toys
My golden retriever, Oliver, has a ton of energy, so we give him a lot of puzzle toys.
We give him frozen kongs often, which is where we take some of his food, soak it in water for ten minutes, stuff it in a kong, then freeze it.
It takes him anywhere from 10-20 minutes to get all of the food out and he absolutely loves them.
Plus, they use up a ton of mental energy.
Also, we dont use food bowls anymore.
We have a rubber ball that we put his food in and he has to roll it around to get his meals out.
This way, he earns every meal so its mentally stimulating (and also fun and rewarding).
2. Teach them to love chew toys
Dogs naturally love to chew and it releases feel-good endorphins.
If your golden is anxious or has a lot of pent-up energy, getting them to go to town on a chew toy will do wonders for them.
Check out this article to see our favorite chew toys and how to get your golden to love chewing on chew toys.
3. Play games with them
Not only will games help you bond with them, but theyll also physically wear them out.
You can play tug or fetch, or (especially if you have a mouthy puppy) you can use a flirt pole to play with them.
4. Take them on walks
Taking your golden retriever on a walk will allow them to sniff, which will help with the mental stimulation, as well as get a little physical exercise.
Usually, with Oliver, we go on walks and sprinkle in some training throughout.
5. Train them
Challenging your golden retriever by teaching them new things and making them earn treats and praise is a great way to burn off some of their mental energy.
Plus, when you challenge them and they overcome those challenges, that will help build confidence and give them a sense of satisfaction (both of which will help decrease bad behaviors).
Check out this article to learn how to train your golden retriever.
6. Set up doggy play dates
Most goldens love playing with other dogs, so if you have a friend who has a dog, or you meet some people in an online dog group, that could be a great way for them to get some exercise.
We recently attended a local golden retriever meetup and Oliver absolutely loved playing with all of the other goldens.
7. Take your golden to daycare
A few times a month, Oliver goes to doggy daycare and he has a blast.
Whenever we pull up to the building he realizes where we are and he gets so excited.
One of the workers there even told me he has a girlfriend!
Now, the best news is that the entire day after a full day of daycare, Oliver is wiped out, so hes not so crazy those days and we love it.
Remove The Temptation
One day, seemingly out of the blue, Oliver developed the bad habit of digging into the trash can in the office.
He would grab Post-it notes, tissues, crumpled up paper, anything
Then he would run around the house and try to get us to chase him to get it back.
Eventually, we got fed up with it, so we moved the trash can on top of the desk for a few weeks.
He got out of the habit, and now we can use the trash can in peace again.
Are there any temptations for your dog that you can remove, either temporarily or permanently?
Can you put your shoes in the closet so your dog will stop chewing them?
Can you use a baby gate so your dog cant go into your kids playroom and steal toys?
Can you not give them a certain toy that they become aggressive or possessive over?
Also, maybe youre the temptation!
If your puppy is biting you, leave the room.
If theyre jumping on you when you walk in the door, put an exercise pen around the door so they cant get to you right away.
Yes, some of these techniques might fix the problem temporarily, but theyll help by:
- getting your puppy out of the bad habit
- giving you time to work on good manners and training
- giving you time to work out a schedule where theyre sufficiently exercised
Give Your Golden Retriever A Job To Do
Your golden can only be doing one thing at a time.
For example, they cant chew up your shoe and chew on a chew toy at once.
So if your golden is doing something you dont want them to do, give them something else to do that you do want them to do.
This is called redirection.
Here are a few examples
If theyre barking, get them to chew on a chew toy.
If theyre jumping on you, ask them to sit.
If theyre biting your fingers, give them a plush toy to bite.
When they do do the behavior youre asking for, make sure to praise them and let them know theyre doing a great job.
And heres a bonus tip: get them to do something you want them to do before they do the thing you dont want them to do.
Eventually, theyll stop their bad habit and do something that theyre rewarded for.
Now, no matter how much you exercise your golden, or how often you redirect them, if youre positively reinforcing the bad behavior, things just might get worse
What Are You Reinforcing?
Lets say you walk in the house and your golden jumps on you.
Of course, you love them so much and youre so excited to see them, so what do you do?
You give them pets and tell them how much you love them.
Every time you do that, youre positively reinforcing them for jumping on you.
Or what if youre on a walk and all of the sudden your dog smells something very interesting a few feet ahead of you.
They pull on the leash and you let them go up to the smelly smell, which makes them happy because they get to check it out.
In this scenario, youve just rewarded them for pulling on the leash.
So if your golden is misbehaving, really take a look at how youre responding to their behavior.
Are you accidentally rewarding and positively reinforcing this bad behavior?
If you are, that could be adding to your problem.
Is My Goldens Bad Behavior Just Because Theyre A Puppy?
Theres no question about it, golden retriever puppies can be a little on the naughty side.
For one, they dont know right from wrong yet.
They dont know that theyre not supposed to pee in the house, or what theyre not supposed to chew.
You have to kindly and patiently teach them what you want them to do.
Puppies also love to have fun.
Of course, your idea of fun and their idea of it might be completely different
Chase is one of most puppies favorite games and if they grab your socks and you chase them, thatll encourage them to keep doing it.
This goes back to the, what are you reinforcing? question.
Be sure to not give in to their games and accidentally reinforce bad behavior like stealing socks.
Another thing is puppy biting.
Puppy biting is actually very important for their development, so even though it seems like bad behavior to us, its actually necessary.
When they bite its not that theyre being aggressive, its just that theyre puppies and its what they do.
Eventually, your puppy will stop biting around four months old, then theyll get into their rebellious teenage years, then theyll finally calm down around two to three years old.
You can learn more about the golden retriever puppy timeline here.
Common Golden Retriever Behavior Problems
Here are several common golden retriever behavior problems:
- jumping on people
- pulling on the leash
- destructive chewing
- demand barking/demanding attention
- puppy biting
- digging
- aggression
Now, lets talk about how to fix them.
How To Stop Your Golden Retriever From Jumping On People
You can get your golden retriever to stop jumping up on people by exercising them before they see people they might jump on, and then redirect them by asking them to sit.
One thing you dont want to do is give them attention or pet them while theyre jumping on you.
You can learn more about how to stop your golden retriever from jumping on people here.
How To Stop Your Golden Retriever From Pulling On The Leash
There are two ways to get your golden to stop pulling on the leash:
- Reward them for not pulling
- Dont reward them for pulling
If theyre walking nicely next to you, give them praise and treats.
But when they pull, they want to go forward, so if you let them go forward, youre reinforcing that behavior.
Instead, stop or turn in the other direction.
Eventually, theyll learn that pulling doesnt get them what they want, but sticking by your side does.
Also, the more tired your golden is, the less likely theyll pull.
So before you go for a walk on a leash, play inside or in the backyard with them to get the edge off.
Click here to learn about teaching your golden retriever to walk on a leash without pulling.
How To Stop Your Golden Retriever From Chewing Up Everything
Chewing on things in the house is all about removing temptation and redirection.
If your puppy is chewing your shoes, putting them in the closet will immediately fix the problem.
If they never get a chance to start the bad habit of shoe chewing, then theyll never chew on shoes.
But what if your puppy is chewing on something less movable, like your furniture?
This is where the redirection comes in.
Calmy interrupt them and get their attention with a chew toy.
Then, when they start chewing on the chew toy, praise the heck out of them.
Eventually, when they have the desire to chew, theyll look for one of their chew toys.
How To Stop Your Golden Retriever From Demanding Barking
If your golden retriever is demand barking at you, they usually want playtime or attention.
First, make sure their needs have been met.
If they havent, then meet them!
If your pup is all taken care of and they just want extra attention or playtime, dont give in and positively reinforce their demand barking.
Instead, remove yourself from the situation then (when theyve stopped barking at you) give them a chew toy.
Now, the next time youre in a situation where they might start demand barking at you, make sure their needs are met and that theyre tired and occupied with a special chew toy before they start demand barking.
How To Stop Your Golden Retriever Puppy From Biting
All puppies bite its completely natural, but I know that doesnt make it any less painful
So if your puppy is biting incessantly, try these four steps:
- Exercise your puppy (remember, a tired dog is a good dog)
- Give your puppy something else to bite (redirection)
- Let them know that their biting hurts
- Remove yourself from the situation if it intensifies
You can learn more about how to stop your golden retriever puppy from biting here.
How To Stop Your Golden Retriever From Digging
Digging comes naturally to dogs, so dont be surprised if your golden is a digger.
To stop destructive digging, make sure your golden is physically and mentally stimulated enough.
A tired dog will likely not be a digging dog.
You can also redirect their attention with a toy or a game.
Also, dont leave them outside alone where theyre free to dig to their hearts content if you dont want them to be digging.
But if they really really love digging, you can give them a safe and less destructive outlet to dig, like their own sandbox.
How To Prevent Aggression In Your Golden Retriever
One of the best ways to prevent aggression in your golden retriever is to properly socialize them.
Show them that other people and other dogs are ok by giving them positive experiences with them.
Now, if your golden is being aggressive, go get professional help.
A professional trainer will help you understand why your dog is being aggressive, what triggers their aggression, and how to fix it.
Conclusion
Although golden retrievers are wonderful dogs, theyre not angels all the time and can sometimes be a little naughty.
To stop behavior problems from happening:
- make sure their play, sleep, and social needs are met
- keep them mentally and physically stimulated
- redirect them to do something you want them to do
- stop accidentally reinforcing bad behavior
Have any questions about golden retriever behavior issues?
Let me know in the comments below!
And if you know someone who has a golden with some behavior problems, please share this with them!
P.S. If you liked this article, youll love our guide to training golden retriever puppies.
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