Golden Retrievers are also extremely popular dogs to have as pets in the United States.
Like German Shepherds, they are known for their friendly nature and intelligence, which makes them excellent as both pets and working dogs.
Size and Appearance
Golden Retrievers are large dogs with medium to long length coats. As their name suggests, their fur is always completely golden in color.
Their fur has double layers to help keep them warm, and the outer layer sheds off, reducing the need for regular trimmings.
Their fur is also very thick, soft, and water resistant, because they are very skilled swimmers. Their fur grows in either straight or somewhat wavy.
They can grow up to just under two feet tall when measured up to the shoulders and their weight can range from 50-100 pounds.
Origin
As a breed, Golden Retrievers came to be in the late 1800s in Scotland. They are hunting dogs, and were originally bred for the purpose of finding and retrieving birds that hunters had shot down, hence the name retriever.
They are very good and retrieving things and swimming, both tasks that are quite important for bird dogs.
They are also known to have what’s called a soft mouth, meaning that they are very gentle with whatever they pick up in their teeth, so that they don’t damage the birds they retrieve.
Nowadays, Golden Retrievers are beloved as pets, because they are so calm, friendly, and loyal. They are also highly intelligent, eager to work, and willing to be trained. For this reason they are also commonly used as working dogs today.
Golden Retrievers can be trained to work as seeing-eye dogs, which means that they work as guides for blind people, they work in search and rescue, drug sniffing, and hearing dogs for those with hearing impairment.
One thing that Golden Retrievers are not good at, however, is being guard dogs. This is because they are very open, friendly, loving dogs that are very happy and outgoing around their owners and any strangers that they come across.
Additional Information About Golden Retrievers
There are different variations of bloodlines for Golden Retrievers, so there is a British, Canadian, and American version.
Like Border Collies, Golden Retrievers have been known to learn and respond properly to hundreds of human commands.
Golden Retrievers have been observed caring for other animals that need help, like orphaned kittens or ducklings, even though they are technically hunting dogs.
A famous owner of a Golden Retriever was Gerald Ford, a former United States president.
Golden Retrievers are very frequent winners of dog show competitions sponsored by the American Kennel Club.
In fact, in the first three obedience competitions that the American Kennel Club hosted, a Golden Retriever was the winner.
Several movies about dogs have starred Golden Retrievers, including the Air Bud series, the Homeward Bound series, and Marley and Me.
Golden Retrievers are particularly good dogs to have as pets for families with young children, because they are very gentle and patient.
