Golden Pets - Golden Retrievers

The Golden Retriever is a wonderful dog for a family to own. It has terrific qualities, like being people-friendly, having a great sense of smell (leading to its being used as a narcotics-sniffing dog for law enforcement), hunting ability, confidence and a strong sense of loyalty. They became a breed as a mix of several sporting breeds plus some bloodhound.

Originally, a Scotsman named Sir Dudley Majoribanks experimented by crossing a Retriever that had a wavy coat with a Tweed Water Spaniel that was yellow. The offspring from them were then crossed with an Irish Setter and a Bloodhound that was sandy-colored. The result from this mixing was the Golden Retriever, as we know it today. The breed was officially recognized in Great Britain in 1913. It is now one of the most popular breeds of dog around the world. Families enjoy their good qualities, and they are also used in many other ways because of their tracking ability and great sense of smell.

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.

They do have a lot of energy, but that energy must be guided, as Golden Retrievers will get into mischief if they are left alone for too long or if they don’t get enough exercise. If they are trained while young, however, they can be taught to be gentle with people and to signal the approach of a stranger. They also love to swim and can be taught to do many tricks to please their humans.

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. Your dog will also need to be getting enough attention from you, as they are very social animals and need the positive attention when they do things that you want them to do. Be sure to give your dog plenty of love.
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Carol Matthews has owned several Golden Retrievers because of a love for their wonderful qualities, and enjoys educating others about the breed. The Golden Retriever makes a wonderful family pet and is eager to please their owners. They are easily trained to fetch, hunt, track, and rescue and also they are in use as guide dogs. Anyone seeking Golden Retriever information can find that in this article.