Are you thinking of getting a Golden Retriever? This medium-sized dog breed is a lovely pet to have! Golden retrievers are great and affectionate with kids as well. Nonetheless, owning a pooch will require effort and commitment which is why you should know some facts about Golden Retrievers first. So, what to know about Golden Retrievers? Read below!
Are Golden Retriever Good Family Dogs?
Golden Retriever Personality:
- Great family dogs
- Smart and obedient
- Well-mannered and well-behaved
- Very friendly towards kids and strangers
If you’d Google “best family dog,” the Golden Retriever will always come out on top, along with the Labrador Retriever. These breeds are the perfect family dogs. They are smart, obedient and well-behaved. They are patient and friendly with kids and kind to strangers. Golden Retrievers are social dogs and love to be with big families!
On the other hand, Goldens do not make good guard dogs because they are super friendly to everyone. Nonetheless, they can still be effective watchdogs when needed.
When it comes to the Golden Retriever behavior traits, they are even-tempered. Since they’re a social dog breed and one that requires daily exercise, neglecting physical activity and play can lead to a Goldens’ separation anxiety. This can lead to destructive chewing at home due to intense boredom. So if you’re planning to leave them at home for a long period of time, make sure you keep them busy with chew toys.
As for trainability, it will be a breeze in this department. Since Goldens are intelligent, social dogs, and people-pleasers, pet owners have an easy time training them. This makes this dog breed an ideal choice for first-time pet owners as well as being service dogs and therapy dogs.
Nevertheless, it is important to handle Goldens with gentleness and kindness; they don’t do well with harsh discipline methods. In addition, you should be keen on training a Golden Retriever to walk with a leash as they tend to have pulling problems when not corrected immediately.
Size & Color:
- Sturdy and well-proportioned built
- Medium-sized dog breed
- The color of the coat comes in various golden hues
Goldens are very cute and adorable. In dog language, the American Kennel Club describes it as:
…a symmetrical, powerful, active dog, sound and well put together, not clumsy nor long in the leg, displaying a kindly expression and possessing a personality that is eager, alert and self-confident.
This active dog breed is also known for its sturdy and well-proportioned built, golden feathered coat, broad head, wide tapering muzzles, brown eyes, black nose, and pendant ears.
As for a Golden Retriever’s coat, it sports a thick double coat that is actually water-repellant. Some Goldens wear a wavy coat, while some have straight coats. One can also notice some feathering on the chest, back of front legs, back of the tail, back of thighs, and underbody.
What distinguishes the Golden Retriever from the Labrador Retriever (another awesome pet, by the way) is their beautiful golden coat color. Some Goldens have light gold coats and others have dark gold coats; Goldens can sport different hues of gold.
How big do they grow? Well, Goldens are medium-sized, but many pet owners find them too big for apartment living. For male goldens, their average height is around 23 to 24 inches, while female goldens stand around 21.5 to 22.5 inches. As for their weight, males weight around 65 to 75 pounds, while females weigh around 55 to 65 pounds.
Heading out to Ontario for the next few days, I’m sure going to miss this guy #goldenretriever pic.twitter.com/R8LY8SIEFe
— Linda Huynh (@LindaHuynh) July 6, 2017
Health:
- The daily physical activity required
- Likes outdoor activities
- Highly energetic
Goldens are very active dogs, which means that they require tons of exercise. This dog breed requires daily activity such as walking or playing. Goldens enjoy outdoor activities like biking, running, hiking, swimming, or even chasing the kids around the backyard. As long as they’re with people, they’re good! However, if you live in an apartment or a small-spaced house, this will not be a suitable home for the Golden Retriever. This breed wants to move around often and they need space for that too.
The summer heat is unforgiving lately. Here’s how Goldens beat the heat!
Feeding a Golden Retriever:
Since Goldens are highly energetic and active, they need a good amount of food to keep them going. You can use this basic guide to know your dog’s feeding requirements. So for a Golden Retriever weighing between 50 to 75 pounds, you should give him 2 to 2 1/2 cups of dry food. If you opt for canned food, give the same amount as well.
Lifespan of a Golden Retriever:
Golden Retrievers are everything you’d look for in a family dog and you’d surely want them to be around for as long as possible. The good news is that the average life expectancy for Goldens is 10 to 12 years.
However, there are also Golden Retriever old age problems that you should be wary about like:
- Cancer
- Cataracts
- Elbow dysplasia and hip dysplasia
- Hypothyroidism
- Insulinoma
- Myasthenia gravis
- Hock osteochondrosis
- Mucocutaneous
- Hypopigmentation
- Pericardial effusion
- Progressive retinal atrophy
- Obesity
- Skin disorders, and subaortic stenosis
Always keep your dog healthy to avoid these health problems!
Golden Retriever Grooming:
- Daily coat brushing
- Sheds year-round
- Frequent bathing
- Weekly ear cleaning
While these dogs are awesome companion pets, owners will have to put in more effort into grooming. Goldens have a long coat that requires daily brushing. This helps prevent hair tangles as well as reduce the hair that can fall on the floor or your sofa. You must also know that Goldens shed all-year-round and they do the most shedding during the fall and spring seasons.
With their long coats, Goldens tend to have doggie odor faster than other dog breeds. Furthermore, you may want to give it a bath more often than usual.
To complete the grooming process, check your Goldens’ ears once a week and clean with a cotton ball and approved solution as necessary. Watch out for wax buildup and infection. Trim his nails and brush his teeth weekly to prevent bad breath and tar build up.
The price of a Golden Retriever puppy:
If you plan to buy a puppy, the price range is around $500 and that’s the price you get from a pet store or backyard breeder. But if you want a really good show quality puppy, you’ll be looking at around $3,000 per pup. On the other hand, if you don’t want to spend this amount of money, you might want to consider adopting one instead.
Retweet! #goldenretriever pic.twitter.com/YmiQ8bShxW
— James Rappaport (@Jamespmf) July 5, 2017
History of the Golden Retriever breed:
You’d be surprised to know that the Golden Retriever is actually a sporting dog breed. Back in the 1800s, the British sportsmen use this dog breed for retrieving during waterfowl games. Around World War II, the Goldens were also used for search-and-rescue, hunting, blind guide dogs, tracking, and service/assistance dogs. This is the reason why Golden Retrievers are a very active dog breed!
The History of the Golden Retriever https://t.co/gNg8xXYlKo #GoldenRetriever #History #retriever pic.twitter.com/tPnTql19BL
— Pets! (@DYKPets) July 6, 2017
Fun Fact:
When the AKC started their obedience trials in 1977, the first three champions are all Golden Retrievers! The first ever winner was Tonka, a female Golden who scored eight perfect scores in the trials. It’s really no wonder as Golden Retrievers are ranked as the 4th smartest dog breeds in the world trailing behind the Border Collie, Poodle, and German Shepherd.
Want to see how cute and funny this dog breed really is? Watch this compilation video from Grumpy Dog:
Are you now convinced that this medium-sized dog breed should be on top of your family dogs list? Goldens are indeed wonderful furry creatures to have at home. They’re so much fun to be around with and they are very loyal dogs too! Hope you learned a couple from our Golden Retriever fun facts and make the right decision when buying or adopting a companion pet!
Do you already have a family dog? Feel free to share with us your fun experiences with your pal in the comments section below!
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