Is Your House Proper for Golden Retriever? No Apartment Living.

If you live in an apartment, on one of the high floors, you will have to go up and down the stairs or even the elevator. Your neighbors won't like it that your dog cleans himself in front of their doors or if the male dog frequently raises his leg in the bushes at the entrance of the building. When it rains, your dog will come dragging in a lot of mud and he will most probably shake all the water off on the stairs or in the elevator. And when he's got diarrhea, he might have to go out every hour, even at night.

The ideal house would be a house with a garden or a first floor apartment. If you rent, you need to ask your landlord if it's ok. It would also be convenient to make sure that here is an open area where your dog can run freely without a leash, as your Golden needs that and a garden is simply not enough. If, during spring and/or fall, your dog runs from one side to the other on wet grass, he will soon have formed a trail or even some part without grass. Most retrievers love digging in the ground, and will help you uproot the freshly planted flowers. In summer, a fresh, recently dug hole in the ground is an excellent place for your dog to rest. Don't worry; the dirt will easily come off his shiny fur – in your living room!

Only when you return home will you notice that the garden will not remain the same with a dog. Are you willing to give up some of the beauty of your garden?