Compiled by Liane van der Hoven. Provided with compliments to new Bonyl pup owners. Copyright © 2010 Bonyl.

Raising your Bonyl Golden Retriever pup

into a healthy, happy dog

Bonyl Breeding ObjectivesAt Bonyl we strive to breed animals that comply with the International Golden Retriever Breed Standard. However, we are aware of the African heat and the suffering a thick undercoat brings

in this climate to a breed developed to retrieve gunned fowl from frozen Scottish moors. We therefore practise selective breeding with the objective of producing thinner undercoats.

For more information or advice, please call Liane van der Hoven on 072 697 0841.

Kennel Union of South Africa accredited breeder status pending.

Congratulations!Thank you for choosing your pup from Bonyl. Since 1979 we have been striving to achieve a balance of temperament, form and function in Crabbet Arabian horses. More recently, we have begun applying our experience to the breeding of Golden Retrievers that embody all three these qualities in perfect balance.

Golden Retrievers are Scottish bred waterdogs...Puppies will therefore swim in their water bowls if there are no other options! If using a pool or fish pond, make sure your dog can get out of the water when you are not there. Drowning is a reality. (Heart failure due to overheating is also a reality, so never leave your dog in a car with the windows shut… A well trained dog can accompany you on a leash rather than being left in the car.)

Goldens are intelligent and gregariousThey are the socialite Einsteins of the canine breeds... Friends, stimulation and challenges, yes please! They have excellent memories and are not likely to forget a place, a human or ca-

nine acquaintance or a trick. It is highly recommended that you attend puppy classes once your pup is

three months old. A

trained dog is a pleasure that does its owner proud. An un-trained dog is a often a nuisance, which is no fault of the dog!

Be creative at the teething and chewing stage from about 3 – 12 months … splinter free logs smeared with Marmite, pine cones with a bit of peanut butter may offer distraction for those itchy, bored hours when you have left the little one all alone at

home! Dogs chew shoes and laundry because your clothes smell of you. Don’t leave your belongings lying around.

Please introduce your pet sympathetically to domestic workers who may not share your love for dogs. A domestic worker who has a good relationship with the dog (and is welcomed by the animal) is more likely to extend quality care in

your absence, than if the dog is held in fear or frustration.

PunishmentYou dog wants to be by your side; it is instinctively a pack animal. The severest punishment therefore is to be sent away outside of your space, or - worst still - to be left unacknowl-edged and ignored.

Retrievers are family members and see themselves as such. They love chewing toys because they see the other siblings

play with them. Pack away non-canine toys.

If something has been chewed that was not intended for the dog, take your dog by the scruff of the neck and force its head down, close to the damaged article, while you loudly and forcefully say: “No!”. Look at the dog very sternly and put all your anger

into that stare. Take your time while keep-ing the head close to the ground. This

is how the alpha animal deals with unacceptable behaviour in the

pack. Release the dog and walk away a from it.

Then wait for the very first opportu-nity to lavish praise on it for correct

behaviour. Learning by reward just as valid

as learning by reprimand.

Be con-sistent!

Do not ask

a dog to do

something-

Command it in a way that sounds as if you expect the correct response immediately. Your tone of voice must make this clear. Having to issue a command twice means that your communica-tion was not good enough the first time round.

A happy dog needs boundaries that are consistently set … Try to picture your pup as a grown dog… Jumping up at you may be cute puppy behaviour now, but what about later? Your dog will experience being scolded for inappropriate adult dog behaviour as rejection and confusion, if this same behaviour had been acceptable before. Prevent this by thinking ahead and being consistent in your disciplining.

FeedingThe most hotly debated subject is feeding… But here are some suggestions and thoughts. Eating the same food day in and night out is boring. You won’t subject your family or yourself to such a dull routine, so why treat your dog this way? Your adult dog wants to eat what you eat!

Please do not over-feed your pup/dog, putting stress on the skeleton.

When feeding your pup, do not soften commercial food with boiling water. Wait till the water has cooled before adding it to the pellets. Dry food is preferable.

Bonyl pups are fed a 50/50 mixture of Hill’s Science Diet Puppy and Ultra Dog Large Breed Growth for Puppies, both obtain-able from your vet. You may continue with whichever your budget allows.

Dogs in the wild are omnivorous scavengers that have to make do with raw roots, fruits, bones, scraps and skins. (They are definitely stoveless as far as we know.) Contrary to what some people believe, feeding your pet dog raw meat will not turn it into a bloodthirsty monster. In six years of feeding raw chicken and meat to our dogs, no evidence has been noticed that this practice turns dogs into killers. (Our free-range pet chickens happily share the same territory with the dogs.) Roaming in a pack would much sooner make your friend hunt for its own food, rather than you presenting it with raw meals.

Please make a friend of your butcher on your dog’s behalf. Beef rib or marrow bones (or any bones for that matter) are heaven and will reward you with snow white poops…

Avoid feeding liver to your dog. The liver is a filter organ, so it contains a high concentration of all the rubbish generally fed in the poultry and feed-pen industries before the animal is slaugh-tered. All other parts of the animal are excellent dog food. Our dogs love chicken bones and we have never experienced prob-lems with this practice. Choking and splintering is a possibility however, so be sure your pup’s teeth are able to demolish the bones you wish to feed. Feed super large bones at first.

Stay away from fatty foods. Fat is unhealthy for your dog and

leads to skin disorders such as “hot spot”.

ExerciseRetrievers are not athletes in the sense that Dalmatians or Sheepdogs are. Especially young dogs should not be over exercised. Be aware of jarring such as jumping in and out of cars, playing on stairs and running in soft sand. They can be over-exercised with detrimental skeletal results. On the other hand, if they are under-exercised they will become bored and unhappy… Very simply put: they want to go wherever you go! Don’t miss an opportunity for an outing but don’t enter the Iron Man Ultra-marathon with your pooch by your side either.

Digging is reserved for the beach … your dog will help you dig till you can’t any more. (Be careful of

those nails!) Reprimand your dog for garden digging consistently, but remember it’s dig-

ging after your scent. It’s missing you!

ParasitesWe do not recommend the use of flea/tick collars out of respect for the far superior and sensitive canine nose. Try one on yourself and you will agree! Intestinal worms and fleas have interwoven lifecycles. Follow

your vet’s de-worming and flea pro-grammes and do not forget to de-worm

the human members of the family on a quarterly basis.

Ticks are everywhere and your dog is espe-cially susceptible to biliary when exposed to

“unfamiliar” ticks, away from home. Protect your dog with drops recommended by your vet.

Lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting or yellow gums should send you off to the nearest vet without wasting time … A simple blood smear and injection may be all that is needed, if treated in time... Postponing treatment until the next morn-ing however, may cost you expensive drips - or even your friend’s life.

Grooming Grooming is not essential for Golden Retrievers as dirt simply does not stick to their coats and drops off by itself. We are of the opinion that the concept of Scotch Guard was inspired by their amazing coat quality! But ohhh! the pleasure of a massage for your dog and the pride of taking a really splendid animal out with you makes a brush more

than worthwhile.