Everyone loves a Golden Retriever!!! They are beautiful, loving and exuberant dog breeds. Currently, they’re one of the most popular dog breeds among family pets. So if you love Golden Retrievers, here are some fun facts on these Golden dogs:
- Originally from Scotland
Records of Lord Tweedmouth from Scotland were released proving that Golden Retrievers most likely came from Scotland. In 1864, Lord Tweedmouth purchased a “yellow retriever” named Nous and bred him with a Tweed Water Spaniel named Belle. The beautiful Golden Retrievers we love today are most likely descendants from Nous and Belle. So we have Lord Tweedmouth to thank for this beautiful breed.
- Russian Circus Dog Origins?
For decades, the world believed that Golden Retrievers came from Russian circus dogs. However, this theory has been debunked since Lord Tweedmouth’s archives came to light.
- A Very Active Breed
Golden Retrievers are part of the sporting group dog breed. They’re very active members and are always ready for action. They usually enjoy fetch, hiking, swimming and other exercise. They’re natural athletes and learn very easily, so they can excel in almost any sport.
- Great Working Dogs
This Golden breed has been used for hunting, tracking rescue, personal service, etc. Name a duty and they’ll probably be able to fulfill it for society! Despite their playful and goofy personality, they are quick learners and can often master many skills. The most famous Golden Retriever working dog is Betagne. She was a search and rescue dog who searched for survivors at ground zero after the September 11 attacks.
- Top Notch Therapy Dogs
Goldens are among the top breeds employed as therapy dogs to calm people. Their unconditional love and unlimited amount of empathy offers comfort to anyone in distress, especially to the elderly or young children.
- Always Young at Heart
Golden retrievers take much longer to mature than other breeds. They will show off their exuberant puppy behavior well into adulthood! Often, they will remain playful and downright silly well into adulthood.
- Goldens LOVE to Eat!
This playful breed also loves to eat, and they’ll eat anything too. We’ve seen Golden Retrievers eat toys, paper, crayons, remotes, etc. If it’s out, usually it’s fair game to them! Most Goldens are also very food driven. So, you can use treats to train them any trick. They’ll often do anything for a treat. They’re also known to eat quickly and overeat, so be careful during feeding time. We recommend controlling their portions because if you let them eat freely, they’ll eat it all within seconds.
- Mouthy Doggies
It’s not uncommon to see a toy or an object around the house in their mouths. They love to prance around with something because they love to retrieve and carry things.
- Soft Mouths
Golden Retrievers are known for their soft mouths. It’s so soft and gentle that they can even carry a raw egg around without breaking it. It’s because they were originally hunting dogs and were trained to retrieve things like ducks without damaging them.
- Exceptional Competitors
Goldens are extremely intelligent, athletic and good-natured, which makes them great competitors for dog sports like agility, obedience, dock diving, etc.
- One of the most Popular Dog Breeds in the US
Golden Retrievers have been among the top ten of most popular dog breeds in the United States for years. They’re currently ranked #3 out of 195 breeds.
- Labrador Retrievers are Ranked #1
Currently, Golden Retrievers cousin – Labrador Retrievers – are ranked #1 in most popular dog breeds in the United States for decades.
- Excellent Swimmers
Both Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers love to swim. They’re usually up for a swim in the lake, pool, or river.
- They Love Mud Too!
Be careful. Golden Retrievers love mud as well. It’s not uncommon to find your Golden rummaging around in wet mud outside. They understand the importance of a mud bath!
- Excellent Sense of Smell
They’re known for their tracking abilities because of their keen sense of smell. If there’s ever a search and rescue going on, you’ll always find at least a few Golden Retrievers part of the rescue squad.
- 4th Smartest Breed
Goldens are considered the 4th smartest breed.
- Water-Repellent Double Coats
They’re bred to be strong swimmers! So they have water-repellent double coats. They also shed a lot. We recommend giving Golden Retrievers a good brushing once a week to help manage the shedding.
- AKC Recognized Since 1925
The American Kennel Club officially recognized this beautiful Golden breed in 1925.
- Presidential Dogs
A few presidents have owned Golden Retrievers as pets during their time in office such as President Ronald Reagan and President Gerald Ford.
- Golden Retrievers Come in 3 Different Types
Golden Retrievers come in three different types: English, Canadian and American. There are subtle differences between the types such as coat, color and slightly different facial structures.
- Extremely Social
Golden Retrievers are known for their social and loving personalities. They have a high risk of becoming depressed, destructive or sad when left alone for long periods of time. Dog experts recommend you only leave this loving breed for a few hours at a time to avoid getting their spirits down from being alone too long.
- Destructive Tendencies
Golden Retrievers are a high energy breed. They can become destructive if they’re not given enough attention and exercise. They require daily exercise and lots of attention to keep their destructive tendencies at bay. Just as the saying goes: a tired dog is a good dog.
- Great Watch Dogs – Horrible Security Dogs
Since Golden Retrievers are so social, they are usually terrible security dogs. However, they are always on guard and will bark loudly at strangers who pass by the house. This makes them good watch dogs! You’ll always know when someone’s coming to the house. Once a Golden meets the person, they’re often too friendly to be great security dogs.
- Great Movie Stars!
Golden Retrievers are very easy to train. This is why you see so many of these Golden beauties on the big screen like in Air Bud and Homeward Bound.
- Webbed Toesies!
Did you know that Golden Retrievers have webbed paws? Their toys on their paws are joined together by web skin. The quality was bred into them to make them great swimmers when retrieving wild game back during their hunting dog days. This is why they usually love playing in the water as well.
- Double Coat
When you push your fingers through a mature Golden Retrievers fur, you’ll notice two distinct layers. This is the infamous double coat – a thick undercoat and a fine top coat. This dual layer fur helps keep them warm in the water and also helps them tread through water faster when they swim.
- Shedding, Shedding and more Shedding
We wouldn’t say a Golden’s shedding is anywhere near the shedding amount of a husky or malamute, but it’s quite a bit. They will still blow their coat once or twice a year since they have a double coat. Regular grooming will help and a good brushing once or twice a week.
- Ear Infections
Breeds with floppy ears are more prone to ear infections. We recommend keeping them dry especially after they swim. Excess water in the ears can cause nasty ear infections that are very uncomfortable for them. We recommend using ZYMOX Pet King Otic Pet Ear Treatment to treat your dog’s ear infection.
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Zymox Otic Enzymatic Solution
- Used for the treatment of acute and chronic otitis externa, an inflammation of the outer ear characterized by itching, swelling, redness and pain in the outer part of the ears.
- A proven antibiotic alternative and provides quick relief for your pet and also eliminates the bacteria and fungi that caused the infection.
- Hip Dysplasia
The most common health ailments Goldens experience are hip dysplasia and loose knees. We recommend keeping them active and introducing joint treats like Zesty Paws Mobility Bites when they’re around 7 years or older.
Zesty Paws Hip & Joint Mobility Bites
- Made with ingredients to provide powerful support hip and joint for dogs of all ages.
- Contains a proprietary blend of OptiMSM®, a GRAS-designated form of MSM, Qmin+™ Curcumin, and BioPerine®.
- Positive Reinforcement
Since Golden Retrievers are very food driven, they will do anything for a treat. We recommend using positive reinforcement through treats or praise during training.
- Their Fur Darkens With Age
Just as human hair grays as we get older, Golden Retriever’s fur also darkens with age. Then it lightens with gray hairs in their senior years.
- Champions!!!
The first 3 American Kennel Club obedience champions were Golden Retrievers.
- Loudest Bark
Golden Retrievers are known for being loud and mouthy. But, did you know they hold the record for the loudest bark? Charlie, the Australian Golden Retriever, has the loudest bark clocking in at 113.1 decibels.
- 5 Tennis Balls
Augie, a special Golden, was able to hold five tennis balls in his mouth. Way to go Augie!!!
- Expected Lifespan
A Golden Retriever’s expected lifespan is 10 to 12 years. However, some do live longer with care, a great diet, exercise and lots of love.
- Prone to Cancer
Sadly, cancer is common in Goldies. This is one of the reasons why their average life expectancy is less. It’s crucial to request a genetic test from a pup geneology when you’re looking to adopt a Golden Retriever puppy. You want to find one with very little cancer history in their genetic pool.
- Chub Chubs
Because Golden’s love to eat, they’re often overweight. This causes a lot of health issues, especially joint problems as the Golden Retriever ages. It’s estimated more than half of Golden Retrievers are overweight! But, with proper exercise and controlling their diets, you can keep them at a healthy weight all through their life. Just have to make sure you don’t give into them when they beg for more food!
- Black Golden Retriever Aren’t Real
No one knows how this myth came about, but black Golden Retrievers do not exist. There are hybrid’s where a Golden Retriever breeds with a dog that has the gene for black fur. But, then that wouldn’t be a purebred Golden Retriever.
- Mini Golden Retrievers Don’t Exist
Who doesn’t want a mini Golden? Well, they don’t exist. They’re often bred with a smaller bred making them a Golden Retriever mix. Sometimes they have dwarfism genes that result in a smaller Golden Retriever. There are also some instances where breeders will breed runts together to produce a smaller version of Golden Retrievers. However, this will not yield in a true “mini” version because mini’s are usually less than 25 lbs.
- Rare White European Retrievers
Rare White European Retrievers are also known as English Cream Golden Retrievers. They’re often claimed to be healthier than Golden Retrievers from America. Their coats are paler and sometimes have longer hair.
- Broader Head and Body
European Golden Retrievers usually have a broader head and body, but they’re the smallest of the three types of Golden Retrievers.
- Height
For a male Golden Retriever, height can range from 23 – 24 inches. While females are slightly shorter with a height range from 21.5 – 22.5 inches.
- Weight
Males usually weigh anywhere from 65 – 85 pounds. Females can weigh from 55 – 75 pounds. We have met some 100 pound Golden Retrievers though!
- Cost of a Golden Retriever Puppy
Owners can expect to purchase a purebred between $1000 to $4500. The price paid depends on the show status, location, breeder’s reputation, and pedigree.
- Perfect Family Dogs
They make perfect family dogs because they’re so loving, playful and gentle. Their playful nature makes them perfect companions for children.
- Loves Games
Golden’s love to play games! Especially games that involve retrieving. We also recommend getting puzzle toys for them like a Kong wobble to keep their minds entertained and active.
- Cheeky and Mischievous
Golden Retrievers are known as very intelligent dogs. However, they can have a mischievous side to them! Don’t be surprised if you walk away from the dinner table and your plate of food is gone when you get back. Some are also known to swallow socks and toys as well when their owners aren’t looking.
- Be Careful
Although Golden Retrievers like to eat, they’re not always able to digest everything. We recommend puppy proofing your home to avoid any unwanted procedures that may occur if your Golden eats too many socks, or random items in the house. This could be dangerous for them and cause a major blockage.
- Thinner and Darker Coats
Canadian Golden Retrievers usually have a thinner and darker coat than their American and English counterparts. They’re also taller as well.
After learning so much about Golden Retrievers, do you think they’re the right breed for you? If yes, then you can check out Golden Retriever puppies on the AKC Marketplace.
We just pruchased a Canadian golden Retriever
He is having a hard time house braking..Sometimes okay ,sometimes on a we wee
Pad ,he is 4 months old..is this normal for him.. How long does it take for them to be
House broken?