Picture taken from www.dogbreedinfo.com
From the desk of Sharda Baker.
Hi and Welcome Everyone!
This is Sharda with another Golden Retriever newsletter!
Let’s start!
One of the most interesting aspects of different breeds of dogs is that they all have their own temperaments, personalities and attributes that make them more or less suitable for various families and lifestyles.
It is important to remember that each dog within a breed will also have different attributes of the breed to a greater or lesser extent, but that interacting with the parents of the puppy as well as talking to the breeder will usually help you in finding a dog that has just the temperament and behaviours that you are looking for.
The Golden Retriever is no different than any other breed; there will be variations between dogs with regards to the traits listed below.
Consider the following Golden Retriever pros and cons before deciding if this is the right dog for you and your family
High Energy
A Golden Retriever is considered a high energy dog that must have regular, frequent exercise in one form or another.
Thankfully, they are a very easy to work with dog that can be exercised through a moderately long game of fetch, a morning and evening walk, or a large yard to run and romp around in.
The Golden Retriever is more energetic while it is young, but even senior dogs will need regular exercise. This can be a terrific attribute if you are a walker, jogger or hiker – or if you have children that love to run and be active.
The Golden Retriever will naturally want to play and interact with the kids, providing exercise for both the children and the pet.
Highly Social
A Golden Retriever likes to be given attention by its family, and does not do well as a dog that is kept away from the family. They will become bored and despondent if kept in kennels or isolated from people.
Although the breed can stay outdoors in most weather conditions, they typically enjoy being indoors, at least in the evenings. The breed can do fine with a working family, provided there is adequate exercise and attention when the family gets home.
Slow to Mature
Although a Golden Retriever may be physically mature at approximately two years of age, they are not socially and behaviourally mature until about three.
This means that the “teenage” stage tends to last longer in this breed, resulting in a dog that is a bit clumsy, rambunctious and somewhat independent for a bit longer than with many of the breeds.
The Golden Retriever Dog is not a non-compliant breed, but will be slightly more challenging throughout their puppy stage. The benefit to a slower maturing breed is they maintain their puppy enthusiasm and charm much longer than other breeds that mature faster.
Need for Space
The Golden Retriever needs space for living, as well as for exercising. They are not an active dog in the house, provided they are properly exercised on a regular basis, but they still need a larger living space than a small breed.
Often the Golden Retriever will prefer a sleeping area close to people, and given the opportunity they would love to sleep up on a comfortable bed, preferably with the owners.
This can make them a terrific companion pet for kids, provided they are properly socialized and trained.
Watchdogs But Not Guard Dogs
The Golden Retriever will bark when strangers or strange animals approach, but overall the breed is not aggressive or territorial, and will not be effective as a guard dog.
Most Golden Retrievers will bark once or twice, then wag their tail and happily welcome the new person in. They may be more possessive and protective if there are children present, but they are not considered a natural guard dog that will actively protect property.
Quick to Learn
The Golden Retriever is a very intelligent breed that is quick to learn new tricks and routines. Unfortunately, this also means they will quickly learn bad habits as well.
They need to be consistently and positively trained, to ensure that they are a well socialized and well behaved dog.
It is much easier to teach them the right skills first, rather than having to correctively teach for bad habits that have developed.
Each of these attributes is both a positive and a negative, depending on how your household or family interacts with a dog. The breed is considered an excellent first dog because it is so gentle, obedient and has such a wonderful personality.
As with all breeds, start working with the puppy as soon as possible, and consider a puppy obedience and socialization class to get both you and the Golden Retriever off to the best possible start.
That’s it for today.
Hope you learned something.
I’ll be back for more about Golden Retrievers.
Until then!
All the best and take care
Warmly,
Sharda Baker