Archive for the ‘GOLDEN RETRIEVER INFO’ Category

Golden Retrievers — Choosing the Breed of Dog That’s Right for You

Author: Anita Funkhouser

When choosing a dog, it’s important to choose the breed that’s right for you. In order to do that, you need to know the characteristics and temperament of the breed you’re thinking about adopting or purchasing before you do so. The Golden Retriever is just one breed among many from which to choose.

The Golden Retriever was first developed in the British Isles, probably from crosses between the yellow flat-coated retriever, light-coated Tweed water spaniels, other spaniels, setters and even the Newfoundland and possibly the Bloodhound. It was predominantly bred for hunting and made a fine bird dog, both on land and in the water. It has not only been used for hunting and tracking but also for narcotics detection, as a guide dog for the blind, therapy dog and service dog for the disabled. The Golden is one of the world’s foremost family companion dogs.

The Golden Retriever has an average height of 20 to 24 inches and an average weight of 55 to 80 pounds. It is beautiful, sturdy and well proportioned. The coat is feathered, medium length and cream to golden in color. The outer coat is water repellent while the undercoat is dense. The tail is long but never curled. The Golden’s nose is black, and the eyes are brown with dark rims. The ears are pendant and medium sized. This breed is an average shedder.

Golden Retrievers are usually lovable, sweet, loyal, confident, well mannered and eager to please. They are patient and gentle with children. They are intelligent, easily trained and excel in obedience competitions. They can learn up to roughly 240 commands, words and phrases. They make an outstanding family dog and are very attached to their owners and enjoy pleasing them. They are friendly, even towards strangers and other dogs, with very little guarding instincts, however, do make good watchdogs and will loudly signal a stranger’s approach. These dogs love to swim and love to work, with the ability to focus on a given task, and will work until collapse. Goldens may become mischievous and/or high strung if not properly exercised. They may become anxious or distressed if left alone in a room. Golden Retrievers make excellent surrogate mothers to different species. Some of their talents include hunting, tracking, retrieving, narcotics detection, agility, competitive obedience and performing tricks.

Health concerns include hip dysplasia and congenital eye defects. Skin allergies are common and require immediate veterinary attention. Parents should be checked for Von Willebrand’s disease and heart problems.

The Golden Retriever is prone to obesity without exercise. They require a daily brisk walk, jog or run. They like to retrieve balls and other toys. They need to be exercised well to avoid hyperactivity.

Grooming for this breed of dog is easy and consists of combing and brushing at least once a week with a firm-bristle brush, paying particular attention to the dense undercoat. Daily grooming is required during heavy shedding. They should be dry shampooed regularly but bathed only when necessary. The ears should be cleaned regularly or ear infections may occur.

Golden Retrievers do okay in an apartment if they are sufficiently exercised. They are moderately active indoors but do best with at least a medium to large yard.

This breed of dog is lovable, friendly, well mannered, easy to train, good with children and makes a great family dog but requires regular grooming and daily exercise and may be too active for the elderly. If you’re able to provide sufficient exercise and regular grooming, then perhaps a Golden Retriever is the right breed of dog for you.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/golden-retrievers-choosing-the-breed-of-dog-thats-right-for-you-836725.html

About the Author

Anita Funkhouser is the owner of http://www.gogreendogbeds.com, offering high-quality, eco-friendly dog beds, toys and sweaters made from recycled materials, and http://pickofthelitterblog.wordpress.com/, a blog about various breeds of dogs.

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Can a Golden Retriever Mix Be Better Than a Purebred Golden Retriever?
By Archie Right

Have you ever wondered if adopting a Golden Retriever mix may be better than a purebred? There definitely may be indeed some advantages of owning a Golden Retriever mix but, as it always is, there are some pros and cons of owning a hybrid dog.

By adopting a Golden Retriever mix you may find the way around some of the problems typical for this breed. For instance Goldens shed a lot making the breed not very appropriate for allergic people. But Golden mixed with Poodle gives us Goldendoodle. This hybrid sheds very little or does not shed at all and is ideal for allergic individuals while it still preserves the best characteristics of both Poodle and Golden. But at the same time it makes grooming more complicated and demanding.

Goldendoodle is one of the many examples of Golden Retriever mixes. Goldens can be mixed with Labradors, Boxers, German Shepherds, Beagles, Irish Setters etc. And all of them have their specific traits. But things are not that simple with crossing different breeds. There are some peculiarities and disadvantages you need to be aware of if you decide to adopt or breed Golden Retriever mix.

Fist of all, hybrid dogs are normally not recognized by AKC or other major purebred registries. Some hybrids may eventually be recognized by registries in case they become very popular but normally years and even decades may pass before it happens.

Second, it is hard to achieve a steady result in the first generation. For instance, breeding purebred Golden with purebred Poodle you won’t necessary receive Goldendoodles that do not shed. Puppies within one litter may very from shedding to not shedding because they inherit traits from both parents not equally. To preserve a certain trait the dogs will have to go through careful selection process and the trait will only hold after several generations. Take it into account if you are adopting a hybrid too.

Third, you need to be very careful with the choice of the other dog for your Golden. Breeding Goldens with other canine with similar character (Labrador for instance) may enhance original characteristics of Golden Retriever like intelligence, obedience, love to people, children and pets etc. But breeding Goldens with, for instance, aggressive breeds may result in puppies with unstable character which are not fun to own at all.

Health is another issue to consider. It goes without saying that both parents must be checked for all the hereditary diseases common in their breeds. Cross breeding may be harmful between breeds that incline to the same health problems (for instance hip dysplasia is common for Golden, Labrador and Poodles) since the risk of such illnesses may increase. It is another reason for even more careful health check than usual. But to cover the full picture it is necessary to mention that there are cases when cross-breeding may positively contribute to hybrid’s health.

Finally, as with any other dog, if you’ve decided to adopt a Golden Retriever mix of some kind you should find a breeder rather than go to a pet shop. And if you’ve decided to breed your very own Golden Retriever mix you need to study both breeds carefully and be ready to invest tons of time and money in this hobby.

Archie Right is a Golden Retriever expert. For more information on Golden Retriever mix, visit http://goldenretrieverdoginfo.com/.

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Does the Black Golden Retriever Really Exist?
By Archie Right

Have you ever been wondering if the black Golden Retriever (or the dark Golden Retriever as it is also called) is a purebred golden with just different color or it’s a regular Golden mixed with some other breed? Well, to tell the truth it may be both and here is why.

Of cause it is possible that some black Labrador just jumped over the fence and in 63 days mixed puppies have appeared with traits of both parents including black color. It is even possible that puppies from the same litter were conceived by different fathers and some of them are purebred and the others are mixed. But you’ll probably notice that they won’t have the same appearance as purebred Golden.

However, it is harder to explain when a black Golden Retriever puppy appears in the litter of two AKC purebred Goldens. It really happens and sometimes even more than one black puppy appears in the purebred litter. Black puppies are especially often if the mother and the father are siblings. But remember, that you should not breed siblings under any circumstances since it may cause many problems in the offspring (genetic problems and bad temperament of the puppies are just a few of them).

So how come black puppies appear as the litter of two golden-colored parents? There are two main theories that explain possible reasons. According to the first one, black color is a result of dogs carrying recessive (wild-type) gene because of the breed’s origin. Let’s not forget that the breed originates from flat-coat Retrievers and it is very likely that all modern Goldens have this black gene from their forefathers.

Another theory is that the gene was acquired by the breed in post war times. At that time kennel clubs allowed “Pink Form” registration because of the number of remaining breed representatives was very low. Basically it meant that any dog that looked like breed standards could be registered as the purebred. So sometimes dogs could even be registered as representatives of two or three breeds at once. As the result some mixed blood surely got to in the breed’s bloodlines. The same theory is used to explain unprovoked aggression in Golden Retrievers that is absolutely non-typical for the breed.

Anyway, no matter for what reason purebred black Golden Retriever is really black it is not much different from regular Goldens. Black Golden will grow at the same rate as his siblings, he’ll be fine with regular food and need the same amount of exercises and grooming. The only real difference is the color. It might just make it harder to look for flees and ticks while grooming.

Health concerns are also the same. You’ll have to be careful while choosing the dog. Avoid pet stores and look for the reputable breeder with the dogs that has gone thought all the appropriate health checks.

The most important, black Golden Retrievers preserve all the great traits of a regular Golden. They are intelligent and willing to please their owners. They are easy to train and appropriate for the first time owners. They are great with children and other pets and are loving and joyful family members.

Archie Right is a Golden Retriever expert. For more information on the black Golden Retriever, visit http://goldenretrieverdoginfo.com/.

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Golden Labrador Retriever – General Information and Peculiarities of the Hybrid
By Archie Right

Golden Labrador retriever is one of the many golden retriever mixes. It is also called Labrador golden retriever or just golden lab. The same name sometimes is used for yellow Labradors, but it is not the subject of this article.

Although not recognized by purebred registries like AKC Labrador Golden Retriever is rather popular hybrid dog and there are many reasons for it. First of all both Labrador and Golden Retriever are extremely popular breeds both in US and worldwide. Second, they have a lot of similarities in character making them appropriate for crossbreeding. Finally, Golden Lab has a few interesting characteristics.

In most cases Golden Labrador Retriever inherits some appearance from Golden Retriever. This includes coat that can be both long and short but look more like Golden’s coat and is thick and shiny. The color of the coat may be yellow or brown and is normally inherited from the Labrador parent. The tail can be covered in long hair and curved. Head shape and a good muscular built are also more like the one Golden’s normally have. The dog usually weights over 50 ponds and is very strong.

Since both Goldens and Labradors are intelligent and obedient breeds, Golden Labrador inherited both of these traits. They are also great with children and other pets and love all family members as Goldens usually do. It is a very loyal family dog. However, Golden Labs are reported to be not as friendly with strangers as Golden Retrievers are.

They are very trainable and easy to socialize with people and other dogs. However, these natural abilities should be supported by efforts of the owner. Otherwise Golden Lab may grow up to be aggressive towards other people at home or shy and scared outdoors.

Labrador Golden Retrievers bark and bark loud. They like to bark strangers especially when they are near or in the house, but sometimes they may bark from the distance. They also have good chase instinct. In practice it means that they tend to chase cars and bikes. This habit should be eliminated while they are young, otherwise they may preserve it through entire life.

Golden Labradors shed a lot and require regular grooming (at least once a week) to keep shedding under control. This will also help to keep the dog’s skin healthy. They can be bathed regularly but some of them may not like or even be afraid of the procedure.

Golden Labs require regular exercises just like their parent breeds. Long walks, swimming, running and regular dog games that include chasing and retrieving are perfect for these dogs. And remember that exercises are necessary for the dog’s mental and physical health.

Health of Golden Labrador Retrievers is another issue to address. Both Labradors and Goldens have similar health problems (for instance hip dysplasia) so it is necessary to check both parents for the signs of hereditary diseases before breeding and ask for health certificates if you’ve decided to adopt a pup. However, in most cases Golden Labs have better skin health and less prone to allergies (except for dust allergy) than Golden Retrievers.

Archie Right is a Golden Retriever expert. For more information on Golden Labrador Retriever, visit http://goldenretrieverdoginfo.com/.

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The AKC Golden Retriever
By Laurence Burrows

Who wouldn’t want a golden retriever? Faithful and famously friendly, goldens are great family dogs. They are also an intelligent and versatile breed and are outstanding hunting dogs, service dogs, and are top dogs in obedience and agility competitions. So popular, every variety of retriever can be found out there! It pays to know you have a genuine AKC golden retriever, registered with the American Kennel Club.

Let’s say you are buying a golden retriever. How do you know it is an AKC recognized golden? How do you know it is a purebred? AKC registration means that the parents of the dog are the same breed. So a puppy’s parents are both registered goldens. Typically, breeders will register whole litters. A reputable breeder can provide the AKC numbers and registered names of both parents with the right paperwork. You can verify this information and more with the AKC. A quality breeder can also provide a 3 to 5 generation pedigree of a puppy, and an application to register your puppy with the AKC in your name.

It is important to distinguish that an American Kennel Club golden retriever is an American breed of dog. British or European goldens are different, even though they are commonly sold in America. This is because the Breed Standards which regulate the breed are different. The AKC Breed Standard which describes the perfect golden can be found at akc.org. The Kennel Club (KC) Breed Standard for British goldens can be found at thekennelclub.org.uk. Typically, American goldens are slightly taller, and have a more slender build. American dogs may be a darker shade of gold, sometimes called mahogany or red. Pale cream colored goldens are British dogs. American dogs may also have a slightly longer coat.

The American Kennel Club held its first meeting in 1884 at the Philadelphia Kennel Club. The meeting was comprised of 12 delegates from the most prestigious dog clubs at the time. Major James M. Taylor became the AKC’s first President later that year in New York at Madison Square Garden, and a Constitution was adopted. Lord Tweedmouth first began breeding goldens in 1864 in the North of Scotland. Yellow or Golden Retrievers gained popularity in England in the late 1800’s. ‘Golden Flat-Coats’ were shown in England starting in 1908. The Golden Retriever Club was started in 1913 in England. Goldens were brought to America in the 1920’s. The AKC first registered the golden in 1925. The Golden Retriever Club of America was incorporated in 1938.This is the official National Club for the golden. National Clubs serve as the parent club for each AKC recognized breed. Breeders may be members, or may be members of a local affiliated club. The 1st golden Field Champion was in 1939, and they have also won many tracking championships. Starting in 1977, the first ever 3 AKC Obedience Champions were goldens. Since official agility competitions started, goldens have claimed many championships since the 1990’s.

Golden retrievers became popular in America in the 1930’s and 1940’s. Originally, they were favored as hunting dogs. They were also successful show dogs. Today, goldens are one of the most popular family dogs in the world.

Laurence Burrows is a golden retriever lover, and trainer. For more great tips on the AKC golden retriever, visit http://www.loyalgoldenretriever.com.

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