Golden Retriever Dog Breed

The Golden Retriever is a member of the Sporting Group and is currently America's third most popular dog. This breed excels at retrieving waterfowl for hunters and can make great family pets. Their intelligence, affable personality, and easy trainability make them fabulous service animals as well.

History

The Goldie has its origins in Scotland where Scottish politician Baron Tweedmouth bred dogs on his highland estate. An improvement in guns in the 1800s led to more waterfowl being killed and getting lost in the terrain. Tweedmouth saw the need for a dog that could retrieve this waterfowl and began breeding a yellow retriever with a Tweed Water Spaniel. From this first breeding, the Golden Retriever would slowly become an obedient and eager dog with a gentle mouth that wouldn't harm the waterfowl it retrieved. The Kennel Club of England would recognize the breed in 1911 and the American Kennel Club recognized them in 1925.

Description

The following is based of the AKC standard:

Coat: Their coats should not be overly soft and lie flat. These Retrievers come in various shades of gold. The dense undercoat is neither coarse nor fine and is water repellant.

Head: The skull should be broad. The eyes must be dark with dark rims, expressive and friendly, and set well apart. The muzzle is straight and blended into the skull. The nose is black or brownish black. The ears must be high set and lay flat.

Body: They are a medium to large sized breed, weighing from 55-75 lbs. The body should be proportionate, well balanced, and have a deep chest. The neck should be strong.

Defects:

• If the dog is short by 1 inch or taller than 1 inch standard size.
• If the dog has a nose any other color than black or brownish black. No discolored spots.
• Eyes must be dark.
• The tail cannot be curled backwards.
• The dog cannot be any other color than a variant of gold. Predominately light or dark colors are considered a defect.
• Cannot appear timid or shy.

There are three different body types of Golden Retrievers:

American : The American Golden Retriever is lean with a thick coat.

English : English Golden Retrievers are stockier than American and Canadian Goldens and tend to have a lighter color. Cream is a popular color with the English variety.

Canadian : Canadian Golden Retrievers are lean like their American cousins, but have a thinner coat as well.

Temperament

The Golden Retriever is a playful breed that enjoys people and other animals. They are loyal, active, and respond well to training. They are popular family pets because of their gentle nature towards children. They respond to strangers in a friendly manner, but may give one warning bark if a stranger approaches. These dogs are also intelligent, but will work hard until they collapse, so it is up to the owner to recognize signs of fatigue.

Care

Apart from Golden Retrievers needing ample exercise, their care is minimal.

• Grooming: Their fur only needs a quick brush regularly and they do not need to be bathed often.
• Living Situation: They are better suited for house living and need a wide area to run.
• Exercise: The Golden Retriever should get daily exercise of at least 60 minutes.
• Approximate Lifespan: 10-12 years
• Common Health Problems: The breed is susceptible to cancer, congenital eye defects, and heart problems.

The Rundown: The Golden Retriever needs plenty of room to run that allows mental and physical exercise every day, otherwise they can get into trouble. This dog is best suited for families rather than a single owner and is not to be used as a guard dog due to its friendly disposition.