Personality
Description
The Golden Retriever is divided into two groups, primarily based
on their appearance. One group is the English or European Golden.
They are shorter, bigger-boned, and tend to have longer coats that
are light in color from light creme to gold. The other American
group tends to be lanky with longer limbs and colored in shades
of gold to brown.
Both the European and American Goldens have wide muzzles, brown expressive eyes and a black nose. As they mature, their chests become broad and their bodies become muscular. Their tails are always wagging.
Generally, a Golden Retriever is filled with confidence and that comes through by the way they carry themselves. They appear strong and athletic, and their body is symmetrical. Their peaceful attitude and affectionate personalities are apparent in their posture and in the way they interact with their humans.
Temperament
Outgoing and social, the Golden Retriever makes a loyal family pet. Their sweet dispositions make them patient and gentle with children and they are generally tolerant of other pets. It is important to remember that they are excitable as pups. These dogs are people lovers who prefer to have as much human contact as possible. Being forced from their family members for long periods can result in a very unhappy Golden Retriever that could suffer from separation anxiety. Golden Retrievers do not make the best of guard dogs. They will bark at strangers, but seem to be more interested in meeting and making friends with them than they are defending their family against them. They are affectionate, loving and loyal, and try hard to please their people.
Golden Retrievers have a high energy level. These fun loving dogs enjoy nothing more than to play fetch or retrieve a stick during play, and their love for water makes for not only interesting play, but also plays a part in their strong hunting skills.
See videos below.
Training
Their high level of intelligence enables them to excel in obedience training. Retrievers have been trained to work with Police to locate drugs, excel in agility training and enjoy learning how to perform tricks. They are often trained and used as service dogs to the blind and disabled. Their friendly and affectionate personalities also make them ideal visitors for retirement homes and allow them to be effective therapy dogs. They can uplift the sick, entertain the aging and motivate children to read.
Sit. Stay. Read.
Abigail is a Golden Retriever service dog who can understand written words. October 22, 2009, FOX News. View the video here.
Training
Golden Retrievers are known for being an easy breed to train. They are excited to learn, eager to please, and their high intelligence allows them to learn behaviors and tricks quickly.
Golden are easy to train to do jobs. Golden Retrievers have been trained to work with Police to locate drugs, excel in agility training and enjoy learning how to perform tricks. Golden Retrievers are popular candidates for training to become aid dogs. Their quick minds make them ideal for guiding the blind, and the training for this job begins when they are puppies.
Coat Description
The Golden Retriever has a double coat. The outer coat is soft, feathery, and can be straight or wavy. The undercoat allows the Golden to repel water and stay warm in extreme cold, and then will shed throughout the year, but more in the spring. This gives the Golden Retriever coat a versatile quality, since the coat allows for the Golden to be comfortable in virtually any season of the year. Shedding can be managed by putting some time aside throughout the week to keep up on grooming, and if your dog is likely to spend the majority of it's time indoors, it may be a good idea to invest in a good vacuum cleaner to clean up any hair missed in your grooming routine.
