The Golden Retriever Breed
Golden Retrievers can be amazing companions for just about anybody, but, while they are known to be a wonderful family pet, may not be the perfect fit for everybody. Before you adopt a golden retriever, we encourage you to do your research and know that when you adopt a dog, you are making a commitment to love and care for that animal throughout its lifetime. The life expectancy of a golden is about a decade, give or take a year or two. Luckily, goldens are versatile in that they adapt well to their family's situation. Therefore, golden retrievers can live comfortably in an apartment or small home as long as they are still getting the appropriate amount of exercise. Of course, it is always best if a dog the size of a golden can have a big yard or farm to run around on. However, they have a very sociable personality, and when it comes down to it they just want to be with the people they love. Besides the info we've written below, this link will also give you a pretty realistic idea of what to expect: Owning a Golden Retriever
Here is some basic information about the golden retriever:
For further information about the Golden Retriever, visit the Golden Retriever Club of America and American Kennel Club websites, or do your own research before deciding whether a golden is the right fit for you and your family.
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Here is some basic information about the golden retriever:
- The Golden Retriever Club of America is a great resource to learn about the breed. To go more in-depth on the breed and it's history than we do on this page, start here!
- Highly intelligent and trainable. The golden is ranked #4 out of the top 10 trainable dogs. Goldens have excelled in a variety of trials, including obedience. They're also a popular choice for service and therapy work. They are happy to learn new things and they are people-pleasers. They constantly strive for approval from their masters. The more positive feedback you give them for good behavior, the happier they are to repeat that behavior. Most negative feedback does not work well with them, such as yelling and spanking. Negative feedback can break a soft dog, causing them to lose confidence. It is extremely important to train your golden well if you wish for him/her to be a great family companion. Don't get a golden and expect it to be the perfect dog from the beginning. As with any pup, there's a level of work and training that goes into shaping them into your perfect companion.
- They're a great family dog! Goldens are basically considered the best family dog ever! Goldens can get along great not only with adults, but they love kids and other animals. Be aware that they are still dogs and caution should be taken around small children. See these great points about Goldens and children by MAGRR. It's best if the dog is introduced to other animals and children during puppy-hood as part of their socialization training, but they will typically accept other animals and kids at any age as long as they are slowly and cautiously introduced to them. The only pups that have ever been returned to us were with families that had small children and/or pregnant women that could not handle an energetic large breed pup and did not have the time to properly train their pup. Please keep this in mind if you have small children or plan to have children in the future.
- Golden retrievers need active lifestyles. Many golden retrievers are calm, sweet, and easily trainable. But they're still going to go through their puppy phase for up to two or three years, and many of them are very energetic. If the dog isn't energetic, it's more likely to become overweight. If you or your family has a lazy lifestyle, a golden may not be the right breed for you. They need some sort of neurological stimulation and plenty of exercise, which leads into the next point:
- Golden retrievers are a very a social dog. They love to be around their humans. One major thing to consider is that a golden retriever can get bored and lonely easily. Besides being a social dog, they're also working dogs, so not having anything to stimulate them or a companion to play with and keep them company can cause problems. A bored, lonely golden puppy can be a destructive puppy. Before getting a golden retriever, consider the amount of time you have in your schedule to spend with a dog, as well as what you will do with it when you need to leave it alone. Kennel training is great when they're young, but they still need lots of socialization and exercise.
- They were originally bred to retrieve water fowl, therefore there is a good chance that they will love to fetch and they will love water. We have seen goldens that didn't like water, but that was only because they weren't introduced to water at a young age or as a recreational activity. If they only associate water with bath time, they aren't likely to enjoy it as much. We introduce ours to water at a young age and, weather permitting, even go swimming with them to make it more enjoyable for them. If you like to hunt, some goldens can be great water fowl retrievers and can be trained accordingly. They have also excelled in service and therapy work, search and rescue, tracking, and various AKC competitions.
- That cute little fuzz ball is going to turn into a big dog. Golden retrievers can grow to be 65 to 80 pounds. Male dogs will typically grow to be taller than females. AKC breed standard says females should be 55-65 pounds and males should be 65-75 pounds. Many people are surprised at how small goldens seem when they're actually within their breed standard weights, but that's probably because many people are used to seeing oversized and overweight dogs. Admittedly, Oakley is quite tall, though lean, and has consistently always been around 74 pounds. However, all of our other dogs have varied widely, with full-grown Wilder at less than 65 pounds (performance/agility/hunting lines) and Elsa and Echo were always well into the 70's. While its common to see goldens getting larger than the breed standard, and if you like them larger, it's worth considering the higher likelihood of dysplasia in larger and/or overweight dogs.
- Almost every golden you'll meet has a great personality and a different level of energy. You can expect a puppy to have a lot of energy and to want to chew on absolutely everything until it's nearly a year old. Most goldens, regardless of gender, will have a very long, energetic puppy phase until they are fully mature, around 2 years old. Many goldens are also very calm, but it may be 2 or 3 years before they really mature and calm down. Most of our breeding dogs are pretty energetic, though they all calm down significantly with age and maturity.
- Goldens shed a lot! Goldens are supposed to have two coat turns each year, but the shedding is really constant for an indoor dog. They also have an undercoat, which helps regulate their body temperature in both the heat and the cold. Their fur can vary somewhat from dog to dog as well. It can be straight or wavy, medium or long in length, course or somewhat fine, etc. But they are consistent enough that they can definitely be distinguished as golden retrievers. Grooming can vary from dog to dog, but a good brush every week is suggested. Research the golden retriever breed standard for more info. And NEVER SHAVE A GOLDEN unless it is medically necessary! Their fur keeps them warm or cool as necessary without needing to be shaved, and shaving ruins the coat.
- The golden retriever breed does face some health issues. Some common health problems include hip dysplasia, cancer, skin irritations, eye and heart problems. To our knowledge, our dogs are reasonably healthy. The national breed club has determined that all golden retrievers used for breeding should be tested for certain common health issues within the breed, which are listed in the Golden Retriever Club of America's (GRCA) code of ethics. The required testing includes the following health clearances graded, submitted and posted publicly on the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals' online database: radiographs of hips and elbows to confirm there is no evidence of dysplasia, cardiologist evaluation of the heart by auscultation and/or echocardiogram to rule out subvalvular aortic stenosis (SAS), and eye evaluation by an ophthalmologist to rule out hereditary cataracts and other hereditary eye issues. In addition, many responsible breeders will also perform a DNA panel for other recessive issues known to occur in the breed, some major and some minor, such as progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), ichthyosis (ICT), and neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL). While responsible breeders should test for most of these things, other issues, such as cancer in the breed are common and cannot be tested for. However, veterinary science is making big leaps in researching health issues in golden retrievers, such as through the Morrison Animal Foundation's Golden Retriever Lifetime Study and UC Davis' veterinary research on the effects of early neutering, etc.
For further information about the Golden Retriever, visit the Golden Retriever Club of America and American Kennel Club websites, or do your own research before deciding whether a golden is the right fit for you and your family.
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