The Wonderful Golden Retriever

English by birth, the Golden Retriever is descended from dogs bred in the 1800s in Britain when sportsmen required effective dogs for waterfowl hunting or mountain hunting. The dogs’ job was to locate and retrieve birds such as wild ducks, geese and other varieties of waterfowl; their skill also lies in hunting mountain birds that hide in weeds such as pheasant, quail and turtle dove. This ability is due to their great propensity to swim, especially with a bird in their jaws.

The Golden Retriever breed remained almost unknown until 1904, the year in which it began to participate in various competitions, making it become world famous. In fact, it is one of the most famous dog breeds in the world.

Characteristics

The Golden Retriever is a long-haired, medium to large-sized dog with a muscular body. The colors of its coat range from deep red to yellow-gold. Many Goldenrods have a small white tuft on their chest and dark undertones of skin on their stomach, which often lighten or disappear with old age. The eyes are dark brown, an increasingly darker shade of the fur. The ears of this type of dog are usually quite short, with the front edge set well behind. When moving to the front, the tip of the ear barely covers the eye.

The average life expectancy of a Golden Retriever is 10 to 12 years. In addition to being a companion breed they are obedient, playful, intelligent and polite, they do very well with children and are usually quite docile with strangers.

Golden Retrievers have been bred from the very beginning for their intelligence, their predisposition to docility and even their temperament, all qualities that go hand in hand with their skills in the countryside; they are good watchdogs, very obedient and often winners in dog sport competitions. This type of reliable hunting dog is in great demand among hunters, in addition to the fact that they have an excellent sense of smell.

A Golden Retriever needs a lot of physical activity, although throwing him some of his toys or taking him for a daily walk may be enough to exercise it. These dogs enjoy any outdoor activity, whether it be walking, running, hiking, biking, swimming or playing with children. This type of dog needs a lot of space to move around, so confining him to a small apartment isn’t for them.

Golden Retrievers are always ready to go out, they always want to be around you and be part of what you are doing. One of their favorite things is a nice, vigorous bath. Puppies, who have much more energy than adult dogs, also have less control over their enthusiasm, but this is changing as they mature. This is a type of dog that can be taught anything. Indeed, if they are inadvertently taught a negative behavior, they will remember it and use it to get your attention or to make you play with them.

A sensitive dog breed

Golden Retrievers need to be treated with a lot of kindness, as they are sensitive creatures that don’t respond well to low tones and harsh discipline. The biggest problem that owners of this breed face is the difficulty these dogs have in walking on a leash. However, you can always teach him how to do it, with a little practice. They are extremely quiet dogs and will learn very quickly.

Nowadays, Golden are in great demand as companion dogs, but they are also a favorite option of some police forces who use them in search squadrons for their ability to sniff out the presence of drugs or bombs.

This is a social dog breed that adores people and loves being in company. If left alone for a long time, especially without proper training, the Golden Retriever can develop great separation anxiety which generally leads to destructive chewing. In fact, dogs belonging to this breed are great chewers: for this reason it is necessary to provide them with a large amount of toys and bones to get their teeth. Otherwise they will make up for your shoes, books, pillows and other household items.