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The Golden Retriever is a relatively modern and very popular breed of dog. It was developed as a retrieving dog to use while hunting wild fowl. Today it is one of the most common family dogs as it is easy to handle, very tolerant and does not require very much of the owners, other than regular exercise, food and veterinary check-ups. It is often affectionately known as a Golden or "Yellow Retriever". Golden Retrievers are observed to be highly compatible with people and other dogs, though after the seclusion from dog life it may develop human qualities and then may not be fond of other dogs. It will bark when startled but other than that it makes a poor watchdog due to its friendly nature. Golden Retrievers are particularly valued for their high level of sociability towards people.
The Golden Retriever is a large breed of dog, historically developed as a gundog to retrieve shot waterfowl and upland game during hunting. As such they were bred to have a soft mouth to retrieve game undamaged and an instinctive love of water. Their versatility sees them employed in a variety of roles including illegal drug detection, search and rescue, as hunting dogs and as guide dogs. Its friendly, eager-to-please nature and patient demeanor has also made it one of the most popular family dogs (by registration) in the world today.
Golden Retrievers are moderately active dogs, and require a reasonable amount of exercise each day, although exercise needs may vary depending on the individual dog and its age. They are a breed that is prone to obesity, even more so than the Labrador Retrievers,[citation needed] and as such the average Golden Retriever should never be treated like a small dog, or sedentary house pet. Some dogs may be too active to be easily exercised by elderly owners.
Goldens should be groomed at least once a week, and every day during heavy shedding. Their coats shed heavily the entire year, and even more excessively during shedding season, which is normally in the spring as the dog loses its thick winter coat. They also need to have their ears cleaned regularly, or otherwise an ear infection might occur. While shedding is unavoidable with Golden Retrievers, frequent grooming (daily to weekly) lessens the amount of hair shed by the animal. Severe shedding resulting in bald patches can be indicative of stress or sickness in a Golden Retriever.
Golden Retrievers are very attached to their owners. Leaving them alone in a room can cause the dog to become very sad and distressed. They have a need to always have something in their mouth, and like to carry things around. They are great athletes and must be walked daily, or they will become restless and anxious. This makes them an ideal family pet.
Appearance: The Golden should be athletic, well
balanced, and symmetrical. They are slightly longer than high.
Its appearance should reflect its merry and outgoing
temperament, and it should never look sulky or aggressive.
This is a large breed very similar in appearance to the yellow
Labrador Retriever, especially when young. The most obvious
difference is the Golden Retriever's luxuriant coat.
British type: There's some variation between the British type Golden Retrievers prevalent throughout Europe and
Australia, and those of American lines and these differences are reflected in the breed standards. This type is bigger-boned, shorter, with a more square head and or muzzle and are generally slightly heavier. Males should be between 56–61 cm (22–24 inch) at the withers and females slightly shorter at between 51–56 cm (20–22 inch). Weight, however, is not specified in the UK standard. The KC standard calls for a level topline and straight hindquarters without the slight rear angulation found in American lines.
The eyes of American line dogs tend to be set further apart than those of English lines and can appear to be slanted and triangular in shape by comparison. A Golden Retriever of British breeding can have a coat colour of any shade of gold or cream, however, red or mahogany are not permissible colours. Originally cream was not an acceptable colour in the UK standard, however, by 1936 the standard was revised to include cream. It was felt this exclusion was a mistake as the original "yellow" retrievers of the 100th century The British KC standard is used in all countries with the exceptions of the US and Canada. Some breeders of this type in America may import their dogs to improve bloodlines.
American type: The ideal Golden is athletic, and well balanced. It is a symmetrical, powerful, and active dog. An American Golden is less stocky and lankier than a British. A male should stand from 22–24 inch (58–61 cm) in height at the shoulders, and females should be 21.5–22.5 inch (55–57 cm) at the shoulders. The males weigh 65–75 lb. and the females weigh 55–65 lb. The coat is dense and water repellent, in various shades of lustrous gold, with moderate feathering. Excessive length, lightness, or darkness is undesirable. The gait should be free, smooth, powerful, and well-coordinated. They originated in Scotland during the late nineteenth century and were a mix of the Tweed Water Spaniel, which is now extinct, and the Wavy-Coated Retriever. Field line Golden Retrievers tend to be smaller and have a less dense coat than their conformation line counterparts.
Coat and colour: The coat should be dense and
waterproof, and may be straight or moderately wavy. It should
not be silky, hard, or wooly. It must lie flat against the
body. The AKC standard states that the coat is a "rich,
lustrous golden of various shades", disallowing coats
that are extremely light or extremely dark.
This leaves the outer ranges of coat color up to a judge's
discretion when competing in conformation shows. Judges may
also disallow goldens with brown or pink noses, though these
are very rare. The Golden's coat can also be what people call
a 'mahogany' color, or what people see as 'redheads' in
people. As a golden grows older their coats can become darker
shades or lighter tints of brown, along with or excluding a
noticeable whitening of the fur on and around the face.
Size: Golden Retrievers reach their full height
around one year of age and full weight around age two, though
many owners comment that their dogs retain their puppyish
nature for life. They are 56 - 61 cm (22-24 ins) at the
withers for males, and 51 - 56 cm (20-22 ins) for females.They
weigh 29 - 34 kg (65-75 lb) for males, and 27-32 kg (60-70 lb)
for females.
Temperament: Goldens are active and fun-loving but
also exceptionally patient, as befits a dog bred to sit
quietly for hours in a hunting blind. Other characteristics
related to their hunting heritage are a size suited for
scrambling in and out of boats and an inordinate love for cool
water. They are noted for their affection for people, and
their tolerance of children. They are natural clowns,
which characterizes them as great therapy dogs to use in
hospitals or retirement homes. Most Goldens require lots of
companionship to be happy. Due to their intelligence, they do
well in obedience trials and make excellent assistance dogs.
The Golden Retriever loves to retrieve. Retrieving a thrown
stick, tennis ball, or flying disc can keep a Golden occupied
and entertained for hours, particularly if there is also water
involved.
Today's Golden Retrievers fall into two groups: show dogs
and field dogs. The Goldens in the show group are generally
bigger boned, longer, and heavier. The champagne color and
long flowing coat are highly prized in the show ring. On the
other hand, field Goldens tend to be smaller, longer legged,
and be a more reddish shade. These two strains derive
from famous goldens from the 1960s. Gold Rush Charlie moved
the show Goldens toward their present characteristics, while
Holway Barty greatly affected the field group. Presently, many
breeders are attempting to unite these two strains into the
all-purpose Golden Retriever.
The Golden Retriever is a hallmark of the breed and is described in the standard as "kindly, friendly and confident" A very smart dog. They are not "one man dogs" and are generally equally friendly with strangers and those familiar to them.Their trusting, gentle disposition therefore makes them a poor guard dog. Any form of unprovoked aggression or hostility towards either people, dogs or other animals, whether in the show ring or community, is completely unacceptable in a Golden Retriever and is not in keeping with the character of the breed and as such is considered a serious fault. Nor should a Golden Retriever be unduly timid or nervous.
The typical Golden Retriever is calm, naturally intelligent and biddable, with an exceptional eagerness to please. As the name suggests, the Golden Retriever loves to retrieve. Whether the object is a thrown stick, tennis ball, or flying disc, retrieving can keep a dog of this breed occupied and entertained for hours, particularly if water is also involved. Goldens might also pick up and "retrieve" any object that is near to them upon their masters' arrival, all of this lending to their retriever name.
Goldens are also noted for their intelligence, and can learn up to roughly 240 commands, words and phrases. These dogs are also renowned for their patience with children. They also are affectionate and like to give wet kisses. By the time they reach maturity however, Goldens will have become active and fun-loving animals with the exceptionally patient demeanor befitting a dog bred to sit quietly for hours in a hunting blind. Adult Golden Retrievers love to work, and have a keen ability to focus on a given task. They will seemingly work until collapse, so care should be taken to avoid overworking them.
Other characteristics related to their hunting heritage are a size suited for scrambling in and out of boats and an inordinate love for water. Golden Retrievers are exceptionally trainable -due to their intelligence, athleticism and desire to please their handlers- and generally excel in obedience trials. In fact, the first AKC Obedience Trial Champion was a Golden Retriever. They are also very competitive in agility and other performance events. It is important to note that harsh training methods will typically cause Goldens to “shut down,” therefore positive reinforcement is a more effective way to train this breed.
Golden Retrievers are compatible with children and adults and are good with other dogs, cats and most livestock. Golden Retrievers are particularly valued for their high level of sociability towards people, calmness, and willingness to learn. Because of this, they are commonly used as guide dogs, mobility assistance dogs, and search and rescue dogs. They are friendly and tend to learn tricks easily.
History: The breed was originally developed in
Scotland, at "Guisachan", near Glen Afric, the
highland estate of Sir Dudley Majoribanks (pronounced
"Marchbanks"), later Lord Tweedmouth. For many
years, there was controversy over which breeds were originally
crossed; especially popular was a romantic story concerning
the purchase of a whole troupe of Russian sheepdogs from a
visiting circus. In 1952, the publication of Majoribanks'
breeding records from 1835 to 1890 removed all doubt.
The original cross was of a yellow-coloured dog, Nous, with
a Tweed Water Spaniel bitch, Belle. The Tweed Water Spaniel is
now extinct but was then common in the border country.
Majoribanks had purchased Nous in 1865 from an unregistered
litter of otherwise black wavy-coated Retriever pups. In 1868,
this cross produced a litter that included four bitch pups.
These four became the basis of a breeding program which
included Red Setter, sandy-coloured Bloodhound, St. John's
Water Dog of Newfoundland, Springer Spaniel, and two more
wavy-coated black Retrievers.
The bloodline was also inbred and selected for trueness to
Majoribanks' idea of the ultimate hunting dog. This vision
included a more vigorous and powerful dog than previous
retrievers but that would still be exceptionally good with
people and thus gentle and trainable. Russian sheepdogs are
not mentioned in these records, nor are any other working dog
breeds. The ancestry of the Golden Retriever is all sporting
dogs, in line with Majoribanks' goals.
Golden Retrievers were first accepted for registration by
the The Kennel Club of England in 1903, as 'Flat Coats -
Golden'. They were first exhibited in 1908, and in 1911 were
recognised as a breed described as 'Retriever (Golden and
Yellow)'. In 1913, the Golden Retriever Club was founded. The
breed name was officially changed to Golden Retriever in 1920.
The Hon. Archie Majoribanks took a Golden Retriever to
Canada in 1881, and registered Lady with the American Kennel
Club (AKC) in 1894. These are the first records of the breed
in these two countries. The breed was first registered in
Canada in 1927, and the Golden Retriever Club of Ontario, now
the Golden Retriever Club of Canada, was formed in 1958.
The AKC recognized the breed in 1932, and in 1938 the
Golden Retriever Club of America was formed.
Health: The median life span for Golden Retrievers is approximately 10 to 12 years. While the breed is recognized for its vitality, many retrievers are susceptible to specific ailments. A responsible breeder will proactively minimize the risk of illness by having the health of dogs in breeding pairs professionally assessed and selected on the basis of complementary traits.
Breeding Golden Retrievers can be profitable for puppy mills and backyard breeders. As a result of careless breeding for profit, Goldens are prone to genetic disorders and other diseases. Hip dysplasia is very common in the breed; when buying a puppy in the US the parents should be examined by the OFA or by PennHIP for hip disease.
Goldens are often very profitable to breeders, including puppy
mills and backyard breeders. As a result of careless breeding
for profit they are prone to many diseases, both genetic and
otherwise. Hip dysplasia is very common in the breed, and when
buying a puppy make sure its parents have healthy hips and
have been examined by either the OFA or PennHIP. The diseases
common in the breed include:
Hip dysplasia
von Willebrand's disease
Cataracts
Epilepsy
Allergies particularly skin allergies
Various congenital heart defects, including Subvalvular
aortic stenosis, and Cardiomyopathy
Progressive retinal atrophy
Entropion
Ectropion
Trichiasis
Distichiasis
Hypothyroidism
Bloat
Arthritis
Various forms of Cancer
Rescue efforts: The breed's prominence and
prevalence has produced high demand for purebred Golden
Retrievers. As an unfortunate consequence, many Goldens are
abandoned each year by owners who can no longer care for them.
These dogs, many of which are old or in need of medical
support, arrive in animal shelters. Puppy mills, large-scale
commercial breeding operations sometimes shut down for their
notoriously poor conditions, are another source of orphan
Golden Retrievers.
In response, many volunteer organizations work to rescue,
care for, and adopt abandoned Golden Retrievers. These rescue
groups usually accept dogs from owners and establish
agreements with local animal shelters to ensure that dogs will
be transferred to their care rather than euthanized. Once
rescued, Golden Retrievers are placed in foster homes until a
permanent home is found. It is common for rescue groups to
screen prospective adopters to ensure that they are capable of
providing a good home for the dog.
Golden retriever rescue groups have relied heavily on the
world wide web to raise funds and advertise rescued goldens to
adopters. In 1996, breed enthusiast and rescue pioneer Helen
Redlus founded Golden Retrievers in Cyberspace, a website that
sold merchandise to fund rescue operations. Many local groups
continue in this tradition, and rescue organizations can be
found throughout the world.
Famous Golden Retrievers:
Alex from Stroh Brewery Company ads
Air Bud
Brandon, companion of Punky Brewster
Shadow from Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey and
Homeward Bound II
Tugboat, pet of Tyler Hamilton
Liberty, pet of Gerald Ford
Duke, from Bush's Baked Beans commercials
Comet from Full House
Mel from Ginga Legend Weed
Speedy from The Drew Carey Show
J.D. from Dead Like Me
Shelby AKA Krypto from Smallville
Sun dance, from Adam Sandler's "Click (film)"
Beauregard, from "The Family Martin"
Chase, mascot of the Trenton Thunder minor leage
baseball team
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