One of the most popular breeds all over the world is the Golden Retriever. They are ideal for families with children, athletic young people and even active retirees. This is a good-natured, calm dog, very smart and loyal. She will become a reliable friend, companion, hunting assistant or nanny for children. But these dogs also have disadvantages. Before getting this breed, you need to study its description, pros and cons, and reviews from owners.
- Standard
- Features of training
- Care
History of the Golden Retriever breed
Golden Retriever
The main prerequisite for the emergence of the breed was the eternal passion of English aristocrats for hunting. In the 19th century, the main pastimes of British and Scottish Esquires were game baiting and duck shooting. The venerable peers disappeared for days in the forests and swamps, showing off to each other their trophies, guns and, of course, dogs. However, if the gentlemen had complete order with the hounds, then four-legged hunters, capable of finding a shot quail in the heather thickets or swimming after a duck that had fallen into the lake, were in great short supply. Commercial demand gave rise to supply, and soon shaggy dogs with an unusual golden coat color began to roam the valleys of Scotland.
The appearance of golden retrievers as an independent breed is usually associated with the name of Dudley Marjoribanks, a Scottish lord and part-time amateur breeder. It was he who showed the world a completely new type of hunting dog, which was not afraid of water and could skillfully retrieve a shot bird. For a long time, it remained a mystery whose blood flowed into the lord’s wards, until the secret records of his stud books were made public in the middle of the 20th century. As it turned out, the water tweed spaniel, Labrador, bloodhound and straight-haired retriever gave their genes to the goldens. At the same time, the first offspring was obtained as a result of mating a tweed water spaniel and a straight-haired retriever, which had a yellowish coat.
By the 20s of the last century, the breed was already quite popular not only in Europe, but also among breeders in the New World. In addition, the USA and Canada have formed their own standards of appearance for Golden Retrievers. For example, overseas people preferred individuals with more intense and dark coat color. The descendants of Scottish retrievers were brought to Russia after the collapse of the USSR, all from America. The first purebred dog entered the Russian Federation in 1991.
Appearance of a Golden Retriever
Golden Retriever Puppy
Golden Retrievers are moderately pumped up beauties with soulful eyes and luxurious iridescent fur. Goldens owe their recognition not so much to their own charm as to the efforts of marketers. American cinema promoted the breed especially actively. It is enough to watch a couple of comedy melodramas produced in the USA to understand: if an American family ever decides to get a dog, then in 9 cases out of 10 it will be a Golden Retriever.
The sexual type of representatives of this breed is clearly expressed. The height of the average boy ranges from 56-60 cm, and his weight can reach 41 kg. Girls are much lighter (average weight - 25-37 kg) and smaller than males (height - 51-56 cm).
Despite the presence of a single breed standard approved by the FCI, experts divide golden retrievers into three types:
- English;
- American;
- Canadian.
Representatives of the first group are natives of Foggy Albion, with extremely massive paws and a wide skull. They are distinguished by a lighter coat color, up to white. It is the English type that is most common in Europe and Russia. The complexion of the wards of American breeders is less impressive, but golden retrievers “made in the USA” can boast of graceful posture and a generally more elegant appearance. At the same time, the shade of their coat is slightly darker than that of their British counterparts. A distinctive feature of Canadian retrievers is their thin build and fairly tall stature. The coat color of the “Canadians” is even more rich and dark than that of the “Americans”.
English type golden retriever
American Golden Retriever type
Canadian type of golden retriever
Head
The skull is massive, convex-angular. The transition from forehead to muzzle is distinct and smooth. The occipital protuberance is smoothed, the cheeks are flat. The animal's muzzle is long, smooth, gradually tapering from the base to the nose.
Lips
Golden Retriever
Black, moderately dense and dry. The upper lip hangs noticeably over the lower lip, but does not extend beyond the jaw. The lips completely hide the dog's teeth and gums, forming small folds at the corners of the mouth.
Jaws and teeth
The retriever's jaws are strong and quite wide, with a pronounced scissor bite. The teeth are white and large. The incisors are located along the same line.
Nose
The lobe is massive, mobile, black. The nostrils are wide open.
Ears
Moderately long, hanging, hanging along the animal’s cheeks. The base of the ear is wide, the tip is narrow, smoothly rounded. Standing - slightly above the eye line.
Eyes
Large, deep-set, round in shape. The Golden Retriever has an intelligent, friendly look. The color of the iris ranges from brown to dark brown. The eyelids are black, dry, and fit tightly to the eyeball. An important condition: in a dog looking straight, the whites of the eyes should not be noticeable.
Satisfied muzzle of a golden retriever
Neck
Massive, high set and of moderate length. The neck muscles are strong, developed, there are no folds or sagging.
Frame
Retriever family
Adults have a strong, tightly built body with prominent muscles. The back of Golden Retrievers is straight, with a convex loin and pronounced withers. The croup is massive, slightly sloping, round in shape. The chest is of moderate width and quite deep. The tucked abdominal line ends in a short and well-shaped groin area.
Tail
Moderately long, with a wide, thickened base and a cone-shaped tip. Located below the back. A calm Golden's tail is lowered, while an excited Golden's tail is raised to the level of the back.
Limbs
The front legs are muscular, dry, and stand straight. The shoulders are strong, with massive shoulder blades and elbows laid back, pressed to the body. The humeroscapular angle does not exceed 90°. The pasterns are strong, but short, set at a slight angle.
The hind legs are strong, with well-developed muscles, and are spaced at a decent distance from each other. The hock joints of Golden Retrievers are low and point backward. The front and hind legs are of medium size and round in shape. The pads are massive, with short claws, the animal's fingers are folded into a ball.
Wool
The most important passenger
The coat of the Golden Retriever is characterized by increased rigidity and has a water-repellent function. The hair is quite thick and lies tightly to the body, hiding the abundant undercoat. The structure of the coat can be straight or lightly waved, and its length varies depending on the part of the body. The longest coat is located in the chest, ears, body, back of all four legs, and also in the lower part of the tail. Areas of the body with short hair are the head, paws and the front side of the limbs.
Color
All shades of gold are considered reference, up to the transition to cream color. Lighter colors are acceptable for feathering on the paws and tail feathering.
Possible defects
The list of breed defects includes any deviations from the characteristics prescribed by the standard. For example, it is undesirable for a Golden Retriever to have sparse and long hair, white stripes on the chest, and eyes that are too light and too close-set. The following defects may be grounds for not allowing an animal to compete:
- square body;
- long or too short legs;
- malocclusion and distorted lower jaw;
- cryptorchidism;
- lips, eyelids and nose, painted in any shade except black;
- a white “scarf” on the neck and marks on the forehead;
- black color of the coat, as well as the presence of spots on it;
- drooping tail.
Embittered or, conversely, cowardly individuals, animals with small heads, short ears and small teeth will also not make a serious career.
Breed standard
The Golden Retriever in the photo is a beautiful dog with an elegant appearance that attracts the gaze of people and animals. The height of an adult is from 52 to 60 cm. Some males grow up to 63 cm in height and this is not a deviation from the standard. The weight of an adult female is from 25 to 28 kg, and an adult male is from 30 to 35 kg.
Overweight is undesirable. In appearance, goldens are strong dogs with a powerful body. All parts of their physique are harmoniously combined. The body is moderately elongated. It has a rectangular shape. There are no sagging. The retriever's skeleton is very strong. The dog's withers are weakly expressed. The neck is not long, there is no dewlap on it.
The head of such a dog is wedge-shaped. It is medium in size, the muzzle is slightly elongated. The skull is well defined. The golden's deep mouth contains a full set of even, sharp teeth. His bite is correct, scissor-shaped.
The eyes are small, oval, the iris is colored rich brown. The nose is large, dark, without pigmentation. There are long thin antennae on the muzzle, and thin folds of skin above the eyes. Retriever ears are small and rounded at the ends. Hanging down.
According to the standard, such a dog should have a wide sternum. The ribs should not be visible on the stomach. Otherwise, the conclusion is made that the animal is malnourished. The Golden Retriever has very strong knee joints. Its legs are of medium length, strong and stable.
The skin on the pads is dark and very rough. The placement of the paws is without pathologies. The dog's straight tail almost always hangs down. But when she is excited, it rises to the level of the lower back and begins to rotate in different directions. The animal's fur is smooth and pleasant to the touch. There is undercoat.
Photo of a golden retriever
Personality of the Golden Retriever
Golden retriever plays with its owner
In terms of the number of enthusiastic reviews from owners, golden retrievers are almost ahead of all breeds. Indeed, only a convinced dog hater would be able to unearth the shortcomings in these good-natured intellectuals. As for ordinary animal lovers, their goldens literally captivate with their softness and phenomenal memory for faces. If one of your friends treated your pet to a tasty treat or entertained him with a simple game, you can be sure that the retriever will not forget to add a fat “plus” to this friend’s karma.
Calm and balanced in everyday life, representatives of this breed try to keep their cool even in the most delicate situations. They are completely non-confrontational and are ready to get along with any four-legged creature that does not show open aggression. Even in the most tense moments, goldens prefer to resolve matters peacefully. A golden retriever growling and clinging to an opponent with a death grip is something out of the realm of fantasy.
The breed is often recommended for keeping in families with children, since in relation to the younger generation the animals are as correct and patient as possible. Of course, entrusting a dog to babies is not the wisest decision, but it is quite possible to leave playful three-year-olds to it. Golden Retrievers are primarily people-oriented. It is with him that they want to go for walks, share their joys and sorrows. For this reason, goldens are often involved in active canistherapy. Shaggy “antidepressants” are happy to contact patients who are in a state of prolonged depression, charging them with bright emotions and gradually returning to them the joy of existence.
Golden retrievers are typical sanguine people, who are not at all characterized by such character traits as suspicion and caution. Strangers arouse curiosity and burning interest in these simple-minded fellows, so if there is a golden in your house, accept the fact that he will not be a guardian of the territory and material assets.
Golden Retriever with a child
This cat has found his place in life
Education and training
Nature has not deprived golden retrievers of intelligence and memory, so the dog grasps any lessons on the fly. The first thing to start training a Golden Retriever puppy is obedience: the animal must understand what is allowed and what is not. Do not give in to the immediate desire to remove all restrictions and pamper your baby, so to speak, as an exception. The pranks of a puppy will quickly cease to seem touchingly funny after a 40-kilogram dog begins to practice them.
Golden Retriever training
In the first months of life, retriever babies try to taste the objects around them, so try to convey to your pet the meaning of the “Fu!” command as quickly as possible. Those who see a future hunter in a Golden Retriever will have to go outdoors more often. A dog can learn to find and bring back a shot bird only when it sees it in person. At first, the skill is practiced on rags and dummies: a homemade stuffed animal is thrown at the puppy to make him want to grab an unfamiliar thing and show it to his owner. Then they smoothly move on to fetching and participation in the hunt.
Six-month-old puppies can be taught swimming and obedience using a whistle, and it will be better if a professional does this. 12 months is the optimal age to start training a dog’s endurance, since when hunting she will often have to sit in ambush so as not to spook the game. The command “Lie down!” does not apply in such cases. It is enough that the pet sits next to you. Memory training exercises are considered very valuable, since a golden retriever is not always able to find game by smell alone.
Two curious faces
Nutrition
Goldens are practically omnivorous, but this does not mean that they can be given just any food. We recommend choosing a more modern way of feeding your dog, or rather giving it dry food with vitamins and microelements.
If you are afraid that your Golden Retriever puppy will not gain the required weight and grow up if you do not give him proteins and carbohydrates from animal products, then in the first year you can feed him with them. Many experts recommend doing just this.
What exactly can be included in a golden baby’s diet? Firstly, dairy products, secondly, meat, and thirdly, fruits and vegetables. It would also be a good idea to give him cereals rich in fiber, especially buckwheat. But food fried in sunflower oil, smoked meat and tubular bones should never be present in a dog’s diet.
Maintenance and care
Cream golden retriever puppy
Despite the fact that the main specialization of golden retrievers has always been hunting, it is completely unnecessary for today’s owners of these shaggy “servants” to take up a gun. Tiring runs through forests and swamps can be easily replaced with long walks through parks and meadows. It's great if you take your dog to a country house, away from the highway, where he can run around to his heart's content. Just don’t try to turn your pet into a mongrel and put him in a kennel: the retriever will not appreciate your impulse and will become despondent - so take the dog into the house and do not deprive him of his own company.
Keeping a Golden Retriever in an apartment is a kind of test of the owner’s responsibility and hard work, since the animal will have to compensate for the lack of free space, physical activity and impressions with regular promenades combined with physical activity. Due to their sociable nature, Golden Retrievers do not cope well with being alone. Animals express their uncertainty and fear on surrounding objects: they chew furniture and wires, and damage shoes. The worst punishment an owner can come up with for a golden dog is to lock it up within four walls and quietly go to work. For careerists, workaholics, travelers and other busy individuals, a golden retriever as a pet is not an acceptable option.
What not to do with a Golden Retriever:
- allow children to sit on an older dog, since the pressure created by the child’s body can cause the animal’s back to bend;
- pet the puppy on the head and put a collar over its head, which leads to incorrect ear set;
- pull the baby by the paws or try to lift him, fixing his hand under the chest.
Hygiene
The main problem for the owner of a golden retriever is the fur of his pet. During the molting period, the golden leaves furry marks wherever possible, and daily scratching helps little. There are only two ways out of this situation: not to buy a golden retriever at all, or to come to terms with this peculiarity of the dog and purchase a powerful vacuum cleaner to clean up the scraps behind it from time to time.
And some water for me!
Brush your shedding retriever twice a day using a brush and a mitt to collect hair. Dense undercoat is removed with a furminator or slicker. To remove dog smell from fur, you can moisten it with a solution prepared according to the following recipe:
- mix a glass of water with a glass of vodka;
- add 2 tablespoons of vinegar essence;
- add 1 teaspoon of salt and shake.
During the periods between moults, the animal’s fur does not require such careful care, but you will still have to go through the dog’s “fur coat” with a comb a couple of times a week. Goldens are given a bath once a month and that is quite enough. After bathing, you can slightly shorten your pet's fur. The hair is cut from bottom to top, starting from the neck. It is not forbidden to use scissors to go through the fur on the dog’s paws and “pants.” The hair growing between the toes and at the base of the tail should also be trimmed regularly.
Most Golden Retrievers have unproblematic eyes and ears, so a standard weekly checkup is sufficient. If dirt has accumulated in the ear specula, you can remove it with a napkin and boiled water. Chilled tea leaves are suitable for treating the eyes. Cleaning your Golden's teeth is a labor-intensive process, but necessary. If you can’t clean your mouth using the classic method, you can entrust this task to dry food or special treats, whose solid particles act as abrasives that “erase” plaque.
Feeding
It's someone's birthday today
Golden Retrievers can be fed both natural foods and dry food. In the first case, about 50% of the diet should come from animal protein, that is, meat. The daily norm of the product is calculated as follows: 10-20 grams of meat per kilogram of dog weight. The remaining half of the retriever’s daily “menu” consists of cereals and vegetables.
Meat for dogs is selected to be lean, with a lot of veins and cartilage. Beef, lamb, rabbit and turkey are ideal. By-products are also not prohibited, but due to the digestive upset that they can provoke, they are introduced into the diet gradually and little by little.
Important: Golden Retrievers are fed after a walk, not before it.
It is better to cook thick porridges from rice and buckwheat, to which you can add stewed vegetables. Pumpkin, carrots, cabbage, turnips and beets are especially beneficial for golden retrievers. During the season, early greens are mixed into the porridge. It is not forbidden to include fermented milk products - kefir, yogurt, cottage cheese - in the diet of an adult dog. Puppies, whose skeleton is still developing, require more calcium, so for up to 4 months, the diet of small goldens must include milk (whole and as part of porridge).
Approximate daily menu for a 4-month-old baby: 300 g of meat, 100 g of sliced fruits and vegetables or vegetable stew (apple + carrot), 500 g of porridge with milk.
Trick or treat
Golden retriever on the beach
How many times to feed
Until 4 months, golden retriever puppies receive food 5 times a day. Starting from 5 months, babies are transferred to four meals a day. Six-month-old adolescents eat three times a day, and by 8 months the puppies completely switch to twice feeding.
Walk
Walk golden retrievers at least two hours a day. However, it is not at all necessary to maintain the same duration of walks. For example, the morning promenade can be reduced to 30 minutes, and the evening promenade, on the contrary, can be increased to one and a half hours. If the animal lives in an apartment, then until four months it should not be allowed to go up and down stairs on its own. Take the puppy for a walk in your arms and bring him into the apartment in the same way.
Babies are taken outside more often than adults to develop the skill of using the outdoor toilet. First, excursions are conducted through park areas, gradually moving to busy city streets. It is very important that the dog does not fall into a stupor at the sight of people and the sounds of public transport, so the more often it encounters everyday phenomena in the urban environment, the faster it will learn to perceive them adequately.
Privacy with the owner
Golden Retrievers and Water
Golden retriever playing in a mountain river
Golden retrievers love water treatments, so during a walk the puppy will certainly try to measure the depth of the first puddle it comes across. Accordingly, if you notice a pothole filled with water on the way, it is better to prevent the animal from rushing by taking it by the collar and strengthening the prohibition with the command “No!” If the moment is missed, and the pet is already swimming in a puddle with all his might, shout at him (the same command “Ugh!” will do) and throw a leash at him. You should not go into the water and try to pull the dog out. Wait for her to obey the command and praise her for her obedience. But you shouldn’t give up swimming in open waters. Swimming in a pond, river or lake for a dog is gymnastics and psychotherapy in one bottle, so when going for a weekend in nature, feel free to take your golden dog with you.
Possible diseases and methods of treating them
Fortunately, Golden Retrievers are in very good health. But any dog can get sick if it is not provided with proper care. It is better not to take a young representative of the breed outside until he has received all the necessary vaccinations.
The ideal option is to keep it at home for up to six months. If an unvaccinated purebred dog begins to walk on street soil and come into contact with other dogs, he can become infected and even die. Don't let this happen.
He has no specific diseases; even joint dysplasia appears extremely rarely in golden retrievers. But the dog’s health can suffer due to parasites. Helminthic infestation leads to intoxication of his body. The animal may begin to vomit, defecate frequently, and become less active.
Another clear symptom of his intestines being damaged by worms is itching in the anal area. A sick dog will always try to scratch itself to get rid of the discomfort. Therefore, every year give her deworming medication prescribed by your veterinarian. This is necessary for prevention. It would also be a good idea to regularly treat your fur for fleas.
Health and Diseases of Golden Retrievers
Retrievers resting after a walk
For veterinary clinics, goldens are one of the most profitable pets, and their owners are one of the most frequent visitors. The main diseases of the Golden Retriever, mentioned in almost every reference book, are retinal degeneration and hip dysplasia. However, in fact, the breed is also associated with about a dozen different ailments. For example, dogs are often diagnosed with cancer and heart diseases, hypothyroidism, atopic dermatitis, von Willebrand disease and other dangerous ailments.
In addition, Golden Retrievers are prone to obesity. Compared to more serious illnesses, excessive weight seems like a harmless trifle, although in reality everything is not so rosy. Animals that have put on extra pounds live shorter lives, and those with excess body weight suffer more from the constant companion of all older dogs - arthritis. An animal’s diseased teeth also pose a serious danger. An ordinary abscess on the gum or an inflamed tooth can “spread” the infection throughout all the organs of the retriever, ultimately sending him to doggy heaven.
Vaccination schedule for Labrador and Golden Retriever puppies
1. The first vaccination for a Labrador puppy or Golden Retriever puppy is done at the age of approximately 2 months. 2. After this, vaccination (re-vaccination) after 3-4 weeks 3. Vaccination after changing teeth - approximately 6-7 months. 4. Vaccination per year.
The most popular vaccines are Nobivac and Eurican. These are complex drugs that protect dogs from distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus infection, parainfluenza, leptospirosis, and rabies. The first rabies vaccination is given at 3-4 weeks of age, then once a year. You can start walking your puppy 7-10 days after the second vaccination (re-vaccination).
How to choose a puppy
- When going to the nursery, arm yourself with a printout of the breed standard, or better yet, take with you a specialist who will help you choose a puppy. If this is not possible, contact any of the kennel clubs, where they will recommend you a reliable breeder.
- Puppies inherit from their parents not only their appearance and hunting qualities, but also their temperament type, so when talking with the seller, insist on getting to know the mother and father of the babies. If such a favor is refused to the buyer, there is a high probability that the pedigree of the dogs is so-so.
- For those who see a future family friend in a golden retriever, it is better to purchase bitches that are more docile and affectionate. Golden males are distinguished by their bright charisma, but their character is more serious and firm. In addition, boys are much smarter when it comes to hunting.
- The temperaments of American and European retrievers differ significantly - take this fact into account when buying a puppy. Goldens from the USA are more energetic and emotional. Native “Europeans” are noticeably more phlegmatic and do not suffer from hyperactivity.
- Responsible breeders who value their own name have puppies that are well-groomed, vaccinated and treated with anthelmintics.
Features and description
The Golden Retriever breed was bred for hunting service to humans, but today few people go out with its representatives into the forest to shoot game. Such a dog loves to hunt, but will not suffer if the owner does not exploit it in this area.
Today, retriever dogs are the most popular companion dogs in the world. The homeland of the beautiful golden-haired dog is Scotland, but it was selected in England. In the 19th century, the British had a need to develop a hunting breed of dog that would not just run up to shot game and bring it to a person, but would be able to dive into the water after it. Therefore, breeding a retriever became a real godsend for hunters of that time.
Before the gorgeous Golden was born, the breeders brought together not 2 or 4 representatives of different breeds, among which, by the way, were Labradors and setters. After lengthy experiments by the British, the world finally met an incredibly beautiful dog, whose main external feature is shiny golden fur, which is also very smooth to the touch.
These are very helpful animals that will never abandon a loved one in trouble. It is important for them to receive care from all household members, as they are vulnerable by nature. Today, representatives of the breed are used in various areas of helping people - rescue operations, canistherapy, accompanying the blind, etc. Their character is calm and balanced. Thanks to this, the dog gets along with almost everyone who wants to be friends with it. She is not angry, but friendly and sweet.
Goldens are especially effective as rescue dogs. Thanks to their good sense of smell, they easily find people under rubble. When the animal finds the poor thing, it barks loudly to notify the rescuers of its presence. Sometimes it even helps to pull victims out of the rubble. During such “work” he often whines, thus expressing sympathy.
In practice, the psychological effectiveness of the influence of a retriever on children with both physical and mental illnesses has been proven. From a short interaction with such a dog, the condition and well-being of the kids improves. It has a particularly good effect on children suffering from cerebral palsy. For families with such patients, experts recommend getting golden retrievers.
It is interesting that even short contact with this dog can lead to a decrease in nervousness, anxiety and the elimination of stress. It’s as if a person takes on the positive energy that comes from the animal.
Golden is also a pretty good swimmer; he is even able to save a drowning person by pulling him out by the hair. He is incredibly responsible. Always looks after the children. We will never let a child go into the water alone. Trainable very well. You can train to search for objects and people.
Photos of golden retriever puppies
How much does a golden retriever cost?
Pet-class puppies remain the most attractive option in terms of price: from 20,000 to 25,000 rubles. Almost invisible defects in appearance significantly reduce the cost of a golden retriever, which will especially appeal to those who do not dream of exhibitions and championship titles and are not averse to saving money. Prices for show class start from 35,000 rubles. and end around 50,000 rubles. An option designed for the most generous buyers is offspring obtained from interbreeding, with the right to further breeding. The cost of such a puppy is 70,000 - 80,000 rubles.
