About Golden Retrievers
Goldens are outgoing, trustworthy, and eager-to-please family dogs, and relatively easy to train. They take a joyous and playful approach to life and maintain this puppyish behavior into adulthood. These energetic, powerful gundogs enjoy outdoor play. For a breed built to retrieve waterfowl for hours on end, swimming and fetching are natural pastimes.
Temperament: Friendly, Intelligent, Devoted
Golden Retrievers always rank high among the most popular breeds in the United States. These loyal, sociable dogs are excellent with children and families, and excel at obedience training and therapy work. Developed in the 1860s to be swimmers & retrievers, these pups love doing both of those things! Goldens are fairly large in size and have a medium-high energy level. They are known as lovable, confident and eager to please companions and do well in many environments, from apartments to larger living spaces. That having been said, the first year with your Golden can be challenging as with other large high energy breeds. The ideal for Golden Retrievers, in my humble opinion, is that they are with their people as much as possible, especially the first year. They love human companionship and will most likely get into trouble without it. They are curious and intelligent and will probably chew up your favorite thing that first year, if you aren't there to stop them. They need a place to run, or even better, someone to take them for walks and play with them. They can become stubborn and head strong and they do require commitment and patience. They, like other sporting dogs, need a job or they get bored. On the positive side, their hearts are tender and they do well with praise and positive reinforcement. There isn't a dog that is more devoted or lovable than a well trained and cared for Golden Retriever.
About that coat: Breeders who concentrated on developing Golden Retrievers for hunting dogs found a thinner coat that was easier to care for after coming in from being in the woods all day was more desirable, so they selectively bred for that as well as hunting instinct. Other breeders, found the beauty of a double thick coat and confirmation to be desirable and bred them to have those traits. The thicker the coat, the more care it will take to keep them looking good. You will find both types of coats in todays Golden Retrievers and everything in between.
Goldens are outgoing, trustworthy, and eager-to-please family dogs, and relatively easy to train. They take a joyous and playful approach to life and maintain this puppyish behavior into adulthood. These energetic, powerful gundogs enjoy outdoor play. For a breed built to retrieve waterfowl for hours on end, swimming and fetching are natural pastimes.
Temperament: Friendly, Intelligent, Devoted
- AKC Breed Popularity: Ranks 3 of 192
- Height: 23-24 inches (male), 21.5-22.5 inches (female)
- Weight: 65-75 pounds (male), 55-65 pounds (female)
- Grooming needs: Moderate to high depending on thickness of coat.
- Life Expectancy: 10-12 years
- Group: Sporting Group
Golden Retrievers always rank high among the most popular breeds in the United States. These loyal, sociable dogs are excellent with children and families, and excel at obedience training and therapy work. Developed in the 1860s to be swimmers & retrievers, these pups love doing both of those things! Goldens are fairly large in size and have a medium-high energy level. They are known as lovable, confident and eager to please companions and do well in many environments, from apartments to larger living spaces. That having been said, the first year with your Golden can be challenging as with other large high energy breeds. The ideal for Golden Retrievers, in my humble opinion, is that they are with their people as much as possible, especially the first year. They love human companionship and will most likely get into trouble without it. They are curious and intelligent and will probably chew up your favorite thing that first year, if you aren't there to stop them. They need a place to run, or even better, someone to take them for walks and play with them. They can become stubborn and head strong and they do require commitment and patience. They, like other sporting dogs, need a job or they get bored. On the positive side, their hearts are tender and they do well with praise and positive reinforcement. There isn't a dog that is more devoted or lovable than a well trained and cared for Golden Retriever.
About that coat: Breeders who concentrated on developing Golden Retrievers for hunting dogs found a thinner coat that was easier to care for after coming in from being in the woods all day was more desirable, so they selectively bred for that as well as hunting instinct. Other breeders, found the beauty of a double thick coat and confirmation to be desirable and bred them to have those traits. The thicker the coat, the more care it will take to keep them looking good. You will find both types of coats in todays Golden Retrievers and everything in between.