Mary Allen
You just have to love Golden Retrievers! Find out everything about nature, keeping, and care, and why it is better to give the dog a task.
The Golden Retriever is one of the six retriever breeds:
- labrador retriever,
- flat-coated retriever,
- Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers,
- curly-coated retrievers,
- Chesapeake Bay Retriever and of course the
- Golden retriever.
For many, however, the Golden Retriever is THE retriever par excellence.
Originally bred as a hunting dog, the Golden Retriever is now one of the most well-known family dogs. Among the most popular dog breeds of the VDH, he takes fifth place, ahead of the poodle and right after the labrador. And also in the list of the most popular dog breeds on the animal register Tasso e. V., the Golden Retriever is a regular participant. In the 1980s, the dog breed was only known and appreciated by connoisseurs.
Golden Retrievers are friendly, curious, spirited, and even-tempered. The dog wants to be with its human, whether in the office or on a multi-day hike. This makes Goldie’s outright family dogs.
Still, that doesn’t mean they should just walk along. Three walks a day is not enough for this working breed. Because a golden that isn’t busy will quickly look for tasks in the house and garden. And they are usually not what people want.
So it is practical that this breed makes training easy for its owner. In coaching circles, this is called “ease of use”. Nevertheless, the Golden Retriever does not train itself by itself, a minimum of consistency is required.
How big is a golden retriever?
The males of this breed are between 56 cm and 61 cm tall, bitches have a height of 51 cm to 56 cm at the withers.
How heavy is a golden retriever?
The official breed standard of the FCI (Féderation Cynologique Internationale) says nothing about the weight. On average, Golden Retriever males weigh 34 kg to 40 kg with the right diet and exercise, females weigh 30 kg to 36 kg a little lighter.
As with the Labrador Retriever, the same applies here: Breeds with a show focus tend to be a bit stronger, and dogs bred for hunting tend to be found at the lower end of the weight range.
What does a Golden Retriever look like?
Golden Retrievers are medium-sized, well-proportioned dogs with a medium-length coat. It can be smooth or slightly wavy.
The head
Not only the floppy ears but also the almond-brown, gentle eyes with friendly expressions contribute to the irresistible appearance. When petting, it is quite possible that not only the feathered tail but the whole dog wags along.
The fur
The coat of a “Goldie”, as it is often affectionately called by owners, does the breed credit: it looks like liquid gold. However, very bright specimens can now often be found.
The coat can be any shade between a light cream and a dark gold.
The body
As with the Labrador, the breeding of the breed has also been divided into two areas for the Golden Retriever: one with a hunting focus, one with a show focus, or standard breeding without any special work requirements.
Especially those working lines (hunting and special hunting performance breeding) are very well suited for the special work of Golden Retrievers: They do very well as a rescue dog, in mantrailing, or for special dog sports. They are bred specifically to work with humans. Incidentally, they are also easy to recognize by their appearance: their coat color tends to be darker than that of standard breeds.
How old does a golden retriever get?
With an age of ten to 14 years, Golden Retrievers become comparatively old. With good care, health, and training, this age for a retriever is not uncommon. However, average life expectancy has fallen over the past 30 years.
What is the character or nature of the Golden Retriever?
Golden Retrievers are friendly, people-oriented dogs. They want to please, so they have the so-called “will to please” and work well together with their owner.
In general, a shared hobby between humans and dogs brings them together. The more Goldie is integrated into family life, the more he joins his human pack.
As a rule, he masters new situations fearlessly and calmly and can be motivated quickly for activities. In everyday life, he is a relaxed, affectionate dog. Aggressiveness and a pronounced protective instinct are foreign to him.
Where does the golden retriever come from?
Like the other retriever breeds, the Goldie comes from eastern Canada. From there, British sailors imported the dog back home. They were enthusiastic about his nature, but especially about his willingness to work and the harshness of the weather. Golden retrievers fetched fish that had escaped from nets or brought boat lines out of the water onto land.
As with the Labrador, the St. John’s dog is considered the ancestor of the retriever. In England, the dogs were then crossed with English hunting dogs, such as the red Irish Setter. So-called wavy-coated retrievers were created. The first mention of a yellow male dates back to 1864.
By crossing this male with Tweed Water Spaniels and other Wavy Coated Retrievers and Irish Setters, today’s Golden Retriever gradually developed. In 1912 it was recognized as a dog breed in England. But it was not until 1964 that the first litter of puppies was documented in this country.
Golden retrievers: the right attitude and training
Like all retriever breeds, the Golden Retriever was originally bred for hunting. His job was to retrieve shot game from the water.
His will to please people makes him an easy dog that adapts calmly to everyday life. As an intelligent and lively dog, the Golden Retriever should share a chore, or at least a hobby, with their human. Dummy work, for example, is ideal. This is a hunting simulation with laid-out burlap bags that the dog has to find and bring back. But tracking work also suits his nature and of course, retrieving.
In general, the Golden Retriever is enthusiastic about different activities as long as he is “in the middle of it instead of just there”. This steers his hunting instinct in the right direction. You can make routine walks more interesting, for example, with small search games and retrieval exercises.
As a hunting dog, the Golden Retriever is bred to work after the shot. That means it finds and brings back wounded game and doesn’t shy away from water. These properties of the retriever also make it an ideal dog for rescue operations, for searching for drugs and explosives, and as a guide dog for the blind or for the disabled.
What care does the Golden Retriever need?
Since Golden Retrievers have longer fur, grooming is a little more complex than with short-haired dog breeds. You should brush the golden coat regularly to keep it from matting. Otherwise, it is fairly self-cleaning and needs no further maintenance. After a mud bath, you can let the dog dry off, provided the living situation allows it. The dirt will fall off on its own over time.
If your dog frequently bathes in lakes or other standing water in the summer, it makes sense to hose it down or bathe it from time to time.
What are the typical diseases of the Golden Retriever?
Health is an issue with Golden Retrievers. Unfortunately, the number of cancer cases in Golden Retrievers has been increasing in recent years. Typical diseases of dogs are also elbow dysplasia (ED) and hip dysplasia (HD). But epilepsy also occurs in some lines.
Genetic diseases of the retriever can include cataracts, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), and narcolepsy. However, good breeders rule this out by genetic testing of the parents and thus protect the resulting puppies.
Make sure your Golden Retriever gets appropriate exercise and eats well.
How much does a golden retriever cost?
On average, a Golden Retriever puppy costs between 1,400 and 2,000 euros at a VDH-affiliated breed club. These are either the German Retriever Club (DRC) or the Golden Retriever Club (GRC).
Always buy puppies from a reputable breeder. In the best case, he is affiliated with a club. Here you have the best chance that the dog is in good health and has a good character and nature.
A good breeder will not raise multiple breeds of dogs at the same time, and will also pay attention to puppies’ nutrition and overall development. Ideally, he also takes care of the first small steps in matters of upbringing.
We wish you a wonderful time with this lovable dog!