Golden Retriever: How to Love Your Golden

Golden Retriever is the basic name given to a breed of dog, originally developed to retrieve shot game during hunting. It is one of the most common family dogs as it is naturally very friendly and amenable to training.

Golden Retriever Care
Golden Retrievers tend to be crepuscular - more active in the mornings and at the evenings. Between these times, many retrievers are happy to sleep providing they get a good burst of exercise each day. Golden Retrievers are moderately active dogs, and require a reasonable amount of exercise each day, although the extent of the exercise is determined by gender (males are more active); by individual temperament (some Golden Retrievers are less active than others); whether the dog has a companion animal (a pair of dogs will burn a lot more energy through play); and by age (puppies tire quickly; adolescent dogs are more energetic). As with any breed of dog, the owner needs to make a responsible determination of the amount of exercise required based on these factors. They are a breed that is prone to obesity, even more so than the Labrador Retrievers, so the average Golden Retriever should never be treated like a small dog, or sedentary housepet. Some dogs may be too active to be easily exercised by elderly owners.

Goldens should be groomed at least once a week, and every day during heavy shedding. Their coats shed heavily the entire year, and even more excessively during shedding season, which is normally in the spring as the dog loses its thick winter coat. They also need to have their ears cleaned regularly, or otherwise an ear infection might occur.

Golden Retriever Health
The typical life span for Golden Retrievers is 10-13 years. In many lines of Golden Retrievers, life-threatening health problems are so common that it can be difficult to find an individual that you can count on remaining healthy for a normal lifetime. When not taken care of (not exercising GR's can cause them to become obese) a large number of Golden Retrievers live less than 10 years.

Breeding Goldens can be profitable for puppy mills and backyard breeders. As a result of careless breeding for profit, Goldens are prone to genetic disorders and other diseases. Hip dysplasia is very common in the breed; when buying a puppy its parents should have been examined by the OFA or by PennHIP for hip disease.

Reference: Wikipedia

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