Do Golden Retrievers Love the Beach? Here’s What You Need to Know!
Have you been thinking of taking your Golden Retriever to the beach? You might have wondered do Golden Retrievers love the beach. We’ll share our beach guide and tips for safety so you can have a fun time at the beach!
Golden Retrievers are dogs that are naturally attracted to water. The sight of water excites them so much that they want to jump into a body of water anytime they see one.
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There may be a few exceptions to this because not all Golden Retrievers swim or even like to see water. It scares them away.
Do Golden Retrievers Love the Beach?
Yes. Golden Retrievers love the beach. Golden Retrievers enjoy exploring, playing, running around, and just having fun when you take it on a day out to the beach.
However, before you start preparing to take your dog out to the beach, you must, first of all, test it to know if it likes to walk in the sand, dirt, and even long distances or if they love water.
Golden Retrievers at the Beach
Golden retrievers are outstanding swimmers, they love any spacious water body, and the beach is the perfect place. Their webbed feet, which are specifically for this purpose, make it even easier.
While at the beach, there are a few things you might want to keep in mind as a responsible dog owner. They may come in handy:
Your dog may not know how to swim
Its true Golden retrievers are exceptional swimmers. Their webbed feet are one feature that makes it possible. Despite this, you should not risk throwing your dog into the sea if you have not put it through any swimming lessons.
It is risky to assume it automatically knows how to swim. Instead, try to save up for a life jacket for your furry friend to avoid future problems.
How do I keep my Golden Retriever safe on the beach?
1. Get a shady retreat
While you take your dog to the beach, ensure that you make provisions for a beach tent or umbrella.
You could also bring along sunscreens and apply them gently onto the coat and fur on the face and nose for your dogs to reduce the effect of the sun because dogs are a lot sensitive to high temperatures and heat, just like the way humans do.
After all, you or your dog may want to take short breaks in between your hangout.
2. Take along plenty of drinking water
One of the essential things you should know about the beach where you intend to go with your dog is the nature of the water around it. I.e., if the water is salty.
If you can not accurately get the type of water around the beach, then you should take enough water for your dog to drink and cool off with.
3. Watch out for any sign of uncomfortable behaviors
Do not get carried away having fun that you forget to check up on your dog from time to time. You should pay close attention to your dog and check if it’s actually comfortable and if it’s panting too hard, suddenly quiet, or angry. They may be under stress but just don’t know how to say it to you.
4. Get a life jacket/vest
Before you decide to go on your beach day vacation with your dog, you should have already trained your dog to swim. Younger dogs are not advised to be taken to the beach. Only dogs three months old and above are allowed on the beach.
However, even if your dog knows how to swim, a life vest should come in handy when your dog gets interested in swimming.
5. Always take along a first aid kit/box
The first aid kit can be handy if your Golden Retriever gets a cut or bruise. The beach is a combination of sand, stone, mud, and dirt.
Dogs often get foot burns and severe pains after long walks on the beach, and a first aid treatment is just the right thing to administer.
6. Be constantly on the lookout for your dog
Always keep an eye on your dog when you’re out. They may eat harmful materials found in the sand. Also, make sure they do not eat or drink anything unhealthy.
7. Wash and clean your dog before leaving
To avoid a skin infection that could lead to loss of hair in your dog, make sure to wash its body thoroughly with a good shampoo and rinse twice. Clean their ears to avoid ear infections. Do not use sharp objects to clean their ears as it may only push the dirt further.
8. You shouldn’t let your Golden Retriever drink salt water
Saltwater is very unhealthy for your dog, just as it is for you. Whenever you’re out on the beach, you should take a few extra bottles of water along with a bowl for dogs to help them stay adequately hydrated.
9. Don’t let your dog overwork itself
While having all the fun at the beach, your Golden retriever can end up overworking and overstressing itself. Make sure you take breaks while playing.
However, some of the breaks will have to be forced because your little friend might not realize when he’s tired. If your dog doesn’t take these breaks, you might have to see the vet sooner than expected and get doggy treated for heatstroke.
10. Be cautious about sand
Golden Retrievers are known to be very free dogs that adapt quickly to any habitat, thus making them able to feed on anything they can find.
However, this doesn’t exclude sand, so while at the beach, ensure your dog doesn’t eat sand. Sand can cause fatal stomach upset, choking, and gastrointestinal problems.
Why do Golden Retrievers like water?
Have you ever wondered why your Golden Retriever loves being dipped inside water or just loves playing inside the swimming pool? Well, this is entirely normal because Golden Retrievers are born with the natural instinct to swim.
Golden Retrievers are dogs that were first bred to retrieve game, birds, bats, and fowl in water bodies that hunters gunned down.
The hunters did not always need to go after the game each time it was killed. The Golden Retriever was always readily available to do the search and retrieval of the game.
Golden Retrievers also love the water because it helps them exercise and also serves as a therapeutic measure in helping to release stress, anxiety, and restlessness.
Golden Retrievers also love the water because it helps them get really calm and maintain a steady body environment.
Physical Signs this Breed is Meant to Love Water
Golden Retrievers are a unique kind of dog. They possess highly fascinating and sometimes strange body features. Some of these features are the reason why they love being around the beach and water bodies.
These features include:
- They have webbed feet like birds. This helps its mobility in water.
- They have a water-repellent coat and an undercoat that acts as an insulation agent against water.
- They have a great sense of smell, which helps them swim without any fear of danger. Golden Retrievers can sense danger at least 40 minutes before it happens.
Golden Retriever on the Beach: Benefits
Taking your Golden Retriever to the beach to swim and play has some benefits attached to it aside from having fun. Let’s take a look at some of these benefits.
1. Exercise
Taking your dog to the beach and letting it swim in the water is one way of exercising your little friend. You may not know this, but a minute of swimming equals four minutes of running.
In addition, swimming has a lot of impacts on your dog’s health, some of which are: enhancing circulation, reducing inflammation, improving metabolism, and strengthening the heart and lungs.
2. Stress Relief
Swimming is not just good for your dog’s physical health. It is also very essential for their mental health and well-being. Dogs need all the mental stimulation they can get to enable them to go about their daily activities and duties.
So a tired dog will always want a nap after beach time to regain its lost energy and relax those stressed nerves.
It is excellent for helping overweight dogs burn down some fat: water supports most of the dogs’ weight, thereby reducing the stress it goes through during regular land exercise. It is also most advisable for overweight dogs to burn down excess calories and enhance their metabolism without risking injury.
3. Pain Relief
An excellent therapeutic exercise for Golden Retrievers is swimming in warm water. This helps in fortifying muscles and building up worn-out ones. It strengthens joints and facilitates circulation, which could be just what your injured dog needs to relieve it from pain.
Warm water also enhances blood flow and warms up muscles quicker to reduce the risks of further injury.
