The Golden Retrievers is a specific breed of dog that belongs to the sporting group of dog breeds. They are a mid-sized dog, with a friendly and eager to please personality. They love being around people, and are easily trained. There are specific things that qualify a dog to be up to the standard according to the American Kennel Club. These items fall under the categories of general appearance, size, proportion, substance; head, neck, topline, body, forequarters, hindquarters, coat, color, gait and temperament. Under each of these, there are very specific ideals, descriptions of traits that define what the perfect Golden Retriever looks like.
There is also a criterion by which a dog is considered disqualified. For Golden Retrievers, there are two disqualifiers. First, the Golden Retriever will be disqualified if the height is more than one inch from the standard, either too high or too short. The second item is if there is an undershot or overshot bite. Other than these two items, there are no automatic disqualifiers.
The American Kennel Club has specific standards for dogs to meet the category of the perfect dog. For specific information, one should consult the AKC website. Some of the things included in the standard are that the eyes should be dark brown, but medium brown is considered okay. They should have a lot of expression in them, and be friendly and intelligent looking. They should have short ears, where when pulled forward the tip of the ear just covers the eye.
The coat of the Golden Retriever should be smooth and rich. There are various golden shades that are acceptable, but the mid-gold range is best, avoiding the lightest and darkest. The fur should be dense and water-repellant. The fur should lie close to the body, and can be wavy or smooth. The natural look of the coat should be left, and it should not be cut or clipped unnecessarily, though it is appropriate to trip the feet and some stray hairs.
The American Kennel Club has set out the specifics of the Golden Retriever standards. All breeders are aware of the standards and should be selling dogs that meet these standards. All Golden Retrievers that do meet the AKC standards will have some things in common. They will be active, alert dogs that stay involved in the world around them. As typical of a hunting dog, they will be hard workers, and not content to just lie around. They will be muscular, friendly, and love to interact with people. The coat will be a beautiful mid-gold color, with a firm and resilient outer coat, either straight or wavy. The tail will be held proudly, and the eyes will be intelligent and friendly. A dog that meets the Golden Retriever standard will be a dog that anyone could be proud to own and show. To get the specifics of the American Kennel Club Golden Retriever Standards, one should check the AKC website.
The standard for Golden Retriever is laid out in specifics by the American Kennel Club, and can be found at the AKC website. The criteria include things such as how muscular the body is and how well the trot is coordinated. Those who want Golden Retriever information about the AKC standard can find it in this article.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Golden Retrievers Make Great Pets
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.
Golden Retrievers are best if they have a mid-gold coloring and haven’t got any white patches on their fur. They love to be around people. In fact, in order to be happy and not get into mischief, Golden Retrievers need a lot of exercise and human attention.
All that energy can be guided, thankfully, through obedience training, particularly while they are young. Golden Retrievers can be trained to be good watchdogs, barking to signify that a stranger is near. They love to swim, and can be trained to hunt, track, and find narcotics, so they are often used by law enforcement for those purposes. They are also used as rescue dogs. Being highly trainable and sociable dogs, many are trained to be guide dogs. They are also fun to have as a family pet, because they love to please their owners and can do that by being obedient to their training and by performing tricks.
Golden Retrievers can make excellent family pets, as long as certain things are kept in mind. First of all, they need to be obedience trained, starting as a puppy. This is important so that they learn what is acceptable behavior and what isn’t, such as jumping up onto furniture and people, and coming when called. It is much easier to teach them the right behavior from the beginning than to get them to unlearn a bad habit. The owner also needs to remember that their dog will need plenty of exercise. Without exercise, the dog is likely to be bored and will be more destructive, digging holes or hurting furniture. The dog will also need attention from its humans, as it is a highly social animal and is eager to please. Be sure your dog knows you love it, and give it plenty of positive attention when it does behavior you like.
The Golden Retriever is a great family dog, though its natural abilities also lend them to use in law enforcement and as guide dogs for the disabled. They are good at swimming, hunting, tracking, rescue and they are easily trained and love to be with people and other dogs. Anyone seeking Golden Retriever information can find that in this article.
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.
Golden Retrievers are best if they have a mid-gold coloring and haven’t got any white patches on their fur. They love to be around people. In fact, in order to be happy and not get into mischief, Golden Retrievers need a lot of exercise and human attention.
All that energy can be guided, thankfully, through obedience training, particularly while they are young. Golden Retrievers can be trained to be good watchdogs, barking to signify that a stranger is near. They love to swim, and can be trained to hunt, track, and find narcotics, so they are often used by law enforcement for those purposes. They are also used as rescue dogs. Being highly trainable and sociable dogs, many are trained to be guide dogs. They are also fun to have as a family pet, because they love to please their owners and can do that by being obedient to their training and by performing tricks.
Golden Retrievers can make excellent family pets, as long as certain things are kept in mind. First of all, they need to be obedience trained, starting as a puppy. This is important so that they learn what is acceptable behavior and what isn’t, such as jumping up onto furniture and people, and coming when called. It is much easier to teach them the right behavior from the beginning than to get them to unlearn a bad habit. The owner also needs to remember that their dog will need plenty of exercise. Without exercise, the dog is likely to be bored and will be more destructive, digging holes or hurting furniture. The dog will also need attention from its humans, as it is a highly social animal and is eager to please. Be sure your dog knows you love it, and give it plenty of positive attention when it does behavior you like.
The Golden Retriever is a great family dog, though its natural abilities also lend them to use in law enforcement and as guide dogs for the disabled. They are good at swimming, hunting, tracking, rescue and they are easily trained and love to be with people and other dogs. Anyone seeking Golden Retriever information can find that in this article.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
All About The Personalities Of Golden Retrievers
Best selling author Lisa Scottoline has four Golden Retrievers and one Welsh Corgi. She writes about them like this, "When you have a house full of Goldens, you think to yourself, You know, we need a dog". And which dog causes all the trouble in her home? The Corgi. Which dog literally ate part of her finger? The Corgi. Which dog is on doggy Prozac? The Corgi.
This shows the big contrast between Golden Retriever temperaments and the temperaments of most other dog breeds. Although every dog is an individual, for the most part Golden Retrievers are calm, trainable and submissive. However, they need proper nutrition, grooming and exercise to get this good-natured and stay this good-natured. Golden Retrievers aren't the perfect dogs, but for many they are worth their weight in gold for their personalities. If you are ever saddled with a Golden Retriever, you could do a lot worse.
There are some negatives to living with Golden Retrievers that you should prepare yourself for. These will be mild for some people and calamities for others. Golden Retrievers need daily grooming, or they get matted. They shed more than other breeds. It has been said they have more of a doggy odor than other breeds. They also were bred to be Retrievers (hence the name), which means they have a compulsion to pick things up in their mouths and carry them to your home. This can mean they find a big dead rat and carry in into your living room, fully expecting to be showered with praise.
Golden Retrievers, because of their popularity, have been victims of their own success. Some unscrupulous breeders more concerned about how many puppies they can sell as opposed to how healthy the puppies are have over bred them. There is an effort of Golden Retriever breeders to try and reverse health problems that can be passed on through genes. Just to be on the safe side, expect your Golden Retriever to have skin problems, hip dysplasia, eye problems and heart problems.
You can also help sweeten a Golden Retriever's naturally sweet disposition by getting your dog spayed or neutered. This helps reduce your dog's chances of getting in fights, wandering off to find a mate or getting cancers of the reproductive organs. Golden Retrievers also become more interested in paying attention to you instead of their hormones. Still, even a mature Golden Retriever usually does not make a good guard dog, as they want to make friends with everyone.
You also cannot skimp on regular veterinary care. Golden Retrievers are prone to eye diseases, although they can adjust well to being blind. They are also prone to hip dysplasia, but that can be partially prevented and often successfully treated. Golden Retrievers tend to even like their vets and do not stress out as much as other breeds at the thought of going to the vet's or a groomer. They also are very good about taking pills, because they love food. Just slip the pill in food.
Carol Matthews has interviewed many owners, vets and trainers about Golden Retrievers. A Golden Retriever also like to serve as a seeing eye dog or rescue dog. You can find lots of Golden Retriever information on the AKC website.
This shows the big contrast between Golden Retriever temperaments and the temperaments of most other dog breeds. Although every dog is an individual, for the most part Golden Retrievers are calm, trainable and submissive. However, they need proper nutrition, grooming and exercise to get this good-natured and stay this good-natured. Golden Retrievers aren't the perfect dogs, but for many they are worth their weight in gold for their personalities. If you are ever saddled with a Golden Retriever, you could do a lot worse.
There are some negatives to living with Golden Retrievers that you should prepare yourself for. These will be mild for some people and calamities for others. Golden Retrievers need daily grooming, or they get matted. They shed more than other breeds. It has been said they have more of a doggy odor than other breeds. They also were bred to be Retrievers (hence the name), which means they have a compulsion to pick things up in their mouths and carry them to your home. This can mean they find a big dead rat and carry in into your living room, fully expecting to be showered with praise.
Golden Retrievers, because of their popularity, have been victims of their own success. Some unscrupulous breeders more concerned about how many puppies they can sell as opposed to how healthy the puppies are have over bred them. There is an effort of Golden Retriever breeders to try and reverse health problems that can be passed on through genes. Just to be on the safe side, expect your Golden Retriever to have skin problems, hip dysplasia, eye problems and heart problems.
You can also help sweeten a Golden Retriever's naturally sweet disposition by getting your dog spayed or neutered. This helps reduce your dog's chances of getting in fights, wandering off to find a mate or getting cancers of the reproductive organs. Golden Retrievers also become more interested in paying attention to you instead of their hormones. Still, even a mature Golden Retriever usually does not make a good guard dog, as they want to make friends with everyone.
You also cannot skimp on regular veterinary care. Golden Retrievers are prone to eye diseases, although they can adjust well to being blind. They are also prone to hip dysplasia, but that can be partially prevented and often successfully treated. Golden Retrievers tend to even like their vets and do not stress out as much as other breeds at the thought of going to the vet's or a groomer. They also are very good about taking pills, because they love food. Just slip the pill in food.
Carol Matthews has interviewed many owners, vets and trainers about Golden Retrievers. A Golden Retriever also like to serve as a seeing eye dog or rescue dog. You can find lots of Golden Retriever information on the AKC website.
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