When getting any dog, it is important to consider what the breed typically needs. This will help you determine if the particular breed will be a good choice for you and if your lifestyle will allow you to provide good care for the dog you want to get. It may be difficult to know what to look out for when determining the needs of your dog. Generally, people will start health concerns and similar things but is that enough?
Your Goldendoodle will need a lot of time and space to allow them to be active and get enough exercise. In addition to physical exercise, you will also need to stimulate your dog mentally. You should also make sure to feed your Goldendoodle regularly with appropriate food.
This article will provide you with some general information about your Goldendoodle’s needs and few opinions on how to go about them. It will also talk about different ideas on how to mentally stimulate your dog to ensure the dog is as healthy as possible in all aspects.
How active are Goldendoodles?
Goldendoodles require a bit more activity than other dog breeds. This is due to their naturally high levels of energy. Because of this, you must let your Goldendoodle be active on their own and encourage them to exercise as well as mentally stimulate them. This will lead to them always being ready for any kind of activity. If this is not the case with your Goldendoodle, it will develop behavioral issues due to frustration caused by the restriction of movement and decreased activity.
The most important thing is that your dog can walk around. Goldendoodles are naturally active, and their behavior involves a lot of running, jumping, and similar activities. Ideally, it would help if you let your dog play around in a fenced-off yard to allow it to move at will. A great function to this yard would be a doggy door or any other way that will enable your dog to enter and leave outside space whenever they want to. This is important because another very prominent Goldendoodle trait is their socialization and lovable character. This makes them bond with their owners and family much easier than other dogs.
If you don’t have access to the outside area around your living space, you can take your Goldendoodle to play outside. Their playful nature and wanderlust personality make them perfect four-legged companions for a variety of different adventures. You can take your Goldendoodle on walks, runs, or even longer hikes. In comparison to other dog breeds, Goldendoodles are at the top of the list of dogs who enjoy playing in the water, so that swimming can be a great option.
How much exercise do Goldendoodles need?
Due to their high level of energy and their need for activity, Goldendoodles need many exercises. Unlike most other dogs, which will be content with a quick walk around your neighborhood twice a day, Goldendoodles will require a bit more exercise. The general recommendation is at least 60 minutes daily for an adult dog, but this can vary depending on many factors such as size and personality. To ensure your Goldendoodle doesn’t get harmed because of too much exercise, you can contact your veterinarian to get a more exact number.
Goldendoodles are more obedient and athletic than most dogs, making them perfect for dog sports such as agility training and obstacle courses. If you don’t have time for dog sports, you can make a small course in your yard or even inside your apartment.
What can you do to mentally stimulate your Goldendoodle?
Goldendoodles are among the most intelligent dog breeds out there. To keep their mind sharp, make sure to stimulate them regularly mentally. This will make sure your Goldendoodle doesn’t turn to destructive behavioral patterns. There are a few different things you can do to ensure your dog’s brain works properly, such as make them work for their food, let them sniff and explore while on walks, get them to puzzle toys, teach them tricks, play games that involve their sense of smell, teach them names of the toys, let them play on obstacle courses or play shaping games.
Making your dog work for their food is the easiest method you can apply. It is based on involving your dog in the process of feeding more actively. One of the most popular ways of achieving this is hiding your dog’s food. Start with some easy-to-find places and, with time, progress to more difficult places. This stimulates the dog’s brain because it encourages behavior that comes to dogs naturally. If this is too troublesome for you, many food dispensers require some way of dogs involved, which will have the same effect.
While on walks, it would be a good idea to let your dog explore their surroundings. This will help them in creating an image of the world, and this will excite any dog. This type of walk will promote sensory enrichment and help your dog to lean into its instincts. This kind of walk will usually tier your dog much more than regular walks. If you are not able to let your dog wander around, train them to start this process on command.
There are many puzzle toys out there that will challenge your dog. It will stimulate your dog’s natural problem-solving traits and, once the dog is successful, will boost its confidence. Generally speaking, your dog needs around 15 minutes of this kind of stimulation. Teaching your dog tricks or naming their toys will provide the same stimulation.
The shell game will also stimulate your dog. This game works the same way as it works with people. You place a treat under one of the three shells. Once your dog has noticed where the treat is, move shells around and let them point out where it is.
Shaping games involve leaving your dog with a single item in the room with your dog. Let the dog figure out on their own what to do with it without any verbal commands. Make sure your dog associate wanted behavior with sounds like clicking.
Important things to note about Goldendoodles’ nutrition?
To make sure your Goldendoodle is healthy, they need proper nutrition. It is recommended to avoid giving your dog any human food because the spices can negatively affect your dog and irritate its stomach. The best choice for Goldendoodles is dry kibble high in protein and fat. A bonus of this choice is the positive effect on dental health as it is known to remove plaque.
It would be best if you fed your dog twice a day, 10 to 12 hours apart. However, some dogs may have issues with eating properly and will not stop once they are full. This can irritate the dog’s stomach and sometimes even vomit. You can also consult your veterinarian, who will be able to give you more accurate information based on the age and weight of your dog.
If your dog doesn’t have any of these issues, it will eat whenever they are hungry. This means you can leave some dry food in your dog’s bowl and fill it back p once you notice it’s empty. If you plan to use this method, make sure to check if your dog is not overeating. Another concern is that you don’t have any other pets that can access the dog’s food.
A concern of this method is that the food can go bad if it stays out too long. In addition to this, if left outside, dog food will also attract different bugs and flies. To avoid this, establish a regular feeding schedule and once you give your dog food, leave it for 30 minutes and remove the food.
If your dog has issues with regularly eating, give them the recommended amount of food twice a day. The problem with this can come with your dog eating too fast. There is an easy solution to this. There are different types of bowls made for dogs that eat too quickly. If you don’t want to buy a new bowl for your dog, you can put a small ball inside the bowl, which will force your dog to eat around it. This works because the bowls don’t have a regular bottom but rather have dents that force your dog to eat slower.
