Average height, thick cream-colored fur, hanging ears, a soft and intelligent look, these are the main physical characteristics that identify the Golden Retriever at first glance.

Poil : long, more or less dark cream color.

Size (height at withers) : 56 to 61 cm for males and 51 to 56 cm for females.

Weight : about 30 kg.

Classification FCI : N°111.

The Golden Retriever breed was born from the very particular attraction of the British nobility for hunting and their obsession with developing the perfect dog to accompany their hunting parties. Sir Dudley Marjoribanks – who would later become Lord Tweedmouth – laid the cornerstone of Golden Retriever breeding, during the second half of the 1980th century, by mating a yellow Wavy Coated retriever (the ancestor of the Flat-Coat Retriever of ‘today) with a Tweed Water Spaniel. Breeding later involved other breeds such as the Irish Setter and the St. John’s Hound (a Newfoundland variety that died out in the 1903s). So much for the official story, but like many other breeds, it’s controversial, with some finding the Golden Retriever of Caucasian origins. The Kennel Club of England registered the first representatives of the breed in XNUMX but it was not until half a century later that their breeding actually began. The first individuals were imported to France in the interwar period.

The Golden Retriever is considered the nicest of dogs. It is true that he is extremely playful, sociable and does not carry any aggressiveness within him, as long as he is educated (and not trained) in accordance with his needs, that is to say without ever brutality or impatience. Its gentleness makes it the favorite companion dog for disabled people (visually impaired, for example). Needless to say, it is an ideal companion for families with small children.

The Golden Retriever Club of America (GRCA) is conducting a large health survey of dogs of this breed. Its first results confirm those of a previous survey dated 1998. About half of Golden Retrievers die of cancer. The four most common types of cancer are hemangiosarcoma (25% of deaths), lymphoma (11% of deaths), osteosarcoma (4% of deaths), and mastocytoma. (1) (2)

According to the same survey, the number of Golden Retrievers living beyond the age of 10 is higher than the number of those under that age. The 1998-1999 study found an average lifespan of 11,3 years for females and 10,7 years for males.

The prevalence of elbow and hip dysplasia is also higher in this breed than in the general dog population, which is not surprising given its size. THE’Orthopedic Foundation for Animals estimates that 20% would be affected by dysplasia in the hip and 12% in the elbow. (3)

Hypothyroidism, cataracts, epilepsy… and other very common ailments in dogs also concern the Golden Retriever.

The Golden Retriever is a hunting dog who enjoys long nature walks and swimming. Country life is made for him. However, his temperament and intelligence allow him to adapt to the urban environment. It is then up to his master to take scrupulously into consideration his hunting dog instincts and his appetite for physical expenditure.