Happy National Golden Retriever Day

There are so many good things to say about Golden Retrievers. Here are some things you might want to know if you are planning on adopting a dog and thinking about a big breed like a Golden.

Golden Retrievers are pretty easy to train. Because they are smart and eager to please, they make good students, but they may need to get some of their energy out before they can concentrate on the task at hand.

They love everyone and everything, so socialization training is important at a young age. You want your friends to love your dog as much as he loves them. Teaching him to temper his excitement is top on the list.

Golden Retrievers make excellent search and rescue dogs and guide dogs. It takes special training to be a search and rescue dog or guide dog but dogs who have the attention span needed for this kind of training really love what they do.

Most Golden Retrievers love swimming. They were originally bred to retrieve waterfowl so duck hunting enthusiast will often train these dogs for hunting. If you don’t want to hunt, they will happily chase a ball into the water and retrieve it for you.

Goldens are known for getting along great with other animals. This not only includes other dogs, but just about every other companion animal you could have, including horses but especially cats!

As you can see there are many good reasons to love a Golden Retriever. With every good thing there are also some aspects of having a dog that are not as fun.

Golden Retrievers shed a lot, sometimes of the year more than others. So, if you are one of those people who doesn’t have the time or inclination to sweep and vacuum fur everyday then you might want to think twice before you bring home a Golden puppy.

For coat health and skin health your Golden should be brushed every other day and bathed every 1-2 months. You should never brush a Golden with wet fur. It could hurt them and cause the knots and matting that you want to avoid. Since Goldens have natural oils on their skin and fur that can be removed with bathing, bathing them too often can be damaging to their skin and coat.

Golden Retrievers can be prone to hot spots, and hip and knee problems. If you decide to get a Golden for your family, talk to your veterinarian about diet and when the right age is for your dog to be spayed or neutered.

On this page I always advocate for spaying and neutering as early as possible, but not at the risk of serious life shortening consequences.

If you are looking for a big dog because you want to be protected, then you might want to get a different breed. The worst a Golden Retriever will do to an intruder is lick him to death.

Golden Retrievers can live late into their teens, and some have lived longer, so think hard before you make that commitment. We want you and your fur kids to be happy together.