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.