golden retriever pup breathing fast.

by Jake
(Beaverton,OR)

I have a seven week old golden retriever puppy, he is breathing hard as if he was hot.

do you know if this is normal?






Hi Jake
Puppies and dogs breathe fast and heavily (basically panting) when they're hot, scared/anxious, have been exercising, or are in pain.

If you've only just brought your pup home, he's probably scared and homesick and the heavy breathing/panting is a result of that. I'd recommend that you check out my Bringing Home A New Puppy page as it gives you lots of tips and advice about what to expect during the first few days.

If your pup has been outside and it's hot, or he's been running around a lot, he could be panting because of that. In extreme weather it's best to keep pups indoors as much as possible as their bodies aren't able to regulate their temperature as well as older adult dogs (although any dog should be inside when it's very hot/cold outdoors).

I'd recommend having your vet examine your pup anyway, just to make sure that there's no underlying health problem that's causing him to breath so fast. It's always better to be safe than sorry and an exam by your own vet soon after bringing home a new pup is always a good idea.

Hope this helps, best of luck with your new puppy.