Theyre Great At Watching Your Stuff But Not So Great At Protecting It
Goldens have a keen eye for danger and a sixth sense for knowing when someones up to no good, and theyre not afraid to raise the alarm. If your Golden is barking in the middle of the night, theres a good chance that somethings wrong.
Now, that does not mean theyll charge downstairs and run the bad guys off. After all, thats what they have you for.
Does This Breed Get Along With Other Pets
Golden Retrievers make excellent companion animals for other canines and cats. These dogs might have a bit of a prey drive, but their docile nature typically takes over, making them compatible with smaller pets.
Goldens are very good-natured dogs, even if they are a bit hyper when theyre young. They make terrific companion animals for other petsboth new and existing. They tend to acclimate well to new situations and make excellent candidates for dog park trips.
However, cage animals should always be closely monitored, if not completely separated, from these animals. Accidents do happen. If your dog instinctually bites or even just plays too rough, a smaller animal could face unfortunate consequences.
More About This Breed
It’s no surprise that the Golden Retriever is one of the top ten most popular dogs in the U.S. It’s all good with the Golden: he’s highly intelligent, sociable, beautiful, and loyal.
He’s also lively. The Golden is slow to mature and retains the silly, playful personality of a puppy until three to four years of age, which can be both delightful and annoying. Many keep their puppyish traits into old age.
Originally bred for the physically demanding job of retrieving ducks and other fowl for hunters, the Golden needs daily exercise: a walk or jog, free time in the yard, a run at the beach or lake , or a game of fetch. And like other intelligent breeds who were bred to work, they need to have a job to do, such as retrieving the paper, waking up family members, or competing in dog sports. A tired Golden is a well-behaved Golden.
As well as giving your Golden Retriever physical and mental exercise, you should also be prepared to include him in your family activities. The Golden Retriever is a family dog, and he needs to be with his “pack.” Don’t consider getting a Golden unless you’re willing to have him in the house with you, underfoot, every day.
There’s one other potential drawback to the breed: He’s definitely not a watchdog. He might bark when strangers come around, but don’t count on it. Most likely, he’ll wag his tail and flash that characteristic Golden smile.
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They Are Prone To Waxy Ears
Unfortunately, Golden Retrievers are prone to waxy ears. This tends to be a result of poor air circulation due to their long ears.
Although it is not always the case, waxy ears can be the symptom of a more serious problem, such as an infection or mites. If left untreated or if not treated correctly and consistently, ear problems can become chronic and affect the dog’s quality of life.
The most common cause of ear infections in Golden Retrievers is yeast. After swimming or bathing, take the time to dry your dog’s ears. Effort should also be made to keep ears clean. There are solutions available for purchase or that you can make at home that, in addition to cleaning and soothing your Golden Retriever’s ears, will also change the pH level, creating an environment yeast should not thrive in.
Be careful Goldens will eat almost anything that resembles food, regardless of whether or not it is good for them.
They Are Food Obsessed
This breed is motivated by food, this can be both good and bad. Being motivated by food makes them easier to train. A golden will pretty much do anything for a treat. The bad part is that they will eat anything and everything, and youll need to watch their food intake because this breed is prone to obesity.
There have been plenty of times when I have walked my Ellie, and she has picked up and eaten some very questionable stuff. Its not that I am letting her eat stuff off the ground, its that she is so quick, and eats it. Walking a food-motivated dog can be frustrating at times.
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Taking Care Of Your Golden Retriever At Home
Much of what you can do to keep your dog happy and healthy is common sense, just like it is for people. Watch her diet, make sure she gets plenty of exercise, regularly brush her teeth and coat, and call us or a pet emergency hospital when something seems unusual . Be sure to adhere to the schedule of examinations and vaccinations that we recommend for her. This is when well give her the necessary check-ups and test for diseases and conditions that are common in Goldens. Another very important step in caring for your pet is signing up for pet health insurance. There will certainly be medical tests and procedures she will need throughout her life and pet health insurance will help you cover those costs.
Can Breeding Miniature Goldens Be Bad For The Dogs Themselves
There will always be questions raised over the ethics of selectively breeding dogs to fit certain characteristics that suit us as humans rather than those characteristics that are necessary for the breed.
However, breeders have undertaken much research and study in order to create Miniature Golden Retrievers that are not only suitable for people wanting smaller dogs, but that provide benefits to the dogs themselves.
Smaller sized dogs are not only easier to care for, theyre also likely to live longer, as demonstrated by the increased lifespan for Miniature Goldens over the breed standard.
Many dogs will also shed less hair and should avoid the inherited diseases that can afflict Golden Retrievers.
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The Mating Process Of Golden Retrievers
The mating process of Goldies largely depends on your female Golden whether or not she is willing to breed. If in case, your female Goldie is not ready to mate, shell let you know by her behavior growling, moving away, or not moving at all, etc. For the mating process to begin, acquaint a male Goldie with a female one and give them some time to get along with each other. They could either hit it off in the first go, or its likely for the female Goldie to have a touch-me-not attitude. If the latter is the case, then we recommend that you give your Goldens some time to get along. When the time is right, your male retriever will mate with your female Goldie from behind. Some inexperienced Goldies may try mounting your female Golden from the side or by their head.
The next stage lasts from as short as five minutes to as long as thirty minutes. This is when both the dogs are apparently locked together. Its normal for dogs to get stuck together during breeding. Dont panic and try to separate your pets. They will eventually move away from each other once they are done mating.
Field Bred Golden Retrievers
Field golden retrievers embody what golden retrievers were originally bred to do: hunt.
Field bred goldens are on the smaller end of the spectrum as far as how big goldens get, theyre athletic, and theyre typically more driven than other styles of goldens.
Their coats are usually shorter and range from gold to red, and they have tons of energy.
They excel at hunting and agility, and make great family pets, as long as theyre trained properly and have a job to do.
They also may be rather mouthy, considering theyre bred to retrieve things with their mouth.
To be clear, field goldens are golden retrievers, theyre just a particular style of golden.
The opposite of field bred golden retrievers are conformation, or show golden retrievers
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Getting A Golden Retriever
Do plenty of research before you get a Golden Retriever. Make sure you have the knowledge and dedication to give to these sweet natured dogs to keep them happy and the time and space to exercise them. While they make great family pets, make sure you are absolutely ready to take on the commitment of getting a dog first.
Common Health Problems In Golden Retrievers
Like any purebred dog, Golden Retrievers may encounter some breed-related health problems throughout their lives. Often, Breed Clubs will also be able to provide advice on what tests your breed may need and where to get these done. Make sure the parents of your puppy have had the relevant health screening to reduce the chances of your puppy being affected by these upsetting conditions.
Golden Retrievers are amongst a group of breeds classed as Category Two by The Kennel Club. These are breeds of dog that have been highlighted as having points of concern visible features which, if exaggerated, might potentially affect the breed in the future and cause health and welfare concerns. For Golden Retrievers, this is because they can have short legs in proportion to their body and a tendency to become overweight.
Some of the conditions Golden Retrievers are more prone to developing include:
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Train Your Pup To Respond To Cues The First Time
As you teach your Golden pup verbal cues like come, sit, stay, and the like only give the verbal cue once. If you give the same cue twice, you may inadvertently be teaching your pup to ignore you the first time. If theyre being stubborn, use your body language to create urgency. For example, try raising your hand in a closed fist as you give your cue firmly and gently. – Richard Lovejoy, Professional Remote Dog Trainer
Golden Retrievers And Children
If you have a young family then Golden Retrievers can be fantastic with children. If socialised properly from a young age, Retrievers can be quite calm and tolerant. While they usually have a great temperament, its best to always supervise your dog with children.
As puppies, its normal for Retrievers to be mouthy, which means they have a tendency to nip and play bite. This is especially true when theyre teething. Although they dont mean this in an aggressive way, its best to use positive training techniques to let them know that biting you can be sore and isnt a fun game. That way, when theyre adults theyll know this isnt a good way to play with humans or other dogs.
Always supervise children and vulnerable adults with your Golden Retriever and make sure you can recognise the signs of unhappiness or anxiety in your dog to help avoid any conflicts. As with every breed, you should always teach children how to approach and play with dogs with care and kindness, to prevent any issues.
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Theyre Great As Friends
They say a mans best friend is their dog, and this is undoubtedly true with a golden retriever.
No other friend is available to you whenever you want to hang out, always wants to do whatever youre doing, never mocks you or tells you that thing youre excited about is a bad idea. Who needs human friends when youve got a dog on your side?!
Why Should I Get My Puppy From A Trusted Breeder
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Bonus Fault: You Will Probably Want More Than One
Many owners of this breed find themselves wanting more than one. To many, owning a Golden Retriever has become an obsession, and you often see people owning 2, 3, 4 or more!
This breed is simply wonderful, and if you have the time, energy, patience and you can afford to have more than one, then why not?!! Not only do you get double the love and laughs, but your golden has a companion as well.
A Brief History Of Golden Retrievers
Despite being known as an all-American breed, these dogs actually originated in Scotland in the mid-19th century. Bird hunting was popular at the time, but there was one problem: Theres tons of water in Scotland, and the dogs at the time were poorly equipped to go swimming for fallen prey.
To remedy this problem, breeders crossed the best retrievers they had available with the best water spaniels. The result was a medium-to-large-sized dog with a double coat that absolutely loved to swim.
Soon, however, hunters had another problem on their hands: Their new guns were effective at a much longer range than before, meaning there was a greater distance between them and their fallen birds. This led breeders to focus on two traits that Goldens would become famous for: their powerful snouts and their tawny coats.
An emphasis was placed on these dogs being able to sniff out fallen birds from great distances, which is why Goldens are such talented scent hounds. Their golden coat was also important, as it allowed them to stand out among the brush, making it much less likely theyd be the victims of friendly fire.
While theyre still used as hunting dogs today, Golden Retrievers are much more commonly kept as family pets. Still, they love to have a job to do, and they can sniff out just about anything, which is why its futile to try to hide cookies from them.
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Whats The Price Of Golden Retriever Puppies
The price of a Golden Retriever dog depends significantly on its lineage, the area you live in, and any previous training. We want to specify this because Golden Retrievers can go through some pretty intensive learning to fulfill specific roles for their humans.
Also, many Golden Retrievers are show quality, but you can buy pet-quality Goldens as well. Because of the popularity of Golden Retrievers, backyard breeding practices are, unfortunately, a commonplace occurrence.
These dogs can be the product of puppy mills and poor breeding practices that lead to a quick decline in health, behavioral concerns, and overall poor quality.
When you purchase a Golden Retriever, you should always buy from a reputable breeder with a long history of producing healthy litters. If you do buy from a breeder, you can expect to pay between $600 to $6,000+. The price difference climbs for any prior training or show quality.
However, if you get a puppy as a pet, it will be on the lower end of the spectrum.
If you purchase a puppy, you might have to place a deposit down or sign a puppy contract. These are standard practices to ensure that the dog is going to its forever home. And in the event of any rehoming situation, the dog may be required to be returned to the breeder.
Since Golden Retrievers are so popular, they flood shelters, rescues, and online sites for adoption. You can find both puppies and adults this way.
Golden Retriever Puppy Facts
Also known as Americas Sweetheart, golden retrievers are playful, loyal, and carry their puppy-like personality well into adulthood. Golden retriever puppies may be friendly, but they do need plenty of socialization and training to help prepare them for a well-mannered adulthoodwhen theyre much bigger, but still want to sit on your lap.
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The Gundog Breed Group
Dogs that were originally trained to find live game and/or to retrieve game that had been shot and wounded. This group is divided into four categories – Retrievers, Spaniels, Hunt/Point/Retrieve, Pointers and Setters – although many of the breeds are capable of doing the same work as the other sub-groups. They make good companions, their temperament making them ideal all-round family dogs.
They Have Powerful Noses
One of the reasons Golden Retrievers are used for tasks such as drug-detection and search and rescue is because of their keen sense of smell.
Golden Retrievers have a tendency to follow their nose, so for their own safety, they should not be allowed to roam freely.
A bored Golden will use their intelligence to entertain themselves.
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Children And Other Pets
The amiable Golden Retriever isn’t bothered by the noise and commotion of kids in fact, he thrives on it. He’s a large, strong dog, though, and he can easily knock over a small child by mistake.
As with every breed, you should always teach children how to approach and touch dogs, and always supervise any interactions between dogs and young children to prevent any biting or ear or tail pulling on the part of either party. Teach your child never to approach any dog while he’s eating or sleeping or to try to take the dog’s food away. No dog, no matter how friendly, should ever be left unsupervised with a child.
The Golden’s attitude toward other pets is the more the merrier. He enjoys the companionship of other dogs, and with proper introductions and training, can be trusted with cats, rabbits, and other animals.