As we know that, Golden Retrievers are a very energetic, calm, friendly, and job-oriented dog breed. And, they can jump play and work continuously for a long time. Thus, since Retrievers are best for family, children, and works, they are the most popular dog breeds in the USA. However, it is best if you know how to calm your Golden Retriever when they may lose their cool and become aggressive.
Generally, Golden Retrievers start becoming more relaxed and calmer after they reach 2-3 years. Yet, there are many tips in how to calm your Golden Retriever, starting from proper diet for maintaining their health to exercising, training, making them busy, and ignoring their bad behavior.
Mostly Golden Retrievers have calm and friendly nature. Yet, they may become aggressive sometimes. And, the aggressive behavior of Golden Retriever can be very destructive. And, I think you prefer a calm and generous pet, don’t you?
Therefore, I have some tips that could help you to calm your Golden Retriever. But, first, let me tell you the reasons behind the aggressive nature of your Golden Retriever.
What Are The Causes For Aggression In Your Golden Retriever?
Though, there are only rare chances of your Golden Retriever losing his cool and acts happy and sweet most of the time. However, some of the reasons why your Golden Retriever is not calm are:
Golden Retriever Becomes Impatient Due To Boredom
Manage a stable routine for your pet. Since lack of proper exercise makes your dog hyperactive, leading to a mess and trouble due to boredom. Therefore, a well-managed exercising schedule is most to keep your Golden Retriever happy and calm.
Anxiety Due To Separation
As we know that, Golden Retriever loves socializing and adores being around people. Thus, when left alone, he will develop separation anxiety and becomes insecure and anxious. And when they are all by themselves for a long time, they may become aggressive due to fear and stress.
Lack Of Attention
Since Golden Retrievers like the attention of people, they will do everything to please their owner. But if their owner fails to give them proper attention and concern, they may become frustrated. As a result, the Retrievers become aggressive and destructive.
Therefore, you should give them proper attention by training, exercising and playing with them.
Improper Diet And Unhealthy Snacks
Since Golden Retrievers love food, food plays a vital role in maintaining the mood of your pet. Improper and lesser food in their diet makes them very anxious and aggressive. Along with this, if you give unhealthy snacks and treats to your pet, he will suffer from health issues.
And, the unfit Golden Retriever tends to be more destructive and hyper. Therefore, a proper diet with healthy natural snacks is a must to keep Golden Retriever Calm.
After a brief knowledge about causes of aggression in your pet now, let me disclose few ways to calm your Golden Retriever.
10 Ways To Calm Your Golden Retriever
Unlike the usual generous, quiet, and friendly nature of Golden Retrievers, they can sometimes become aggressive and hyperactive. And, their destructive nature will be very troublesome and stressful for you. Thus, it is necessary to calm your Golden Retriever.
Here are some ways to calm your pet. They are:
Maintain A Proper Routine To Calm Your Golden Retriever
Golden Retrievers become hyperactive and destructive due to boredom. Therefore, management of routine will help you calm your pet. Along with keeping the Retrievers involved in training, exercises, and fun activities throughout the day, a schedule will teach your pet when to remain calm or become active.
Therefore, routine management of all the activities will stabilize the mood and anger of your pet.
Using Calming Coats And T-shirts To Calm Your Pet
Calming t-shirts and coats are best for the Golden Retrievers who become anxious when separated from the owner while traveling, dealing with noise, and a group of people. The calming coat builds a mild and constant pressure in the torso of the dog. Since the torso represents the pressure point of most dogs, pressure on it calms your Golden Retriever.
Exercising Helps To Calm Your Golden Retriever
The muscular and steady body of Golden Retrievers suggests that they are athletic. Thus, they can endure intense exercises. Moreover, these exercises burn off the excess energy of the Retrievers and decrease their hyperactivity.
Finally, helping the Retrievers to keep their calm. Some of the exercises may be:
- Walking: Besides maintaining calm, it also strengthens the bond between the owner and the dog.
- Running
- Fetching: This enlightens their mood. Golden Retrievers loves fetching and enjoys it a lot.
- Swimming: This helps to increase their muscular strength and promotes muscle relaxation. Thus, it helps to calm your Golden Retriever.
Keep Them Busy By Involving Them In Various Activities
Golden Retrievers are very energetic and intelligent by nature. Thus, they like exploring everything. So, keep them busy and involved to tire them for reducing their hyperactivity.
Here are some things that can challenge the excess energy of your Retriever. They are:
- Impulse control training: This is an advanced form of obedience training for your pet so that your Retriever follows your command and remains under your control.
- Activities: Intense exercises like hiking, fetching, and swimming tires your pet and helps to calm your Golden Retriever.
- Hunting: Hunting requires a lot of energy, time, and attention. Thus, it is a great way to use the excess energy of your pet.
- Games: Playing games with your Golden Retriever increases the bonds between you and your pet. Eventually, this builds trust and makes your pet secure and relaxed.
Positive Reinforcement
The Golden Retrievers like attention. Thus, if you give attention to their bad behavior, they most likely will repeat it frequently to get your attention. Therefore, you should ignore your pet when he becomes aggressive.
Instead of scolding or beating them for their destructive behavior, you can give your Retriever a calming chew or toy to reduces their energy level and stress. Along with this, you can calm your Golden Retriever by encouraging their good behavior and obedience through healthy snacks and treats.
Massaging Can Reduce Their Stress And Calm Your Golden Retriever
Similar to human beings, massaging your pet can cool them down. Since a gentle massage relaxes the tense muscles of your Retriever, it alleviates the tension and anxiety.
Tips for massaging your pet are:
- Hold your pet from one hand and massage with the other.
- Gently massage downwards with long strokes.
- Analyze carefully. Your pet will release a heavy breath when you reach the point where it holds its stress.
- Once you identify the area, give more attention to that particular area while massaging.
Adequate And Nutritious Diet Can Calm Your Golden Retriever
The diet maintains a happy, healthy, and longer life of Golden Retrievers by stabilizing their mood. Besides this, some vets also believe that proper probiotic supplement normalizes the cardiac and digestive nerves level by reducing their excitement during stress.
A doctoral researcher at Purina, Ragen T.S. McGowan, explained the relationship between food and mood of dogs in his research.
Showering Love And Physical Contact Can Calm Your Golden Retriever
Being a smart and intelligent dog breed, Golden Retrievers know the signs of affection and feel love. And, since the owners are their favorite person hugging, cuddling with them, and gently brushing their hair will calm them down.
The attention that Golden Retriever gets through the gentle touch of their owner reduces their fear and anxiety. Thus, the gentle-physical touch can soothe their anger and calm your pet.
Musical Therapy Helps To Calm Your Pet
Just like humans, the dog also loves and feels the music. And, the Golden Retrievers are not an exception. They are fond of soothing and calming music.
Golden Retrievers can also feel the natural sedative power of music. Thus they relax and calm down listening to music. The research says the dogs mostly prefer Classic music over other forms.
Training
Besides being more responsive and attentive to our commands through training, Golden Retrievers spend a lot of excess energy through training sessions. Thus, they become calm and generous after training. Besides this, the time spent during the training can increase the emotional bond between the pet and the owner.
Finally, the dog becomes secure and starts trusting others. Hence, the pet can remain calm and friendly while socializing with others.
Do you think these will help you calm your Golden Retriever?
Are you aware of the training to calm your pet?
If not, then let me talk in brief about some training.
What Are The Training Sessions To Calm Your Golden Retriever?
Since training can be hectic for the owner and requires more time, most owners prefer escaping from it. But training can be the best and faster way of calming your Golden Retriever and making your bond stronger with your pet.
Here are three such training sessions which will help to calm your Golden Retriever.
The Exercise Method To Calm Your Golden Retriever
The exercise method is a method that involves routine management of different exercises. It includes:
- Daily walks
- Running Or Jogging
- Playing fetch
- Socializing
- Taking your pet swimming
The Job Method To Calm Your Golden Retriever
This method utilizes the excess energy of your pet by involving them in obedience training and rescue works. Since Golden Retrievers are intelligent and fast learners, this training can be helpful. The training includes:
- Obedience training: It stimulates the Golden Retrievers both physically and mentally by teaching them different skills.
- Sports training: Involving your pet in sports (flyball, dock diving, frisbee, etc.) occupies their time and energy.
- Research and rescue training: Since Golden Retrievers are good fetchers and loves it, you can utilize their excess energy for rescue and research works.
- Therapy Training: This training enhances the trust, socializing skills, and obedience of your pet. As a result, your dog becomes calmer and more relaxed.
- Duck hunting: Golden Retrievers are best for hunting and loves water. Therefore, duck hunting can help to utilize the energy and also enlightens the mood of your pet.
The Quite Time Method To Calm Your Golden Retriever
This method teaches the Golden Retriever when to calm down and when to be active. Thus, this method helps to maintain a balance in the activity. This method includes:
- Ignoring the bad behavior: Giving attention to the bad behavior encourages your pet to repeat it so, you should ignore it.
- Relax Time: Manage a specific relax time after exercise to adjust the mood of your pet.
- Rewarding and Giving Treats: This encourages the Golden Retrievers to be obedient and thus relaxes them.
- Keeping Them Busy: Give your pet chew toys and puzzles to occupy their time and hyperactive energy.
- Following the same routine daily: This makes it easier for you to control the energy and activity of your pet. Therefore, it helps to calm your Golden Retriever.
I hope all these tips would be helpful to calm your pet as it was for mine. Which one of the above methods do you think is more effective?
Do you have something more to add up to this list?
If yes, then do share your suggestions in the comment.
