What should you look for in a Golden Retriever puppy? This is a bit of a tricky question.
First, you should agree if you want a male or female puppy. Golden Retriever males and females are alike in many respects but there are distinct differences between the sexes that you should be aware of.
The Golden Retriever is a medium- to large-sized breed of dog. They were historically developed as gundogs to retrieve shot waterfowl such as ducks and upland game birds during hunting and shooting parties. They were named retriever because of their ability to retrieve game undamaged.
Males have an average weight of 65 – 75 lbs while females have an average weight of 60 – 70 lbs.
Golden Retrievers have an instinctive love of water. They have a dense inner coat that provides them with adequate warmth, and a water repellent outer coat that lies flat against their bodies. These dogs are well suited to suburban or country environments. Although they need substantial outdoor exercise, they should be kept in a fenced area because of their instincts as hunting dogs and tendency to roam.
The Golden Retrievers' intelligence makes them versatile, allowing them to fill a variety of roles, including guide dog for the blind, hearing dog for the deaf, hunting dog, illegal-drug detector, and search and rescue participant. Because of their loyal and gentle temperament, Golden Retrievers are also popular family pets. Golden Retrievers possess friendly, eager-to-please demeanours, and are the third most popular family dog breed (by registration) in the United States, the fifth most popular in Australia, and the eighth most popular in the United Kingdom.
Coat
As indicated by their name, their coats come in light golden to dark golden colours. They have two different types of hair on their coats: 1. The topcoat is water-resistant and slightly wavy. It sheds in small amounts throughout the year. 2. The undercoat is soft and keeps the retriever cool in summer and warm in winter. The undercoat sheds in the spring and fall. It usually lies flat against the belly.
A Golden's coat should never be too long, as this may prove to be a disservice to it in the field, especially when retrieving game. Golden Retrievers have mild feathering on the backs of their forelegs and heaver feathering on the fronts of their necks, backs of their thighs and the bottoms of their tails.
Color
The American Kennel Club (AKC) standard states the coat is a "rich, lustrous golden of various shades", disallowing coats that are extremely light or extremely dark. The Golden's coat can also be of a mahogany color, referred to as "redheads", although this is not accepted in the British show ring. As a Golden grows older, its coat can become darker or lighter, along with a noticeable whitening of the fur on and around the muzzle. Puppy coats are usually much lighter than their adult coats, but a puppy with a darker coloration at the tips of the ears may indicate a darker adult color.
Temperament
The temperament of the Golden Retriever is a hallmark of the breed, and is described in the standard as "kindly, friendly and confident". Golden Retrievers make good family pets, particularly as they are patient with children. They are not "one man dogs" and are generally equally amiable with both strangers and those familiar to them. Their trusting, gentle disposition 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 considered unacceptable in a Golden Retriever and is not in keeping with the character of the breed. 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. Typical Golden Retrievers are active and fun-loving animals with the exceptionally patient demeanour befitting a dog bred to sit quietly for hours in a hunting blind. Adult Goldens love to work, and have a keen ability to focus on a given task. They will work until they collapse, so care should be taken to avoid overworking them.
First, you should agree if you want a male or female puppy. Golden Retriever males and females are alike in many respects but there are distinct differences between the sexes that you should be aware of.
The Golden Retriever is a medium- to large-sized breed of dog. They were historically developed as gundogs to retrieve shot waterfowl such as ducks and upland game birds during hunting and shooting parties. They were named retriever because of their ability to retrieve game undamaged.
Males have an average weight of 65 – 75 lbs while females have an average weight of 60 – 70 lbs.
Golden Retrievers have an instinctive love of water. They have a dense inner coat that provides them with adequate warmth, and a water repellent outer coat that lies flat against their bodies. These dogs are well suited to suburban or country environments. Although they need substantial outdoor exercise, they should be kept in a fenced area because of their instincts as hunting dogs and tendency to roam.
The Golden Retrievers' intelligence makes them versatile, allowing them to fill a variety of roles, including guide dog for the blind, hearing dog for the deaf, hunting dog, illegal-drug detector, and search and rescue participant. Because of their loyal and gentle temperament, Golden Retrievers are also popular family pets. Golden Retrievers possess friendly, eager-to-please demeanours, and are the third most popular family dog breed (by registration) in the United States, the fifth most popular in Australia, and the eighth most popular in the United Kingdom.
Coat
As indicated by their name, their coats come in light golden to dark golden colours. They have two different types of hair on their coats: 1. The topcoat is water-resistant and slightly wavy. It sheds in small amounts throughout the year. 2. The undercoat is soft and keeps the retriever cool in summer and warm in winter. The undercoat sheds in the spring and fall. It usually lies flat against the belly.
A Golden's coat should never be too long, as this may prove to be a disservice to it in the field, especially when retrieving game. Golden Retrievers have mild feathering on the backs of their forelegs and heaver feathering on the fronts of their necks, backs of their thighs and the bottoms of their tails.
Color
The American Kennel Club (AKC) standard states the coat is a "rich, lustrous golden of various shades", disallowing coats that are extremely light or extremely dark. The Golden's coat can also be of a mahogany color, referred to as "redheads", although this is not accepted in the British show ring. As a Golden grows older, its coat can become darker or lighter, along with a noticeable whitening of the fur on and around the muzzle. Puppy coats are usually much lighter than their adult coats, but a puppy with a darker coloration at the tips of the ears may indicate a darker adult color.
Temperament
The temperament of the Golden Retriever is a hallmark of the breed, and is described in the standard as "kindly, friendly and confident". Golden Retrievers make good family pets, particularly as they are patient with children. They are not "one man dogs" and are generally equally amiable with both strangers and those familiar to them. Their trusting, gentle disposition 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 considered unacceptable in a Golden Retriever and is not in keeping with the character of the breed. 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. Typical Golden Retrievers are active and fun-loving animals with the exceptionally patient demeanour befitting a dog bred to sit quietly for hours in a hunting blind. Adult Goldens love to work, and have a keen ability to focus on a given task. They will work until they collapse, so care should be taken to avoid overworking them.
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