Posts Tagged ‘Flat Coated Retriever’

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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Red Golden Retrievers – Are They Really Goldens?
By Ewen Vile

Traditional hunting dogs that Lord Tweedmouth created in his breeding program appeared more mahogany, sometimes auburn and almost red in color. But do Red Golden Retrievers really characterize the breed?

During the 1800s, Tweed Water Spaniels were popular hunting dogs. However they can only locate wild birds and cannot retrieve them because of their small size and light coat. This is one of the main reasons why the gentlemen hunters preferred a medium sized hunting dog.

They wanted one that can retrieve fowl well in the wild and even in rough waters. Apart from extreme hunting skills, they also wanted one that looks sturdy and gorgeous at work with a coat preferably of darker shade.

Starting rom a yellow wavy coated Retriever bred with a Tweed Water Spaniel, brought four yellow pups, Tweedmouth also experimented mating the yellow colored pups to a Red Setter and black wavy-coated Retriever and liver colored flat-coated Retriever. The breeding line brought about different shades of gold, from light yellow gold to a rich and lustrous reddish brown and liver color.

But what does the AKC Standard say about the coat? It says, “Rich, lustrous Golden of various shades. Predominant body color which is extremely pale or extremely dark is undesirable.” An auburn or mahogany may not be ideal, but this is not an automatic disqualification. It would only matter if your Golden is competing for a title. The one with a shade within the required range will be given a higher rank than the ones with extreme colors.

If you wanted a Golden with a darker shade, you might prefer to have an American Golden Retriever. This type resembles more of the hunting dogs. Their coat is more likely inherited from the Red Irish Setters and liver colored flat-coated Retrievers. English Golden Retrievers are lighter in color compared to American Goldens.

Red Goldens or Golden Retrievers with a darker shade are more popular in field trials and canine sports because of their long limbs and agility. Also, the American Golden Retrievers are said to be more active and light weight which makes them efficient in all types of sports and field work. This is in contrast to their cream colored counterpart who is more popularly known inside the show ring.

The color may vary in shades but one thing stands true, we love this breed not just because of its golden coat but because of their heart that is made of gold.

For video and reading about what Golden Retrievers get up to, and for more tips on buying a Golden Retriever, go to https://goldenretriever1.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ewen_Vile

http://EzineArticles.com/?Red-Golden-Retrievers—Are-They-Really-Goldens?&id=3357627

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The Golden Retriever Background And Information you Need To Know

Author: John Williams

The history of the Golden Retriever dates back to the 1800s. Lord Tweedmouth of Scotland bred the first documented Golden Retrievers in the British Isles. The Tweed Water Spaniel, a breed now extinct, along with the Irish Setter, Newfoundland, and Bloodhound was used to create the Golden Retriever of today. Golden Retrievers were bred to retain their yellow color and to hunt waterfowl and other game. Lord Tweedmouth also wanted a breed that was loyal and good-natured.

The Golden Retriever is known to be one of the most loyal and even-tempered dog breeds. The breed was called the Flat-Coated Retriever in Britain and was later named the Golden Retriever. Exported to America in the 1920s, the breed was registered by the American Kennel Club as a pure breed in 1925 and has enjoyed a successful AKC competition history ever since. Golden Retriever breeders select dogs with AKC breed standard characteristics to produce bloodlines of Golden Retriever champions.

Some of the most desired characteristics of Golden Retrievers are intelligence, trainability, beauty, gentleness and hunting and tracking ability. The first dog to win an American Kennel Club obedience championship was a Golden Retriever. The breed has the lowest rate of behavior school dropouts due to the breed’s eagerness to please as well as inherent intelligence.

Though Golden Retriever breeders may have champion ancestry in their bloodlines, Golden Retrievers are still prone to health problems like many other pure breeds. The average life span for a Golden Retriever is only ten to thirteen years with many not making it to the minimum age at death.

Golden Retrievers are highly focused. This can be a good trait but it can also be something owners must watch out for. Golden Retrievers will focus on work so much that they wear themselves out or focus on food so much that they become obese. Owners must be aware of the activities of Golden Retrievers and monitor their food intake and activity level closely.

Golden Retriever breeders you should avoid include any breeders suspected of running puppy mills or over-breeding dogs until subsequent litters as well as parents become ill. If breeders seem to have too many puppies available at one time and will not allow the buyer to visit their kennels these are warning signals that these are bad breeders. Other breeders to avoid are those who sell to pet stores. Healthy, purebred puppies do not come from pet stores.

Good breeders do not breed or raise dogs as merchandise to be shipped across the country and sold to anyone. It is imperative for buyers to know how to identify good from bad Golden Retriever breeders to put bad breeders out of business for good. Buyers have the responsibility of researching Golden Retriever breeders to find legitimate sources to buy purebred puppies.

Buyers should ask for references, visit the kennels and puppies prior to purchase, and ask many questions of breeders to determine how much they know about Golden Retrievers. Good breeders will be experts on their breed and will also have questions for buyers to make sure puppies are going to good homes.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/the-golden-retriever-background-and-information-you-need-to-know-463743.html

About the Author

For more information on the golden retriever or a complete list of dog breeds visit this Dog Behaviour website.

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Red Golden Retrievers, are they really goldens? Traditional hunting dogs that Lord Tweedmouth created on his breeding program appeared more mahogany, sometimes auburn and almost red in color. But do Red Golden Retrievers really characterize the breed? 

During the 1800s, Tweed Water Spaniels were popular hunting dogs. However, they can only locate wild birds and cannot retrieve because of their small size and light coat. This is one of the main reasons why the gentlemen hunters preferred a medium sized hunting dog.

They wanted one that can retrieve fowls well in the wild and even in rough waters. Apart from extreme hunting skills, they also wanted one that looks sturdy and gorgeous at work with a coat that does not get dirty and preferably of darker shade.

From a yellow wavy coated Retriever bred with a Tweed Water Spaniel bringing four yellow pups, Tweedmouth also experimented mating the yellow colored pups to a Red Setter and black wavy-coated Retriever and liver colored flat-coated Retriever. The breeding line brought about different shades of gold, from light yellow gold to a rich and lustrous reddish brown and liver color.   

But what does the AKC Standard say about the coat? It says, “Rich, lustrous Golden of various shades. Predominant body color which is extremely pale or extremely dark is undesirable.” An auburn or mahogany may not be ideal, but this is not an automatic disqualification. It would only matter if your Golden is competing for a title. The one with a shade within the required range will be given a higher rank than the ones with extreme colors.

If you wanted a Golden with a darker shade, you might prefer to have an American Golden Retriever. This type resembles more of the hunting dogs. Their coat is more likely inherited from the Red Irish Setters and liver colored flat-coated Retrievers. English Golden Retrievers are lighter in color compared to American Goldens.

Red Goldens or Golden Retrievers with a darker shade are more popular in field trials and canine sports because of their long limbs and agility. Aside from that American Golden Retrievers are said to be more active and light weight which makes them efficient in all types of sports and field work. This is in contrast to their white counterpart who is more popularly known inside the show ring.

The color may vary in shades but one thing stands true, we love this breed not just because of its golden coat but because of their heart that is made of gold.