Golden Retriever: A Puppy You’ll Forever Love

July 3, 2023

Intelligent, kind, and trustworthy, the Golden Retriever has been one of the most popular dog breeds for over 100 years! 

This Scottish breed became a household favorite in the 1920s, though it was originally bred to assist hunters in Scotland during the early 1800s. 

Back then, Golden Retrievers literally retrieved game for their hunter-owners. Today, Golden Retrievers are known as one of the gentlest and smartest dog breeds, which has earned them important positions of service, such as being trained and certified Service Dogs to the blind and disabled. 

Golden Retrievers have big hearts, excellent instincts, and are intelligent enough to handle complex tasks. Read on to learn everything there is to love about Golden Retrievers!

PERSONALITY & CHARACTER

Only one word is needed to sum up the personality and integral character of the Golden Retriever—devoted. Belonging to the sporting dog category of breeds, the Golden Retriever is an enthusiastic, high-energy dog who knows when to calm down and how to soothe the anxiety of people and other pets. For this reason, Golden Retrievers are considered highly intuitive. They get along excellently with children of all ages, as well as other dogs and household pets. This breed is also highly affectionate, and is happiest when by-the-side of his beloved owner and family!

APPEARANCE

Golden Retrievers are medium-sized dogs. The females are slightly smaller than the males, who stand at 22 – 24 inches tall, paw to shoulder. This breed comes in three slightly different shades, light golden, golden, and dark golden, which can appear slightly red. They have a “double coat” and their fur length is medium. This means that a good bath must happen at least once a month and brushing should be regular. If your Goldie spends most of his time outside, you’ll notice he’ll get a bit stinky if he’s not regularly bathed. This dog breed is known to shed year-round, yet the summer months are the heaviest shedding times. Some first-time Golden Retriever owners are surprised to discover their dogs drool. Goldies aren’t known for drooling, but it does happen. 

TRAINABILITY

Thanks to their intelligence and the hunting and retrieving skills that are deeply ingrained in their doggie DNA, Golden Retrievers are extremely eager to learn and easy to train. Their natural instinct is to please their owners, which they place at a higher importance than indulging their own whims and wishes. A well-trained Golden Retriever will watch and guard his owner’s delicious, steaming plate of dinner, and it will never even cross the Goldie’s mind to steal a bite. 

A HEROIC DOG BREED

Golden Retrievers will only bark when it’s absolutely necessary to alert their owners and families to a danger, which is great news for apartment dwellers who don’t want to worry that their at-home-alone dog will bark and bother the neighbors for no reason. 

That being said, Golden Retrievers do not always make the best watch dogs. When out and about with their owners, they regard everyone as a friend, even strangers. When home alone, they’ll certainly bark at an intruder and attempt to intimidate the intruder enough to leave, but they won’t fight unless provoked and there’s no other option. If that becomes the case, Golden Retrievers are truly loyal dogs and will fight to the death to protect their humans. In fact, Golden Retrievers have been known to fight off bears, sometimes to the death, in order to protect their family during camping and other outdoor trips.

ENERGY LEVEL

Golden Retrievers have a ton of energy as puppies… a ton. Have you ever tried to catch lightning in a bottle? Well, God did when he created the Golden Retriever. With age, your Golden Retriever will calm down and mellow out, but only if you provide him with adequate outdoor exercise every day. This hunting dog breed needs a good hour of sprinting around. A simple game of fetch with a tennis ball or frisbee that you can really throw far will do the trick.

This devoted dog breed also requires daily mental stimulation, a type of mental exercise, in order to remain naturally calm throughout the day. You can satisfy your Golden Retriever’s need for mental stimulation by teaching him complex tasks, like fetching something for you from another room in your house, and then have him perform this task for you daily. Getting a puppy puzzle or dog puzzle for your Goldie is also a great way to keep him mentally fit. These puzzles are fun and your dog can do them all by himself. 

SHOULD YOU GET A GOLDIE?

The answer is yes! Whether you live alone or have a large family, the Golden Retriever is one of the best breeds. When you have a Goldie as part of your family, you can count on a lot of love, affection, and adventures! If you’re near one of our Petland Miami locations, we invite you to come in and meet our Golden Retrievers. We dare you not to fall in love with these adorable, loyal breed!  

✓ This article has been reviewed by Petland Miami’s expert team to ensure accuracy and reliable pet care guidance.