Golden retriever puppy is almost irresistible. Dog lovers can find it very hard to resist seeing a golden retriever pup in front of them. However, there is a valid reason why you should not be very eager to take home a golden retriever puppy if he is not yet at the right age. Like any other animals, there is a specific time for goldens to be separated from their mothers. Newly born retriever pups needs some time to be with their mother to grow and mature. Separating a golden retriever puppy from its mother at a very young age can have devastating effect. Ideally, a golden retriever puppy must be at least 3 months old before you buy it from golden retriever puppy breeders and the reason for this is listed below.

Health Concerns

A mother’s milk is very essential for a golden retriever puppy to go strong and healthy. Golden retrievers are very vulnerable, thus, golden pups needs the antibodies in their mother’s milk. The immune system of a young golden retriever is not yet fully developed; therefore, they need to get antibodies from their mother’s milk to ward of different germs and bacteria. Another thing is, very young retrievers cannot handle immunization shots, thus, the moment they get exposed to harmful organism, there is a very high chance that they will succumb to infection. A three month old retriever already has his immune system fully developed, plus he is now ready to receive his vaccines giving him more protection from harmful germs and viruses. Another thing is, three months old retriever pups have higher chances of survival.

Mental Development

Golden retriever’s mental developments are influenced by their mother and siblings. By staying longer with their mother, retriever puppies learn proper behavior for dogs and they will be able to feel how it is like to live with a family. According to studies, golden retrievers will grow to be shy and fearful if they are taken away from their mothers before they even reach three months old. On the other hand, those puppies who were given sufficient time to bond with their mothers will grow up to be friendly and playful adult retriever.

Another advantage of taking home a retriever puppy at the right age is that, they can be fed easily. Three month old retrievers can start eating solid food, provided that you soften it with hot water before feeding. On the other hand, if you will get a very young golden retriever, you will have to feed the puppy with milk. This means another added cost because this may mean that you will have to buy milk formulas and other paraphernalia for milk feeding.

In general, before you decide to take home a golden retriever puppy, see to it that you are financially, emotionally, and psychologically prepared for the greater responsibilities associated with raising a golden retriever puppy. Remember that these puppies can be very playful. They are very curious and they can munch on everything that they see. Therefore, you should be very careful with your belongings if you do not want them to be the subject of your golden’s curious mouth.