Golden Retriever (Detailed Introduction)

　　Regarding keeping pets as a daily routine, many owners lack sufficient feeding knowledge. Generally, Golden Retrievers at 7 to 8 months have left their puppy stage but are not yet one year old, so they are considered minors; their diet still needs careful attention. The feeding methods for 7 to 8-month-old Golden Retrievers should differ somewhat from those for puppies or adults. Below are some key points to pay attention to when feeding Golden Retrievers at 7 to 8 months:
　　1. It is best to feed specialized commercial dog food, not homemade dog food
　　Before 8 months, Golden Retrievers are in the fastest development phase as puppies. During this period, it’s best to feed them specialized dog food for Golden Retrievers and avoid continuously giving homemade dog food for puppies. Commercial dog food contains all the nutrients needed for puppy growth, including high protein levels. Homemade dog food often leads to nutritional imbalance.
　　2. Do not blindly add nutritional supplements to your Golden Retriever puppy
　　Although some products boast about their nutritional liquids or supplements, we do not recommend buying such items for your Golden Retriever. In fact, most dog foods already contain sufficient nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D (which helps calcium absorption), vitamin A, vitamin B, and vitamin E.
　　So do not easily give your little Golden Retriever calcium tablets or protein powders. Excess calcium supplementation can sometimes cause bone hardening in Golden Retriever puppies, which is harmful.
　　3. Control the eating speed and techniques of your Golden Retriever puppy
　　If your Golden Retriever puppy does not finish eating within 10 to 15 minutes, you must take away the food to avoid bad habits. Also, do not let the puppy develop the habit of eating snacks.
　　At the same time, train your Golden Retriever that you can take things out of its mouth at any time to avoid swallowing harmful objects. Use a large bone during training — hold the bone tightly and let the puppy chew it a few times, then take the bone away. Repeat this to let your dog know you have control until you can easily take food from its mouth.
　　(However, pay attention not to get bitten during training and never train while the Golden Retriever is eating).
　　4. Feeding knowledge after 8 months
　　After 7 to 8 months, Golden Retrievers’ growth slows down and you can gradually increase regular food. Leftover home-cooked meals (rice is a good staple for adult dogs) are also a good choice but be careful not to give food that is too salty.
　　You can also feed the puppy egg yolks, but no more than three times a week. The egg whites are best not given casually. Small amounts of pork or beef liver can be fed once a week at most. Organ meats must be thoroughly cooked before feeding.
　　Using cooked ground beef or leftovers as flavoring to slightly soften nutritionally complete puppy food is a good method to prevent loss of appetite. It is not recommended to buy wet pouches as flavoring because they contain more additives.
　　If conditions allow, a cup of yogurt before bed every day can help your Golden Retriever’s intestinal absorption and digestion.