Golden Retriever

The Golden Retriever is a confident, smart, kind, and loyal dog. Neither aggressive nor timid, the Golden Retriever is extremely patient, which makes them a perfect match for kids.

While the breed does need a lot of exercise, they love of play (retrieving games are their favorite—for example, your Golden might love playing with dog flyer disc toys), which makes this an easy goal to achieve. You’ll often find that the fun-loving Golden Retriever is affectionate and obedient, as well, meaning your kids will fall in love instantly. Proper care for their glorious golden coats requires twice weekly brushing, and while the breed is adapted to live outdoors, they’d really prefer to be indoors, with their humans, most of the time.

Highlights

• Golden Retrievers shed profusely, especially in the spring and fall. Daily brushing will get some of the loose hair out of the coat, keeping it from settling on your clothing and all over your house. But if you live with a Golden, you'll have to get used to dog hair.
• Golden Retrievers are family dogs; they need to live indoors with their human "pack," and shouldn't spend hours alone in the backyard.
• Golden Retrievers are active dogs who need 40-60 minutes of hard exercise daily. They thrive on obedience training, agility classes, and other canine activities, which are a great way to give your dog physical and mental exercise.
• Although they're gentle and trustworthy with kids, Golden Retrievers are boisterous, large dogs that can accidentally knock over a small child.
• Goldens love to eat, and will quickly become overweight if overfed. Limit treats, measure out your dog's daily kibble, and feed him in regular meals rather than leaving food out all the time.
• Because the Golden Retriever is so popular, there are many people breeding Goldens who care more about making money out of the demand for puppies than in breeding happy, healthy dogs. To get a healthy dog, never buy a puppy from an irresponsible breeder, puppy mill, or pet store. Look for a reputable breeder who tests her breeding dogs to make sure they're free of genetic diseases that they might pass onto the puppies, and that they have sound temperaments.

Vital Stats