The Golden Retriever is a sporting dog of medium size. This is a breed that loves the water (just as much as a labrador) and a variety of sports such as hunting and field trials. They are agile and fast and have a keen sense of sight and smell. Apart from hunting, many golden retrievers are placed in field competitions with many different obstacles to run through. They are incredibly smart and agile and can complete these competitions almost effortlessly. The popular traits of this breed are that they are incredibly loyal, loving, gentle, and affectionate. This makes them the perfect breed for families. Golden retrievers also make the best companions because they are amazing with children, often being dubbed as four-legged “babysitters.” They are so gentle and loving around babies and small children. They love to kiss and cuddle, and the only time they become truly demanding is when they need extra attention. How cute is that? This beautiful breed is highly intelligent. In fact, according to several different studies, the golden retriever is often listed as the fourth smartest dog breed in the entire world. They have amazing obedience and a high working IQ; moreover, they also have amazing instincts that allow them to fetch and retrieve, hence their name! This is also why they are used as sporting dogs in many different forms of hunting. Not only that, but they are also incredibly easy to train. Many studies have shown that these adorable dogs are as smart as toddlers and can even learn a wide variety of words! The Golden Retriever is an excellent service dog and are also used as therapy dogs for people with different mental and physical disabilities. Because they are so gentle and smart, they can help almost anyone in need!
The breed standard call for Males, on average to reach a height of about 24 inches and can weigh anywhere from 65-75 lbs. Females are a bit smaller than the males, often reaching a height of about 22 inches and weighing anywhere from 55-70 lbs. These dogs are known for having box-shaped heads with floppy ears. Let’s not forget the massive amount of golden fur that they have as well!
The Golden Retriever has been the third most popular dog breed for many years. This is because they are so loveable and obtain many favored qualities by pet owners!
The Golden Retrievers life expectancy is between 10-12 years
The breed has many variations in coloring such as cream, light Golden and rich Chestnut. The breed has a ‘medium length’ coat that can be wavy or straight and has a dense undercoat with a WATER PROOF outer coat. Grooming is fairly low maintenance with heavy sheading twice per year.
The main objective to keep a Golden happy is to have a family to love, lots of attention, toys around to play with and lots of exercise. Their activity level is classified as moderate to high.