Learn About the Enthusiastic Golden Retriever (2024)

The golden retriever is a medium-sized breed boasting a golden coat—reflective of its name— originating from Scotland. Known for their kind eyes, loyalty,andenthusiasm for life, the golden retriever is one of the most popular dogbreeds in the United States. Though historically bred as hunting dogs in the Scottish Highlands, goldens also make excellent family dogs.

The dogs usually get along well with children and are incredibly affectionate and intelligent. Golden retrievers make wonderful service dogs and are often very successful as guide, assistance, or search and rescue dogs.

Breed Overview

Group:Sporting

Height:23 to 24 inches (males); 21.5 to 22.5 inches (females)

Weight: 65 to 75 pounds (males); 55 to 65 pounds (females)

Coat: Medium-length double coat

Coat Color: Light to dark gold

Life Span: 10 to 12 years

Temperament: Trustworthy, intelligent, playful, energetic.

Hypoallergenic: No

Origin: United Kingdom, Scotland

Click Play to Learn More About the Loyal Golden Retriever

Characteristics of the Golden Retriever

Affection LevelHigh
FriendlinessHigh
Kid-FriendlyHigh
Pet-FriendlyHigh
Exercise NeedsHigh
PlayfulnessHigh
Energy LevelHigh
TrainabilityHigh
IntelligenceHigh
Tendency to BarkMedium
Amount of SheddingHigh

History of the Golden Retriever

Golden retrievers originated from the Scottish Highlands, where they were used primarily as hunting dogs. The Scottish estate owners needed a dog that could retrieve birds either in water or on landbecause their hunting grounds had many ponds and marshes. As guns were improved, retrievers needed to be able to bring back birds from farther distances.

Todevelop the ideal retriever, the Baron of Tweedmouth, Dudley Marjoribanks, crossed a Tweed water spaniel with a yellow-colored retriever. The four pups were then used in further breeding with lines including the Irish setter, bloodhound,St. John's water dog, and black retrievers. He kept detailed records throughout the later years of the 19th century, showcasing the goal of developing a dog with a soft mouth for retrieving game but that was also strong and active. The breed gained popularity in England and was recognized by The Kennel Club of England in 1911.

During the early 20th century, golden retrievers were introduced to North America as both a hunting dog and a companion. The golden retriever was officially recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1925. When the AKC debuted the AKC Obedience Champion title in 1977, the first three dogs to earn the designation were golden retrievers. Presidential golden retrievers include those owned by Gerald R. Ford and Ronald Reagan.

Learn About the Enthusiastic Golden Retriever (1)

Learn About the Enthusiastic Golden Retriever (2)

Learn About the Enthusiastic Golden Retriever (3)

Golden Retriever Care

Golden retrievers have medium-length hair with a thick undercoat and a water-repellent outer coat. They shed moderately most of the year and heavily in the spring and fall. They should bebrusheddaily and will probably need a bath about once a month. You can expect to live with plenty of dog hair if you have a golden retriever.

Grooming

Your dog will need its nails trimmed once or twice a month to keep them from splitting and causing foot problems. You should also help your dog maintain good oral hygiene by brushing its teeth at least a couple of times per week. Because they have droopy ears, they are more likely to have ear infections, so check your dog's ears regularly.

Exercise

Goldens are active dogs which require dailyexerciseand thoroughtraining. It is best for a golden retriever to have access to a play yard for romping and to be taken out for a walk a couple of times per day. Golden retrievers get along well with most other dogs and a trip to the free-run dog park is likely to be appreciated.

Golden retrievers are known to be mouthy, carrying things around in their mouths. Have toys and chew bones available to satisfy this oral fixation.

Training

This breed likes to be where the action is with the family rather than relegated to the yard, where they can easily get lonely. They are not suited to be watchdogs, as they are friendly with everyone. Socialization is important for dogs and comes pretty naturally to the golden retriever. They should do well in a multi-pet household with other canines and cats.

Golden retrievers are gentle, patient and enjoy playing with kids, but their size means they can knock over a small child if they are excited. This might scare little kids, especially visiting playmates who are not used to a larger dog. When they learn to play together appropriately, a golden retriever is a good match for families with kids.

Learn About the Enthusiastic Golden Retriever (4)

Learn About the Enthusiastic Golden Retriever (5)

Common Health Problems

Responsible breeders strive to maintain the highest breed standards as established by kennel clubs like the AKC. Dogs bred by these standards are less likely to inherit health conditions. However, some hereditary health problems can occur in the breed. Conditions to be aware of include:

  • Hip Dysplasia: A malformation of the hip sockets, which can lead to pain and arthritis
  • Elbow Dysplasia: A painful malformation of the dog's elbows on the front legs
  • Osteochondrosis (OCD): An inflammatory condition in which diseased cartilage separates from the adjoining bone
  • Various types of cancer: The most common cancers in golden retrievers include hemangiosarcoma and lymphoma.

Learn About the Enthusiastic Golden Retriever (7)

Diet and Nutrition

Golden retriever puppies grow rapidly and should be on a low-calorie puppy diet that will keep them from growing too fast and increasing their risk of bone disorders. An adult golden retriever should be fed two meals a day of up to 1.5 cups of dry dog food per meal. It's best to measure out the food and provide it as meals rather than leaving food out for free-feeding. The amount needed for an individual dog depends on its size, activity level, age, and other factors. You should always provide fresh, clean water.

Be sure to monitor your dog's weight as obesity will shorten your pet's lifespan and predispose other health conditions. If you notice your dog is gaining weight, discuss this with your veterinarian. Get recommendations for feeding schedules, amount of food, type of food, and exercise to keep your dog healthy.

Where to Adopt or Buy a Golden Retriever

Check your local animal shelter and rescue groups for golden retrievers in need of homes. A number of nationwide rescue groups for golden retrievers provide online resources to find a dog, including:

Golden Retriever Overview

Pros

  • Sweet, lovable, and incredibly good-natured

  • Loves to be around its family and is good with kids

  • Intelligent and easy to train

Cons

  • Food-obsessed and can easily gain too much weight

  • Needs a significant amount of exercise and training

  • Sheds regularly and needs daily brushing

10 Cute Pictures of Golden Retrievers

More Dog Breeds and Further Research

Before you decide on a golden retriever, do plenty of research: Talk to other golden retriever owners, reputable breeders, and rescue groups to learn more.

If you’re interested in similar breeds, look into these to compare the pros and cons.

  • Labrador Retriever
  • Newfoundland
  • Chinook
  • Saint Bernard

There is a wide variety ofdog breeds out there. With a little research, you can find the right one to bring home.

FAQ

  • Are golden retrievers good pets?

    Absolutely—the golden retriever is one of the most popular breeds in the U.S., and that is largely attributed to being a great family-friendly dog. The breed is easily trained and behaves well around kids and families. Plus, they're very protective of humans, so they are sure to be a loyal companion to your family.

  • How expensive is a golden retriever?

    When purchased from a quality breeder, a golden retriever could cost anywhere from $1,000 to $3,500. Though, if you rescue a golden retriever from a local shelter, the cost will typically be around $200 to $500 instead.

  • Are golden retrievers the nicest dogs?

    Golden retrievers are known for being one of the most well-mannered dogs, a notoriously gentle and kind breed. They're well known for being great family dogs, extremely friendly towards kids, and rarely demonstrate behavioral issues around the house.

Learn About the Enthusiastic Golden Retriever (2024)

FAQs

What is a golden retriever energy personality? ›

Much like the lovely dog breed itself, people with golden retriever energy are the happy-go-lucky type who are simply out there loving life and having a good time. It's a term more often used to describe young men, but can also be applied to women as well.

What is the summary of golden retriever? ›

Goldens are outgoing, trustworthy, and eager-to-please family dogs, and relatively easy to train. They take a joyous and playful approach to life and maintain this puppyish behavior into adulthood. These energetic, powerful gundogs enjoy outdoor play.

What are golden retrievers motivated by? ›

Golden retrievers are known to be motivated by food and play, making them easy to train and reward as food can be used as an effective reward to encourage desired behaviour. We don't recommend giving table scraps as some human foods aren't safe for dogs.

Are Golden Retrievers lazy or active? ›

Are Golden Retrievers lazy? No, Golden Retrievers are known to be high energy and very active so if there are signs of laziness, they might be experiencing medical issues or emotional distress. However, it's best to always contact the vet if you notice anything unusual happening with your Golden Retriever.

Are Golden Retrievers very smart? ›

The Golden Retriever is an exceptionally smart dog, sitting at the 4th smartest dog breed. While they may seem goofy and affable, Golden's are often used in hunting, as guide dogs, and search and rescue, because of their strong instincts, adaptive intelligence, and intense work ethic.

Do girls like guys with golden retriever energy? ›

He's like a golden retriever, and I love it,” a woman fittingly named Kat, said about an early love interest on a recent episode of “Bachelor In Paradise.” People want a partner who is supportive, enthusiastic and makes things easy, like this Reddit user who shared that she hopes to get back together with ex-golden ...

What does it mean if a girl says you have golden retriever energy? ›

If you describe someone as having golden retriever energy, you mean that they have an energetic personality and are affectionate. Submitted By: Unknown - 16/08/2023.

What does it mean when a girl calls you a golden retriever? ›

From this stemmed a true definition of a golden retriever boyfriend: a significant other that is easygoing and makes it fairly simple to maintain a happy and fulfilling relationship.

What is one interesting fact about Golden Retrievers? ›

Golden Retrievers instinctively love to swim. They're always up for a game of fetch in the lake. 2. Golden Retrievers are often used on search and rescue teams because of their keen sense of smell and tracking abilities.

Why are Golden Retrievers so happy? ›

Social Connection. Golden Retrievers are highly social animals and thrive on companionship and interaction. Smiling can be their way of expressing friendliness and affection towards their human family members and other pets.

Are Golden Retrievers loyal? ›

The affectionate and ever-popular golden retriever has been sharing the world with us for over 100 years. How did we ever manage without them? They are kind, gentle, intelligent and even-tempered dogs and their unwavering loyalty is legendary.

What is a Golden Retrievers favorite thing? ›

Golden Retrievers love to run around and play outside. They love water and tend to jump in whenever they get the chance! Golden Retrievers also love to tug on things with their mouths, whether sticks or toys. In fact, Golden Retrievers can pretty much do it all!

What makes Golden Retrievers so loyal? ›

Part of the reason why Golden Retrievers are so loyal has to do with their history. This breed originated in the Scottish Highlands, where they were bred as hunting dogs. To retrieve birds, Golden Retrievers needed to be extremely smart, loyal to their owner's directions, athletic and eager to please.

What special abilities do Golden Retrievers have? ›

Golden Retrievers are some of the most intelligent dogs in the world. In fact, they're the 4th smartest dog breed (out of 138 breeds) for to obedience and working intelligence. But what makes the Golden Retriever really intelligent is their adaptive IQ, which makes them good communicators and readers of human emotions.

What's unique about Golden Retrievers? ›

They're a Hard-Working Breed

Golden Retrievers are used for everything from hunting to rescue and service dog work. Despite that playful, sometimes goofy demeanor, they learn quickly and can master a multitude of skills, including how to perform as search and rescue dogs at the site of a disaster.

What is special about a Golden Retriever? ›

The golden retriever is even-tempered, intelligent and affectionate. Golden retrievers are playful, yet gentle with children, and they tend to get along well with other pets and strangers.

What are Golden Retrievers weaknesses? ›

allergies as well as dry and brittle coats. Additionally, they have varying degrees of problems with hip dysplasia and eye defects.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Prof. Nancy Dach

Last Updated:

Views: 6176

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (57 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Prof. Nancy Dach

Birthday: 1993-08-23

Address: 569 Waelchi Ports, South Blainebury, LA 11589

Phone: +9958996486049

Job: Sales Manager

Hobby: Web surfing, Scuba diving, Mountaineering, Writing, Sailing, Dance, Blacksmithing

Introduction: My name is Prof. Nancy Dach, I am a lively, joyous, courageous, lovely, tender, charming, open person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.