Characteristics Of The Golden Retriever

Almost all breeds of dogs are group oriented, as they need to interact with other species of their group to remain secure. Golden Retrievers, in particular, have been bred over the years to be geared more towards people. They make great guide dogs for the blind, friends for younger children, and even assistants for those who love to hunt. Due to the way they have been bred, they need to interact with people on a frequent basis.

They are merciful dogs at heart, and will tolerate several mistakes from you all the while wanting nothing more than you to acknowledge the fact that they are there and pat them on the head. Further proving that Golden Retrievers aim to please, is the fact that they were the first three dogs to obtain the Obedience Trial Championships – which is quite a statement indeed.

With Goldens being so people oriented, its very important that they live with their owners. When you do any type of family activity, you should make sure that your Golden is included. Even though they dont normally bark a lot, they will start barking if they get bored. Once a Golden Retriever is fully grown and becomes stout, he will enjoy many types of activities such as hiking, walking, hunting, jogging, and many other types of physical activity.

If you start your Golden Retriever puppy out early with exposure to kids, he will grow to become better than ever will kids. Although they can be very friendly around young kids, they can still knock them over or tend to want to lick them in the face. No matter how great your Golden Retriever may be around kids, youll never want to leave your dog and your kids alone. Even though Goldens have a great temperament, a child can accidentally poke him or pull his tail and cause him to retaliate via his natural instinct.

All Golden Retrievers love the water, and choose to get wet any chance they get. If you have a pond or other source of water on your land, you can expect your Golden Retriever to get into it whenever he gets the chance. They are also drawn to mud, and will get themselves dirty on a frequent basis. Once your Golden is full grown, you can count on bathing him every couple of days.

During the summer, youll need to make sure that your Golden Retriever has plenty of moving air, shade, and water. They like the heat, although it normally isnt good for them. As long as you take care of your Golden and dont let him over exert himself, he should be just fine even in the hottest days that summer can dish out.

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Jan 21, 2010 | 0 | Golden Retriever

Buying A Golden Puppy

We all know that Golden Retrievers are beautiful, obedient, and make great family pets and hunting dogs. Goldens also make great guide dogs for the blind, narcotic detection dogs, and even tracking dogs for finding missing people. Although there are many other dog breeds out there, Golden Retrievers remain one of the most versatile and most astonishing breeds that you can get.

Before you rush out and buy a Golden Retriever puppy, you should first take the time to learn a bit more about the breed. You can attend dog shows, meet with various owners of Golden Retrievers, and even go to your local kennel club. Most people who own Golden Retrievers are extremely proud of them and will be more than happy to share their enthusiasm with you.

When you buy youre Golden Retriever puppy, its always a great idea to buy from a backyard breeder or local puppy mill. Backyard breeders are normally the best way to get a Golden puppy, as they know and care a lot about the breed in general. Although you can always go to a reputable breeder, backyard breeders arent just in it for the money – they actually care about their dogs and want you to get the best Golden possible.

You can also visit the Golden Retriever Club of America and their local member clubs, as they can supply you with a list of breeders in your area. If these breeders dont have any Goldens for sale themselves, they will be more than willing to help you find what youre looking for. This way, you can get a Golden from a very reliable source.

Whatever you do, you should never rush into buying a Golden Retriever. You should always take your time, and have a little bit of patience. When you buy your puppy, you want a healthy puppy who will grow up to be a fine testament of the breed. By taking your time and making a careful decision, you can save yourself a lot of time and money later on down the road.

Golden puppies that are poor quality, are normally produced by breeders who just want to have a litter or breeders who are just looking for the profits and care very little about giving thoughts to looks, quality, or temperament. If you buy a puppy from either of these breeders, youll more than likely end up with a puppy who has poor health, poor temperaments, and even disqualifications in breed.

When you get your puppy, you should always think long term. Only buy from a quality breeder, and you shouldnt have anything to worry about. Always remember that you arent just buying a Golden Retriever puppy – you are buying a companion and a friend for life.

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Jan 01, 2010 | 0 | Golden Retriever

Breeding Golden Retrievers

For beginners, breeding Golden Retrievers is nearly impossible. Breeding can be very complicated, although it can be easy as well. You should never attempt to breed unless you know a lot about requirements for hobby breeders, as it is simply unfair to the breed if you have a litter of puppies that simply arent what they should be. People who look to buy Golden Retrievers only want top quality, which is why you shouldnt attempt to breed just have a puppies or make a few bucks.

Breeding Golden Retrievers is a very serious hobby, one that should be left to those who know how to make the right choices. There is a certain amount of cost and care involved with breeding, especially if breeders are going for a certain quality. There is also a lot of responsibility involved as well, which can take quite a bit of time to say the least.

Motivation for breeding
Breeding can help to fulfill the need of a Golden, although the dog still has no knowledge of it missing, no regrets, or no guilt towards living a life without having been breed. A pregnant Golden Retriever female doesnt gain anything in regards to health, as it instead causes problems. Golden females that have been spayed on the other hand, cannot be bred. If you have chosen to have your Golden spayed, always remember that she will be unable to breed.

When looking to breed, quality breeders will have a lot of choices in front of them. They will need to determine the pair, such as the mother and the father. To get the highest quality possible from the litter, the breeder will need to determine the traits of both dogs, temperaments, and how well they seem to react to one another. The breeder will also need to determine in either of the dogs have any type of health problems, to prevent any diseases or ailments from being passed on to the litter.

Sometimes, when breeding Golden Retrievers, the mother of the litter will prove to be unfit, which requires more work for the breeder. If the mother isnt doing her job of nurturing her young, the breeder will need to do it for her. This can be the most time consuming aspect of breeding, as the breeder will have to feed the young and make sure that they turn out as healthy as possible.

Aside from that, breeders also face quite a bit of costs as well. The prices for daily care, food, and vet bills can be very steep to say the least. When you crunch the numbers, youll quickly realize that breeders dont make much money at all when they sale. Most breeders do it for a hobby, not looking to make money. Quality breeders on the other hand arent concerned with money at all, as they are more concerned about the quality of their litters. Quality is better than quantity, as even the best breeders out there have problems selling puppies from time to time.

Although breeding is fun for hobby breeders, it is something you really shouldnt be doing if you dont have the experience. Although your Golden may get knocked up by a dog of a different breed without you knowing it, you should do your best to avoid it at all costs if you can. A pure bred Golden Retriever should be bred only with dogs of her breed, to help preserve the breed and keep their bloodline going. If you have thought about breeding in the past – you should really study long and hard before you actually make a reality of it.

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Dec 14, 2009 | 0 | Golden Retriever

Bedding For Your Golden

Bedding for your Golden Retriever is very important, as this is where he will be spending quite a bit of time – especially at night. The ideal bedding for your Golden should be a natural fiber, such as wool, as wool absorbs most moisture and will keep your companion warm. When you get your blanket, you can try thrift stores, as they arent very expensive. You dont want to buy an expensive blanket, for the fact that Golden Retrievers love to chew. They can chew or tear the blanket in no time at all, which would make an expensive blanket a waste of money.

When bringing your Golden puppy home, he may be a little upset having to leave his mom and the others of his litter. The scents and memories that he come to know and love are now being replaced with totally new ones. If you provide a towel for your Golden to sleep with, it may help to ease him a bit. Towels are a great way to remind Golden puppies of their mom and their litter, which will help them to sleep and relax.

If you are planning to have your Golden Retriever sleep with you, you should be ready to get up in the middle of the night and take him outside to use the bathroom. You should keep his food and water near his bedding at all times, so if he gets hungry or thirsty he can get what he needs. Then, you should planning on taking him out around an hour or so after he has eaten.

If you plan to leave your Golden Retriever outdoors, youll obviously need to use a different style of bedding. Doghouses are essential for Goldens who stay outdoors, as it helps to keep them warm and free of weather. Inside of the doghouse on the other hand, most people tend to use straw so the Golden can make a bed out of it. You can also use a blanket or quilt as well, so that your Golden can wrap himself up in it should he get cold.

You can also use wooden shavings as well, as most Goldens tend to like them. Newspapers work good as well, as they give your Golden something to lay on besides a wooden floor. Although doghouses work great for outdoor dogs, you should take your dog for walks on a daily basis and let him join you in activities that he finds enjoyable. This way, you can build a unique and lasting friendship with your pet. Golden Retrievers can quickly become the best friend you have ever had – as long as you take care of them. Making sure that have the proper bedding is a great place to start.

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Dec 11, 2009 | 0 | Golden Retriever

Adopting An Older Golden Retriever

Those of you who want a Golden Retriever but arent ready to go through the trials and tribulations of a puppy, should look into adopting an older Golden. Older Golden Retrievers are mature, and prove to be great in homes where they need to spend a quality amount of time by themselves. They are a very adjustable breed, being good tempered. No matter how old the Golden may be, he will quickly become a valued member of your family in little to no time at all.

Many times, breeders will have older dogs for sale. There are several reasons for this, which include show dogs that have lost their potential, studs that have been used for breeding, female Goldens that have been bred a few times then retired, or other types of special conditions where a breeder is helping a friend get rid of his Golden Retriever. There are other reasons as well, although whatever they may be – the adult Golden Retriever will be available for anyone who wants him.

Most older Golden Retrievers are already housebroken, and known a lot of behavior patterns and how to adapt to a new and loving family. Although it will be a little hard on your new dog at first, if you give him plenty of love, attention, and patience, hell be just fine. You need to keep reassuring your new Golden on a regular basis, and let him know that you are his new owner and that you love you and you are glad hes a member of your family.

If you have been thinking of adopting an older Golden Retriever, you should make sure that you learn everything you can about him. You should also determine his temperament, and whether or not its compatible with your family. You should also learn important things as well, such as his diet, likes, dislikes, daily routine, and his habits. Before you decide to take him, you should always make sure that the members of your family meet him as well, so you can talk it over and decide whether or not everyone wants the dog to be a member of your family.

With an older dog, you need to take care of him for the first days, and let him know where everything in your home is. Youll need to show him where he sleeps, where he should use the bathroom, and where his food is. Take your time and be patient with him, as will normally take him a few days to learn how things in your home work.

You should always give your new Golden Retriever at least a month or so to get used to his new environment, before you start his new obedience training. Even though your new dog may have some prior obedience training, you should still enroll him in a new class. This way, he can brush up on training and you can work with him to help him understand. Once you have finished training, hell understand your commands better and you and him will get along just fine.

All Golden Retrievers, regardless of their age, love attention. Older Goldens on the other hand, may have medical problems that you arent aware of. You shouldnt let this stop you from getting one though, simply because the rewards that youll find are far greater than any cons that may come to mind. Although many people dont give a lot of thought to getting an older Golden Retriever – they are perfect for families who dont want to put up the time and troubles of raising a puppy.

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Dec 03, 2009 | 0 | Golden Retriever

Hybrid dog Isnt that just another word for Mutt?

Hybrid dog Isnt that just another word for Mutt?

Every day we hear more about the new hybrid dogs, or designer dogs. Each feature is accompanied by pictures of adorable puppies that are examples of this new breed.

Of course theyre cute! All puppies are! Should you pay hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of dollars for one? Certainly not! The offspring of a mating between two purebred dogs of different breeds is a mongrel, a mutt. And if you have one, you should love it, train it and care for it as if it had the bluest blood of the canine kingdom.

Every dog breed, and there are hundreds in the world, was created by humans. Each breed was developed for a specific purpose whether that original job was guarding the flock or being the ideal lap-dog. Theres no reason that development shouldnt continue. If there is a need for a dog with particular characteristics, enterprising individuals will come forward to fill that need.

However, it takes many generations to breed true. Compare yourself to your siblings. Do you all have the same looks, same personality, same interests and strengths? Chances are, you dont. Each of you has some of the best traits of your parents. But those may not be the same traits. And each of you has some of the worst.

Two of the best-known mixed-breeds out there now are the Golden Doodle and the Puggle. The thinking behind these crosses is fairly obvious: wouldnt it be nice to have a Golden Retrievers personality and willingness to please combined with the Poodles non-shedding coat and intelligence? Wouldnt it be equally delightful to have a small dog without the breathing issues of a Pug, but quieter than a Beagle?

But there is no way of knowing you wont get a high-strung, noisy, stubborn, slobbering mutt who sheds like the dickens!

If you are considering spending the kind of money that these hybrids are commanding, be sure to research all of the traits of the contributing breeds. You will get a mixture of the two. And an equally adorable mixture may be waiting for you at your local shelter the size you want, with the coat you want and the adorable face that melts your heart.

If you require certain characteristics in your puppy whether a family member has allergies, or you have a very small, or no yard, or your household requires a quiet, easy keeper, or if you wish to fully participate in the world of canine competition, consider a pure-bred animal. There are over 150 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club. Research them at www.akc.org. Surely one of them is right for you.

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Nov 10, 2009 | 0 | Dogs