Understand the breed honestly
Compare field, working, show, and companion-bred tendencies without assuming every Golden will be the same.
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SmartPaws Breed Books
The SmartPaws Golden Retriever Guide
How to Choose, Raise, Train, Feed, and Care for a Happy, Healthy Golden Retriever
A practical, evidence-informed book for understanding the Golden Retriever you may bring home—or the one already beside you.
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- Author
- John T. Choi
- Publisher
- Bluewell Publishing
- Edition
- First edition
- Paperback
- 134 pages · 6 × 9 inches
- Paperback ISBN
- 979-8-952548-00-8
About the book
Practical guidance, with the breed kept in view
Golden Retrievers are famously friendly, affectionate, and eager to please, but raising one well takes more than affection. This book gives prospective and current owners an honest roadmap for choosing, raising, training, feeding, and caring for the breed.
It connects the breed’s sociability, retrieving heritage, energy, trainability, grooming needs, and health considerations to the decisions families make every day. The goal is not to describe an idealized Golden Retriever. It is to help readers understand and raise the individual dog in front of them.
What makes it useful
From breed traits to everyday decisions
Turn traits into daily decisions
Use 21 SmartPaws Breed Trait Scores to understand practical strengths, demands, and tradeoffs.
Build a foundation that lasts
Follow a flexible 12-week training framework, then adapt the guidance through adolescence, adulthood, and senior life.
What the book covers
The book follows the ownership journey from choosing or adopting through training, everyday care, health planning, and the senior years.
- Household and lifestyle fit
- Responsible breeders and rescues
- The first 30 days
- House, crate, and alone-time training
- Mouthing, socialization, and essential skills
- Exercise and mental enrichment
- Nutrition, grooming, and preventive care
- Common health risks and senior support
Continue with SmartPaws
The book is the foundation. The website stays current.
Use the companion breed profile, training guidance, food research, product comparisons, and printable resources as your dog’s needs change.