Modern Day Golden Retrievers
The first appearance of the Golden Retriever in Britain was at a dog show in 1908, and it became a recognized breed in Britain around 1913.
The Retriever appeared in the US by way of Canada around the same time as it became popular in Europe. But America didnt adopt the breed standards until 1925.
In the 1970s, President Ford brought the breed into the limelight, and families around the world fell in love with the sweet look of a Golden Retriever. People quickly fell in love with the Golden Retriever and it became the essence of the perfect American family pet.
Today, Golden Retrievers are still used as hunting companions. But they are more often found as loyal and friendly family companions. This gentle breed loves to be part of a large pack and is one of the best breeds to have around small children.
Golden Retrievers have also become a favorite breed to train as service animals for people with visual or hearing impairments. They are also excellent therapy and emotional support dogs.
And due to their size and stamina, Golden Retrievers are also often trained to be search and rescue dogs to assist with water rescues. They can also be used to track missing persons and help with natural disasters or mass casualties.
There really isnt anything these dogs cant do! Except for acting as a watchdog, perhaps. Their friendly demeanor means theyre more likely to lick an intruder to death after barking a few times rather than guard your home.
Bathing: Step By Step
Bathing your dog is less complicated than you think. If you want to give your Golden Retriever the perfect bath, follow these steps:
Kennel Club Standards For Golden Retrievers
For a dog to participate in dog shows hosted by the American Kennel Club, they have to meet the clubs specific standards.
According to the guidelines, a Golden Retriever coat has to be a rich gold with various shadings. This rule automatically disqualifies Goldens with coats that are extremely light or extremely dark.
Golden Retrievers with coats that contain pure white, black, or copper coloring are not considered to be true Golden Retrievers and will not be allowed in shows . Cream coated Golden Retrievers are also not allowed, nor are red shaded coats. But the final decision on your dogs eligibility depends on the judge.
Cream-colored coats are permitted in the UK Kennel Club, showing circles, as cream Golden Retrievers are more prevalent in Europe. Red or mahogany colored coats are still not allowed.
Canada Kennel Club does not have as many restrictions on coat colors and accept dark or light gold coloring as long as its within range of medium gold.
Grooming A Golden Retriever In The Summer
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Summer is here, and perhaps your long-haired Golden Retriever is suffering from all this heat. Before you decide to head to your local groomer you may want to read on to find out what not to do when grooming a Golden Retriever in the summer.
Golden Retrievers have a lot of hair, and your first thought might be to shave it all off to help your dog keep cool in this heat. After all, that is what most of us do in the summer when we are too hot, we end up getting our hair cut shorter.
Well, let me tell you that shaving your Golden Retriever is a big mistake! I will tell you the reasons why below.
But first, lets talk about the beautiful coat of a Golden Retriever!
When properly maintained it is striking to look at. Goldens have a double coat that serves a purpose.
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Brush The Golden Retrievers Coat
Brushing should be done 3 times a week with each session taking between 10 and 20 minutes.
To start off spray the area of the coat that you will be working on using a detangling spray or any other high-quality coat spray.
Use a slicker brush to brush the coat in the opposite direction to the hair growth.
You will then need to brush your Golden Retriever from head to toe making sure that you spend more time in thick or matted areas.
Work in small sections using pat and pull movements. Spraying should also be done in sections before brushing section after section.
For the ears and the head, be careful during brushing or better still, use a steel comb.
A steel comb will also be helpful for you to catch any knots and tangles in the tail, chest, and at the back of the legs.
After you are done brushing the dog throughout with a slicker brush, use your greyhound comb to comb all the areas.
Do Golden Retrievers Shed If So How Much And How Often
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Golden Retrievers are an absolute joy to have around and share your life with, but if theres one thing about them that should come with a warning, its their shedding.
With such beautiful glossy coats, youd be forgiven for thinking their hair is easy to manage before you find it all over your furniture and clothes!
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Keeping The Coat Clean
Dogs with long hair coats can getsmall burrs, twigs, and leaves caught in their fur. These can become tangled inthe fur and cause mats of hair which are sometimes difficult to remove. Be sureto check your Golden after each walk because it is easier to remove these itemswhen they first become entrapped.
It is easier to remove burrs and twigs before a bath. Otherwise, bathing a tangled knot of hair can cause further entrapment! The average Golden can be bathed once every six to eight weeks. However, puppies that are prone to accidents and getting dirty may need to be bathed more often, no more frequently than twice a week. More frequent bathing can also help dogs during the height of shedding season. Be sure to use shampoo that is specifically formulated for dogs unless otherwise directed by your veterinarian.
Your Golden can benefit from tripsto the grooming salon, especially if it is difficult for you to bathe himyourself. Groomers can also cut nails, clean ears, and trim hair coats. It isokay to have your dogs feathers trimmed, and groomers are equipped to removemats that are close to the skin, but never have your dogs hairs clippedshorter than an inch or two because it is necessary to have hairs to protectyour dogs skin from the sun.
Regular Coat Maintenance Tips
Keeping your white Golden Retrievers coat shiny starts with regular coat maintenance; these are the basic steps required to maintain all Golden Retriever coats, regardless of shade. From daily food supplements that improve the hair from the outside in to brushes that remove extra shed, daily maintenance is much easier than correcting problems once they occur.
Understanding Your Golden Retrievers Coat
Your golden retrievers beautiful coat goes through different growth stages.
The first stage is when your golden retriever puppy is approximately three months old. Their fur is short and fluffy at this point. Around this time, youll also start to see some long hair starting to grow on the golden retrievers tail.
Golden retrievers are a breed of dog that has whats known as a double coat. They have an undercoat thats dense and lightly colored, and a darker, coarser outer coat.
Interestingly, golden retriever puppies dont completely shed their fur. The new, long fur the outer coat is what grows and takes over the other coat. The process for this to happen usually takes about 18 months.
Many golden retrievers will also have long feather-like hairs. These are fine hairs that youll see on their legs, belly, and behind their legs.
They Were Bred For Different Jobs
The differences between the purpose of the Golden Retriever vs Labrador are subtle now because they both have similar jobs, however, historically they had very different jobs!
Golden Retrievers were actually a gentlemans dog, bred to retrieve waterfowl. Labradors were a fishermans dog, bred to retrieve fish nets and fish.
Both breeds were bred for their loyalty, intelligence, swimming abilities, and soft-mouths:
- Their loyalty makes them excellent companions.
- Their intelligence makes them easy-to-train.
- Their swimming ability helps them excel in their jobs.
- Their soft-mouths helping them fetch water-fowl without harm.
Golden Retrievers were originally bred to retrieve shot waterfowl during a gentlemans hunt. They were the perfect sporting companion for wealthy owners who enjoyed game hunting.
Unlike the Golden, the Labrador Retrievers first job was to retrieve nets, ropes and fish for fishermen.
It wasnt until after the St. Johns Water Dog was imported to England that aristocrats admired their loyalty, work ethic and love of water. After they arrived in England, Labradors were then bred to be sporting companions whose duty was to retrieve shot waterfowl .
At this point, both breeds became popular companions for shooting sports.
Shaving Will Not Stop Your Dog From Shedding
Shaving a double-coated dog does not make them shed less. Many people are under the impression that shaving a dog will stop the shedding, it does not.
Double-coated dogs shed twice a year and that is the undercoat. The rest of the time the shedding is normal hair turn over, which happens in all animals with hair.
Shaving only makes the hair pieces smaller, but they will still shed.
American Vs Canadian Vs British Golden Retrievers
There seems to be a lot of misinformation when it comes to American vs. Canadian vs. British goldens.
Remember, according to the Golden Retriever Club of America, and also the Golden Retriever Club of Canada, there is just one breed of golden retriever.
So to say that these are different types of golden retrievers is a little misleading
However, the breed standards are not so standard across the three nations.
| American Standard | |||
| Not specified | |||
| Coat colors | Rich, lustrous golden of various shadesPredominant body color which is either extremely pale or extremely dark is undesirable | lustrous golden of various shades. | Any shade of gold or cream, neither red nor mahogany. |
Here are some interesting notes from the table above:
- The British standard accepts shorter goldens
- The AKC specifically says extremely pale or extremely dark is undesirable.
- The British Kennel Club accepts cream as a color
Although these nations vary in accepted colors and sizes, one thing remains true: golden retrievers are typically sweet, loving family dogs.
So far this list has included different styles or fancy names of the same breed of golden retrievers, but thats about to change
Why You Should Never Shave A Golden Retriever
If youre wondering whether you should shave your golden retriever, then this article is going to list all the reason its DEFINITELY not a good idea. Youll also learn what you should be doing to look after your pups coat, and how to keep them cool if you think theyre getting too hot!
So keep reading to find out everything you want to know!
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How Do I Trim My Golden Retrievers Feet
As long as your dogs nails have been trimmed correctly then you can get started on trimming their feet: First, push the fur between your Retrievers toes down with your fingers. Hold the paw backwards and with straight edge scissors trim the unruly hairs so that theyre even and level. Turn back to the other side of the paw, pull the fur from between your dogs toes up and carefully trim this hair. Always take critical care around your pups foot pads, doing this wrong could leave serious damage for them when they walk.
How To Take Care Of Your Golden Retrievers Nails
If your dogs nails get too long, they can easily break or tear off or become so long that they interfere with how they walk.
To make sure neither of these things happens, clip your dogs nails about once or twice a month.
How often they need to be clipped can depend on their environment and activity levels.
For example, a dog that runs or walks on concreate will naturally grind their nails down more than one that only walks on grass, dirt, or carpet.
When you clip their nails, cut the nail above the quick, but be sure to have on hand to quickly stop the bleeding in case an accident happens.
We accidentally cut the very end of the quick once and were very thankful we had styptic powder on hand .
The Correct Golden Retriever Coat
An open letter to breeders and judges:
What could be more glamorous than this image: A handsome golden retriever, running happily through a field; a spectacular dog with a shiny, silky and soft coat, glowing in the sunlightcomplete with long feathering, flowing in the wind?
Yes, indeed, what could be more glamorous, but what could in fact be more incorrect? The Golden Retriever Club of Canadas Breed Standard Committee wishes to urge both breeders and judges alike: Please pay attention to the breed-standard description of the correct Golden retriever coat, as this is of utmost importance for a hunting dog.
To quote the standard:
Dense and water repellent with good undercoat. Texture not as hard as that of a shorthaired dog, nor as silky as that of a setter. Lies flat against body and may be straight or wavy. Moderate feathering on back of forelegs and heavier feathering on front of neck, back of thighs and underside of tail. Feathering may be lighter than rest of coat. Excessive length, open coats or limp, soft coats are undesirable.
From our observation over recent years, it is clear to many of us that there is now a disturbing trend developing in this breed: Golden retrievers with incorrect coats are not only a common sight, but they are, unfortunately, also often given merit over more correct specimens, in part because of a certain glamorous look.
Example of a dog with a correctly wavy coat and moderate furnishings.
#8: Golden Retrievers Are Very Susceptible To Cancer
In one study, Purdue and the Golden Retriever Club of America analyzed the cause of death in 420 golden retrievers.
61% of them died from cancer.
According to the Veterinary Cancer Society, 25% of all dogs will get cancer.
So on average, golden retrievers are more than twice as likely than other breeds to get cancer.
Its terrible, but theres a twist
The 61% only applies to American golden retrievers.
According to this study, less than 40% of European golden retrievers died from cancer.
Its significantly less, but still way over the average for all breeds.
However, we do have some hope.
Over 3,000 golden retrievers are enrolled in the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study to help veterinarians and scientists understand why this is the case.
Theyre taking note of these dogs lifestyle, diet, weight, environment, and genetics to see if they can find patterns as to why so many goldens get cancer and other diseases.
You can learn more about this study at their website here:
Alright, enough of this sadness lets finish this list off with some good news!
A Golden Retriever Grooming Routine Is An Important Part Of Caring For Your Dog
Cats are the ultimate narcissists. You can tell this because of all the time they spend on personal grooming. Dogs arent like this. A dogs idea of personal grooming is to roll on a dead fish. James Gorman
A Golden Retriever will pose some serious considerations when it comes to grooming!
It is essential to establish a puppy grooming routine which will continue throughout your Goldens life. Golden Retriever grooming is just as vital as the correct diet for a healthy coat and a healthy dog. According to one study, a single genetic line characterizes the differences of Labradors and Golden Retriever dogs. One of those characteristics is the longer, double coat of the Golden Retriever which is why the coat of this furry companion needs a different routine from other dogs.
Do Golden Retrievers Need Their Hair Cut
A Golden retriever needs his hair trimmed but it should not be a full haircut. Mostly it is the tail, the shoulder, the ears, the legs, and neck areas that will need a slight cut or trim.
Shaving may only be necessary if it is recommended by your vet for the dogs health or when he is going for surgery.
In other instances, an abandoned Golden Retriever may be severely matted and may need to be shaved to get him looking great and healthy.
Do Double Coats Smell
Like with anything that is not clean a double-coated dog will smell if you do not bathe your pup. If you are wanting to know whether they smell more than other dogs then the answer is usually YES and heres why. Double coated dogs build up a lot more heat which also picks up a lot more dirt and because they have more hair it is more difficult for the hair to breath.
So you may find that your golden smells a little more than other breeds but it does not mean that it has to be that way. Everything will depend on how often you wash them. Because if you notice that they smell really bad and you do nothing then you can expect the worse.
What I would recommend is that you wash them more often if you notice that they tend to smell bad in a short amount of time. And if you take them out on any outdoor activities, then I would recommend an immediate bath straight after.
Getting Golden Retriever Fur Out Of Furniture
To remove Golden Retriever dog hair from couches, try using a damp rubber glove and dragging your hand across the couch. This will pick up a ton of fur. Just rinse off the glove when it gets too full. This works well but is a tedious method if you have large chairs with caked-in hair.
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Does A Double Coat Mean Double The Easeor Double The Upkeep
Dog coats dont just differ in terms of color, texture, and length. They can also be divided into two categories: single coat and double coat. Before you groom your dog, you need to know what type of coat youre your dog has.
Here are the basics about double coated dogs, some examples of breeds that have double coats, and how to properly maintain this type of coat.
Are There Different Types Of Golden Retrievers
To start this conversation off, its important to note that the Golden Retriever Club of America makes it clear that there is just one breed of golden retriever.
Yes, there are different styles , but theyre all one breed.
On the other hand, what some people call golden retrievers arent actually golden retrievers, like black golden retrievers and mini golden retrievers.
This post is going to look at what some people think are different types of golden retrievers and get down to the truth about each type.
These types are:
But before we get into the different types and styles today, it will help to get a good understanding of where golden retrievers came from in the first place.
How Do I Keep My Golden Retrievers Hair Soft
Brushing is the best way to keep your Golden Retrievers hair nice and soft. This is because it removes all of the dead skin cells from their body and distributes the pups natural oils across all of its hair for that extra shine. This is why it is important that you dont over bathe your dog, as this can strip their coat of these natural oils leaving their hair dull.
Shorter Haired Golden Retriever Genes
As mentioned above, it is possible to have shorter-haired Goldens. That is not to say their coats are cropped like a Labrador, only that they are slightly shorter than the average for a Golden.
If you are sure your Golden is a purebred, chances are its parents were shorter haired.
Coat length is hereditary, and though it is rare, if your breeder happens to have a shorter-haired maleandfemale, then the puppies will almost certainly follow suit. Again, however, were not talking about true short hair just shorter hair than average for a Golden.
Can You Shave A Golden Retriever Double Coat
A double coat is the type of coat that consists of two layers. If a dog has a double coat that means that they have a dense undercoat of short hairs, its kind of woolly in texture.
On the other hand, we have guard hairs, which are all the long hairs on a dog. The undercoat of a dog is under these long hairs.
The double coat is there keep your Golden retriever cool in the sun and provide warmth in the cold. So, by shaving a Golden retriever you are removing that protective outer coat, and doing more harm than good.
Besides Golden retriever dogs that also have a double coat are German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, Australian Shepherds, and Siberian Huskies. These are just a few examples.
Preparing Your Golden Retriever’s Coat For Grooming
What Our Expert Does: It’s important to make sure a dog is as comfortable as possible before grooming. For instance, you might spend a few minutes petting the dog and letting them explore their surroundings before you begin to brush or wash them.
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What Is The Best Shampoo For Golden Retrievers
As long as your Golden Retriever doesnt have a skin condition then youll be left with an abundance of options for what shampoo you should be using. Ideally, you need to be looking to purchase a dog shampoo that contains Oatmeal and Vitamin E. These ingredients will help keep your Retrievers hair healthy, soft and smooth and will also help protect the skin underneath. A shampoo that also works as a conditioner is usually perfect for a Golden Retriever; this helps reduce the amount of knots and matting in your pups hair making it much less painful when you brush!