17 Ways to Keep Your Red Golden Retriever Active

Red golden retrievers are known to be active dogs. Although this adorable dog breed is a joy to have, it can sometimes be difficult to know how to keep your dog active.

Because of this, you might run out of things for your dog to do. If so, as a parent to a red golden retriever, you can use these 17 ways to keep your red golden retriever active.

Remember that your dog wants to be active. It doesn’t matter if you have an adult dog, puppy, or even an older dog — all of these dogs are puppies at heart, and they thrive off of activity and engagement.

Read on for 17 ways to keep your red golden retriever friend active.

1. Manage Your Time Well

An important part of keeping your golden retriever active is managing your time well. Because golden retrievers are sporting dogs, and their physique means that they need to be active, these dogs will naturally need plenty of daily exercise.

If you don’t manage your time well and don’t provide the proper amount of exercise and activity for your dog, your red golden retriever may engage in bad behavior (i.e., tearing up the couch, chewing shoes, going potty in the house).

2. Take Your Red Golden Retriever for a Walk

One of the best ways you can keep your puppy or dog active is to take it for a walk every day or every other day. By walking your dog, you’ll be able to let it properly exercise and get some of the much-needed daily activity.

Doubtless, these dogs will appreciate having the ability to run, walk, scavenge, and sniff different scents available on a walk. Because all of this activity will take up energy, your dog will stay extremely active during a walk.

It’s important to consider that walking your dog isn’t only healthy for the dog — going for walks is healthy for both the owner and their dog, which means that this is an activity with a double benefit.

3. Stop Sharing Food

Another extremely good method you can employ to help your dog be more active is to stop sharing food with it. Feeding your dog strictly dog food can both encourage a healthier lifestyle for your pup, as well as ensure that your golden retriever isn’t spending too much time at the table.

By avoiding food sharing, you’ll be able to offer your dog the best dog food, as well as keep your dog overall more active as it will be encouraged to scavenge for chew treats and similar items when they’re available, as well as encouraged to not seek food during their owner’s mealtime.

4. Contact an Expert

If you’re ever not sure how to keep your red golden retriever active, then contacting an expert can be a surefire way to set yourself on the right path. Keep in mind that it’s the job of an expert to be educated on the best methods to keep your dog active.

Because of this, why not seek the help and advice of an expert if you’re having trouble? They’ll be able to provide the required information and tips to keep your puppy from not getting enough activity.

Expert advice can make or break your dog’s schedule, so it’s always an option if you’re running out of ideas.

5. Play Ball & Tug-Of-War

Probably one of the best activities you can do with your dog that will keep them active is playing ball. By playing ball with your dog, you’re able to keep them moving, as well as teach your dog to work with you. Playing fetch also strengthens your bond with your dog, which is incredibly important.

Another great activity you can use to keep your golden retriever active is tug-of-war. By playing tug with your dog, you’ll unlock a plethora of benefits which include exercise for your dog, an increased amount of control, and many other things which will benefit both you and your pooch.

6. Play Dog Frisbee

Another activity that can keep your dog active is dog frisbee. Although it’s similar to fetch, dog frisbee can be another activity that switches up your daily schedule with your dog and provides a fun and engaging way for them to burn energy.

Playing frisbee with your dog does require more room than some other activities, however, so it’s important to take this into consideration if you’re looking to play frisbee with your retriever.

Depending on how good your dog is at playing frisbee, it can lead to joining a golden retriever club or similar club that will let your dog participate in mutual activities, events, and even competitions.

7. Teach Your Dog New Tricks

Teaching your dog new tricks definitely adds another important aspect to your dog’s daily activity. Trick training can be beneficial for both you and your dog, which is definitely a fantastic reason to try this activity out with your pet.

Remember that these tricks are going to stack as well — they don’t just go away. Your dog will remember these tricks, and by acting out your commands your red golden retriever will stay active and increase its bond with you as a doggie parent.

Another fantastic reason to teach your dog new tricks is that it’s always great to have a well-behaved and controlled dog as a family pet, and this is definitely a good method to teach control.

8. Buy New Toys

Buying new toys for your dog is another way you can help your dog stay active and exercise frequently enough. As long as you know how to properly pick toys for your dog, buying new toys is one of the best methods to keep your dog distracted and active, especially when you can’t be home to entertain your dog.

Even while you are home, your dog will benefit from having toys as that’ll increase their activity even then. Because of this, buying new toys for your dog is a must.

There are many different types of toys for your dog, but no matter the type of toy, it will help your dog stay active and exercise itself when it’s at home alone, as well as when you’re playing with your dog.

9. Use Food Toys

Another incredibly useful way to keep your dog active is to use food toys. Essentially, food toys are a way to encourage your dog to be active while eating dog or puppy food, which means that your dog will have to actually engage with the toy in order to retrieve their food or treats. Talk about working for your meal, right? Dogs love it, so don’t feel bad!

The ingredient in the food isn’t important, so long as your dog likes it enough to actively try to get the food out of the toy. It is important to realize that picking the right treats or food that you use a food toy with is extremely important. Don’t skip over the brand’s treat for that brand’s toy for a cheaper version. Trust us, we’ve had to learn the hard way.

10. Tough Chew Treats

Offering your dog tough chew treats occasionally is another way to engage your family pet and keep it active. This is especially beneficial for developing and adult dogs, as tough chew treats do require a heavy amount of engagement and muscle strength to consume.

Because of this, these treats will keep your dog extremely active and ensure that they don’t get bored throughout the day. This is obviously a gigantic benefit of giving your dog a treat that can keep your dog engaged and active, similar to a bone or another very hard item to consume.

Treats like these will allow your dog to gain the beneficial dental health that chew treats have to offer, as well as stay active and occupied during the day. It’s the tough chew or your shoes, which would you choose?

11. Hire a Dog-Walker

If you want to keep your dog active but don’t have enough time to do so, you could always consider hiring a dog walker to keep your dog active while you’re away or busy. Although this does cost money, hiring a dog walker can be the required activity to get your dog out of the house and let them exercise instead of being cooped up all day.

The best ways to find a dog walker are to either search local classifieds, contact people through your personal networking, or employ the use of a dog walking application. No matter the method you use, though, hiring someone to walk your dog is ultimately going to help your family pet become much more active than if you didn’t hire a dog walker. Plus, having a dog walker will socialize your dogs with other people and, possibly, other pets.

12. Send Your Dog to Daycare

Sending your dog to doggy daycare is another thing you can do to let your red golden retriever stay active. This is especially good for golden retriever dogs and puppies which have behavioral issues, as many daycares focus on rectifying this as well as keeping your dog active during the day. According to the American Kennel Club, as long as you choose the right daycare, this can be incredibly beneficial for so many different aspects of your dog, including their behavior, training, mental engagement, exercise, and socialization.

If you find the right dog daycare, your dog will be fed quality dog food and will be able to socialize with many different dogs and puppies. The benefits of this even beyond the fact that it keeps your dog active are incredible, so sending your dog to daycare is definitely something you should consider doing.

For example, a doggy daycare will offer your dog mental stimulation, a chance to play with and meet other dogs, a routine that can help with your dog being bored or anxious, and also trains your dog to be comfortable around other people and dogs.

13. Find an Automatic Dog Feeder

Finding an automatic dog feeder for your puppy is another way you can make your dog stay more active throughout the day. By using an automatic feeder, your dog will get a plethora of benefits, one of which includes the fact that any dog using an automatic feeder will undoubtedly stay more active overall when compared to dogs who were fed in the original method.

Essentially, your dog feeder will allow your dog to pace its meals automatically, as well as feed your dog the correct and required amount at the required intervals. All of this will help your dog stay active, as it will force your dog to only eat when it receives its portioned food.

14. Go to a Dog Park

Another activity that can keep your dog busy during the day and after you get off of work is going to a dog park. Dog parks are incredibly useful, as they can provide the socialization needed for a Goldendoodle puppy or red golden retriever puppy, while also allowing dogs of any age to exercise and stay active.

If you go to a dog park, you’ll be able to let your dog run free and socialize with other dogs, while you just have to pay attention and make sure your puppy behaves properly.

Ultimately, a dog park can be a relaxing experience for a dog owner as well as a fun-filled experience for their dog.

And remember, even if you don’t have a dog park near you, you can even create your own. Dog parks are incredibly beneficial for your golden retriever, so why not make sure that you have one to take your dog to? And by creating, we mean having a large, fenced-in space your dog can run without restrictions.

15. Set Up an Obstacle Course

Another potential way to keep your red golden retriever active is to set up an obstacle course for your dog, either at home or in your backyard. For those who don’t know what an obstacle course is, essentially, it’s a series of physical problems or tasks which your dog can complete. This may be a dog tunnel, another physical activity like a leap, or something else entirely. String these activities together, and you have yourself an obstacle course.

Giving your dog an obstacle course will help keep it active, and also provide entertainment for you as you’ll be able to witness your dog enjoy navigating its way through a complex obstacle course. There are many other agility sports that you can let your dog participate in as well if they end up liking your backyard obstacle course. Because there’s really no end in sight to agility sports like these, they can keep your dog active for months and even years.

Obstacle courses and other activity sports like these can be incredibly beneficial for the mental and physical health of your dog as well, which means that it’s a win-win no matter what. Setting up an obstacle course for your dog can easily be one of the best decisions you make.

How cute would it be to look out the back window and see your dog running the course on their own?!

16. Let Your Dog Scavenge

Another thing you can do for your dog that will help it stay active is to let your golden retriever scavenge. Dogs naturally scavenge, which means that you can use that in order to help make your golden retriever more active.

All dogs need a certain amount of daily activity, and some of that can be satiated through scavenging. In order to let your dog scavenge, you can hide toys and food around your house and allow your dog’s natural instincts to take over.

By doing this, your dog will have the benefit of being able to scavenge, while also staying sufficiently active during the day. Your golden retriever will definitely love scavenging, so by implementing this tip you’ll be able to watch your dog have fun as well.

17. Buy a Pet Treadmill

Another fun thing that you can do to let your dog get plenty of activity is to buy a pet treadmill for your dog and let them use it daily or every other day. Pet treadmills do exist, and these are one of the best ways to let your dog get the activity they needed.

Because of this, buying a pet treadmill is definitely a way to increase your dog’s activity. Dog treadmills, however, are more expensive than many of the other activities on this list, and, because of this, aren’t necessarily the first option you should try when looking to increase your dog’s activity.

Ultimately, although a pet treadmill is a good option for your dog as a last resort, these aren’t ideal for many reasons, one of which includes the expense.

Get Creative

Remember, when you’re trying to keep your red golden retriever active, you ultimately need to get creative and use the methods which will best work for your dog.

Every dog is different and unique with what’ll work best for them, and because of this, you should focus on making sure your puppy does what they enjoy and keeps them active.

Whether you end up using tough dog treats, dog toys meant to increase activity, or maybe even end up buying a dog treadmill, so long as you’re able to keep your red golden retriever active, you’ll be successful.