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Golden retriever care: exercise, grooming and dog sitting

Find out how to adapt your Golden retriever's exercise, grooming and feeding to your dog, and make clear arrangements with a sitter.

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Two golden retrievers lying beside each other on a wooden floor

Breed at a glance

Our editors rate each trait from 1 (low) to 5 (high). These are general breed characteristics, not reviews, and every pet is different.

Build
Large and sturdy
Coat
Flat or wavy, with an undercoat

Exercise needs

An energetic breed that often enjoys walking, searching and retrieving. Alternate these with rest and adapt the demands to your dog.

Grooming

Brush regularly and check longer hair around areas including the legs, belly and tail for knots.

Playfulness

Searching games, training and retrieving often suit this eager-to-learn retriever. Choose games your dog can manage.

Feeding & daily routine

Choose complete dog food for the right life stage. Use the packaging guide as a starting point, monitor your Golden's condition and include rewards. This breed can easily become overweight. Give a sitter the same measured portions and ask your vet for advice if unsure.

This breed on Petbnb

Petbnb bookings and sitters in the Netherlands.

Paid bookings
4,057
Sitters with breed experience
877

Last updated

The booking total includes paid bookings, as well as completed and reviewed stays or visits. It doesn’t mean every stay or visit has already taken place. Sitter counts and city rankings are based on the breeds sitters list on their profiles, rather than their booking history. This experience is self-reported; check availability for your dates.

Find a sitter who knows the breed

See which cities have the most sitters who list this breed on their profile. Arrange a meet and greet to talk about their experience and your pet’s needs.

  1. Golden Retriever sitters in Amsterdam168 sitters with breed experience
  2. Golden Retriever sitters in Rotterdam54 sitters with breed experience
  3. Golden Retriever sitters in 's-Gravenhage51 sitters with breed experience
  4. Golden Retriever sitters in Utrecht44 sitters with breed experience
  5. Golden Retriever sitters in Eindhoven23 sitters with breed experience
  6. Golden Retriever sitters in Groningen22 sitters with breed experience
View all Golden Retriever sitters in the Netherlands

A Golden retriever often enjoys doing things together: walking, searching or retrieving an object. Alongside those activities, their coat needs attention, particularly where the hair is longer. A clear daily routine helps a sitter understand what your dog needs too.

Did you know?

Among the Golden retriever's probable ancestors, the Raad van Beheer names a breed that no longer exists: the Tweed Water Spaniel. Today's Golden has a dense, water-resistant undercoat. That background is no reason to take swimming during a stay for granted; make separate arrangements for it. Source: Raad van Beheer: Golden Retriever.

LICG describes an energetic dog who is eager to learn. The right amount of exercise and stimulation varies with age, health and the individual dog. Their background matters too: a Golden from a working line may have different needs from those you expect from their appearance.

Alternate activity with rest

Alongside ordinary walks, make time for sniffing, searching games and gentle training. Retrieving fits the breed's background, but endlessly chasing a ball is not a complete daily routine. In particular, do not overtax a young dog with constant running or boisterous games.

Make clear arrangements with a sitter about routes, rest periods and play. If your Golden enjoys swimming, discuss whether and where it is allowed during the stay. Enthusiasm for water does not make every place or situation suitable.

Pay attention to the longer hair

The coat has a dense undercoat and longer hair around areas including the legs, belly and tail. Sources give different guidance on care: while LICG describes brushing, the Raad van Beheer's breed description warns against removing too much undercoat. Ask a groomer to explain which maintenance and equipment suit your dog, then hand over that specific routine. The sitter does not need to try a new brushing method.

A muddy walk needs a different routine from swimming in salt water. Explain when you rinse your dog and where the towels are. If brushing is difficult for your dog, start with getting used to the brush calmly.

Feeding: rewards are part of the daily allowance

Goldens can easily become overweight. Choose complete dog food suited to their life stage and use the feeding guide as a starting point. Then consider your dog's condition and needs; breed alone does not determine the portion.

Include treats and training rewards. Weighed portions and a separate container of agreed rewards are useful for the sitter. Do not casually change food during the stay. If you are unsure about quantities or weight, ask your vet for advice.

Pass on habits, not just a breed description

During a Petbnb meet and greet, walk a usual route and point out where your dog often heads towards water. For example, agree that the sitter will avoid that spot during this stay. Back home, demonstrate how you check paws and longer hair, using the equipment you already use. This turns “they love being outdoors” into a practical arrangement.

For example, ask:

  • Which route would you choose if we have agreed that my dog should not swim during this stay?
  • Can you demonstrate the coat check after a wet walk as we have discussed?
  • Where can they rest if other dogs still want to play?

The pet sitter checklist helps with the rest of the preparation. Read more about the breed's background in our Golden retriever facts.

Sources