Huntleigh Golden Retrievers

03/23/2025

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🐾🌼Spring is here, so be expecting emails and reminder phone calls from your vet, encouraging you to schedule your spring wellness visit (please do this)—but watch my latest interview with UW-Madison vet school professor Dr. Laurie Larson, first! (Visit my website, drkarenbecker.com to read the article or watch this important discussion!).
Dr. Larson is an expert in antibody titer testing, and thankfully, the conversation about vaccinations 💉has evolved, especially regarding how frequently our pets truly need them. In my interview, Dr. Larson provides an in-depth look at how titers can guide more personalized and scientifically sound vaccination decisions, protecting our pets without the risk of over-vaccinating.
Veterinarians have accounts with nation-wide veterinary laboratories (Antech and/or Idexx) that provide parvo and distemper titer testing services, so all vets can perform them, however, the most inexpensive lab I have found for parvo/distemper titers is the Companion Animal Vaccine and Immuno Diagnostic Service Laboratory (CAVIDS) at the UW-Madison vet school. Here’s the link you or you vet can use to submit a sample:
https://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/lab/cavids/titer-testing-details/

01/05/2025

Great job Avery and Charm! 🐾🥰🐾

12/24/2024

Happy Holidays from Huntleigh’s Golden! 🎄

11/19/2024

ARE YOU MANAGING?
Are you managing your dog’s environment to prevent or improve unwanted behaviour?

As people, we tend to prefer and look for the more complicated solutions to problems. This tendency is termed “complexity bias” - the tendency to prefer complicated explanations and solutions instead of looking for the simpler ones.

Surely a complicated, time consuming, detailed solution has to be more effective, superior, impressive, or correct?

Complexity bias is so relevant when it comes to changing a dog’s unwanted behaviour. We often get so stuck on trying to modify behaviour through counter conditioning, desensitization or detailed training plans when sometimes the simplest solution to the problem lies in simply managing the environment.

Dogs will do what dogs do – when an opportunity arises to help themselves to food left on a table, to bark at the gate at anyone passing by, to have a drink from that big water bowl at the perfect height, that we call a toilet, to running off with irresistibly smelly dirty underwear, to rummaging through bins in search of anything that may or may not be edible, to running out an opened door in search of adventure - the list is long - dogs will be dogs.

Parents of little children use management all the time without giving it much thought. Baby locks on cupboards, covers on electrical sockets, valuable or dangerous items put far out of reach, fences and locks around pools, etc.

We wouldn’t just train a toddler not to stick their fingers in an electrical socket, not to open cupboards, not to touch a hot plate – it’s far safer, simpler and logical to first manage the environment, to prevent potential incidents.

The same principle should apply to managing a dog’s environment to prevent unwanted behaviour.

The more a behaviour is practiced the more difficult it is to prevent. The more a behaviour is rehearsed the better dogs become at it.

Preventing the behaviour from happening in the first place by using management is the logical, simple and effective way to address it.

Be a good manager – it’s far less stressful, for both us and our dogs.

11/15/2024

FOCUS ON PUPPIES AND BONE GROWTH:
Today we bring you the explanation of why we shouldn’t engage in intense physical activity with puppies up to 18 months and even up to 24 months of age.
The growth rates of puppies vary significantly depending on size. It's important to adjust diet and exercise to your pup's specific needs to ensure optimal skeletal development. Endochondral ossification (the process during which cartilage turns into bone) varies depending on adult size of the puppy, with growth cartilages closed (full ossification occurring) at 3 months in toy breeds and 24 months in large breeds (see photo).
There are many factors that influence growth rate and maturity age. For example, men mature slower than women. There are variations in "rapid growth" periods ranging from birth to 11 weeks in small dogs and toys. Large breeds range from birth to 20 weeks (Hawthorne et 2004). Excessive exercise and inadequate diet during these periods can lead to bone deformation and malformation, which can lead to the development of osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease.
The recommended exercise levels for puppies are 1 minute for each week of their lives, twice a day. This should be LOW IMPACT and at a constant rate. Puppies should not be fetched at high speeds, jumping on/off furniture, or getting in/out of vehicles.
If your goal is to train to compete in flyball or agility (for example), it is advised to AVOID any vault training until complete ossification has occurred.
This is why breeders tell new owners not to rush certain physical activities with their puppies. Instead focus on other things with them. Work on mind, smell, desensitizing, socializing, etc.
After going through months of developing and developing the corresponding plates, consult with your vet to determine if your dog is 100% sport ready.

08/13/2024

NEW PUPPY OWNERS…….
As puppies head to their new homes I wanted to touch base on a common issue that breeders come across with new owners.
Realistic Expectations
You see the breeders pictures and videos and The pups are all social. They are quiet in the pen. The breeder shows you videos of them being totally relaxed, happy, playful. All looks amazing and you bring your puppy home.
Then reality hits. The puppy may cry in the crate for the first few nights making you tired and agitated. The happy social puppy is refusing to greet the half dozen overly excited friends you invited over to see your new puppy. Or the overly excited playful children you have at home. The puppy refuses to walk on a leash. Many are wondering how did my perfect puppy turn into a nightmare.
So let’s discuss realistic expectations of when a puppy goes home. First of all the puppy has been in the breeders home since birth. They had their mother and often littermates. They had their routine, were taught expectations and were completely in their comfort zone.
Now suddenly they are taken to a totally new environment. Picture yourself being dropped into an unknown country, often in a different part of the world. You know only a few words of their language. Different trees, animals, smells, temperature and people. Now in the middle of this we are switching up your routine, decide to have a party with people you don't know, and ask you to do jobs you have no idea about. Overwhelming to say the least.
This is what every puppy goes through when going to their new home. Stress manifests in different forms. From not eating, reluctancy to play and greet people. Being apprehensive at the vet’s office or as strangers reach for them. Diarrhea, vomiting and depression can occur.
So what can you as a new owner do to help your little one acclimate?
- most puppies take 3-4 weeks to acclimate to their new home. Repeat after me THREE to FOUR WEEKS sometimes even Longer! Not a 1-2 days. I can’t stress this enough about how much time is needed for a dog or puppy to feel comfortable in their new home!
- limit guests during the first week. We understand you are excited to show off your new baby but they need time to adjust. Plan on waiting 1-2 weeks before inviting people over
- ask guest to sit on the ground and let the puppy approach them. No squealing and grabbing the puppy
- set up a good routine
- restrict the puppy to a small area of the house. This not only reduces them being overwhelmed but also allows you to watch them
- don’t expect a 8-13 week old puppy to walk on a leash. Instead work at home with a leash where they are comfortable. Let them drag the leash, use treats to encourage them to walk with you
- if your puppy is refusing to walk give them time. My first trips to town with puppies a walk around a small block took 1 1/2 hours. We only move when they initiate the movement as they need time to take in the different environment
- understand your puppy needs time to see you as family. Expecting an immediate bond is unrealistic
- train your puppy. This not only helps you to bond but the puppy to look to you for direction and input
-Children are also big stressors to tiny fragile puppies, please keep an eye on puppy at all times when around children.
- lastly be patient. Don’t declare “omg there’s something wrong with this dog”. Nothing occurs overnight. Outings should be planned at puppy speed. So while you might imagine a fun walk around the lake in reality your puppy might only be able to handle walking a short distance that day.
Most outings for me take a long time, as I am often just standing still as the puppy cautiously explores the new environment. Patience is key!
Remember if the puppy was wonderful at the breeder’s house but now is struggling, you as the owner, need to help the puppy adjust which takes time, patience and training. Have realistic expectations and give the puppy positive experiences. Each puppy is an individual, don’t compare your current puppy to past pets and judge their behavior based on how another dog handled things. Lastly, try to see thing’s from a puppy’s perspective and adjust situations accordingly.
Copied and shared... 🐾 🩵

10/22/2023

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/the-truth-about-golden-retrievers-could-change-how-we-think-about-dogs-for-good/ar-AA1hY3fr?fbclid=IwAR2oT85gtUNvNuoKgl6I0cQDXZxNQQ-Ig4iDxKj2KOeEgVcKVOxj8knn7Rc_aem_AY4tiKxpadvBZfd6T5R0rFQv2ElHoTWR_luutoLVd4rpVkRDs5i-0hol1lXreGtVkB8&fullscreen=true =1

Some vets are spotting an alarming trend.

07/02/2023

Happy Birthday to the Sweet litter!

05/22/2023

And no round up☹️