Is a Golden Retriever Right for You?
Thinking of adding a dog to your family? Golden Retrievers make wonderful pets for couples, families, or anyone. In fact, they are one of the most popular breeds in the United States. Why is that?
Personality is probably the most important consideration when choosing a dog. Golds are known to be loyal, gentle, loving, and kind. They are great with children, older adults, and all ages in between. They make reasonably good watchdogs because they bark when a stranger comes to the door and have a big dog bark. But they love everyone, even strangers, so don’t expect them to be hostile to bad guys.
They love being around people and will play with you, snuggle with you, and even sleep with you if you let them. Since they love to be with people, it is ideal if there are people around most of the time. If left alone too long, Golden Retrievers, like most other dogs, will get into trouble. Some dog breeds become attached to one person and ignore everyone else. This is not the case with Goldens. They love everyone indiscriminately. The only exceptions are people who are mean to them.
Dogs of this breed are well known for their intelligence. This, along with their desire to please you, makes them easier to train than most other breeds. They are often used as guide and rescue dogs because they are obedient and learn very quickly. They are consistently one of the best scoring breeds in obedience tests.
There are many sizes and colors of Golden Retrievers. This is not a small dog, which could be a drawback if you live in an apartment that only allows very small pets. But they don’t have to be a very big dog either. The typical weight is 65 pounds for a woman and 75 pounds for a man, but this varies greatly. You can get a much smaller Golden Retriever. They are beautiful dogs and seem to always have a smile on them. However, you must brush them regularly, because they shed.
Golden Retrievers love exercise and will gladly jog, walk, or walk with you. They cannot resist water and will swim whenever the opportunity presents itself. As their name suggests, they are retrievers. Going for a stick or a ball thrown by you will give them the exercise they need, even if your humans are less active.
Like many other breeds, Golden Retrievers are prone to some health problems, including hip dysplasia. There are some precautions you can take to reduce the risks of facing these problems. You can get a dog that is not a purebred. A dog that is part Golden Retriever and part something else (a breed that doesn’t share the same health issues) is usually healthier than a Thoroughbred.
A mix will inherit the traits of all breeds from its parents, so learn about the traits of other breeds as well. If you get a thoroughbred, check the health records of the parents. If the parents are healthy, their pup is less likely to develop problems. Another option is to adopt an adult dog. Many hereditary diseases appear within the first two years.