Introduction
Golden Retrievers are the quintessential family dog.
The Golden Retriever, commonly referred to simply as “Golden”, is one of the most loving and beloved of all canine breeds. Known for its loyal and outgoing personality, the Golden Retriever is called “the perfect dog” by its many admirers. The Golden Retriever is one of the most popular dog breeds in the U.S. The breed’s friendly, tolerant attitude makes him a fabulous family pet, and his intelligence makes him a highly capable working dog. Golden Retrievers excel at retrieving game for hunters, tracking, sniffing out drugs, and as therapy and assistance dogs. They’re also natural athletes and do well in dog sports such as agility and competitive obedience.
The video from AKC TV below is an awesome watch if you want to get to know the breed.
Is the Golden Retriever the Right Breed for You?
- Golden Retrievers are easy to train, they are people pleasers. They are good for first-time dog owners.
- Golden Retrievers should always be treated with a gentle hand, as they are sensitive creatures who don’t respond well to harsh tones and discipline.
- Golden Retrievers need a lot of exercise, but not as much as other Retrievers. This can be met with a couple daily walks or tossing a stick or ball in the yard. They love pretty much any outdoor activity with their people, whether walking, running, hiking, biking, swimming or playing chase with kids. They are even tempered and don’t need hours of exercise. They are strong dogs and hard workers.
- Golden Retrievers are a social breed, who adores people and thrives on companionship, they do best as an indoor dog to be near their people. They should not be left outside alone for long periods of time, they may develop separation anxiety.
- Golden Retrievers are mouthy and soft mouthed. They like carrying things around in their mouths. Being “soft mouthed” does not mean they will not chew. In fact being “mouthy” means they WILL chew a lot. Teaching Golden Retrievers WHAT is a “good chew” is very important since you will never stop chewing entirely. They can and do chew on hard things but tend to be relatively gentle when retrieving or when dealing with humans and puppies.
- Golden Retrievers require frequent brushing for their dense, water-repellent outer coat with a thick undercoat. They have fur feathers on the back of the front legs and underbody, with heavier feathering on the chest, back of thighs, and tail. Get used to dog hair on you and your home, especially when they have “blow outs” in the spring and fall.
- Golden Retrievers, especially young, can be boisterous, large dogs that can accidentally knock over a small child or spin into an adult.
- Golden Retrievers love to eat and can quickly become overweight if overfed.
- Since Golden Retrievers are popular breed, be sure to find your Golden from a responsible breeder who breeds quality, happy, healthy dogs. Look for reputable breeders who tests their breeding dogs to make sure they are free of genetic diseases. Never buy from puppy mills, *pet stores or irresponsible breeders. *Many pet stores get their puppies from puppy mills.
- Golden Retrievers are serious about their work. They love having jobs, be it hunting, serving as guide dogs, working search-and-rescue, or being devoted companions.
Do Not Get a Golden Retriever if:
- If you expect it to be a guard dog, they love people too much and would be more likely to show a robber where your things are. they will sometimes bark to alert if there is someone approaching then will calm down and welcome them in and expect loving.
- If you don’t want a large dog. According to the AKC breed standard, males should stand from 23 to 24” at the withers and weigh between 65 and 75lbs. Females should stand 21.5 to 22.5” at the withers and weigh between 55 and 65lbs. In show ring, dogs that are more than one inch taller or shorter than standard are disqualified, but there is no height that disqualifies a companion dog.
- If you don’t want to brush your Golden Retriever or don’t like shedding dogs. Plan to vacuum, a lot, especially in the spring and fall.
- If you plan to leave the dog outside only. There are social creatures and want to be with their pack.
- If you never plan to bathe your dog. Due to the type of coat Golden Retrievers have, they will need either plenty of water play time or bathing or they may emit a “doggie odor”.
- If you don’t want a “mouthy” dog.
- If you don’t want a playful dog, full of energy. They get excited to be around you and may jump, spin and be boisterous, which can lead to accidents like knocking over small children, things or knocking into adults. This can be trained, to lessen the exuberance of being so boisterous.
- If you don’t expect a loyal, loving dog, who needs and loves attention and can be downright silly.
- If you expect a Golden to be a hypoallergenic breed (they shed).
- If you don’t expect drooling. Golden Retrievers don’t typically drool much but the potential exists as with most dog breeds.
Health
The following conditions may be seen in Golden Retrievers:
- + Hip/Elbow Dysplasia – can lead to malformation and degeneration of joints.
- Cataracts
- * Ichthyosis (ICH) – dry, scaling skin that may be thickened or very thin
- Hypothyroidism
- * Progressive Retinal Atrophy that can lead to permanent blindness in both eyes
- Some cancers
- * Muscular Distrophy
* Can be genetically tested. Special note on ICH: Being a “Carrier” is absolutely harmless if you are not a breeder. Statistically almost 50% of Golden Retrievers are ICH carriers. Responsible breeders often breed dogs that are ICH carriers but careful attention must be paid to not breeding them with another carrier as that could change some of the puppies to “Affected”. The skin condition will only reveal itself if the golden Retriever is “Affected”.
+ can be OFA or Penn Hip tested once they reach 2 years of age
To prevent many health conditions, purchase your puppy from a reputable breeder. Life expectancy is on average 10-13 years. They have a potential for excessive weight gain if not monitored.