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Golden Retriever Complete Information

Golden Retrievers are known for being friendly and affectionate dogs that love to play, but also like to cuddle. They genuinely love human attention and would do anything for a reward.

Other Names: Goldens

Country Of Origin: England

Dog Group: Retriever/sporting

Size: Large

Recommended For: Families, couples, single owners

Maintenance Level: Low/moderate

Lifespan: 10-12 years

Temperament: Friendly, cuddly, affectionate

FAQ:

Golden retriever and a cat

Good For the First-Time Owner: Yes

Good With Children: Yes

Good With Other Animals: Yes

Good With Strangers: Yes

Good For Apartments: No

Exercise Requirements: Daily walking

Can Live In Hot Weather: Yes

Can Live In Cold Weather: Yes

Can Tolerate Being Left Alone: Yes

Grooming: Easy/moderate

Trainability: Easy

Breed Overview:

Golden Retriever photo taken on white background

 The Golden Retriever is the typical family dog. They’re an incredibly affectionate breed and thrive on human attention.

Similarly, they’re great with kids and love to play. Golden Retriever puppies are a great addition to almost any family and are very easy to care for.

Golden Retrievers were originally bred for hunting and were used to bring the game back to the hunters.

For this reason, Golden Retrievers are a very intelligent breed and enjoy plenty of mental stimulation.

 Color: Gold to cream, or any combination on this spectrum

Check these 2 unique Goldens Color:

 Height: Males – 22-24 inches, Females – 20-22 inches

 Weight: Males – 65-75lbs, Females – 55-65lbs

Personality and Temperament:

A Golden as a guide dog for the blind

Golden Retrievers are one of the best family dogs possible. Even a big Golden Retriever is happy to cuddle with children or spend hours playing with them in the backyard.

They’re also a great dog for taking on vacation, and will happily go with you anywhere.

They often show their affection and are known to rest their paw on your arm as a sign of love.

Their love of reward, combined with their intelligence, makes Golden Retrievers easy to train.

They can pick up commands very quickly, and are capable of learning complex tricks. This intelligence should be harnessed from a young age, however, and training should be kept up throughout the dog’s life.

As a result of this intelligence and easy trainability, Golden Retrievers are a popular sight as guide dogs, hearing dogs, disability support dogs, and much more.

Golden Retrievers are also a popular choice in service sectors like search and rescue, detection, and hunting.

The Golden Retriever’s friendly nature means that they’re usually fine around other dogs and animals.

While this will vary between dogs, the breed is known for being very friendly, sometimes too much so.

Golden Retriever puppies are very energetic and so should be taught proper social skills as soon as possible.

Being a hunting dog means that Golden Retrievers have excellent stamina and plenty of energy.

This means they need plenty of exercises to stay healthy and should be walked for at least an hour every day.

Golden Retrievers appreciate several walks a day, so bear this in mind if you’re thinking of getting one.

One of the best things about Golden Retriever ownership is that it’s really easy. They’re a reasonably low maintenance breed.

If you’re happy to keep up with their exercise needs, will be a good choice for almost anyone, including first-time owners.

Their easy trainability and friendly temperament make Golden Retrievers a great starter dog.

Golden Retrievers are not a dangerous breed, and would not be a suitable choice if you’re looking for a guard dog.

The only time Golden Retrievers ever really bark is because they want something from you, usually attention.

It’s likely that if a stranger came to your home, the Golden Retriever would lick them rather than bite or bark at them.

Although all breeds have a chance to bite, Golden Retrievers are very unlikely to do so. They’re far too good-natured for that.

The breed’s size and exercise needs mean that they’re not suitable for keeping in an apartment.

They ideally need a house with plenty of outdoor space. Similarly, they need plenty of mental stimulation while at home to prevent boredom.

Playing with children is an ideal mental and physical exercise for a Golden Retriever.

Golden Retrievers have a reasonably thick coat, which makes them much better suited for moderate and cold climates.

However, they can still live happily in hotter places, as long as they’re kept out of the sun and exercised adequately.

The breed’s stamina and working role mean that they can tolerate hotter temperatures much better than some other breeds.

While Golden Retrievers can tolerate being left alone for longer periods, it’s much better to leave them with another dog.

Their affectionate nature means they’re more prone to getting lonely, so it helps to have more than one dog. Not that this would be a bad thing!

Grooming:

A Golden having a shower

Golden Retrievers have a medium-length double-layered coat that gets longer and more wavy around their legs and stomach.

As the name implies, they’re generally golden in color, but this can range anywhere from cream to red.

Auburn Golden Retriever puppies are becoming more popular in some places, which sits in the middle of the spectrum.

The breed is also known for its soft and dense puppy fur, which doesn’t shed. Like most other breeds, it just grows into the longer adult coat.

A Golden Retriever sheds continually throughout the year, and this can be controlled with weekly grooming.

Grooming should be done with a slicker brush or soft-bristle brush, and this should be increased to daily brushing during the bi-annual shedding seasons.

During this time, it can be quite hard to manage, and you might want to visit a groomer.

Golden Retrievers can be bathed occasionally, but it shouldn’t be too often to avoid drying out their skin and coat.

Their ears should be checked weekly for debris, and their teeth cleaned several times a week. As with all other dogs, trim their nails when needed.

Common Diseases and Conditions:

Golden Retriever in a veterinary clinic

Much of the Golden Retriever’s popularity is based on the fact that it’s a healthy and long-living breed. Golden Retrievers suffer from common conditions like hip dysplasia and cataracts, and some heart conditions.

Responsible breeders will test their dogs before mating to ensure they’re doing everything possible not to pass on these conditions.

However, due to the popularity of the breed, it’s much more difficult to keep track of selective breeding.

 History:

The ancestor of the Golden Retriever was created in Scotland during the middle of the 19th century, specifically as a hunting and sporting dog.

It was used by Scottish noblemen when they went bird hunting, and it was trained to retrieve both on land and in water.

The breed came about after the standard retriever used at the time was crossed with the best examples of water spaniels.

This created a retriever with a water-repellent coat that was much better suited to swimming. At some point during the original breeding, it’s believed the Russian Tracker dog was also introduced to the bloodline.

The existing retriever dogs weren’t able to keep up after improvements to guns meant more birds were being lost once shot down.

Crossing their retrievers with water spaniels meant the new dogs had much more stamina and could easily cross between land and water.

The United Kennel Club first recognized the Golden Retriever in 1903, and it quickly took off, both as a working dog and companion pet.

The American Golden Retriever was recognized 14 years later and remained one of the most popular breeds in both countries.

Golden Retrievers quickly became a favorite family pet because their role as a retrieving animal meant they were perfectly suited to play and enjoyed receiving rewards.

The breed is a recognizable sight in films and TV shows and plenty of other media, and it’s easy to see why.

Golden Retriever Facts & Figures:

President Ford and his golden retriever named Liberty

David Hume Kennerly [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Did You Know?

  • Golden Retrievers have made it into the White House twice: once with Gerald R. Ford (the dog was called Liberty), and with Ronald Reagan (the dog was called Victory).
  • Golden Retrievers have appeared in hundreds of films and TV shows, but some of the most well-known include Air Bud, Homeward Bound, Up, and You’ve Got Mail.
  • A Golden Retriever helped its own rescue two dogs stranded under the ice in 2019. It acted without instruction and helped get the other dogs to safety well away from the ice. The video went viral and got over 100 million views in the first week.
  • A Golden Retriever was featured on the children’s TV show Blue Peter from 1978 to 1986. Her name was Goldie.
  • Similarly, prominent British gardener Monty Don presents most of his TV shows with his Golden Retriever, Nigel.
  • Orca, a Golden Retriever, was awarded the PDSA Gold Medal for saving his owner’s live in 2003. He found help for his owner, who had become trapped in a drainage ditch during a massive storm, and went against all standard rules of training. He was only 17 months old at the time and hadn’t long been with his owner.
  • Golden Retrievers were first shown in 1908 at the Crystal Palace in London, England. They were initially called Flat Coats (Golden) but this changed to Golden Retriever in 1911.
  • The most notable difference between Golden retriever vs Labrador is the length of their coats
  • Golden retriever for sale: Price is around 500-3,000 USD.

About the author: Driven by his lifelong passion for dogs and an insatiable curiosity about their diverse breeds, Pablo Pascua founded dogbreedsfaq.com. Through this website, he seeks to expand his knowledge and share his findings with fellow dog enthusiasts. Having owned several dogs throughout his life, Pablo’s experiences have fueled his interest in learning more about these beloved animals. His mission is to provide accurate and comprehensive information to help pet owners make informed decisions about their furry companion.