When I picked up Ranger from the breeder in Florissant, CO, I thought I was ready. I had puppy supplies, I’d read articles online, and I figured, how hard could it be? Well, turns out bringing home an eight-week-old Golden Retriever puppy to Colorado Springs was like getting hit by the cutest tornado ever.
That first night, Ranger cried for what felt like hours. He missed his mom and littermates, and our house was completely foreign to him. I ended up sleeping on the floor next to his crate because every time I got back in my own bed, the crying started again. My neighbor probably thought I got a really weird alarm clock.
But by day three, something clicked. Ranger started wagging his tail when he saw me, figured out where his food bowl was, and even had his first successful potty trip outside. Watching him discover our backyard—sniffing everything, chasing a leaf, then immediately falling asleep in the sun—made all those sleepless nights worth it.
Golden Retriever Puppy Care
The thing about Golden puppies is they’re like little sponges. Everything is new and exciting, but they get overwhelmed easily. Our altitude here in Colorado actually seemed to make Ranger extra sleepy those first few days, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. More nap time meant fewer opportunities for mischief.
Getting Your House Puppy-Ready (Spoiler: Nothing Is Safe)
Before Ranger came home, I thought I’d puppy-proofed everything. Ha. Within two hours, he’d found the one electrical cord I missed and was treating it like the world’s most dangerous chew toy. Puppies have this supernatural ability to find trouble you didn’t even know existed.
The good news is you don’t need to make your house into a padded room. Just think about the obvious stuff—cords, small objects they could swallow, cleaning supplies, your favorite shoes. Ranger had a weird obsession with socks, so those had to go up high too.
I set up his “home base” in my kitchen because it had tile floors (easier to clean up accidents) and baby gates to keep him contained. Food bowl, water dish, a few toys, and his bed all in one spot. He seemed to like having his own little territory while he figured out the rest of the house.
Colorado houses come with their own challenges. We’ve got fireplaces, wood stoves, and lots of stairs. Ranger was fascinated by the fireplace but obviously couldn’t get near it. Baby gates became my best friend that first week. Also, if you’ve got a deck or patio, make sure the railings are puppy-proof. These little guys can squeeze through smaller spaces than you’d think.
The Altitude Adjustment Nobody Talks About
Here’s something weird—Ranger seemed really tired his first couple days home, way more than I expected. Turns out puppies can get affected by altitude just like people. He’d play hard for five minutes, then crash for two hours. I called the vet freaking out, thinking something was wrong, but apparently it’s totally normal.
The dry air here is rough on puppies too. Ranger’s nose got all crusty and his little paws seemed dry. I got a humidifier for his sleeping area and started putting a tiny bit of coconut oil on his nose pads. Worked like a charm.
Also, he drank water like he’d been lost in the desert. Again, normal for Colorado. Just meant more frequent potty breaks, which actually helped with house training.
Figuring Out a Schedule (When Mother Nature Cooperates)
Puppies love routine, but Colorado weather laughs at your carefully planned schedule. I had this great plan for regular outdoor potty breaks every two hours. Then it started snowing in May. Because Colorado.
What worked was having a flexible routine that hit the important stuff—same meal times, regular nap periods, and lots of potty opportunities—but being ready to adapt when the weather went crazy. Some days we spent more time outside, other days we were stuck inside playing indoor games.
House training was the big challenge. Ranger took one step outside into snow and immediately turned around like, “Nope, not happening.” I had to basically carry him to his potty spot those first few snowy days, then bring him right back inside to warm up. Lots of treats and praise when he actually went outside instead of on my kitchen floor.
The breakthrough came around day five when he started understanding the routine. He’d head toward the door when he needed to go out, and he figured out that going potty outside meant treats and happy humans. Still had accidents, but they became less frequent.
Exercise That Won’t Overwhelm a Baby Dog
People see Golden Retriever and think “needs tons of exercise,” but an eight-week-old puppy is basically a baby. Ranger slept probably 16-18 hours a day that first week, which worried me until the vet said it was perfect.
Short play sessions worked way better than trying to tire him out. Five minutes of gentle tug-of-war, a quick training session with treats, maybe some supervised exploration in the backyard if the weather was decent. He’d get excited, play hard, then crash completely.
I made the mistake of taking him on too long of a walk on day four. He got about two blocks from the house and just sat down, refusing to move. Had to carry him home. Lesson learned—baby steps with baby dogs.
Health Stuff and Vet Visits
I scheduled Ranger’s first vet appointment before I even brought him home. Good thing, because I had about a million questions that first week. Is it normal for him to sleep this much? Why is his nose crusty? Should he be drinking this much water?
Colorado vets are used to altitude questions, so they weren’t surprised when I asked about Ranger’s initial tiredness. They also warned me about things I hadn’t thought of—like how quickly puppies can get dehydrated in our dry air, and how to protect his paws from hot pavement in summer and salt in winter.
The vet also explained Colorado’s vaccination schedule, which is a little different because of some diseases we have here that other states don’t worry about as much. Made me feel better knowing Ranger was getting the right protection for our specific area.
That first week is basically survival mode for everyone. Don’t expect perfection. Focus on keeping your puppy safe, starting house training, and building trust. The rest comes later. Now, two years later, Ranger is the perfect hiking buddy and knows every trail around Colorado Springs. But man, that first week felt like the longest and shortest week of my life at the same time.