Bedding for your Golden Retriever is very important, as this is where he will be spending quite a bit of time – especially at night. The ideal bedding for your Golden should be a natural fiber, such as wool, as wool absorbs most moisture and will keep your companion warm. When you get your blanket, you can try thrift stores, as they aren’t very expensive. You don’t want to buy an expensive blanket, for the fact that Golden Retrievers love to chew. They can chew or tear the blanket in no time at all, which would make an expensive blanket a waste of money.

When bringing your Golden puppy home, he may be a little upset having to leave his mom and the others of his litter. The scents and memories that he come to know and love are now being replaced with totally new ones. If you provide a towel for your Golden to sleep with, it may help to ease him a bit. Towels are a great way to remind Golden puppies of their mom and their litter, which will help them to sleep and relax.

If you are planning to have your Golden Retriever sleep with you, you should be ready to get up in the middle of the night and take him outside to use the bathroom. You should keep his food and water near his bedding at all times, so if he gets hungry or thirsty he can get what he needs. Then, you should planning on taking him out around an hour or so after he has eaten.

If you plan to leave your Golden Retriever outdoors, you’ll obviously need to use a different style of bedding. Doghouses are essential for Golden’s who stay outdoors, as it helps to keep them warm and free of weather. Inside of the doghouse on the other hand, most people tend to use straw so the Golden can make a bed out of it. You can also use a blanket or quilt as well, so that your Golden can wrap himself up in it should he get cold.

You can also use wooden shavings as well, as most Golden’s tend to like them. Newspapers work good as well, as they give your Golden something to lay on besides a wooden floor. Although doghouses work great for outdoor dogs, you should take your dog for walks on a daily basis and let him join you in activities that he finds enjoyable. This way, you can build a unique and lasting friendship with your pet. Golden Retrievers can quickly become the best friend you have ever had – as long as you take care of them. Making sure that have the proper bedding is a great place to start.

Over 50% of the population allows their dog to stay indoors and sleep on the couch or in their owner’s bed. For those of you who are interested in building a dog house for you beloved pet here are some simple rules to follow when considering what type of shelter you want to provide.

1. You should begin your dog house building process by making sure the house is big enough to accommodate your animal’s potential adult size. Humans enjoy having about 2 feet of air above us in a room in order to live without feeling claustrophobic. Your dog will probably also enjoy having that much room. The comfort zone for both humans and dogs is about 1/3 of their standing height.

To figure out how much room the dog will need get out a tape measure and measure your dog. Measure him standing straight up, sitting on his haunches and above all measure the full dimension of the dog when he is the most comfortable, relaxed and stretched out position he can get into. Your dog should be able to look out the front entrance while both standing up and sitting. So the dog will not have to significantly lover his front shoulders or scrape his belly make sure that entrance is high enough. Stand over the dog and measure the width of the widest point of the animal’s shoulders.

2. Remember to raise the dog house several inches from the ground to allow air and water to flow underneath. To dissuade pests from invading the dog house and taking your dogs health into consideration remember how important ventilation is. Put in a few nickel-sized holes in the walls under the eaves. Install a wind block inside the house so the dog can use the heat of its own body to warm up the area if it is really cold or windy outside. Consider adding a partial wall which will allow your dog to escape the bad weather.

Your animal can choose to just sleep in the entry room or go around the inner archway maze wall into the inner sanctum. Your beloved pet would probably love having a pillow or some sort of bedding to sleep on.

3. To avoid rain coming into the dog house make the floor just a bit slanted toward the doorway and build the roof a little bit slanted, as well. Make sure the house is well insulated but you should not paint the inside.

4. In the United States most storms come from the south and west so make sure the dog house faces a different direction. Most dog house plans suggest that the dog house door faces east. The cold air will not be able to whip through the entryway then.

5. It is suggested that you put hinges on the roof of the dog house. This makes it easier for you to clean out your dog’s home. You should clean the dog’s house as often as you give your dog a bath.

If your dog lives outside then he deserves to have a comfortable place to sleep and get out of harsh weather. Hopefully these easy tips on building a dog house will help you get started.

When a dog is incontinent (this often happens in paralysis) several newspapers arranged under his hindquarters will help to keep the bed dry. Cotton wool arranged between the thighs and under the tail is a great help and a gentle sponging with very weak Dettol and warm water two or three times a day is advisable. Talcum powder used regularly helps to prevent soreness on the abdomen, and zinc ointment should be used for the same purpose in cases of diarrhoea. The dog must not be made wet but he must be kept clean. Long-haired dogs should have the hair cut off round the tail and hindquarters or the tail can be enclosed in a muslin bag which can be burnt when soiled.

Any treatment, simple or complicated, must be carried out with the unhurried speed which characterises the good nurse. To ensure this, have everything ready beforehand. For example, for cleaning the animal you will need cotton wool, lint (for washing), a basin with Dettol and warm water at the correct temperature, a receiver for soiled material, talcum powder, zinc ointment, scissors (for long-haired dogs) and a thick towel to arrange under the hindquarters to keep the bed dry. These articles should be placed on a tray, the home equivalent of the hospital dressing trolley! The window should be shut if any process is likely to chill the patient, and a covered hot water-bottle afterwards is very comforting in cold weather.

Handle the dog gently but firmly, supporting him if necessary for feeding and drinking, and be especially gentle in your care of the paralysed patient. Remember that the patient unable to protect himself is easily bruised and injured just in the same way as a dog under anaesthesia. These animals are particularly subject to bed-sores and must be turned every two hours or so, and their beds kept smooth and soft.

It is important in nursing a sick dog to do what is necessary and no more. In other words, leave the animal to sleep between food and treatment; undisturbed quiet is an essential part of recovery. Of course this does not mean neglect, such as leaving a dog for hours and hours in a wet bed with a cold bottle and a raging thirst. But there is always a great temptation to be over-attentive to the patient, especially if dearly loved, and self-control must be exercised by the nurse. Try to keep calm and cheerful, even if feeling the reverse, as dogs are very sensitive to the tone of voice.

Diet, taking temperatures, post-operative care, and so on, will be found under specific headings.

The pulse is best felt in the femoral artery which crosses the thigh. The normal rate is between seventy and ninety beats per minute, smaller dogs having a faster rate than the bigger breeds.

After feeding, the mouth should be swabbed out with a weak solution of permanganate of potash and water, and this can be repeated every two or three hours during the day if the dog is feverish and thirsty.

Sponging the face and head is very refreshing in hot weather and helps to reduce a high temperature. Try to put yourself in the dog’s place and foresee and prevent discomfort. To take a tiny example—bright sun shining into the dog’s eyes. Understanding, imagination and common sense are all qualities valuable in the canine nurse. Quiet is essential with nerve cases and, indeed, in any serious illness; if you have ever been ill yourself you will remember how irritating you found the banging door, the clattering footsteps and the loud voice.

Much will depend on the time of year whether the dog is allowed out to relieve himself or not. If possible, house-trained dogs should always be taken out for this purpose (if necessary wearing a coat and on a lead to prevent undue excitement or exertion) as a very clean dog will suffer if forced to “misbehave” indoors.

In hot summer weather the dog is probably better outdoors for part of the time provided he is not allowed to run about much (he could be kept in a small run) and is protected from strong sunlight. Ask your veterinary surgeon and be guided by what he says.

If the dog is not allowed out the floor of the room must be protected. If possible, carpets should be removed but if this is impracticable two thick layers of newspaper with a thin sprinkling of sawdust in between is usually sufficient.

Of course a kennel is much more practical, but it should be a large one of the shed type, in which there is room for a table, a good light, and ample space for handling. A cramped kennel in which it is impossible to stand upright is obviously not a suitable sick-room! House dogs will usually be nursed in a spare room, to which reference has already been made.

Whichever is used, good ventilation without a draught must be ensured. Stuffy sick-rooms are an abomination. In winter the temperature should be kept to about 60°F. A room thermometer is useful. Whatever form of heating is arranged, it must be absolutely safe. If it is impossible to arrange this, the dog can be kept perfectly warm with light rugs and hot water-bottles and, if necessary, he can wear a woolly coat. The hot water-bottle should be regularly refilled. If the dog is well enough to be out of his bed most of the time artificial heating will be necessary only in cold weather. Fresh air is essential and provided.

If the dog is warm, and in lung cases wears a pneumonia jacket, he will come to no harm. Cleanliness of both the patient and his surroundings is essential. The room itself should be kept spotless and any excreta removed immediately. The dog should be groomed daily if well enough, and even if he cannot be moved from his bed it is usually possible to brush him gently with a soft brush or massage his skin with your fingers. If the dog is very ill he must not be disturbed for anything but essentials, but in the ordinary way the average well-cared-for dog, especially in the long-coated breeds, will appreciate this gentle grooming, just as a human patient will feel better for the refreshing daily wash.

The bed should be sufficiently roomy for the dog to turn and stretch in comfort. For small dogs, a tea-chest on its side with a three – to four-inch board nailed.

Across the bottom of the opening will be found very useful. It keeps out draughts and the dog will feel cosy and private. The front can have a wired door if the patient is a restless puppy, running a high temperature, and determined to commit suicide by leaving his box and lying in an icy draught from the room door.

The bedding can be straw, pine-shavings or blankets. The latter should be used only for clean cases, and it is a useful idea to have the blankets covered by a small linen sheet or light flannelette cot blanket which can be easily washed and frequently renewed.

The tea-chest plan is useful when the dog is suffering from a nervous disease, as it is possible to arrange a sack or blanket to shade the front opening and keep the patient inside sleeping in the dark without having the whole room darkened.

Whatever bedding is used, it must be kept clean and often renewed. If straw is used, shake it up frequently as it can become packed into a hard lump. When changing the bedding of a very sick dog have another box beside you lined with a thick blanket and place him gently in this while you see to his bed.