Golden Retriever

The golden retriever is one of the most popular dog breeds in the world. They are golden-colored, friendly, and brilliant. The breed was initially bred to help hunters retrieve game during hunts, so they have an innate love for water and retrieving objects. 

History of the Breed

The golden retriever was bred as a hunting dog. They are known to be happy, friendly, intelligent, and obedient.

The history of the golden retriever starts way back in 1875 when two breeders got together to create a new breed of dog for duck hunting. They were presented in front of the Kennel Club in 1877 at their first show.

History of the Golden RetrieverPin

What Breeds Created The Golden Retriever

The Golden Retriever breed is a descendant of the Flat-coated Retriever that was initially bred to hunt waterfowl.

The original retriever that created the breed was a cross between a curly-haired Irish Setter and a Tweed Water Spaniel. The breed was developed from this crossbreed, and it has been used for hunting in Scotland since it became popular in the 19th century.

American Kennel Club

The AKC first recognized the Golden retriever in 1925 as is a member of the sporting breeds. They are consistently ranked among the top 10 most popular breeds of dogs in America.

The Golden Retriever Club

There are many Golden Retriever Clubs worldwide, and the most prominent is the Golden Retriever Club of America (GRCA) and the UK’s Golden Retriever Club.

The GRCA was formed in 1931 and is one of the most popular golden retriever clubs in America.

The UK golden retriever club was formed in 1911; their main goal is to “promote, encourage and advance standards” of golden retrievers.

Golden Retriever AppearancePin

Breed Appearance

The Golden Retriever is golden-colored and has a muscular build, short muzzle, deep chest, hazel or brown eyes. 

They were initially bred for hunting, so they love water and retrieving objects. Their long ears can be golden in color but may fade with age to blonde.

Breed Colors

The golden retriever has a golden color coat, but it can also be cream or red.

Red Golden RetrieverPin

Size and Weight

The Golden Retriever is a medium-sized dog, standing 60 – 69 cm high and weighing between 36–40 kg. 

Breed Health

This breed is generally healthy dogs, but they may have some health problems as with other species. They have been known to suffer from hip dysplasia and cancer. 

Eye diseases are prevalent among golden retrievers, the most seen being cataracts, glaucoma, corneal dystrophy, distichiasis, and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA). 

How to keep your Golden Retriever healthyPin

Breed Life Span Information. The golden retriever has an average lifespan of 11–12 years, depending on its lifestyle and genetics.

How to keep your Golden Retriever healthy

If you want a golden retriever as your pet, you must give them enough exercise and mental stimulation. These dogs need lots of human attention, so this may not be the dog for you if you work full time. They also need to be brushed daily and have their teeth checked once a week.

Golden Retriever Temperament And Personality

Golden retrievers are adorable and affectionate dogs. They love human attention, so they may not be the best choice for a pet if you don’t have much time to spend with them. 

Golden Retriever Temperament And PersonalityPin

They also need lots of exercise, which can pose problems because they often become overweight if they do not get enough physical activity.

Are Golden Retrievers Good With Young Children?

Golden Retrievers make a great family dog, and they are very good with children and love to play. They also get along well with other dogs if introduced at an early age.

Playfulness Level

The Golden Retriever is a very playful dog, and they love to play with their owners and other family members. 

They also enjoy playing fetch but will get bored if the game is over too quickly. They need a lot of exercises, so you must have enough time to spend on them each day. It may be difficult for golden retrievers to get the training and mental stimulation they need if they have a busy lifestyle.

Golden Retriever Training Tips

Golden retrievers are intelligent dogs, but they can also be headstrong. 

Golden Retriever Training TipsPin

It is essential to train golden retrievers at an early age so that you have a well-behaved dog as your pet. 

They will listen better if the training sessions are short and positive. It’s best not to discipline any dog with physical punishment as this will make them scared of you, and they are known for being very sensitive.

Obedience Training

Obedience training for your golden retriever puppy is essential to help them learn to behave well in the house. These are very good-natured dogs, but they can be pretty lively at times and need a firm hand when training. It would not be unusual for golden retriever puppies to demand that you play with them several times throughout the day, even in between meals! So this breed does require an owner who is firm and patient when it comes to puppy training classes. 

Golden Retrievers Obedience TrainingPin

Golden retriever puppies are intelligent dogs, but they do not respond well to shouted or smacked. So if you have a puppy, then be very clear with your commands in the house, use short sentences that they can easily understand, such as “no,” “off,” and “sit.” These puppies respond well to positive reinforcement rather than negative attention when training them in the house with commands such as sit or stay. 

Dog Sports

When golden retrievers are of the appropriate age, they can begin participating in dog sports. One popular sport is flyball, where golden retriever dogs compete to see who can be the fastest at jumping over four hurdles—then pressing a spring-loaded pad which releases a tennis ball for them to catch mid-air before racing back over another set of jumps and then onto a spring-loaded box to release the ball and so on. 

Golden retriever dogs are also famous participants in dog agility competitions. Golden retrievers compete against other breeds through an obstacle course designed for one pet at a time. A Golden Retriever will excel in this competition since they have powerful personalities and lots of stamina. 

This breed is also very popular in canine freestyle events where they can show off their natural talents by performing a routine of tricks that have been taught to them. Golden retriever dogs love learning new things, so training your dog for these dog sports is great fun since it will keep the dog challenged and entertained and be physically active, so your dogs will stay in good shape. As they are a sporting breed, they can also be trained for other dog sports such as hunting, tracking, and retrieving – tasks they have been historically bred to do, so they are used to being active outdoors all day long.

Grooming

Golden Retrievers have long coats which need to be brushed and combed every other day. These dogs shed lots of hair year-round, but they will even more so during the shedding seasons in spring and autumn, which is when golden retriever dogs need their coats brushing daily; otherwise, you’ll find yourself covered with dog hair! 

Grooming Your Golden RetrieverPin

The golden fur on a golden retriever dog has a unique scent that they love to roll about in – this is a natural dog behavior that gives them the satisfaction of marking out their territory and removing any parasites on their skin. 

Golden retriever dogs do not need bathing very often as they have oily coats, and dirt will brush off easily from golden fur. Still, if you find dog hairs in the house, then your dog is probably rolling about, outside somewhere! Golden retrievers do not require lots of grooming when they are adults, but golden retriever puppies can benefit from regular short sessions with a comb to remove any knots or tangles that form in their fur.

Choosing a Breeder

When choosing a breeder for your Golden Retriever puppy – make sure they have been pre-screened for genetic health problems. 

Ensure that the breeder you choose has a clean and sanitary facility with all of their breeding dogs in good health. 

Ask to see where your puppy was born and meet its parents so that later on when they become an adult dog, you’ll know what kind of environment it came from. 

Choosing a Golden Retriever BreederPin

A Golden Retriever rescue is also a great choice if you are looking to adopt an adult dog.

What is the Ideal Environment for a Golden Retriever

Golden Retrievers thrive when they have lots of space to run around and play. Being very active dogs, they need a yard with plenty of room for them to stretch their legs and sometimes every day outside in the sunshine just lounging about or playing fetch. Golden retriever puppies also love exploring new places, feeling the grass beneath their paws, and seeing new things. Golden retriever puppies are very interested dogs that can get into mischief if they don’t have enough space indoors with the family or in a yard where they can play off-leash safely without getting lost.

A Golden retriever is also very good with children and get on well with other pets if they have enough space to run around outside. Your Golden retriever can live in an apartment as long as there is a backyard, but they will need much more exercise than most apartment dogs because of their high energy levels.

What is the Ideal Environment for a Golden RetrieverPin

Mental Stimulation Needs

Golden Retrievers are one of the most intelligent dog breeds, do need to be kept mentally stimulated, or they can become bored, which leads to destructive behaviors. Golden retriever puppies and older dogs alike benefit from having a lot of interactive toys around so that they can play with them on their own when nobody is home and chew on them to help with teething. 

Golden retrievers are also very food motivated, making it easy for owners to teach golden retriever puppies tricks or more valuable skills like sitting, staying and lying down by using lots of tasty treats as rewards. Golden retrievers respond well to positive reinforcement training methods because they enjoy being praised by their favorite people and being rewarded for doing what was asked. 

Most Golden retrievers are also very eager to learn new things, which makes them easy to train. Golden retriever puppies respond well from as young as eight weeks of age when they can start learning simple commands like sit, stay and lay down. Golden retriever puppies only take an average of five to fifteen minutes per day for training. 

Energy Level

Golden retrievers require lots of exercises to keep them healthy and happy. Golden retriever puppies need an hour or more per day outside running around in the sunshine. They enjoy playing games like fetch but will also be content doing some free play with their favorite people and going on a long walk every day to explore new places. 

Golden Retriever Energy LevelPin

Golden retrievers are very social dogs that thrive on being around other people and other dogs. Your Golden retriever puppy will grow into the perfect family dog as long as they get enough exercise every day. Golden retrievers also love having some time inside the house where their favorite people are but need a yard or somewhere outside in the sunshine for them to stretch their legs. 

Golden retrievers are very active dogs that need mental and physical stimulation every day to keep themselves happy. A Golden retriever puppy can get into mischief if they don’t have enough space indoors with the family or in a yard where they can play off-leash safely without getting lost.

If you are looking for a dog breed that is friendly, intelligent, and eager to please its owners, the golden retriever dog breed may be your best choice. Originally bred as hunting dogs in Scotland during the late 18th century, these dogs have an innate love of water, making them perfect for retrieving game from lakes or ponds after being shot down by hunters. They also make excellent therapy dogs due to their gentle nature with children and other animals. To learn more about this lovable pup, check out the articles below!

More Golden Retriever Articles