Golden Retriever
🧠 Temperament & character
The Golden Retriever is friendly, patient and thoroughly fond of children, while always keen to please his people. He is good-natured, willing to learn and rarely aggressive, which makes him an ideal family and beginner's dog. He needs plenty of exercise and occupation, otherwise he can become unbalanced. Because of his greediness he is prone to overweight and at the same time is easily motivated with food.
📜 Origin & history
The Golden Retriever was bred in the mid-19th century in Scotland by Lord Tweedmouth, who wanted to create a reliable retriever for water and field hunting. To this end he crossed a yellow Wavy-Coated Retriever with the now-extinct Tweed Water Spaniel, supplemented by Setter and further Retriever blood. Thus a gentle, work-loving dog with a golden coat came into being. Starting from hunting, he quickly won over families and many fields of work thanks to his nature.
✂️ Grooming, care & training
The Golden Retriever's dense, water-repellent coat with its undercoat needs regular brushing and sheds noticeably, especially during the moult. The drop ears should be checked regularly and kept dry. As an active retriever he needs plenty of daily exercise, swimming and retrieving games as well as mental stimulation. He is very willing to learn and easy to handle — ideal for positive training and versatile dog sports.
🩺 Health
The Golden Retriever usually reaches an age of around 10 to 12 years. Typical of the breed are hip and elbow dysplasia, increased cancer rates, ear infections favoured by the drop ears, heart conditions such as subaortic stenosis, and a tendency to overweight. Responsible breeders examine hips, elbows, eyes and heart and pay attention to healthy bloodlines; one should absolutely insist on health certificates for the parent animals.
🏡 Who is this breed right for?
The Golden Retriever is an ideal family dog and, thanks to his good-natured character, is excellently suited to first-time owners. He is fond of children, easy-going and versatile, from family companion to assistance and rescue dog. He needs plenty of exercise, occupation and close contact and does not like to be alone for long. Ideal is an active home close to nature; in Switzerland too he is among the most popular breeds.