Golden Retriever Dog Breed: Characteristics, Facts, and Names

A four-legged popular dog whose traits are friendly, playful, loyal, obedient, cheerful, intelligent or sensitive, is no less than a complete companion for anyone. Additionally, he will be walking or running around the whole residence in his shining long cloudy fur and will stop to sniff you and make a cute face. Our valued readers! This ‘unbelievably true’ companion is none other than the Golden Retriever.

Golden Retriever is the third most popular dog breed amongst a total of 190 others according to AKC. People tend to like their mischievous yet intelligent nature, well, not only their nature but also their commendable immunity against diseases as well.

Golden Retriever Lifespan	10 to 12 years
Temperament/Traits	Friendly, Playful, Loyal, Obedient, Cheerful, Intelligent, Sensitive.
The Size	Males measure about 22 to 24 inches tall. Females measure about 20 to 22 inches tall.
Golden Retriever Weight	Males weigh between 65 to 75 pounds. Females weigh between 50 to 65 pounds.

Golden Retriever Personality

Golden Retrievers fall under the athletic dogs’ category. The category means a dog has to be immensely energetic for hard work and playful scrutiny.

Originally, the hunters bred them in order to make them gunners. Moreover, this dog breed was useful to hunters and animal trackers for hunting and retrieving the hunted animal(small). Though Golden Retrievers seem to be extremely attractive and somewhat delicate, instead they are tough.

A Golden Ret is much far away from delicacies and tiredness. They have an excellent immunity system which allows them to adapt to any environment easily. They can adapt to either a cold atmosphere or the warm one with no extreme side effects.

Gold Retrievers are family dogs like it that way only. This dog breed will not like having only one person as a companion. They need more than one person in the family to entertain them. Also, they blend in with the younger ones easily. However, adult supervision is a must because a Gold Retriever can accidentally harm small kids during active movements.

Additionally, a Golden Ret is an athletic breed that needs about an hour of intense exercise daily. In addition to this, they will also require active mental stimulation and companionship to function properly.

Because of their sensitive and intelligent personality, they require constant engagement in some tasks. Not to mention that leaving them lonely can lead them to destruction and violent nature.

This species seeks companionship either from humans or from other pets. Moreover, Golden Retrievers need a human company during the major part of the day than just having another animal around.

Overweight Golden Retriever

Retrievers tend to eat all day if you will provide, they are ever-hungry creatures. Due to their active and energetic drive, they have an active metabolism too. Therefore, it also increases the chance of being overweight.

You will never get to know the transition of your dog starting from handsome and cute gradually becoming hefty and cute then suddenly becomes fat and ugly. This phenomenon can occur despite you take him for long walks.

Check the weight management food for Golden Retrievers at the end.

Golden Retriever Training

With proper nurturing and training a Gold Retriever can do the best up to its potential with utmost ease. In fact, the apparent breed is extremely loyal to his masters and can follow any command in order to please them. They will continue their silly behavior to please humans for the reason they know it is an effective method.

That very trait makes training fun with them. Gold Retriever is one of the most promising contenders for agility and obedience competition for very long. His athletic body and calm nature help them cope with complex commands. Moreover, Golden Retrievers can anticipate correctly what command a master is going to throw in for him.

Furthermore, a Golden Ret can easily make it into the service dog squad due to their intellect and hard-working trait. On the other hand, their adaptive and calm personality makes them one of the best service dogs.

Golden Retriever Swimming

During earlier times hunters trained them to fetch the hunt either from the woody terrain or the water body. In concurrent time we can see this trait existing in them, Golden Retriever likes to swim.

This playful and active breed is not only limited to the open ground but also in the water. Retrievers are good at swimming and will find that playful too.

Check out the foldable swimming pool for Gold Ret that fits your backyard easily. The list also shows all types of swimming gear for a Gold Ret.

Shedding Problems of Golden Retrievers

Our little champ i.e. Gold Ret sheds copiously. Many parents get used to his shedding after a while even if they find it annoying initially.

Additionally, the long hair of Golden Retrievers causes trouble while cleaning. It is advisable to clean the house daily if you have a Golden Retriever and kids in the house. Toddlers tend to put everything into their mouths. But a toddler wouldn’t know if the toy has fur on it.

You will cope up with his shedding if you can learn to groom him almost daily. Proper grooming and care will control the amount of hair you see around the house. To cut the long story short, you can rub him putting on the grooming gloves, and gently shed all the hairs possible. Check the useful grooming gloves in the end.

Grooming a Golden Retriever

Coming to the outer body and coat, the most important factor to define a Golden Retriever. This dog breed has a widely accepted and symbolic coat making them attractive and bringing them to the limelight.

Gold Ret does not have very long which bothers their master while grooming. Because of most of the masters this duty to expert groomers or housekeepers. Not every dog parent will give this task to their workers or professionals, they do it themselves. Yes, it is worrisome when you are not really fascinated with grooming a dog.

Rarely do owners trim the coat making their pet short-haired Golden Retriever instead of actual Retriever. Golden Retrievers will have fur growing all over their body till the tip of the tail. The hairs suspended from the body reach halfway to his height below his body. Many parents who like this physical feature in their dog seldom try to trim the coat.

You can find a few dog grooming kits and related products at the end of this article.

Golden Retriever Bath Frequency

Though Gold Rets require regular grooming they do not necessarily need to take a bath that frequently. Bathing him twice a month is enough to keep him clean and healthy.

Moreover, his dense fur attracts many bugs especially ticks. Additionally, every Gold Ret has long fluffy ears which can cause him a bacterial infection in the ears. You need to clean the outer ear to eliminate foreign particles and not the ear canal.

You can find the shampoo for your Gold Ret at the end that most of the Gold parents prefer. Also, see the ear cleaning rinser which will ease the ear cleaning process.

Golden Retriever History

Origination of the breed Golden Retrievers dates back between 1835 to 1890. Major credits for developing this breed go to Sir Dudley Majoribanks, the Lord Tweedmouth. Firstly, breeding Water Spaniel and Tweedmouth from 1835 to 1890.

In those days, there was no hunter dog that had phenomenal obedience. Water Spaniels were great at hunting, chasing, and retrieving. On the other hand, Tweedmouth has their utmost obedience and energy. To produce a dog breed having qualities of both of these breeds, the pioneer hunter Sir Dudley Majoribanks started breeding them. He also included some other species namely Bloodhound and Irish Setter.

This breed became renowned amongst the elite hunters during the early 20’s in America. After which the Golden Retrievers became very popular during the span of President Gerald Ford because of his pet Golden Retriever Liberty.

Labrador Retriever vs Golden Retriever vs Flat Coat Retriever

A Lab Ret and a Gold Ret are the most and third most popular dog breeds respectively in America according to the American Kennel Club. Although these breeds enjoy popularity many people still find it difficult to distinguish any one of these three.

People get confused about identifying these breeds because firstly they do not understand the characteristics of purebred; secondly, they try to identify a mix.

Here you will find the easiest way to distinguish between these three breeds which confuse many.

First things first, here retriever stands for the trait of the dog i.e. chasing and fetching. Typically some dogs are blessed with this trait which most of humans find delightful. Thus, all the three dog breeds have this trait in common and receive their name as retrievers.

Golden Retriever Names

Naming a dog can become fussy when need a cool name matching to your little buddy’s personality. If you are a new owner of a cute and intelligent Gold Retriever then go through the below list of popular dog names.

Golden Retriever Mixes

Golden Retrievers are the coolest companions someone could have. Moreover, you start getting all the attention from others due to your champ. People just love this breed, sometimes to an extent that they want some other breed of theirs to behave like a Golden Retriever.

The versatile popularity of this breed encourages the Registered Dog Breeders to continue with the purebreds as well as mixes. Breeding different breeds for mixes is not an easy game every breeder can pull off.

However, apparently many breeders have started to breed the Golden Retrievers mix according to the feasibility and demand. This practice has become more popular amongst the pet parents who want a blend of Golden Retrievers in some other breed.

Here we present some of the prominent Golden Retrievers mixes.

• Golden Retriever Husky
• Golden Cocker Retriever
• English Cream Golden Retriever
• Golden Retriever German Shepherd
• White Golden Retriever(AKC does not recognize this one)
• Gold Retriever Lab
• Miniature Golden Retriever
• Corgi Golden Retriever
• Australian Shepherd Golden Retriever
• Pomeranian Gold Retriever Husky
• Border Collie Golden Retriever
• Golden Retriever Dachshund
• Gold Retriever Pitbull
• Golden Retriever Chow
• Rottweiler Golden Retriever
• Great Pyrenees Golden Retriever
• Irish Setter Golden Retriever
• Golden Ret Beagle
• Gold Retriever Chihuahua

Golden Retriever Rescue Facilities

Abandoned or lost dogs is not a new thing for America. Many parents either abandon their dog or accidentally lose them on the streets. It is very disappointing to learn Golden Retriever facts state that about 3.9 million stray pooches enter the shelter in the USA every year.

Furthermore, many non-profiting organizations have come forward to save these abandoned dogs and practice active adoption services. Moreover, people love their Golden Retrievers yet they abandon them. There are many dedicated Gold Retriever rescue or shelters trying to reduce the suffering these pooches face after abandonment.

These facilities also facilitate adoption services for the people wanting to get one for their own. Some of the Gold Retriever rescue homes follow strict policies during approving a parent fit for adoption. They check if the new parent is a stay-at-home person, handle dog chores easily, is affectionate towards the dog, have healthy premises, etc.

People hardly go for a full-body health check after buying a Golden Ret from a breeder. In contrast to it, people buying a Golden Ret from a rescue facility will prefer going for the Full body check. Sometimes, parents abandon their Golden Retrievers after diagnosing a health problem in them.

Not to mention, all Golden Retrievers should go through health checks and certificates before people buy from them. Actually, a good breeder will always check for the health certificates the parent breeds before breeding them. After the litter is born, a further check is necessary to diagnose any health problem prevalent in the Golden Retriever puppies.

If you wish to buy a Gold Ret from a breeder or the rescue facility then make sure the breeder follows all the necessary health checks with valid paperwork. Also, learn which health problems a Gold Retriever can suffer below.

Golden Retriever Health Problems

Golden Retrievers are not very prone to diseases, they strong in that way. In contrast to that, these dogs catch some of the diseases really quickly. As the above section describes, people buy Golden puppies from a breeder and hardly go for a checkup.

You can rely on a dog’s health if the breeder provides all the medical tests and parent breed health certificates. You should go for a dog’s health check while buying. However, you will need to vaccinate him few more times in his lifespan.

Common health problems Golden Retrievers face are as follows:

Hip & Elbow Dysplasia

Dysplasia is a common physical disorder in medium and large-breed dogs. It means the thigh bone does not fit perfectly in the hip socket joint. You can observe this problem with many German Shepherds.

While elbow dysplasia occurs in a Golden Ret due to improper bone growth in his legs. You can easily observe looking at his walk drag.

In Gold Rets this problem is minimum during puppyhood but could lead to arthritis during adulthood. Diagnosing this problem is very easy, just look for lumpiness or hesitant leg movement in a Golden Ret.

Cancer

A Golden Ret suffering from cancer can mean a lot of possibilities. He might have gotten it from his parents who has cancer or cancer developed at a later age.

In the recent period, many Gold Retrievers suffer from cancer compared to the earlier ones. Additionally, the earlier Gold Retrievers have a longer lifespan i.e. 14-15 years compared to concurrent Gold Retrievers live up to 10-12 years.

You as a pet parent need to take him for health checks twice a year. This practice can minimize the possibility of developing cancer to a severe stage.

Epilepsy

Epilepsy will cause the brain to function improperly leading to body seizures and strokes in rare cases. Seizures can occur when the dog’s brain faces impulsive electric shocks in the brain. On the other hand, strokes are the result of improper blood circulation in the dog’s brain.

Cataracts

Cataracts cause hindrance in clear vision i.e. hazy vision spot due to cataracts on the eye lens. Though cataracts can occur at any age in Golden Rets many pups face this problem due to heredity reasons.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)

Progressive Retinal Atrophy(PRA) will cause a dog’s vision to gradually deteriorate. Firstly, a dog will lose his night visibility then eventually his complete vision.

Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus

A common term for gastric dilation-volvulus is ‘bloat’. Symptoms of this health problem are when the tummy is way more filled and abruptly large. This means the stomach has way more food, water, and void(gas).

Additionally, during the bloat condition, a dog will drink more water than necessary which makes the situation worse.

This happens when a dog gets huge infrequent meals in a day. Feeding a dog with small and frequent meals is always advisable.

Ideal Golden Retriever Food

Golden Rets are athletic pooches having a high metabolism and immense energy. This quality allows them to eat profusely all day. It is easier for them to digest the food faster even due to their intense activities.

Though Gold Rets have good athletic capabilities they choose to eat whatever they get at any time. This habit makes them prone to overweight and obesity. However, extensive eating in puppies is permissible up to a limit because pups need more nutrition and energy than adults.

Golden Retrievers are the cutest and smartest of most dog breeds, your little champ will trick you to feed him yet feel proud about your mistake. He will make a cute appealing face while begging for food. No matter how hard you try to hold back his food but he will succeed in melting your heart.

In addition to that, a Golden Ret will always want to eat with his companion. He will follow you taking his bowl or cup and start eating when you settle.

Feeding him during the time you eat is not really advisable. Because he will finish his food gulping most of it down his throat and play cute begging for food with you.

You could try hand feeding him, it will train him to eat slow and little at once. Also, you can schedule frequent small meals a day i.e. two to four a day to avoid bloating.

Preferences and Nutritional Needs

Gold Retrievers are fond of food no matter what you feed them. There can some exceptions for this breed who are picky eaters and have allergies. In such cases, you need to take care of their preferences.

Moreover, this dog breed is a versatile eater and accepts almost every recipe. Although, a Golden Ret will not love eating some food brands for their acute smell they can adapt to it gradually.

High Protein & Carbohydrates

Looking at their physique and athletic body, feeding them with high protein and carbs is advisable. Protein will help him regain and repair worn-out muscles and tissues providing overall energy to the body.

On the other hand, carbs will deliver energy and a bit of lean protein. Grains are the primary source of carbs in the diet. Carbohydrate is advisable only if your dog does not have an allergy towards grains.

Healthy Fats

Golden Retrievers have a tendency to eat a lot and frequently. Thus providing him with a minimum fats diet is advisable. He will get energy from other protein and carbs sources ultimately. But once you start feeding him with a heavy fats diet, fats start accumulating beneath the skin.

Despite his intense exercise, he will not be able to work enough to burn all the fats he has. After all, fats are an energy source that could deteriorate endurance if consumed in abundance.

Fibers

Fibers make digestion easy, it also reduces the inflammation of the digestive tract. Generally, grains are a good fiber source followed by vegetables, legumes, fruits, etc. It will not only increase digestion but also ease out a bowel movement.

Many times, overeating in Golden Retrievers can lead to improper digestion and difficult bowel movements. Thus, fiber is an important nutrient commodity for a pooch with extensive eating habits and active metabolism.

Fatty Acids

Fatty acids are a vital source that promotes cardiovascular activities in the body. In addition to that, it also maintains the quality of shining hair. Moreover, fatty acids also prove to be important for the whole body in a way or the other.

Considering these key points about a Golden Retriever’s needs and preferences we can now proceed. See the best dog food for Golden Retrievers in the next section.

Dog Food for Golden Retriever

Selecting the dog food for a Golden Ret who is perfectly fit and has no allergies can be very wide and less specific. We will make it easier for you to start with the needful information about your dog and eliminate the foods which do not fit your criteria.

First of all, depending on the breed size i.e. medium size and life stage i.e. puppy, adult, or senior you can select the product.

For example, if your dog is an adult of age between 1 to 8 years then you will choose a dog meal for medium breed and adult recipe. Also, you can select an all-stage recipe no matter your dog falls under any life stage.

Secondly, look for the ingredients you think are perfect for your little champ. The ingredient table lists the items in descending order in terms of their proportion to all ingredients combined. If you do not perfectly know how to evaluate the ingredients then you can easily pick one having the least or no by-products.

After considering both the steps, you can purchase the product you and your pet like.

However, here we have made a small list of dog foods that will be best for a Golden Retriever.

1. Royal Canin Golden Retriever Adult dry dog food

2. Eukanuba Wet Food Puppy Mixed Grill Chicken & Beef Dinner

3. Taste of the Wild Grain-Free High Protein Natural Dry Dog Food

4. Merrick Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

5. Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Dry Dog Food

Golden Retriever Grooming

Here we are! Grooming is the most exciting activity for some people while many never find it that interesting. Nevertheless, both types of people love their Golden Retrievers equally and know what is best for them.

Here we present some of the most important things which you will find useful for grooming a Golden Retriever. All the grooming acts corresponding to the useful products i.e. bathing – swimming pool/tub; shed control & grooming – gloves, shampoo, hairbrush; teeth – toothbrush, nail – clipper, grinder.

Gloves

This is a pair of gloves like any other but there is one feature added to it. This pair has a toothed pad on the palm surface which can straighten the tangled hair. Additionally, it will shed some hair that is about to fall down from Gold Retriever’s coat anytime.

Perfect grooming gloves shall have soft rugged teeth which can open the hair locks and shed some too. Also, it should cover more areas such that you can complete the task quickly. Looking at all the qualities and benefits this pair of gloves seems perfect.

Delomo Pet Grooming and Gentle Deshedding Glove

Brush for Golden Retriever – Hair Brush

Hairbrush also serves the same purpose as that of a grooming glove. However, a hairbrush can do the task faster and more effectively. A good hairbrush like the one shown below shall have deep but smooth teeth. Likewise, the brush shall be contractable in order to clean the hair stuck in its teeth.

Furminator deShedding Tool

Nail Clipper for Golden Retriever

Dogs have blood veins at the base of their nails which you need to take care of.  Look for a clipper that has a safety stop blade, it does allow the nail to enter in between the clipper more than few millimeters. Look at the clipper below which is sturdy, simple, and economic.

Epica Professional Pet Nail Clipper

Nail Grinder

A grinder does the same task as that of a clipper. However, here we grind the nail shorter, unlike the clipper where we cut the nails shorter. Grinding the nails will remove the nail layers gradually; that will help you to know when to stop without hurting the dog.

Dremel 7300-PT 4.8V Pet Nail Grooming Tool

Toothbrush

Like humans, dogs too require regular dental care. However, a Gold Retriever will need teeth brushing as minimum as 2 to 3 times a week. Moreover, you can do it every day to keep the bad breath in control.

Pet Products Dog Toothbrush Set Double Sided

Golden Retriever Trimming Kit

Going to the professional groomer can cost you way more than you would spend on yourself for grooming. Nevertheless, it is advisable for the parents of Golden Rets to learn to groom and trimming him.

This product over here is not only a trimmer but an actual trimming set that professionals use. It is way more economical and useful than many other similar products.

Ceenwes Dog Professional Grooming Kit

Shampoo for Golden Retriever

Earthbath Mango Tango is especially for dogs having long fur prone to tangling. It smoothens and nourishes the hair making it better and shinier. It has a two-way acting formula i.e. shampoo and conditioner both.

Earthbath Natural Mango Tango 2 in 1 Conditioning and Pet Shampoo

Swimming Pool/Tub

Taking your dog for a bath in a cozy bathroom will not be as convenient as it will be in this pool. You can set it up anywhere inside your home, parkway, backyard, etc. Also, its collapsible feature makes it more mobile.

Jasonwell Foldable/Collapsible Dog Pool Bathing Tub

The EndNote

Finally, it was an exuberant dog breed to explain! With all the attractive looks, intelligence yet silly playful nature a Golden Retriever can easily please anyone. Owning one as your own can be the best step forward.

Please make sure you thoroughly go through the ailments Gold Retrievers are prone to. You can easily get a Gold Ret after thoroughly verifying the health certificates from the breeder you ought to buy your dog. Please don’t be an irresponsible pet parent and abandon your dog.

Wrapping up this topic, we have a quiz for you!

1. You need to answer how many dogs in total you saw from all the images above & out of those dogs, how many were Golden Retrievers?

2. From the first image of five Golden Retrievers, How many had a Golden smile?