Golden Retrievers Originally Bred As Hunting Dogs
Golden Retrievers Were Originally Bred As A Hunting Dog
Golden retrievers were originally bred to be great hunting dogs. They are very powerful, and active. They have a personality that is eager, alert, and very self-confident.
They make wonderful house pets, fitting into most any family lifestyle. They prefer people’s company the most, but will adapt to a kennel environment.
Height: These are strong dogs, standing about 23-24 inches at the shoulders.
Weight: These dogs weigh about 65-75 pounds. Females tend to be smaller than the males.
Life Span: Golden retrievers average life span is 10-12 years, but there have been reports of some living as long as 16 years.
The golden retriever will adapt to just about any living conditions, provided they are well exercised on a daily basis.
If they do not have a yard to run in, or they are not taken for a walk daily, they tend to get into mischief around the house, and they will put on weight quickly unless their diet is closely controlled.
One of the best features of the Golden Retriever is their long dense coat, for which the breed got their name. The outer coat is coarse and resilient. It repels water and allows the dog to swim in cold water.
The coat may be either straight or wavy. Natural ruff around the neck, feathering on the chest, tail, under side and back of the thighs is preferable. On the head, paws, and front of the legs, the hair is even and short.
The golden retrievers coat color should be lustrous, rich golden of any shade, from pale cream to dark yellow. Feathering may be lighter than the rest of the coat.
Puppies are usually lighter than adults, but the color will deepen with maturity. The nose should always be black or brown.
These dogs give an overall appearance of balance and speed. Their body is well balanced. The chest is broad. The neck is long and muscular. The head is rather broad with a wide and powerful muzzle.
The Golden Retriever is a very intelligent dog, that can be trained for a variety of tasks. They make great hunting dogs in the field and are very popular with waterfowl hunters.
They are also popular with law enforcement for detecting illegal drugs because of their keen sense of smell, and are also popular to help the handicapped, as seeing eye dogs, and several other duties.
