Golden Retriever - #3 Favorite Breed

The Golden Retriever is one of the most popular dog breeds in the U.S. The breed's friendly, tolerant attitude makes him a fabulous family pet, and his intelligence makes him a highly capable working dog. Golden Retrievers excel at retrieving game for hunters, tracking, sniffing out drugs, and as therapy and assistance dogs. They're also natural athletes, and do well in dog sports such as agility and competitive obedience. It's no surprise that the Golden Retriever is one of the top ten most popular dogs in the U.S. It's all good with the Golden: he's highly intelligent, sociable, beautiful, and loyal. He's also lively. The Golden is slow to mature and retains the silly, playful personality of a puppy until three to four years of age, which can be both delightful and annoying. Many keep their puppyish traits into old age. Originally bred for the physically demanding job of retrieving ducks and other fowl for hunters, the Golden needs daily exercise: a walk or jog, free time in the yard, a run at the beach or lake (Goldens love water), or a game of fetch. And like other intelligent breeds who were bred to work, they need to have a job to do, such as retrieving the paper, waking up family members, or competing in dog sports. A tired Golden is a well-behaved Golden. As well as giving your Golden Retriever physical and mental exercise, you should also be prepared to include him in your family activities. The Golden Retriever is a family dog, and he needs to be with his "pack." Don't consider getting a Golden unless you're willing to have him in the house with you, underfoot, every day. There's one other potential drawback to the breed: He's definitely not a watchdog. He might bark when strangers come around, but don't count on it. Most likely, he'll wag his tail and flash that characteristic Golden smile. 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. A sweet, calm nature is the hallmark of the breed. The Golden was bred to work with people, and is eager to please his owner. Though hard-wired with a good disposition, like all dogs the Golden must be well-raised and well-trained to make the most of his heritage. Like every dog, the Golden needs early socialization — exposure to many different people, sights, sounds, and experiences — when they're young. Socialization helps ensure that your Golden puppy grows up to be a well-rounded dog.