The Golden Retriever is one of the most popular dog breeds in the United States. Golden retrievers are smart, loyal dogs that are ideal family companions.
Golden retrievers are playful, yet gentle with children, and they tend to get along well with other pets and strangers. These dogs are fairly easy to train and get along in just about any home or family.
There is another potential downside to this breed: It is definitely not a watchdog. It may bark when strangers come around, but don’t count on that. Chances are, it will wag its tail and show that characteristic Golden smile.
Below are detailed information about this intelligent and lovely breed.
| History/Origin | The Golden Retriever was originally bred in Scotland in the mid-19th century by the Scotsman Dudley Coutts Marjoribanks, the Lord of Tweedmouth. The breed was developed by crossing a Retriever with a Water Spaniel. This breed was developed as a hunting breed. |
| Popularity | Goldens are among the most popular breeds in America. The Golden Retriever is its 78th breed. |
| Hunting | Golden retrievers are gun dogs that are excellent for hunting birds and other small prey. |
| Recognized by the AKC | The Golden Retriever was recognized by the AKC in 1925. |
| Guide Dog | The Golden Retriever is the perfect canine choice to be a guide dog for the blind. It is an intelligent dog and loves to be given responsibility and obligation. |
Characteristics
| Head | The broad head |
| Tail Type | The tail of a Golden Retriever is carried level with the back or is slightly upturned. The tail is curled, hairless, and measures 3.5 inches to 12 inches long. |
| Muzzle & nose | The nose should be of good size with large, open nostrils suitable for scenting. Preferably black, many Golden noses will fade with age or season. |
| Ear Type | They have long floppy ears. |
| Tongue | Golden Retriever is mentioned with a long tongue. |
| Teeth | Golden Retriever adult dogs should have 42 teeth in total: that’s 20 on top of their jaw and 22 on the bottom. |
| Eyes Shape | Eyes medium large with dark, close-fitting rims, set well apart and reasonably deep in sockets. Color preferably dark brown; medium brown acceptable. |
| Foot | Golden retrievers do have webbed feet. The webbed feet help them swim well for hunting waterfowl like ducks |
| Body Length | The average Golden Retriever has a body length of 37.0″-42.0″ (94-107 cm) |
| Wrinkles & Folds | No |
| Height | Male: 22–24 in (56–61 cm)Female: 20–22 in (51–56 cm) |
| Weight | It takes about 18 months for a Golden to reach their full adult weight:- Female: 25–32 kg- Male: 30–34 kg |
Feathers and colors
| Coat Color | Golden Retrievers can be found to come in four general colors: Dark Golden, Cream, Light Golden, Golden. There are some cases of Golden Retrievers being a copper tone,black or white. They’re coated to darken at least a little as they grow up, especially if they have dark ears like a puppy. When they are a senior, their coat will likely lighten slightly again, in localized areas. |
| Shedding | Golden Retrievers shed profusely, it shed all year round and there are at least two times a year that it is a lot(in the spring and fall). When they are 6 months old they will begin to shed hair to replace the adult coat. |
| Hair Density | Double Coat:- A silky undercoat with high hair density- An oily outer coat with relatively lesser hair volume |
| Grooming | They need to be brushed daily and regular use of an undercoat rake will significantly improve the shedding. |
All Around Friendliness
| Child friendly | Golden Retrievers are one of 5 breeds listed as being good around babies according to She Knows. They are boisterous, large dogs that can accidentally knock over a small child. |
| Friendliness | Golden Retrievers are friendly dogs who get along with everyone, a tolerant attitude makes them great family pets. They rarely show hostility or aggression toward other dogs or people. |
| Cute | Yes |
| Playfulness | Yes |
| They like to cuddle | Golden retrievers like to cuddle, cuddling and snuggling is how they may show their affection towards you. |
| Calm down | They will generally calm down a bit as they get older. You should expect to see your Golden Retriever become calmer when it’s around 2 to 3 years old. To calm it down more you will need to make sure to give it lots of exercise and training so that it is properly stimulated. |
Other pet friendly
| Compatibility with other dog | They seem to love playing with their own breed, but their relaxed nature makes them compatible with other dog breeds. |
| Compatibility with other pets | They’ll get along well with most other pets. |
Activities
| Energy level | Height |
| Barking | Golden Retrievers love to bark. They ranked at No. 1 for having the loudest bark in the world at 113 decibels. |
| Jump | Golden Retriever có thể nhảy cao tới 4 feet. |
| Swim | Most Goldens like to swim because they have a dense, waterproof outer coat with a thick undercoat, which insulates heat against the cold, while the upper layer is longer and lies flat, repelling water. In addition, the shaving structure between the toes is membrane so it is very convenient for swimming.They can swim when they are 8 weeks old. |
| Running speed | Average running speed for Golden Retrievers is about 20-30 mph. Sometimes, It can run up to 35 miles(or 48 km/h) per hour in a dead sprint. |
| Sniffing ability | The Golden Retriever has a very good sense of smell. They can use their noses to find people, trails and even food. They detect scents in the air but not on the ground, and are widely searched for people when traces on the ground are gone. They can smell a peanut a mile away! |
Habitat
| Tolerance to cold | Golden retrievers chịu lạnh rất tốt, chúng có thể chịu được thời tiết lạnh từ 45°F and 90°F. They do well if the temperature is below 40 degrees Celsius or 140 degrees Fahrenheit. And above 5 degrees Celsius or 41 degrees Fahrenheit. |
| Tolerance to hot | They can live in hot temperatures but they’re vulnerable to it. The ideal temperature for a Golden range between 60°F to 80°F. If temperatures in the 90s°F and 100s°F puts them in risks of dehydration, overheating, and sunburns. |
| Affinity to water | The Golden Retriever is a waterfowl hunting dog so water exposure is no problem for them and they love water. |
| Kennel size | Based on the adult size of a Golden Retriever, their crate size should be roughly 42 inches in length. Specifically, aim for dimensions of 42″ height x 28″ width x 30″ height. If you have a female, you may be able to get away with the 36 inch dog crate. |
Health
| Life Span | Back in the 1970s, they routinely lived until 16 and 17 years old, currently their average lifespan is 10-12 years. August is the oldest living Golden Retriever in the world with 20 years. Both male and female Golden Retriever have the same long life. |
| Veterinarian Visits | Try to make it every 6 months, but once per year as a minimum. |
| Prone to Obesity | Golden Retriever is among the breeds most at risk of obesity. Up to 63% of this breed is overweight. Snacks can cause weight gain and make exercise more difficult, which leads to gaining even more weight. Overweight Golden Retrievers can have serious health issues that wouldn’t happen |
| Therapy Dog | The Golden Retriever can be an excellent therapeutic dog, providing joy, comfort and support during the healing process of hospital patients. They act as therapeutic dogs due to their calm, gentle, intelligent, gentle and friendly personality with strangers. |
| Allergies | Goldens are often allergic to their skin itchy. The feet, abdomen, skin folds and ears are most often affected. Allergies are often caused by food or environmental agents, including mold, pollen, and seasonal allergies. |
| Common disease | Common health issues in Golden Retrievers are hip dysplasia, subvalvular aortic stenosis(SAS),allergies, skin problems, cancer and hypothyroidism. |
Temperament
| Outward | Yes |
| Reliable | Yes |
| Loyal | They are fiercely loyal to their owner,the loyalty of a Golden Retriever will be clear in its performance as a watchdog. |
| Friendly | Yes |
| Cheerful, eager | Yes |
Behavior
| Bite | They will bite in response to fear or distress. If the dog finds himself in a stressful situation, he may bite to defend himself or his territory. But they may also bite because of pain. A Golden Retriever’s bite is estimated at 190 psi. They have the 30th strongest bite among dog breeds. |
| Drooling | Golden Retrievers drool like almost all other dogs. Common causes would include being too hot, anticipating food, anxiety, dental and gum problems, having something lodged in its teeth, eating or licking something poisonous and illness. |
| Lick a lot | The reasons it licks you are that it is showing you affection, grooming you, excited, stressed, or it is seeking attention. |
| Causes bad odors | Golden odor is caused by an infection of the anal sac or secreting a smelly secretion on their hair when scared or excited |
| Noisy | The Golden Retrievers make a noise when they are excited, wanting attention, and sometimes fear, anxiety. |
| Ferocious | Golden Retrievers can be aggressive even though they are typically one of the most gentle breeds. There are several things that can make a Golden aggressive including neglect or abuse. Inadequate socialization can also create an aggressive Retriever. |
Nurturing and caring
| Foods | They can eat almost ANY brand of quality kibble. On average, an adult Golden Retriever will eat between 2 and 3 ½ cups of food per day. Do not feed foods with Ethoxyquin, BHA, BHT, propylene glycol, or sodium nitrate/nitrite. |
| Feeding | You should feed them 3 times a day. Start feeding twice a day when he’s about 11 or 12 weeks old. Meal size will vary with each pup, but the average Golden puppy at 7 weeks is polishing off about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of dry food at each meal. Feed it dry with water available on the side. |
| Bath | They like water however they have thick fur so they don’t need to be bathed as often as other dogs. Bathing for your Golden Retriever every two months is okay. If your dog starts to smell, it’s probably time for a bath. |
Reproduction
| Mating | The ideal age of a female Golden is from 18 months to 24 months. They usually go into heat the first time when they are 10-14 months old, the heat cycle of the female is every 6 months and lasts from 18 to 21 days.- Males become fertile after six months of age and reach full sexual maturity by 12 to 15 months. |
| Pregnancy period | Normally ranges from 57-65 days with an average of 63 days(or 9 weeks) from conception. |
| Litter Size | The average litter size for a Golden Retriever is eight puppies. The nest size varies from 4 to 12 puppies. |
| Mixs | – Goldendoodle – Golden Collie – Golden Chi – Goldador – Box Retriever – Alaskan Goldenmute – Golden Hound – Golden Husky – Beago – Afghan Retriever – Golden Mountain Mix – Golden Dox – Golden Bullmastiff Retriever – Golden Pei – Spangold Retriever – Goldmation – Golden Chow Retriever – Great Golden Dane – Golden Shepherd – Goldenshire – Saint Bernard Retriever – Goldenbull – Goldenweiler – Goldmaraner – Golden Newfie – Goldenpyre – Golden Irish – English Goldstiff – Golden Aussie – Golden Bully – Golden Ridgeback – Golden Catahoula – Golden Corgi – Golden Vizsla – Golden Heeler – Golden Sheepdog – Golden Malinois |
Trainability
| Intelligence | They’re about as smart as a 2 or 2.5-year-old human and can learn over 165 words. In fact, they’re the 4th smartest dog breed. They’re easy to train and easily pick up on human emotions. |
| Training | The best age to start training your Golden puppy: Angel Phase (2-6 months) , Teenage Rebellion Phase (6-18 Months).They are very intelligent so training is very easy, training time takes from 8 weeks to 2 years. |
Price and cost of farming
| Price | The price varies greatly due to their popularity. Purebred Golden retrievers typically cost between $500 to $3,000. a Golden Retriever’s price is dependent on whether you are buying a pedigree dog from a reputable breeder, which would cost considerably more. |
| Cost of farming | The average cost of raising a Golden Retriever for the first year falls within the $1,000 to $1,500 range, with an average cost of $1,200. The overall cost of a Golden Retriever is between $14,480 and $15,782. |
