Golden Retriever

Size Large
Grooming Heavy
Playfulness Low
For kids Medium
Affection Medium
Other pets High
Exercise Medium
Life span Average

About
Stats
Care & Health
History

The Golden Retriever is well known for its lustrous, golden coat of a medium length. The Goldie is a friendly and lively dog, and this shows on their happy face. They are graceful in their movement, able to cover the ground with long and powerful strides.

Other Names

Goldens, Goldie

Country of Origin

Great Britain

Colour

Cream or gold, sometimes there are darker reds and browns.

Size

Large

Height / Weight

Height at withers 56 - 61cms; bitches 51 - 56cms. Weight (Males) 30 - 34kgs and bitches 27 - 32kgs.

Health

Potential ailments include bone, eye and hip problems as well as bleeding, seizure and cancer.

Life Span

Apx 12 years

Intelligence

Golden Retrievers are sensitive and intelligent dogs who bond strongly with their family. They are great at fieldwork, shows, obedience, companionship and assisting the elderly or disabled. If you don't treat them with respect and care you can greatly damage their trust and natures.

Exercise

Medium

Suitability (Children)

Medium

Feeding

The Goldie is an easy dog to feed, they are not fussy or prone to stomach upsets. However Golden Retriever's can be a greedy breed and care must be given to ensure owners guard against excessive feeding to keep their pup healthy.

Feeding Cost

$15-$20 p/w

Other Cost

These dogs are relatively inexpensive to keep as they do not require any food additives on a regular basis. Good trimming scissors are a sound investment but with proper care will last a good few years.

Excercise

An adult Golden Retriever needs a large amount of exercise to keep them healthy and in shape. As a puppy they grow fast and you should be careful not to over exercise them as this can put a lot of stress on growing bones and joints, causing issues in later life.

Ailments

Potential ailments include bone, eye and hip problems as well as bleeding, seizure and cancer.

Hair Shed

Heavy

Grooming

The Goldie has a thick and dense coat which needs regular trimming and grooming. The undercoat of the Golden is water repellant and so thick it can become matted and cause suffering to your pet. The feathering on the legs, chest, belly, tail and between the toes of the Golden Retriever will need regular trimming to keep it in control. The top coat will only require some brushing to maintain it and any dirt or mud it accumulates can be easily cleaned when it dries.

Grooming Frequency

Few times a week

Trimming

Frequent

The Golden Retriever owes its development to Lord Tweedmouth in the latter half of the 19th Century. He took detailed records after originally getting a yellow coloured retriever and liking the colour so much he bred it with an English retriever with a curly coat and liver colour. Over 20 years the Labrador retriever, Red Setter and even a Bloodhound were added to create the Golden Retriever. In 1908 the new breed was registered and shown as the 'Golden Flat-coat' though by 1920 they were registered and shown as the Golden Retriever we know and love today!