should i get a golden retriever for a birthday present for my son in May when he turns 4 should i get him one?

Question

or can u give me another choice to look into

i was considering getting him a puppy

we have a rat terrior poodle mix dog already and he loves it he goes along with his old sister and brother to walk it and when my husband and him are home alone. my son makes sure he has food and water. but my husband helps him take him out just to make sure he doesn't run away so what do u think!!!!!?????

my sister has a dog and on fridays he goes over there and she has a golden retriever and he loves it and asked if we can get one

Answer 1

My first reaction was no, visualizing a big dog and little kid being knocked over. But now that I think of it I think it would be a wonderful idea. Four year olds are smart and they can help mommy take care of the puppy. As the puppy grows with your son he will take on more responsibility.

The only thing I would suggest is not to have him open up a box with a puppy in it at a loud birthday party. It could terrify a little puppy with all the squealing excitment of little kids trying to pick up the puppy.

Why not let your son help you pick out a puppy on another day. You have from now until May to prepare him for the idea of having a new puppy. You will also find out if he is really interested in puppies. This is a good time to educate yourself in raising a puppy, researching what kind of temperament would be best for your familie's lifestyle and preparing your house and yard for this little newcomer.

Have you give any thought on where you will be getting this new puppy? Please, what every you do don't go to a pet shop. They get their puppies from puppy mills. You might consider good breeder or Golden Retriever Rescue. When picking out the puppy ask them which one is the calmest. (You can find out a lot of information on how to pick out a calm subbmissive puppy from a litter). With a lot of research and preparation your son should have a wonderful companion to grow up with. Good luck

Answer 2

I have a 4yo, and I got him a yellow Labrador Retriever for Christmas. Labradors & Golden Retrievers are excellent family dogs, and your son will be old enough to enjoy one.

A couple tips: Don't get one that is crossed with more aggressive breeds. When you pick out a pup, squat down and call the puppies. Pick the second to last one to you. That one will be mellow, but not a dead beat. Change spots and try it again. You can get a good idea who would be to active for your son that way.

Get a crate from dogs.com or something like what they have, so that when the puppy acts up or gets too aggressive, it can go in there to calm down. It won't take too long for it to get the idea. They are smart dogs! Your son will will have a buddy for the rest of the dog's life.

Answer 3

It is a great idea....however, are YOU ready for the craziness?

A pup in the house is like having a two year old child that can chew up your furniture...

I want you to think of your own sanity before you do this. It is hectic enough with a four year old (I know I have three kids). Go out and read everything about the breed, get in touch (now) with a trainer. A trainer will train 'you' to work with the dog. The trainer will be your calm voice of reason, when your Goldie has poo'd on the floor, while your 4 year old laughs.....

A Golden retreiver is a great dog, you have chosen well. And there is nothing better than a boy and his dog....(and the mom who does all the hard work!)

Good Luck!

Answer 4

It depends. Does he want a dog? Kids and dogs are great together (my 15 y.o. nephew, who's dog just died of old age, confided in his dog, found comfort and security in his dog, learned to be responsible and gentle to other living creatures through his dog). Getting a puppy might add a huge load to your baby-care day since puppies need a lot of attention and a lot of training and with a small child around you may not be able to give the puppy the focus it will need to grow into a well-trained dog. Puppies need training as soon as they are old enough to be without their mom or they often will become confused, problem dogs with behavior problems you won't want later on. A young adult dog who already has some training might be perfect--one that is already house broken, knows how to walk nicely on a leash (you won't want a dog pulling one way while your son is going the other), responds to "sit" and "no" and "come" and "stay" and already knows he will be left home alone sometimes and he doesn't have to freak, etc. It's still going to take work on your part to train him to your ways and needs, and you'll have to reinforce his training routinely. But a good dog can be so wonderful for small kids to grow up with and learn from (the child will outlive the dog though so be prepared to have to deal with that loss in the future at some point). You'll also have to brush a Goldie (you can start teaching your son how to do that), and walk it rain or shine, and take it to the vet, have a plan as to what to do when you go on vacation, have a reliable backup person (neighbor or relative) who can dog sit during emergencies. Ask around. You and the dog may need to take dog training classes together so you both can learn who's boss and how to work together.

Answer 5

Four is young for a puppy, especially as a way of teaching responsibility. I would suggest a gold fish. Retrievers are excellent dogs, but they do get big. A couple in our town bought their son a cocker/poodle mix( I know it's called a cock-a-poo, but Yahoo's filter wont let me say that) for his birthday and they made the mistake of buying the dog before their child ever met it. After his birthday, they were trying to get rid of the dog because the child was terrified of the dog and ran from it.

Answer 6

I have bred Goldens and the first thing I asked my clients was, Do you all, the whole family want one of my pups. It has to be for the entire family not just one child. I also think that 4 years old is too young to be getting a puppy for him. He will like it until someone give him an action figure.
If the dog is for the whole family then yes look into getting a puppy, if not then wait until your son is old enough to appreciate one of these beautiful dogs.

Answer 7

Golden retrievers require a lot of attention and exercise and although they make good family dogs, I would recommend waiting a few years at the least until your son is old enough. If you're getting the dog for the family and think you have enough time to devote to training and obedience classes along with the attention and care for a very active and attached dog, go for it.

Answer 8

Truth is if your son is four, you should get the dog that YOU will want to take care of and feed. It will have accidents on your carpet and your sofa and it will have to have that special appeal to YOU so that it has a good forever home and you aren't sorry you got it. Your son will only be 4 for a year. Dogs live 10-15 years and you will be caring for it. Go and look up the breeds on the site bellow and ask about a specific breed that appeals to you and the type of energy level it has etc.

Answer 9

things to know about goldens are that they are first off, in their puppy stage till around age 5. They chew up alot of stuff in the early puppy stages. raw hides are a good solution to that but if they go through a whole raw hide in a few hours per day, try ropes and knot toys. Other then that, Goldens are great family dogs. They are very tolerante. Very high strung though, strick parenting is important, you must show them who is boss right off the bat.I got my son and I an akita when he was 3. He loves that dog. They even sleep together. 4 isn't to young to start learning responsiblity. put him in charge of feeding the dog or making sure he has water.

Answer 10

I think that'd be a great present but if you do get him one you'll ahve to keep a close eye on the two. Golden Retrievers grow a lot faster than humans do and if you're son isn't careful he could get hurt. I suggest get a puppy. It will also help you're son have nice charecter and might let him feel more friendly towards animals if you get him a puppy while he's young. Hope this helps!