Meet the Breed: Golden Retrievers
Updated On: Friday, November 15, 2024 05:45:50 AM America/Los_Angeles
Golden Retrievers are the Mona Lisas of dogs. They’re best known for their great temperaments, lustrous golden fur, and sturdy build. Retrievers make great pets for families with youngsters and single folks alike. They are athletic, intelligent, and easy to train, making them fantastic hunting dogs, too. In fact, retriever breeds are used for game hunting because of their ability to inhibit their biting force (or soft bite) so that they don’t damage shot game when they bring it back to the party. This understanding of their own bite power paired with their gentleness and friendliness is a quality that makes them great around other dogs and young children that are much more fragile than they are.
The golden retriever was first bred in the mid-19th century in Scotland as a hunting dog, and were brought to America in the 1920’s where they were propelled into stars of the dog world. Golden retrievers are actually a crossbreed of the now extinct Tweed Water Spaniel and the Yellow Flat-coated Retriever. Fun fact: the first golden retriever was bred by Lord Tweedmouth of Inverness, Scotland in 1864!
Golden retrievers are also great swimmers, wonderful caretakers, and amazing therapy dogs- which makes them outstanding for rescue operations! They can navigate difficult terrain on both land and water like a well-trained athlete, and they can calm down a shaken rescue with ease with their sweet dispositions.
Additionally, their keen sense of smell is nearly the best of any dog breed which is why you might see a TSA agent walking one in your airport sniffing for any illicit or questionable substances.
When we say golden retrievers are easy to train, we mean it. From the agility course to potty time, these guys take to good habits like dogs take to treats! All you need to do is potty train them right and early. Establish good behavior with consistency and persistence from the moment they arrive at your home and you can’t go wrong. An indoor potty spot like DoggieLawn is a great way to mitigate some of the messes when you have a new golden retriever puppy, but most golden pups should be properly potty trained by 6 months old.
Photo by Gulyás Bianka
