Golden Retriever Dog Breed

All About Golden Retriever Dog Breed

The Golden Retriever is one of the most popular dog breeds in the U.S. The breed’s friendly, tolerant attitude makes them fabulous family pets, and their intelligence makes them highly capable working dogs.

Golden Retrievers excel at retrieving game for hunters, tracking, sniffing out contraband for law enforcement, and as therapy and assistance dogs. They’re also natural athletes, and do well in dog sports such as agility and competitive obedience.

Golden Retrievers are instantly recognizable by their beautiful golden-brown coat, balanced proportions and outgoing smile

Typical Golden Retrievers are active and fun-loving animals with the exceptionally patient demeanour befitting a dog bred to sit quietly for hours in a hunting blind.

History

Golden retrievers originated from the Scottish Highlands, where they were used primarily as hunting dogs. Golden Retrievers were the bred from a mix of retrievers, setters, spaniels and bloodhounds. First registered as “Flat Coats – Golden” by England’s Kennel Club in 1903,It was first seen at a British dog show in 1908 and good specimens of the breed began arriving in America, by the way of Canada Sport hunters appreciated the breed’s utility and all were impressed by the Golden’s sweet, sensible temperament.

They eventually received AKC recognition in 1925. During the early 20th century, golden retrievers were introduced to North America as both a hunting dog and a companion and are today one of the most popular breeds in America.

Appearance of Golden Retriever

A typical Golden Retriever’s broad head has a wide but tapered muzzle, a brown nose, gentle brown eyes and medium-sized pendant (hanging) ears. A sturdy neck, muscular shoulders and broad chest lead to strong thighs.

Their long tails do not curl. Their coat is dense and water-resistant it can be flat, wavy or feathered. Colors can range from cream to golden brown.

Normally a Golden Retriever weighs from 50 – 80 pounds (22.68 – 36.29 kg) and height varies in between 21 – 24 inches (53.34 – 60.96 cm).Their life span average is about 10 to 12 years.

The Red Golden Retriever is in fact a purebred Golden Retriever; the only difference is they have a dark golden coat which appears red.

Red Golden Retriever puppies will have the wonderful qualities of their parents, having mountains of energy!

The Black Golden Retrievers are one of the varieties of the traditional Golden Retriever dogs. They share all the same characteristics, but they have that classic midnight shade. They are just black because of the genetic diversity factor which was added into their bloodline in the breed development processes.

The main difference is in their coating which is entirely black. The average Black Golden retriever can live for up to 12 maybe 13 years old and can have a height of 23–24 inches. The healthy .Black retriever can weigh between 70 to 76 pounds. Most of its physical properties are like the Traditional Golden retrievers just the difference is in the colour and minor other differences.

German Shepherd Golden Retriever mix is an intelligent and trainable hybrid which is the result of mixing a German Shepherd Dog with a Golden Retriever.

With active parent breeds, this hybrid is a playful, affectionate and eager to please companion.

The average German Shepherd Golden Retriever can live for up to 10 maybe 14 years old and can have a height of 21–26 inches. The healthy .Black retriever can weigh between 50 to 70 pounds.

Golden Cocker Retriever is a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Cocker Spaniel. Golden Cocker Retriever are known as a forever puppy- a dog that never grew up or filled out its paws. A full-grown Golden Retriever Cocker Spaniel Mix still looks like its a baby with its sweet demeanor and fluffy coat.

The Cocker Spaniel weighs between 25-30lb (male) and 20-25lb (female). As for height, the Cocker Spaniel stands at around 15 inches tall. Females will usually be smaller than the males.

Personality and Temperament of Golden Retriever

Golden Retrievers are Friendly, Intelligent and Devoted. They are outgoing, trustworthy, and eager-to-please family dogs, and relatively easy to train. 

They take a joyous and playful approach to life and maintain this puppyish behaviour into adulthood.

These energetic, powerful gundogs enjoy outdoor play. For a breed built to retrieve waterfowl for hours on end, swimming and fetching are natural pastimes.

The Golden Retriever is popular as a disability assistance dog, such as being a guide dog for the blind and a hearing dog for the deaf. In addition, they are trained to be a hunting dog, a detection dog, and a search and rescue participant. 

They are renowned for their friendly nature and love of everyone and everything. The working history of a Retriever was a gundog. Bred to be the perfect family companion, they tolerate all; adults, kids and pets.

With the Golden Retriever being so people friendly, the Cocker Retriever most likely will be too. They will get along well with strangers and visitors, and will want to be the centre of attention. However, the Cocker Spaniel is more hesitant with strangers, but will warm up to them eventually.

German Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix are smart, athletic, trainable and sociable. They are eager to please and a loyal companion.

Grooming

Golden Retrievers heavily shed their thick, water-repellant double coat once or twice a year, and they also shed more moderately on a continuous basis. Most of the time, a good brushing-out with a slicker brush once or twice a week will remove much of the dead hair before it has a chance to fall onto the furniture.

During times of heavy shedding, these brushing sessions turn into daily affairs. Baths help to loosen the dead hairs, but the dog must be completely dry before brushing begins.

Otherwise, they only need occasional baths to keep them clean. As with all breeds, the Golden’s nails should be trimmed regularly, however working dogs will naturally wear down their nails.

They are particularly prone to ear infections, because of their floppy ears. So clean and dry their ears once a week to prevent any infection (symptoms can include itching, head shaking, redness and swelling).

Allergy

Although Golden Retrievers are great family pets, they unfortunately, aren’t hypoallergenic.They are a breed that frequently sheds and are not a suitable match for people with bad allergies.

A common skin disease, called Canine Atopic Dermatitis (CAD), is especially common in Golden Retrievers. CAD causes very itchy skin, due to the immune system’s response to environmental allergens.CAD can make your Golden Retriever feel pretty miserable.

Bathing your dog once a week will help remove the dander from its coat, making an allergic reaction less likely.

Also, choosing a house without carpet will significantly reduce your chance of allergies, however, if you already have carpet in your home, shampooing it regularly will do the trick. Lastly, if you are able to keep your dog outside for a few hours during the day, you can allow the air in your home to clear.

Child Friendly

Golden Retrievers make good family pets, particularly as they are patient with children.

A well-socialized Retriever is more than happy to play with children, canines and even other pets. They are energetic, and they love exercising. They not only enjoy a fetch game with you but also love taking part in any outdoor activity with you and your families.

If you have hyperactive children who love running and playing around, a golden retriever can be a good companion for your children.

Another good point of having a golden retriever to play with your kids is that this type of dog is well-tempered and obedient most of the time, so rest assured that your kids will have a playful and enjoyable time with a golden retriever.

Apartment Friendly

Golden Retrievers are great recommendation as apartment dogs. They are used as working dogs for a variety of jobs, yet they still make great apartment dogs because of their natural friendliness towards people and other animals. While they are not good guard dogs they do their job as watch dogs, using their loud bark to signal the approach of a stranger.

They are easily trained and have seen great results from obedience training. They just love to please their leader and are great at performing tricks. One thing to look out for is that this breed gains weight easily and must not be overfed. Golden Retrievers do fine in an apartment provided there’s enough exercise to go around.

Health

The average lifespan for a Golden Retriever is about 11 to 12 years

Cancer is the breed’s biggest killer, causing 61.4% of American.

Some of its minor health problems include hypothyroidism, sub-aortic stenosis (SAS), eye disorders, elbow dysplasia, mast cell tumors, and seizures. Osteosarcoma is also occasionally seen in Golden Retrievers.

The most common is hemangiosarcoma, followed by lymphosarcoma, mast cell tumour,

They may suffer from heart disease, especially subvalvular aortic stenosis and cardiomyopathy and joint diseases,

Diet

Golden Retrievers can have dried, canned or a mix of both diet types; it’s the ingredients that matter.

Feed them 2 to 3 cups a day depending on their size, age and activity level. The amount of food given can be split into two meals a day and you can track their growth using the chart below:

Training and Exercise

If you like playing fetch (and, especially if you like playing it for hours), you’ll love having a Golden Retriever. Eager, loving, intelligent and playful, these dogs have boundless energy and very few behavior problems.

Like most Sporting breeds, Goldens need plenty of daily exercise.

A Golden who doesn’t get enough exercise is likely to engage in undesirable behavior.

Goldens make great companions on long runs and bike rides, although consultation with a vet is recommended before starting strenuous or high-impact activities that might cause stress to the dog’s bones and joints.

Many Goldens happily get their exercise on hunting trips or at field trials, as well as by participating in canine sports such as agility, obedience, and tracking.

As with all breeds, early socialization and puppy training classes are recommended.

Gently exposing the puppy to a wide variety of people, places, and situations between the ages of seven weeks and four months will help the Golden develop into a well-adjusted, well-mannered adult. Puppy training classes serve as part of the socialization process and help the owner learn to recognize and correct any bad habits that may be developing. 

Obedience training strengthens the bond between dog and owner a Golden wants nothing more than to please his human.

Golden Retrievers are outgoing, loyal, and eager to do your bidding, which makes them very easy to train

Goldens love to carry things around in their mouths – and not just tennis balls. If they find something they like, e.g., a stick, a toy or a shoe, they’ll carry it around for days. Inevitably, these objects will become very slobbery.

Adoption and Maintenance

Golden Retriever is the most popular breed for adoption of puppies.

Most people are aware that golden retrievers are lovable, gentle, loyal dogs and they are great with children. They are friends with the neighbour’s golden retriever and they’ve seen other golden retriever owners out for a dog walk. 

If you have brought a newborn golden retriever puppy to your home, you need to be extra careful in handling him. It is significant to note that newborn golden retrievers should not be handled like human babies.

Proper diet and clean water must be provided to the golden, It is important to ensure that high quality ingredients are available in the food being so that their nutritional requirements are met in the most effective manner.

Golden Retriever puppies for sale in Michigan

There are animal shelters and rescues that focus specifically on finding great homes for Golden Retriever puppies in Michigan.

Things to know about Golden Retriever

• Golden Retrievers love tasks and challenges.
• Golden retrievers are working dogs and need to be working all the time.
• Golden retrievers are high energy dogs.
• Golden retrievers are very social dogs and want to be with people all the time.
• Golden retrievers need lots of exercise.
• Golden retrievers need to start obedience training as soon as possible.
• Golden retriever puppies will be in the puppy stage for a very long time.
• Golden retrievers do not become calm until they grow out of the puppy stage.