Many families consider getting a Golden Retriever for a family pet. This is understandable, considering the affable personality of the Golden Retriever. Golden retrievers are very people-friendly and great with children, which makes for a terrific family pet. The Golden Retriever was specifically bred for the qualities it has ? agility, hunting skill, confident, love of people, eager to please, loyal, strong sense of smell and tracking ability. It is a mix of various sporting breeds, along with some bloodhound to sharpen its sense of smell.
Though the breed was first begun in the 1800's, it was officially recognized as a breed in Great Britain in 1913, after an exciting history. Sir Dudley Majoribanks, who was from Scotland, created the mix from a variety of sporting breeds and adding in some bloodhound to increase its sense of smell.
He first crossed a wavy-coated Retriever with a yellow Tweed Water Spaniel. The offspring from that breeding was crossed with an Irish Setter and a sandy-colored Bloodhound. Eventually, we got the Golden Retriever as it is today. The Golden Retriever has been gaining in popularity all over the world, which is not surprising, given the people-friendly qualities they possess.
Best if they are a mid-gold color with no white patches, the Golden Retriever is a mid-size, well-proportioned dog. They learn easily, especially when young, and it is best to obedience train them from when they are puppies rather than try to fix bad habits once they are older. They can be highly trained, however, and that makes them very useful for law enforcement, with tracking or finding narcotics, but also very useful as guide dogs for the disabled. They are also being used more as a rescue dog.
Golden Retrievers can be easy to train, as long as it is begun when they are still young, as bad habits can be hard to extinguish. As puppies, they are very playful, and it is important to teach them to be gentle and not too rough, as well as where they are allowed to be in the house.
Golden Retrievers make great pets. If you are going to have a Golden Retriever for a pet, you need to remember a few things. First, have your puppy obedience trained, so that it learns good behaviors instead of having to try to get rid of the bad habits later.
A few of the things you will want your puppy to learn is to come when called, to not bark incessantly, and yet to let you know if a stranger is approaching. Also, remember that your dog will need regular exercise, preferably by going for a walk and seeing new sights outside. Dogs that get exercised don't get into as much mischief.
The exercise will help their pet stay actively stimulated by its environment, so that it doesn't exhibit boredom behavior, like digging holes and ruining furniture. The Golden Retriever also needs positive attention. As a breed, they are typically eager to please, and love to get accolades from their owners. They can be taught to do tricks fairly easily, which their owner can enjoy and encourage, along with encouraging other positive behaviors.
About the Author:
Carol Matthews is a passionate lover of the Golden Retriever and owns a popular website that can teach you how to have a happy, healthy and well behaved Golden Retriever
. Among other topics there, you can also learn all about Golden Retriever FAQ
plus a whole lot more.
