Golden retrievers are one of the most popular breeds of dogs today. You've probably seen them in the park joyfully fetching a tennis ball. But what do you really know about this dog?
The Golden Retriever was developed during the 1800's in Britain. The breeder, Lord Tweedmouth, wanted a dog that was loyal, kind, spirited, and energetic. He also wanted a dog with a love for water and the ability to retrieve. Golden Retrievers are the embodiment of beauty and brains.
Categorized as a sporting dog, the typical Golden Retriever male weighs between 65-75 lbs. and the female slightly smaller at 55-65 lbs. As adults Golden males stand 23-24 inches and females stand 21.5-22.5 inches. Goldens' coats are various shades of gold.
The Golden Retriever has a water repellent and weather resistant double coat. The firm, resilient outer coat can be wavy or straight. The tail and legs are feathered with longer hair while the under coat is dense and soft in texture. The coat color varies in shades of cream to gold and is rich and lustrous. The Golden is a heavy shedder.
The Golden Retriever is a large, and energetic breed making them the world's foremost family pet and companion. They are sturdy, well proportioned, and are well known for their hunting capabilities on land and in the water. The Golden is a perceptive and agile breed that trains quickly.
Golden Retrievers are loveable, polite, and highly intelligent. They are sweet, eager to please, and devoted family companions who are always gentle and patient with children. They exude charm and confidence however they do not do well if left alone for extended periods of time and may become mischievous and destructive. They have a tendency to be overly exuberant and easily distracted. They are friendly with other pets. In fact, they are friendly with everyone. They tend to bark as a form of greeting. The Golden Retriever is not well suited for a two career family as they require an inordinate amount of human interaction and companionship.
The Golden Retriever is one of the easiest breeds to train. They excel in obedience and are popular therapy and service dogs. They have many talents including competitive obedience, narcotic detection, agility, and performing tricks.
Caring for a Golden Retriever can be time consuming. The heavy coat of Golden Retrievers requires daily and thorough brushing with a firm bristle brush. They should be dry shampooed regularly, and bathed only when absolutely necessary with a mild shampoo to keep from drying out their skin. Also, they are prone to hip dysplasia, cataracts, and skin allergies so regular veternarian check-ups are essential. They do have a tendency to gain weight so it is important not to over feed the Golden Retriever.
Golden's will do okay in an apartment dwelling provided they are sufficiently exercised. The Golden Retriever requires daily exercise and they enjoy play sessions with their family, retrieving balls and other toys. Golden Retrievers are moderately active indoors and do best with a medium to large sized securely fenced yard.
Golden Retriever puppies should be purchased from reputable Golden Retriever breeders who should be able to provide documentation from the American Kennel Club or similar registry organization. Ideally, you should be able to view the parents. An alternative to purchasing a puppy is to adopt a Golden Retriever from a Golden Retriever rescue or other rescue organization like the Humane Society.
Now you know everything you ever wanted to know about Golden Retrievers. Remember that like any pet, owning a Golden Retriever is a long-term, significant commitment.
Showing posts with label Golden Retriever. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Golden Retriever. Show all posts
Friday, June 10, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Training
With the term training in mind, there are several different meanings involved. When you are looking to train your Golden Retriever, you have a few options available to you. Below, we will take a look at the many types of training for your Golden, and help you decide when type of training is best for both you and your Golden.
Behavior training
Behavior training teaches a Golden Retriever to be a good dog in general. The training involved includes house breaking, good general behavior around people and pets, leash training, and other types of things that will make him a better companion. Dogs that who passed obedience training and well composed - no matter where you decide to take them.
Activity training
Activity training teaches Golden Retrievers various activities such as hunting, herding, search and rescue, and several other tricks that you can do together. Activity training is very popular with the Golden breed, as it helps to make the relationship between you and your pet a lot more interesting. By concentrating on activities that the Golden breed was bred to do, activity training is always very beneficial to your Golden Retriever.
Obedience training
Obedience training teaches your Golden how to perform various activities. This type of training focuses on general behavior as well, teaching the dog to be well behaved. Most dogs who go through a class in obedience training turn out to be well behaved and will listen to your commands and shouldn’t do things such as chewing and barking for no reason. If you want your Golden to be well behaved and obedient, you should enroll him in a obedience training class as soon as you can.
Keep in mind that there are certain lines and distinctions with each type of training. If you choose obedience training for example, then your Golden Retriever won’t get any help with his behavior. When you select a class for your Golden, you always want to select a class that fits his needs at that time. If you are having trouble controlling your dog, you may want to start him off with behavior training, which is what most Golden owners tend to do.
When you look for a training class, you should also know what area your dog needs help with. Sometimes, a behavior pattern can be the result of boredom, which can easily be fixed by spending more time with your dog. Once you have spent more time with him, you’ll sometimes notice his patten to stop. Other times however, he may need a bit more help with certain behavior patterns, which is where training comes into play. Although Golden Retrievers are smart dogs, they won’t know if they are doing something wrong unless you show them.
Before you can train your Golden puppy, you need to know what to teach him. Golden puppies adore routines, and feel more at ease than ever if they are on a schedule that they can predict. When you take your dog to training, you should always be patient with him and reassure him that he is doing good. As your Golden gets older and begins to learn new things, he will never forget his training. In the unlikely event that he starts to slip on some of his training, you can always let him go through a course again to brush up on the techniques. This way, no matter how old your Golden Retriever gets, he will always be the ideal companion that you have grown to love over the years.
Behavior training
Behavior training teaches a Golden Retriever to be a good dog in general. The training involved includes house breaking, good general behavior around people and pets, leash training, and other types of things that will make him a better companion. Dogs that who passed obedience training and well composed - no matter where you decide to take them.
Activity training
Activity training teaches Golden Retrievers various activities such as hunting, herding, search and rescue, and several other tricks that you can do together. Activity training is very popular with the Golden breed, as it helps to make the relationship between you and your pet a lot more interesting. By concentrating on activities that the Golden breed was bred to do, activity training is always very beneficial to your Golden Retriever.
Obedience training
Obedience training teaches your Golden how to perform various activities. This type of training focuses on general behavior as well, teaching the dog to be well behaved. Most dogs who go through a class in obedience training turn out to be well behaved and will listen to your commands and shouldn’t do things such as chewing and barking for no reason. If you want your Golden to be well behaved and obedient, you should enroll him in a obedience training class as soon as you can.
Keep in mind that there are certain lines and distinctions with each type of training. If you choose obedience training for example, then your Golden Retriever won’t get any help with his behavior. When you select a class for your Golden, you always want to select a class that fits his needs at that time. If you are having trouble controlling your dog, you may want to start him off with behavior training, which is what most Golden owners tend to do.
When you look for a training class, you should also know what area your dog needs help with. Sometimes, a behavior pattern can be the result of boredom, which can easily be fixed by spending more time with your dog. Once you have spent more time with him, you’ll sometimes notice his patten to stop. Other times however, he may need a bit more help with certain behavior patterns, which is where training comes into play. Although Golden Retrievers are smart dogs, they won’t know if they are doing something wrong unless you show them.
Before you can train your Golden puppy, you need to know what to teach him. Golden puppies adore routines, and feel more at ease than ever if they are on a schedule that they can predict. When you take your dog to training, you should always be patient with him and reassure him that he is doing good. As your Golden gets older and begins to learn new things, he will never forget his training. In the unlikely event that he starts to slip on some of his training, you can always let him go through a course again to brush up on the techniques. This way, no matter how old your Golden Retriever gets, he will always be the ideal companion that you have grown to love over the years.
Grooming
Grooming your Golden Retriever is a never ending process. The entire process should be down once or twice a week, and will take you around a ½ an hour of time. Brushing your dog while he is shedding will help to control shedding quite a bit. While outside, if your Golden Retriever manages to get burs or other defects in his hair, you should instantly take a few moments of your time and get the burs or other matter out of his coat.
When you groom your pet, you should always start with a good brushing. Brush his entire body, then once you have finished brushing you can switch to a comb to get out any loose hair that remains in the coat. While you are getting out the hair, you can also inspect your pet for ticks, fleas, and other types of skin ailments. If you wish, you can also check his ears and trim his nails as well.
Bathing your Golden is essential to grooming, and can be somewhat complicated. Before you attempt to give him a bath, you should always brush him first, to get rid of tangles. During shampooing, you should always use shampoos that are specifically for dogs, since human shampoo can dry a dog’s skin out. You don’t need to bathe your dog often, once every other week is good enough. If you properly maintain your Golden’s coat, you’ll find it’s much easier to clean.
To prevent matting, which is very common with Golden Retrievers, you should always make sure that you brush your pet on a daily basis. Metal combs and brushes work extremely well, and will help you to get a great deal of the hair out. Although some people choose to use scissors and cut the mats, you can easily injure your Golden if he happens to move or jerk. Scissors aren’t recommended, as brushing and proper bathing will help to prevent matting of the hair better than anything else.
When you cut your dogs nails, you should trim them a great deal, all the while avoiding going down into the quick. You should never let your Golden’s nails get too long, as long nails can easily take the shape of the dog’s foot, resulting in a splay. Therefore, you should always check your Golden Retriever’s nails and trim them every few weeks. If you trim them just right, you’ll have at least 2 weeks before they need to be trimmed again. If you do happen to trim the nails past the quick, bleeding will occur. To stop the bleeding, always keep some styptic powder on hand to make sure that you are prepared if you do make a mistake.
With other types of grooming, you should also make sure that you clean your Golden’s ears as well. They can get ear infections quite easily, if you don’t clean their ears on a regular basis. To get the best results and protect your pet from ear infections, you should clean his ears once a week using a quality cleansing solution. This way, you can rest assured that your Golden has healthy ears.
Grooming is an essential aspect to the health of every Golden Retriever. All it takes is a little bit of time from your day to groom your pet and keep him healthy. If you don’t have the time to groom your Golden, you can always take him to a professional. Whether you do it yourself or take your Golden to a pro - grooming is something that simply must be done.
When you groom your pet, you should always start with a good brushing. Brush his entire body, then once you have finished brushing you can switch to a comb to get out any loose hair that remains in the coat. While you are getting out the hair, you can also inspect your pet for ticks, fleas, and other types of skin ailments. If you wish, you can also check his ears and trim his nails as well.
Bathing your Golden is essential to grooming, and can be somewhat complicated. Before you attempt to give him a bath, you should always brush him first, to get rid of tangles. During shampooing, you should always use shampoos that are specifically for dogs, since human shampoo can dry a dog’s skin out. You don’t need to bathe your dog often, once every other week is good enough. If you properly maintain your Golden’s coat, you’ll find it’s much easier to clean.
To prevent matting, which is very common with Golden Retrievers, you should always make sure that you brush your pet on a daily basis. Metal combs and brushes work extremely well, and will help you to get a great deal of the hair out. Although some people choose to use scissors and cut the mats, you can easily injure your Golden if he happens to move or jerk. Scissors aren’t recommended, as brushing and proper bathing will help to prevent matting of the hair better than anything else.
When you cut your dogs nails, you should trim them a great deal, all the while avoiding going down into the quick. You should never let your Golden’s nails get too long, as long nails can easily take the shape of the dog’s foot, resulting in a splay. Therefore, you should always check your Golden Retriever’s nails and trim them every few weeks. If you trim them just right, you’ll have at least 2 weeks before they need to be trimmed again. If you do happen to trim the nails past the quick, bleeding will occur. To stop the bleeding, always keep some styptic powder on hand to make sure that you are prepared if you do make a mistake.
With other types of grooming, you should also make sure that you clean your Golden’s ears as well. They can get ear infections quite easily, if you don’t clean their ears on a regular basis. To get the best results and protect your pet from ear infections, you should clean his ears once a week using a quality cleansing solution. This way, you can rest assured that your Golden has healthy ears.
Grooming is an essential aspect to the health of every Golden Retriever. All it takes is a little bit of time from your day to groom your pet and keep him healthy. If you don’t have the time to groom your Golden, you can always take him to a professional. Whether you do it yourself or take your Golden to a pro - grooming is something that simply must be done.
Buying A Puppy
We all know that Golden Retrievers are beautiful, obedient, and make great family pets and hunting dogs. Golden’s also make great guide dogs for the blind, narcotic detection dogs, and even tracking dogs for finding missing people. Although there are many other dog breeds out there, Golden Retrievers remain one of the most versatile and most astonishing breeds that you can get.
Before you rush out and buy a Golden Retriever puppy, you should first take the time to learn a bit more about the breed. You can attend dog shows, meet with various owners of Golden Retrievers, and even go to your local kennel club. Most people who own Golden Retrievers are extremely proud of them and will be more than happy to share their enthusiasm with you.
When you buy you’re Golden Retriever puppy, it’s always a great idea to buy from a backyard breeder or local puppy mill. Backyard breeders are normally the best way to get a Golden puppy, as they know and care a lot about the breed in general. Although you can always go to a reputable breeder, backyard breeders aren’t just in it for the money - they actually care about their dogs and want you to get the best Golden possible.
You can also visit the Golden Retriever Club of America and their local member clubs, as they can supply you with a list of breeders in your area. If these breeders don’t have any Golden’s for sale themselves, they will be more than willing to help you find what you’re looking for. This way, you can get a Golden from a very reliable source.
Whatever you do, you should never rush into buying a Golden Retriever. You should always take your time, and have a little bit of patience. When you buy your puppy, you want a healthy puppy who will grow up to be a fine testament of the breed. By taking your time and making a careful decision, you can save yourself a lot of time and money later on down the road.
Golden puppies that are poor quality, are normally produced by breeders who just want to have a litter or breeders who are just looking for the profits and care very little about giving thoughts to looks, quality, or temperament. If you buy a puppy from either of these breeders, you’ll more than likely end up with a puppy who has poor health, poor temperaments, and even disqualifications in breed.
When you get your puppy, you should always think long term. Only buy from a quality breeder, and you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Always remember that you aren’t just buying a Golden Retriever puppy - you are buying a companion and a friend for life.
Before you rush out and buy a Golden Retriever puppy, you should first take the time to learn a bit more about the breed. You can attend dog shows, meet with various owners of Golden Retrievers, and even go to your local kennel club. Most people who own Golden Retrievers are extremely proud of them and will be more than happy to share their enthusiasm with you.
When you buy you’re Golden Retriever puppy, it’s always a great idea to buy from a backyard breeder or local puppy mill. Backyard breeders are normally the best way to get a Golden puppy, as they know and care a lot about the breed in general. Although you can always go to a reputable breeder, backyard breeders aren’t just in it for the money - they actually care about their dogs and want you to get the best Golden possible.
You can also visit the Golden Retriever Club of America and their local member clubs, as they can supply you with a list of breeders in your area. If these breeders don’t have any Golden’s for sale themselves, they will be more than willing to help you find what you’re looking for. This way, you can get a Golden from a very reliable source.
Whatever you do, you should never rush into buying a Golden Retriever. You should always take your time, and have a little bit of patience. When you buy your puppy, you want a healthy puppy who will grow up to be a fine testament of the breed. By taking your time and making a careful decision, you can save yourself a lot of time and money later on down the road.
Golden puppies that are poor quality, are normally produced by breeders who just want to have a litter or breeders who are just looking for the profits and care very little about giving thoughts to looks, quality, or temperament. If you buy a puppy from either of these breeders, you’ll more than likely end up with a puppy who has poor health, poor temperaments, and even disqualifications in breed.
When you get your puppy, you should always think long term. Only buy from a quality breeder, and you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Always remember that you aren’t just buying a Golden Retriever puppy - you are buying a companion and a friend for life.
Breeding
For beginners, breeding Golden Retrievers is nearly impossible. Breeding can be very complicated, although it can be easy as well. You should never attempt to breed unless you know a lot about requirements for hobby breeders, as it is simply unfair to the breed if you have a litter of puppies that simply aren’t what they should be. People who look to buy Golden Retrievers only want top quality, which is why you shouldn’t attempt to breed just have a puppies or make a few bucks.
Breeding Golden Retrievers is a very serious hobby, one that should be left to those who know how to make the right choices. There is a certain amount of cost and care involved with breeding, especially if breeders are going for a certain quality. There is also a lot of responsibility involved as well, which can take quite a bit of time to say the least.
Motivation for breeding
Breeding can help to fulfill the need of a Golden, although the dog still has no knowledge of it missing, no regrets, or no guilt towards living a life without having been breed. A pregnant Golden Retriever female doesn’t gain anything in regards to health, as it instead causes problems. Golden females that have been spayed on the other hand, cannot be bred. If you have chosen to have your Golden spayed, always remember that she will be unable to breed.
When looking to breed, quality breeders will have a lot of choices in front of them. They will need to determine the pair, such as the mother and the father. To get the highest quality possible from the litter, the breeder will need to determine the traits of both dogs, temperaments, and how well they seem to react to one another. The breeder will also need to determine in either of the dogs have any type of health problems, to prevent any diseases or ailments from being passed on to the litter.
Sometimes, when breeding Golden Retrievers, the mother of the litter will prove to be unfit, which requires more work for the breeder. If the mother isn’t doing her job of nurturing her young, the breeder will need to do it for her. This can be the most time consuming aspect of breeding, as the breeder will have to feed the young and make sure that they turn out as healthy as possible.
Aside from that, breeders also face quite a bit of costs as well. The prices for daily care, food, and vet bills can be very steep to say the least. When you crunch the numbers, you’ll quickly realize that breeders don’t make much money at all when they sale. Most breeders do it for a hobby, not looking to make money. Quality breeders on the other hand aren’t concerned with money at all, as they are more concerned about the quality of their litters. Quality is better than quantity, as even the best breeders out there have problems selling puppies from time to time.
Although breeding is fun for hobby breeders, it is something you really shouldn’t be doing if you don’t have the experience. Although your Golden may get knocked up by a dog of a different breed without you knowing it, you should do your best to avoid it at all costs if you can. A pure bred Golden Retriever should be bred only with dogs of her breed, to help preserve the breed and keep their bloodline going. If you have thought about breeding in the past - you should really study long and hard before you actually make a reality of it.
Breeding Golden Retrievers is a very serious hobby, one that should be left to those who know how to make the right choices. There is a certain amount of cost and care involved with breeding, especially if breeders are going for a certain quality. There is also a lot of responsibility involved as well, which can take quite a bit of time to say the least.
Motivation for breeding
Breeding can help to fulfill the need of a Golden, although the dog still has no knowledge of it missing, no regrets, or no guilt towards living a life without having been breed. A pregnant Golden Retriever female doesn’t gain anything in regards to health, as it instead causes problems. Golden females that have been spayed on the other hand, cannot be bred. If you have chosen to have your Golden spayed, always remember that she will be unable to breed.
When looking to breed, quality breeders will have a lot of choices in front of them. They will need to determine the pair, such as the mother and the father. To get the highest quality possible from the litter, the breeder will need to determine the traits of both dogs, temperaments, and how well they seem to react to one another. The breeder will also need to determine in either of the dogs have any type of health problems, to prevent any diseases or ailments from being passed on to the litter.
Sometimes, when breeding Golden Retrievers, the mother of the litter will prove to be unfit, which requires more work for the breeder. If the mother isn’t doing her job of nurturing her young, the breeder will need to do it for her. This can be the most time consuming aspect of breeding, as the breeder will have to feed the young and make sure that they turn out as healthy as possible.
Aside from that, breeders also face quite a bit of costs as well. The prices for daily care, food, and vet bills can be very steep to say the least. When you crunch the numbers, you’ll quickly realize that breeders don’t make much money at all when they sale. Most breeders do it for a hobby, not looking to make money. Quality breeders on the other hand aren’t concerned with money at all, as they are more concerned about the quality of their litters. Quality is better than quantity, as even the best breeders out there have problems selling puppies from time to time.
Although breeding is fun for hobby breeders, it is something you really shouldn’t be doing if you don’t have the experience. Although your Golden may get knocked up by a dog of a different breed without you knowing it, you should do your best to avoid it at all costs if you can. A pure bred Golden Retriever should be bred only with dogs of her breed, to help preserve the breed and keep their bloodline going. If you have thought about breeding in the past - you should really study long and hard before you actually make a reality of it.
Bedding
Bedding for your Golden Retriever is very important, as this is where he will be spending quite a bit of time - especially at night. The ideal bedding for your Golden should be a natural fiber, such as wool, as wool absorbs most moisture and will keep your companion warm. When you get your blanket, you can try thrift stores, as they aren’t very expensive. You don’t want to buy an expensive blanket, for the fact that Golden Retrievers love to chew. They can chew or tear the blanket in no time at all, which would make an expensive blanket a waste of money.
When bringing your Golden puppy home, he may be a little upset having to leave his mom and the others of his litter. The scents and memories that he come to know and love are now being replaced with totally new ones. If you provide a towel for your Golden to sleep with, it may help to ease him a bit. Towels are a great way to remind Golden puppies of their mom and their litter, which will help them to sleep and relax.
If you are planning to have your Golden Retriever sleep with you, you should be ready to get up in the middle of the night and take him outside to use the bathroom. You should keep his food and water near his bedding at all times, so if he gets hungry or thirsty he can get what he needs. Then, you should planning on taking him out around an hour or so after he has eaten.
If you plan to leave your Golden Retriever outdoors, you’ll obviously need to use a different style of bedding. Doghouses are essential for Golden’s who stay outdoors, as it helps to keep them warm and free of weather. Inside of the doghouse on the other hand, most people tend to use straw so the Golden can make a bed out of it. You can also use a blanket or quilt as well, so that your Golden can wrap himself up in it should he get cold.
You can also use wooden shavings as well, as most Golden’s tend to like them. Newspapers work good as well, as they give your Golden something to lay on besides a wooden floor. Although doghouses work great for outdoor dogs, you should take your dog for walks on a daily basis and let him join you in activities that he finds enjoyable. This way, you can build a unique and lasting friendship with your pet. Golden Retrievers can quickly become the best friend you have ever had - as long as you take care of them. Making sure that have the proper bedding is a great place to start.
When bringing your Golden puppy home, he may be a little upset having to leave his mom and the others of his litter. The scents and memories that he come to know and love are now being replaced with totally new ones. If you provide a towel for your Golden to sleep with, it may help to ease him a bit. Towels are a great way to remind Golden puppies of their mom and their litter, which will help them to sleep and relax.
If you are planning to have your Golden Retriever sleep with you, you should be ready to get up in the middle of the night and take him outside to use the bathroom. You should keep his food and water near his bedding at all times, so if he gets hungry or thirsty he can get what he needs. Then, you should planning on taking him out around an hour or so after he has eaten.
If you plan to leave your Golden Retriever outdoors, you’ll obviously need to use a different style of bedding. Doghouses are essential for Golden’s who stay outdoors, as it helps to keep them warm and free of weather. Inside of the doghouse on the other hand, most people tend to use straw so the Golden can make a bed out of it. You can also use a blanket or quilt as well, so that your Golden can wrap himself up in it should he get cold.
You can also use wooden shavings as well, as most Golden’s tend to like them. Newspapers work good as well, as they give your Golden something to lay on besides a wooden floor. Although doghouses work great for outdoor dogs, you should take your dog for walks on a daily basis and let him join you in activities that he finds enjoyable. This way, you can build a unique and lasting friendship with your pet. Golden Retrievers can quickly become the best friend you have ever had - as long as you take care of them. Making sure that have the proper bedding is a great place to start.
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