General Golden Info
General Description of a Golden Retriever
The Golden Retrievers are beautiful, sturdy, well-proportioned dogs with a coat that is light golden or cream to dark golden or red colored with white feathering. The outer coat is water-repellent and the undercoat is dense. The head is broad with a knot on top, with a tapering, but wide, powerful muzzle. It has a scissors bite and a clear frontal stop. The nose is black and the kindly eyes are brown with dark rims like mascara. The ears are medium-sized and pendant and attached high on the head. Its neck and thighs are muscular and the chest is broad. The tail is long, but never curled.
Temperament of a Golden Retriever
Golden Retrievers are lovable, well-mannered, intelligent dogs with a great charm. They are easily trained, and always patient and gentle with children. Goldens are loyal, confident, sweet and eager to please. They are active, loving and an outstanding family dog. Golden Retrievers enjoy pleasing their masters, so obedience training can be fun. They excel in obedience competitions. Friendly with everyone, including other dogs, the Golden Retriever have very little, if any, guarding instincts. Goldens generally will not bite people. While unlikely to attack, Goldens make good watchdogs, loudly signaling a stranger's approach. This breed needs to be around people to be happy. If isolated from human contact, or left alone for long periods of time, the Golden Retriever may become mischievous. They can be over-exuberant and distracted. If abused, the more intelligent the dog, the more mischievous it will be.
Benefits of a Golden Retrievers
Some of the Golden Retriever's talents are hunting, tracking, retrieving, cancer and narcotics detection, agility, competitive obedience, and performing tricks. However, it would be misleading to suggest that Goldens are only a way to retrieve a goose or duck out of the freezing water. The Goldens are one of the world's foremost family companion dogs. In the twenty years that St Lytton Goldens has been selling Golden Retrievers, it seems that their most important use is 'to give love, get love unconditionally.' The Golden Retriever's job is to be a companion to people, especially to toddlers, teenagers or the elderly, and to be of a service, more especially, to the blind or disabled. There is, to be frank, a profound companionship that is not easily described.
Origin of a Golden Retriever
The Golden Retrievers were first developed in the British Isles, probably from crosses between a yellow Flat-Coated Retriever, light-coated Tweed Water Spaniels, other spaniels, setters and even the Newfoundland and possibly the Bloodhound. In fact the breed was first shown as a Golden Flat-Coat. Many of the top obedience competition dogs in the country are Golden Retrievers. The Goldens historically have been worked as fine bird dogs on both land and in the water. They have an excellent nose.
Exercise for a Golden Retriever
Golden Retrievers need a large yard to run and play in because they need lots of exercise.We always recommend doggie door to the fenced outside yard. The Golden Retrievers need exercise to develop their bones. We recommend that Goldens be taken on a 'happy walks' with a 6' leash (or some kind of play or training) for fifteen minutes twice a day. They love to fetch a thrown ball. They love learning and playing with new agility equipment. We use a kiddy pool of water in the yard during hot weather. Goldens will work hard at playing with you.
Health
The owner of Golden Retrievers needs a good veterinarian for medical treatments such as the required vaccine shots. For health advice on shots and other questions, use Dr. Becker DVM at www.mercola.com. A good on-line supplier is essential for most medical and health products.
Golden puppies are required to take a series of the core vaccine shots (3-way) starting at 7-8 weeks for distemper, parvo and adenovirus. Later, these 'routine booster' shots will be given yearly and even expanded to 5-way and the potent 7-way shots (kennel cough). Vaccines are preserved with mercury and are known cancer causing agents. As they grow older, routine vaccines can be avoided by having their blood checked by 'Antibody Titers' for levels of immunity and protection. Often, the first vaccines will last for years. So most routine booster vaccines can be avoided. Please note that a rabies vaccine is required at 4-6 months old and every year of the dog's life.
The coat and skin of Goldens need extra good care. Goldens should be groomed daily with a firm bristled brush. They should be dry shampooed regularly (weekly) with baking soda or diatomaceous earth (for fleas). They love to have their fur brushed since they are heavy shedders. They rarely need a wet shampoo but if they do use a mild soap. We use Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap or Dove liquid Dish soup. It kills fleas.
We do not use insecticides for fleas. We use coconut oil in a squeeze bottle and squirt the fleas with the oil. It kills them. We also coat behind the head and around the base of the tail where there are fleas.
Hot spots and heavy shedding are a result of the kibbles or dry dog food. There is not enough oil in the food by itself. See the note under ‘Whole Food Diet’.
