Characteristics Of The Golden Retriever

Almost all breeds of dogs are group oriented, as they need to interact with other species of their group to remain secure. Golden Retrievers, in particular, have been bred over the years to be geared more towards people. They make great guide dogs for the blind, friends for younger children, and even assistants for those who love to hunt. Due to the way they have been bred, they need to interact with people on a frequent basis.

They are merciful dogs at heart, and will tolerate several mistakes from you all the while wanting nothing more than you to acknowledge the fact that they are there and pat them on the head. Further proving that Golden Retrievers aim to please, is the fact that they were the first three dogs to obtain the Obedience Trial Championships - which is quite a statement indeed.

With Golden’s being so people oriented, it’s very important that they live with their owners. When you do any type of family activity, you should make sure that your Golden is included. Even though they don’t normally bark a lot, they will start barking if they get bored. Once a Golden Retriever is fully grown and becomes stout, he will enjoy many types of activities such as hiking, walking, hunting, jogging, and many other types of physical activity.

If you start your Golden Retriever puppy out early with exposure to kids, he will grow to become better than ever will kids. Although they can be very friendly around young kids, they can still knock them over or tend to want to lick them in the face. No matter how great your Golden Retriever may be around kids, you’ll never want to leave your dog and your kids alone. Even though Golden’s have a great temperament, a child can accidentally poke him or pull his tail and cause him to retaliate via his natural instinct.

golden retriever in the water

All Golden Retrievers love the water, and choose to get wet any chance they get. If you have a pond or other source of water on your land, you can expect your Golden Retriever to get into it whenever he gets the chance. They are also drawn to mud, and will get themselves dirty on a frequent basis. Once your Golden is full grown, you can count on bathing him every couple of days.

During the summer, you’ll need to make sure that your Golden Retriever has plenty of moving air, shade, and water. They like the heat, although it normally isn’t good for them. As long as you take care of your Golden and don’t let him over exert himself, he should be just fine even in the hottest days that summer can dish out.

Human Food For Your Golden

A lot of people wonder what type of human food they should feed their Golden. Even though many prefer to stick with dog food and only dog food, there are certain types of human food that Golden Retrievers love - and is actually good for them. Golden’s crave attention as we all know - and when they watch you eat it never hurts to give them a bite - as long as you know what they should and shouldn’t consume with their diets.

For your Golden’s health, feeding him foods such as chicken, raw vegetables, turkey, brown rice, fruits, and oatmeal are always great. Even though we think of these type foods as “human food”, they are actually good for many animals as well. All dogs have taste buds and noses, meaning that they get very excited when they see you with food.

If your Golden Retriever runs to the refrigerator when you open it up, he’s trying to tell you that he smells something good. Even though he may run to the refrigerator, he isn’t begging for food as many think, he is simply wanting to have some real food. Once your Golden starts to do this, you should give him some of what he wants. Although most real food is great for Golden’s, there are some that aren’t quite so good.

Egg whites
If you feed your Golden a large amount of egg white in his diet, he will get a deficiency in biotin, which is a B vitamin, due to the amount of avidin, which is a very destructive substance. If you are feeding your Golden Retriever egg yolks, you shouldn’t worry as the effects of avidin will be offset by the high biotin levels that are found in egg yolks. You can also feed your Golden egg shells as well, as they contain a large amount of protein. If you want the best for your Golden - try feeding him raw eggs - with the shell intact.

Any form of Chocolate
We all know never to feed chocolate to any type of animal. Chocolate contains bromine, which is very toxic to both dogs and cats. Unsweet chocolate is by far the worst to feed to your Golden, as it contains a large amount of bromine. Bromine is a very harmful chemical, one that normally leads to death of your animal should he be fed any type of chocolate.

There are other foods out there that can be good or harmful to your Golden. If you have any questions, you should always ask your veterinarian. Your vet will be able to recommended real food that is beneficial to your Golden, as well as foods you should avoid. You can experiment with real food if you like - although you should never allow your Golden Retriever to consume any type of chocolate.

The Golden Retriever

In a dog’s world, Golden Retrievers are simply the fatal attraction. They are a preferred dog breed, making great pets, hunting dogs, obedience competitors, show dogs, and even a combination of all these traits. No matter what your intent may be to own a Golden Retriever, you’ll have an excellent dog that will live up to it’s potential and then some.

Golden Retrievers are calm, well mannered, and extremely affectionate. They are easy to train as well, very intelligent, and great for those who need a companion. Golden’s are also loyal to their owners, lovable, and great with children of all ages. They also make great watchdogs as well, as they will bark loud and let you know when a stranger is near.

Like other dogs, Golden Retrievers will shed their hair throughout the year and more in the spring - no matter how many times you brush them a day. They also like to be in and near the water, similar to Labs. If you have any type of water on or near your property, your Golden Retriever will be in it, and tend to be either wet or muddy quite a bit - which can tend to get frustrating.

If you are always on the go or never at home, you shouldn’t get a Golden Retriever. If you prefer cats over dogs, you should look into another breed. Golden Retrievers crave attention and admiration, and normally don’t do too well if you leave them at home by themselves for long periods of time. Golden’s need attention, and desire to be around you at all times. If you spend a lot of time at home on the other hand, or have kids, a Golden Retriever will be a perfect addition to your family.

A lot of people out there prefer to get a puppy and raise it themselves. This way, the puppy will grow up with the skills they have taught him. This is a great idea and very rewarding, although it can consume a lot of your time and tend to be very frustrating at times. Those who don’t have a lot of time to spare or tend to get easily frustrated, shouldn’t get a puppy. Instead, they should look towards an older Golden Retriever who has already been house broken and trained.

Golden Retrievers are an excellent breed, and they can provide you with the companion you have been looking for. They can participate in several activities with you as well, such as hiking, camping, and walking. Golden’s love the outdoors, and they love just getting out there and doing things with you and your family. If you include your Golden Retriever in family activities - you’ll have a friend for life who will quickly grow on you over the years.