The Golden Retriever
The Golden Retriever was originally evolved as a gundog by Lord Tweedmouth in Scotland and the Borders for retrieving shot game on land and water.
Today the Golden Retriever's origins made it an ideal choice as a gundog and with its' excellent temperament it makes a wonderful pet. It's biddable nature has made it a favourite for being trained as Assistance Dogs.
The Golden Retriever has an average lifespan of 12 - 14 years. Dogs should measure 22-24ins to the shoulder and bitches 20-22ins. Their loving temperament makes an ideal family pet that is easy to train. There is no great difference between the sexes and both make ideal companions. Dogs are as easy to train as bitches and are in some cases easier because there are no 'hormonal' ups and downs.
The most identifiable thing about the Golden Retriever is its coat which can be any shade of gold or cream. The main down fall of the coat is that dogs will lose it once a year and bitches after each season. This hair can seem to get everywhere and so if you are houseproud this may not be the ideal dog for you, especially as they love water and mud as well. Golden Retrievers thrive in human company and so should not be left for long periods alone. They will be better living in the house and may not take to kennels.
When buying a puppy check that the parents of the puppy has had its Hips Scored and has a current clear Eye Certificate and you may be given copies of both in your puppy information pack. Hips are scored once in the dogs life. The average at the present time is a total of 20. Each hip can score between 0-53, the lower the score the better. Eyes are tested annually and should be clear from all hereditary diseases. Some dogs will have had their Elbows scored as well. The score is from 0-3, with 0 being the best. Hips scores and Eye Certificates should be the minimum requirements for a healthy puppy, although temperament is the most important. You can have dogs with 0:0 hips and Clear eyes but if it has not got the wonderful loving temperament then it is not a good specimin of the Golden Retriever.
With hip problems, even with the best scoring parents other factors can affect the puppy. If you keep a puppy overweight or over exercise it in its first year it can affect the hips and elbows as the bones are still supple and will not tolerate too much fast and uneven exercise. Puppies should not be allowed to run up and down stairs, jump on and off furniture and in and out of vehicles. The more attention you pay to these things the better your puppy will be long term.
Responsible breeders will always offer full 'After Sales Service'. This should include continuing advice and information and the offer to take the dog back should your circumstances change. Most of these breeders will belong to one of the Breed Clubs and will have lots of friends who also breed these lovely dogs and take care to keep up to date with new information and exchange ideas and knowledge with others. This means that you are not only getting the knowledge of your own breeder but the hundreds of others they meet and talk with. They will provide you with information about the puppy, a diet sheet, worming information, a pedigree and the Kennel Club Registration Form which you will need to transfer into your own name. You can insure your puppy through the kennel club or with lots of other companies and your breeder may well insure your puppy for when it leaves them.
If you are not looking for a puppy, breeders sometimes will know of older dogs looking for a new home, through no fault of their own, and all the breed clubs have a Rescue Service if you think you would like to offer one of these dogs a home.
I have lots of contacts and usually know where there are well bred puppies for sale. Any breeders I recommend to you will be able to offer you the service I offer my puppy owners - if they don't, let me know and I won't pass on anyone else. See my information page to see the information I give to new puppy owners.