Golden Retriever Dog Breed Information Golden Retriever Photos Golden Sheperds

The Golden Retriever Dog Breed in Brief:

Example of a Golden Retriever Puppy

Origin: Scotland

Height: 21.5-24 inches at the shoulder

Weight: 55-75 pounds

Exercise Needs: High

Grooming Needs: High

Life Expectancy: 12-14 years

Good With Kids: Yes

Trainability: Easy

Yappiness: Moderate

Breed Group: Working

Common Misspellings: Golden Retreaver,
Golden Retreiver

Alternate Names

One of the most widely recognized and loved dogs in the world, the Golden Retriever is a wonderful canine that astounds, both in the field and in the home. Possessing both superior hunting skills as well as the ability to take on the role of favorite family pet, he is as adaptable as he is beautiful and intelligent to boot. Few who have had the luck of knowing a Golden Retriever, can walk away without singing the praises of this wonderful canine companion.

Golden Retriever Dog Breed History

Unlike many breeds of dog, the origins of the Golden Retriever can accurately be traced back, not only to the dogs responsible for first imprinting their type upon their offspring, but also to the very first person to ever own a Golden Retriever. This person would be Sir Dudley Majoribanks of Scotland, who would later go on to be known as Lord Tweedmouth. In 1865, Majoribanks would purchase a young dog from local cobbler; supposedly the only yellow pup out of a litter containing wavy-haired black retriever pups, the young dog would be named “Nous,” and was taken with Majoribanks to join his kennel of sporting dogs in Guisachan, Scotland.

Seeking to breed and develop a dog that was better-suited to the Scottish climate and terrain, Majoribanks finally crossed Nous with another dog on his property, a Tweed Water Spaniel by the name of Belle. While the Tweed Water Spaniel eventually became extinct, the breeding of Nous and Belle would produce several yellow puppies in 1868 and 1871, that would become the foundation stock to create this distinctive breed of yellow-coated retrievers.

Golden Retriever Appearance

The Golden Retriever is a beautiful member of the dog world. Well-balanced and symmetrical, he is a dog that is built for endurance, power, and strength. Eager to work and possessing a high amount of energy, the Golden Retriever carries a look of ready alertness and curiosity at all times. Just from a glance, one should know that this dog is no couch potato, but a hard-working get-up-and-go type of dog.

With males standing 23-24 inches tall at the top of the shoulder, and the females 21.5-22.5 inches in height, they are not the tallest breed of hunting dog, but perfect for moving through the tall grass virtually undetected. The Golden Retriever is not the heaviest of hunting dogs, either, though his frame is stout and compact. A full-grown Golden Retriever can weigh anywhere from 55-75 pounds, though they rarely seem to weigh that much when one gazes upon a Golden.

And then there is the Golden Retriever’s crowning glory - his luxurious coat. Repellant of water, the Golden’s coat may be either straight or wavy, and is well-recognized for its various rich golden hues. These can range from a white gold to red-gold in color, though he is faulted for possessing any white markings or being too pale a shade. Prospective buyers should especially be wary of scam artists, trying to sell “rare white golden retriever puppies.” White Goldens are, in fact, merely Golden Retrievers of poor color, and should be avoided. While one may make an excellent pet, prospective buyers should veer away from anyone not practicing ethical breeding practices and misleading people with false claims.

An elegant Cream Golden Retriever dog
displaying blocky, English type head

Golden Retriever Temperament

The Golden Retriever is of a very kind and gentle nature. Keenly intelligent and eager to please, they make excellent companions, as well as the superb hunting dogs that they were designed to be. The Golden Retriever is a sweet dog and generally very good, both with children and with other animals alike, though he is definitely not cut out to be a guard dog. Quite often, Golden owners will joke that their beloved pet would greet a burglar at the door with wagging tail and a happy bark, begging for attention.

Golden Retriever Exercise Needs

The Golden is an active dog, bred for hunting and working out in the field. Because of this, he’s very much a get-up-and-go dog that loves his exercise and time to run. While they can live in apartments, time must certainly be made down at the local dog park, just to give him time to run and work the kinks out. Golden Retrievers tend to love to play fetch or Frisbee, both of which are high energy and can help him burn off some steam. Just be careful - once your Golden Retriever gets started, he may not want to quit chasing that ball and go home.

Important to note, however, is that a Golden should never be force-exercised before 2 years of age. Slow-growing, a regimental exercise program can injure young dogs, so it is best to stick to more relaxed sports. Some good examples of light exercise for a Golden Retriever include taking walks on soft surfaces or swimming. Build up to the big stuff, both for you and for your dog’s health.

Golden Retriever Grooming Requirements

While the Golden Retriever may not require weekly trips to the groomers, he falls under the high maintenance category, simply due to the fact that he requires frequent and diligent brushing. While the Golden Retriever coat rarely gets mats and needs no trimming, in order to keep it in good condition, Goldens shed. In fact, Golden Retrievers shed a lot, all year round. If you’re interested in one of these wonderful dogs, it’s best to keep in mind that you will spend a lot of time vacuuming the floor and the furniture with this hairy bundle of joy.

Training Your Golden Retriever

The Golden Retriever is a very intelligent dog that is eager to please. Very open-minded, they love to learn and approach each new opportunity with a quick and willing desire. Obedience classes are an excellent choice, not only for your young dog to learn, but also for you to learn to get along with your dog and how to properly handle him. Golden Retrievers are very smart and so care should be taken to curb any bad habits in a gentle but firm tone - chances are, he will be happy to stop, just as soon as he sees this displeases you.

Golden Retriever Health Concerns

The Golden Retriever is a fairly robust and healthy breed though, like many other purebred dogs, can often fall victim to a variety of genetic health issues. Fortunately, with Goldens, the number of defects is much less than in other breeds. Some examples of problems to look out for include:

Elbow dysplasia

Hip dysplasia

Hereditary cataracts

Central Progressive Retinal Atrophy

Eyelid and eyelash problems

Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis

Additional Reading About Golden Retrievers

Is the Golden Retriever the Right Breed For You?

The Golden Retriever is a wonderful dog for the right family. Careful consideration must be made, however, prior to buying. While most Goldens are excellent with small children, parents should know that a small child should constantly be supervised with any animal, not only for the safety of the child, but also for that of the pet. Additionally, one should keep in mind that the Golden Retriever can sometimes be a high maintenance pet, between the brushing and exercise. If these things are not a problem for you, then perhaps you may be the right family for a bundle of Golden Retriever joy.

Online Golden Retriever Information Resources

There are a wealth of resources online that can help you learn more about the Golden Retriever dog breed. We've compiled a list of Golden Retriever information sites to assist you in quickly locating quality information about the Golden Retriever dog breed, while avoiding the "garbage" sites that are nothing more than poor attempts to capitalize on the popularity of dog breeds in general. If you know of a Golden Retriever information site that offers unique, quality information and photos of the Golden Retriever breed, please contact us with the URL and a brief description so that our editors can consider it for inclusion in our list below.

Golden Retriever Pictures

Golden Retrievers are a very photogenic dog breed. By looking at Golden Retriever pictures, you can usually gain more insight into what these dogs and puppies are like as a breed, and this can help you decide if you really want to become a Golden Retriever owner. The following sites below offer pictures of Golden Retriever dogs, Golden Retriever puppy photos, funny Golden Retriever photos and more. Enjoy!

Golden Retriever Dog Pictures

Buying a Golden Retriever Puppy

Now that you have decided that the Golden Retriever is the right breed for you, it's time to start the process of finding a responsible Golden Retriever breeder from which to buy a healthy, well-socialized puppy. Not all breeders are alike; there are good breeders - and bad breeders. Don't be in a hurry to buy the first Golden Retriever puppy you find at the cheapest price available! To buy a puppy from a responsible Golden Retriever breeder, you may need to pay more and wait longer. The additional money and waiting time will be well worth it. Buy a puppy in haste from a newspaper ad, pet store or "backyard breeder", and you'll likely also purchase a great deal of additional expense and heartache, since you will likely end up falling in love with a puppy with health and behavioral problems that will likely need special care, plenty of veterinary visits, regular medication - or even euthanasia. But do your homework and find a responsible, caring Golden Retriever breeder who home-raises their puppies with love, screens their breeding dogs for health problems, offers a health guarantee and post sale support, and who genuinely loves the Golden Retriever breed and is in it for the love of the breed, rather than profit, and you can be fairly well assured of getting a healthy, happy, long lived and affectionate family companion that will provide you and your family with many years of joy, laughter and companionship.

picture of yellow golden retriever lab puppy photos pictures
Few can resist the beguiling expression of an adorable
Golden Retriever Puppy

Further information about choosing a responsible breeder...

Here are a few breeder directory sites that we recommend. These sites attempt to screen advertisers to ensure that the breeders listed are responsible and sell healthy, home-raised Golden Retriever puppies to carefully screened buyers. There are many, many sites now online that advertise dog breeders - many are a Mecca for puppy mills and backyard breeders. We recommend that you steer clear of these resources in favor of sites that are more selective in the breeders whom they allow to advertise.

We Highly Recommend:

Golden Retriever Clubs and Rescues

Golden Retriever clubs and rescues web sites can help you learn even more about the Golden Retriever dog breed, help you locate a responsible Golden Retriever breeder, or help you find a Golden Retriever dog or puppy in need of a second chance for a loving, forever home. We've compiled the following list of Golden Retriever clubs and Golden Retriever rescues web sites for your convenience:

Naming Your Golden Retriever Puppy

Choosing a name for your Golden Retriever puppy can be a daunting task! There are so many names to choose from that it can take a lot of thought and research to find just the right name for your Golden Retriever. Usually, it's best to get to know your puppy for a few days or weeks. Often your puppy's personality will help you decide on just the right name to choose. Does he have a sense of humor? A serious side? A goofy way of cocking his head to one side? A strange love of cantaloupe? By observing your new Golden Retriever puppy over the first days or weeks, you should at least have a clue about what type of name you want to give. There are a ton of dog names and pet names web sites on the internet. Some are wonderful information resources, while others, unfortunately, are just "garbage" sites set up with the sole purpose of cashing in on visitor hits for this popular subject.

We recommend the following sites to assist you in choosing a name for your new Golden Retriever puppy. These sites offer inventive, unique, original and creative pet names suggestions that have helped thousands of new puppy owners in selecting just the right name for their new baby!

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