golden retriever dog

History of origin

Lord Tweedmouth decided to continue breeding dogs with unusual coat colors and mated his retriever to a Tea Tweed Water Spaniel. The mating was successful, and soon three puppies with a rare yellow color were born. Encouraged by his success, Tweedmouth continued his selection experiments, selecting only suitable individuals with a pure golden color for further matings.

When Tweedmouth died, his work was continued by his friends, to whom the lord gave puppies. Two of them even opened their own golden retriever kennels. To improve the characteristics of the breed, retrievers were crossed with Labradors, Bloodhounds and Irish Setters. By 1885, Goldens were considered the kings of sport hunting dogs.

The golden retriever breed was officially recognized in 1913. Goldens are now one of the four most popular dog breeds in the world. In Our Country, these dogs are also very popular, and there are kennels in almost every city.

Breed description

Cynologists distinguish three types of golden retrievers: American (they are large in size and bright in color), European (the color is light, almost white, the dog itself has a massive muscular physique) and Canadian (combines the features of the previous types).

The Golden Retriever is a large breed of dog, with a massive, muscular yet well-proportioned build. Paws are medium in size, rounded with thick pads. Their muzzle is straight and long, the nose ends in a large black lobe with open nostrils. The ears of Goldens are hanging, with rounded ends and close fitting to the cheeks. Fluffy long tail is always down.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the luxurious coat of the golden retriever. Long, thick, silky, with a dense waterproof undercoat – can be either perfectly straight or wavy. The color of the dog depends directly on the type of golden retriever and can vary from white to any shade of gold and cream.

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Character

Initially, Golden Retrievers were bred for hunting, but now they have become family dogs, guide dogs and companions. By purchasing them, adults get themselves a true devoted friend, and children – a caring and affectionate nanny. It is golden retrievers that are sometimes used in rehabilitation centers to communicate with “sunny” children, to relieve stress or tame the aggression of patients. Dogs always have a calming effect on crying people and cheer them up. Cases have been documented when Goldens, on their own initiative and without special training, pulled people out of burning houses or rescued drowning people.

Golden Retrievers are very good-natured and loyal dogs that cannot imagine life without their owner. If you are constantly on the road and work a lot, this dog will not suit you, because it will be bored and whine loudly. With golden you can go anywhere: to the sea, and to the mountains, and for a walk along Red Square.

Golden Retrievers especially love small children and will be very happy to add to your family. The dog will become the most devoted and attentive nanny for the baby, will play with him for hours and even endure all the pulling of the tail or pulling the ears.

Care and maintenance

Golden Retrievers are well suited for both apartments and country houses. They tolerate cold well, but it is strictly forbidden to put a dog on a chain, because it needs constant movement and contact with the owner.

Keeping a Golden is not difficult at all – the main thing is to take care of his coat and monitor his diet. Keep in mind that retrievers often shed, so the dog needs to be brushed every day, and show dogs also need to be cut regularly. Nails should be clipped regularly, about once every two weeks. Overgrown claws interfere with dogs when jumping and cause pain when walking on asphalt. Bathing your dog is recommended only as needed. Goldens love to get dirty, swim in a puddle – it is better to wash off these contaminants with water without shampoo. Use of funds is recommended only in extreme cases.

Regularly clean your eyes and ears by wiping them with a cotton pad dipped in warm water. Without care, a yellow plaque, a stone, forms on the teeth, so teach your dog at an early age to regularly brush his teeth with a special brush and paste.

As for the Golden’s diet, you can feed him both with professional super premium dry food for large breeds, and with natural food. The latter includes meat, offal, eggs, dairy products and vegetables with fruits. Of the cereals, it is advisable to give the retriever only buckwheat. Pork and chicken bones are contraindicated for dogs. The diet should contain only raw beef bones, with the exception of tubular and ribs. There should always be clean water next to a bowl of food.

Education and training

From an early age, you need to take your puppy for walks in parks, allow him to communicate with other dogs, teach him to ride in an elevator, in a car.

Retrievers are highly trainable. Dogs of this breed serve in the police, and at airports they are used to search for prohibited items. Retrievers also work in the Ministry of Emergency Situations – they are looking for victims under the rubble. They are very smart and grasp everything on the fly, so you need to start training as early as two months. You need to start with simple exercises – “Sit”, “Lie down”, “Give a paw”, “Voice”, “Come to me”. You can not allow the dog to pick up something from the ground, this must be stopped immediately.

Any success of the dog should be encouraged – with a tidbit or praise. In the future, the pet will strive to please the owner.

Health and disease

Retrievers are one of the healthiest dog breeds. But often they have elbow dysplasia and food allergies. The first disease is mostly inherited, so you need to check the parents when buying a puppy. Also, goldens are often diagnosed with volvulus, epilepsy, diabetes, dermatitis, paralysis of the larynx.

Remember to keep your dog vaccinated regularly. The first vaccination is done at an early age, then repeated annually. Retrievers are vaccinated against distemper (a viral disease leading to the death of the animal), rabies and parvovirus enteritis. While the puppy is in quarantine, do not take him for a walk in crowded places where other dogs walk. If there is any suspicion that the dog is sick, be sure to show it to the veterinarian, because many diseases are completely curable at the initial stage.

Popular questions and answers

She told us about the content of the golden retriever veterinarian, cynologist Irina Bezuglaya.