Golden Retriever | Dog Breed Profile | Is it Worth it?
Golden Retriever is a highly amicable and self-assertive dog. They are not one-man dogs and are equally convivial with both strangers and those intimate to them. Their genial and naive temperament makes them a poor guard dog.
Golden Retrievers are medium to large size dogs that have a wavy coat. Historically these dogs were bred in Scottish highlands for hunting purposes. As the word retrieve means ‘to recover’, these retrievers are used to search out the hunted birds like waterfowl, birds, and ducks, etc.
As I mentioned earlier, Golden Retriever is not suitable as a professional guard dog owing to its gentle temperament but as a family dog, this dog breed is the third most popular in the United States, fifth most popular in Australia and Brazil, and the eighth-most popular breed in the United Kingdom.
Like German shepherds, poodles, and other dog breeds, they are also known for their intelligence and consider as the brightest dog in obedience-command trainability.
Characteristics of Golden Retriever:
Table of Contents
Golden Retriever is a Scottish breed but owing to its popularity, this breed is now very notable throughout the world so, some regional variations have emerged in this breed, therefore there are three types of Golden Retriever.
Standard Golden Retriever, muscular, cream color
Thicker coat, darker in color and smaller in height
Thinner coat, lighter in color, and taller than others
Golden Retrievers have so many characteristics that make them stand out among other dog breeds. Their calm nature makes them the best choice for hunting purposes. Let’s sum up these characteristics in the following way.
| Barking Tendency | Low |
| Energy level | High |
| Intelligence level | High |
| Affection level | High |
| Kid-friendly | High |
| Pet-friendly | High |
| Coat shedding rate | High |
| Trainability | High |
Breed History:
In the 19th century, the Scottish elite class liked to hunt waterfowls and other wild-fowls as a hobby. At that time it was the most popular sport to hunt wild birds. The dog breeds that were used at that time to retrieve the hunted birds from both the water and the marshy lands were inadequate for this purpose. So the idea of getting a breed, best for this purpose came into mind. Consequently, the best water spaniels were crossed with the existing retrievers and the result was in the form of Golden Retrievers.
Golden Retriever is also very famous because this dog is used as a Presidential Pet. The American Kennel Club accepted this breed in 1903.
Care and Training:
The following routine care is necessary for your Golden Retriever:
Coat Grooming:
Golden retrievers have medium-length hair with a thick undercoat and a water-repellent outer coat that need proper grooming. The hair needs to be combed at least two times a week. The molting rate of their coat is very high, especially in the spring season. Be prepared to have a lot of fur in your home. Furminator is the best tool during the shedding period.
Dental Care:
Golden Retrievers are blabby dogs means they like to carry everything in their mouth so it’s good to have to chew toys or bones for your dog. Dental hygiene is also very important for your retriever. Washing the teeth once a week is good practice for keeping your dog in good health status.
Bathing:
They probably need a bath about once a month.
Nails Trimming:
Regular Nail trimming is necessary to avoid any discomfort during walking.
Ears Care:
Because Golden retrievers have sagging ears so they are more likely to get ear infections so check out regularly.
Training:
Golden Retrievers are nimble dogs. Their eagerness to learn and train make them top performer in agility and pliability. They require exercise and other sports activities. Their swimming ability is so much impressive that makes them proficient in dock jumping. Because of their friendly behavior, they are not the best choice as guard dogs.
Goldens are reconcilable with other pets and children so they are the best playmate for a family having kids but their size matters! It means a large-size Golden Retriever can knock over a small child if it is excited so socialization is very much necessary. When they learn to play together, then it will be the best dog for your family.
Common Health Problems:
This breed is prone to many health issues so regular checkups is necessary in order to avoid problems.
Hip Dysplasia:
The orthopedic foundation of animals reported this problem as the most common problem in this breed. This problem occurs during embryonic development. In a normal case, the head of the femur (ball) and the cavity of a pelvic bone called acetabulum grow uniformly. But in Hip Dysplasia, this uniform growth doesnโt occur resulting in a deformed hip. The pain of this problem occurs later in life. Hip Dysplasia leads to arthritis or other joint problems.
Osteochondritis Disssecans:
The abnormal development of cartilage on the end of a bone causes swelling of the joint.
Cancer:
Cancer is the most common issue in this breed. The most common cancers are osteosarcoma, lymphosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, etc.
Diet and Nutrition:
Golden Retrievers puppies grow rapidly and should be on a low-calorie puppy diet that will keep them from growing too fast and increasing their risk of bone disorders. An adult golden retriever should be fed two meals a day of up to 1.5 cups of dry dog food per meal. It’s best to measure out the food and provide it as meals rather than leaving food out for free feeding.
the Diet of a Golden Retriever depends upon many factors like its age, size, activity level, etc. Normally they require two meals a day of dry dog food. They are not at self-moderation so they can eat whenever they want, this will put weight on your golden and your dog will obese.
Also must check out the daily routine care like weight check because obesity in a dog causes a decrease in life span. Visit every month to a veterinarian to get a diet schedule for your dog.
Conclusions:
| Pros | Cons |
| A great buddy dog | Gain weight quickly |
| Highly intelligent | Proper feeding required |
| Good looking Dog | Proper Grooming |
Where to adopt or buy a Golden Retriever:
Before buying any dog breed make sure that either they have done proper screening tests on the breed or not. First of all check in your local animal shelter or rescue group to see if there is a Golden Retriever for you. Otherwise, the best sources to adopt or buy are