Introduction
Golden Retrievers are an ecstatic and jubilant breed. If you are looking for a devoted and trustworthy dog, then go for these cute Golden Retriever breed. They are highly intelligent dogs; that’s why they are superb at hunting and being a guide for blind people. Apart from their hunting instinct, they are a highly social dog breed and affectionate with children, family members, and other pets. They are eager to please dogs who carry their childish nature to adulthood. Owning them is not a privilege; it’s a big responsibility because they are very energetic dogs and often require outdoor play, fetching, swimming, and other physical activities. In this blog we will explore everything about this beautiful breed that guides new owners in nurturing them.
Quick Information
• Origin—Scotland
• Life expectancy—13-14 years
• Height—24-25 inches (male), 22-23 inches (female)
• Weight—29-35 kg (male), 25-30 kg (female)
• Color—light golden, dark golden, red golden, cream golden, and plain golden
• Ideal weather—12°–30°C
• Cost—Rs.12000-60000/-
• Energy level—high • Shedding level—Moderate to high
Why are golden retrievers so special?
Golden retrievers are intelligent, highly social, and dutiful dogs. Along with their playful nature, they are excellent working dogs. They are brilliant at guiding the routes and in search and rescue. They are known for their curiosity and eager-to-learn nature. Golden retrievers are generally not aggressive dogs; in fact, they are pleasing to everyone who takes a positive approach to them. They are excellent family pets who often want to be involved with the people. Due to their naturally athletic body, they can be your partner in walking, swimming, and other physical activities.
Golden Retriever Appearance
Golden retrievers are medium-sized dogs with undeniably beautiful and lustrous, dense coats. They are iconic golden-yellow fur babies. There are different shades of golden or yellow golden retrievers in India, such as light golden, dark golden, red golden, cream golden, etc. Despite being a series of colors, their golden coat remains a perpetual and admired feature. They have broad heads with medium-sized, pendant-shaped ears and medium- to dark-brown, expressive eyes. They have muscular physiques with escalating strength and dexterity.
About the cute Golden Retriever breed Coats
They are a double-coat breed that is known for its silky and dense coat. The golden retriever’s double coat consists of two layers. The outer layer is long, smooth, water-resistant, and luminous, which protects them from dust, dirt, snow, rain, and other harsh environmental conditions. While the undercoat provides insulation that helps golden retrievers to regulate their body temperature according to the outer weather, it requires regular brushing at least twice a week with a soft slicker brush. They generally shed heavily in spring and fall to regulate their body temperatures according to the seasons.
Monthly expenses for a Golden Retriever
Golden Retrievers are moderate-maintenance dogs; they just need quality food, good veterinary care, and excellent grooming.
Expectations of these expenses are
• Food—Rs 3000-6000/- monthly.
• Grooming—Rs. 2500-8000/- terminally
• Veterinary checkups, including vaccinations—Rs 3000-8500/- annually.
What to feed your cute golden retriever?
Golden retrievers need protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and omega-3-rich food according to their size and energy level. You can serve them home-cooked food too, but it’s better to provide high-quality golden retriever puppy food. Up to the age of 1.5 years with vet recommendations, and then adult dog food after they reach the expected maturity. These foods are formulated according to the size, age, different energy levels, and metabolism rates of different types of dog breeds. That keeps your dog healthy, cheerful, and growing flawlessly.
How to feed your golden retriever.
Golden retriever dog food requires frequent meal portions when they are in the puppy stage (up to 1-1.5 years), and that too should be rich in high-quality protein. This will avoid overfeeding that may lead to indigestion and vomiting. Their quantity should not be more than 1/2 to 1 cup of food per meal. You can also use measuring cups that come in different sizes and shapes on the market, particularly for this purpose. Talking about their adult feeding, they should not take more than two meals a day. One in the morning and one in the evening would be sufficient. Their quantity should be at least 1.5-2 cups of dry food per meal. Encourage slow eating by using a slow-feeder bowl and an interactive food puzzle. This would help them with proper digestion and unnecessary food outbursts. Additionally, they would also enjoy their mealtime.
Golden retriever training
Golden retrievers are sharp learners, eager-to-please dogs, and obedient in nature, so it’s easy to train them. It is important to start their early, crucial training as soon as possible. Their early training requires socialization, potty training, crate training, basic obedience training, and leash training, and after 6 months, they require building basic command training and advanced training such as agility, rally, tracking, fetching, dock diving, exercise, and long walks.
Training Tip: Always use positive reinforcement methods such as offering treats and toys during the completion of each task. This will motivate them more towards completing their training on time.
Grooming of Golden Retrievers
Grooming is an important part of their care. They have thick fur coats that require proper skin care to maintain their quality and shine.
Here are their grooming steps from tip to toe.
1. Skin care
Golden retrievers are prone to environmental skin infections and allergies. Note that your golden retriever dog needs periodic bathing at least once a month, and that too with customized hypoallergenic shampoos specially made for thick-coated dogs.
2. Coat care
As mentioned in this article, they have thick and dense double coats that shed heavily during particular seasons, such as spring. It is crucial to brush them with a soft slicker brush at least 2-3 times a week. You can also use customized hair oils for dog coats to maintain the glossy fur of golden retrievers.
3. Ear and eye cleaning
There is mild accumulation of the discharges from the eyes of the golden retrievers, so you can use vet-proof tear stain remover wipes. They have recurring ear infections, so you can utilize custom-built ear-cleaning products. It’s better to use products with a drying agent in them to avoid more complications.
4. Nail trimming
Nail trimming is also important if your dog’s nails start clicking on the floor. You can use different nail clippers (dog-specific nail trimmers) and styptic powder in case of bleeding and small injuries.
Golden Retriever Health Issues
Golden retrievers are highly energetic and healthy dogs, but like other dog breeds, they are also prone to certain health issues that you should be aware of as a cute golden retriever parent. Generally, they suffer from hip dysplasia (a joint issue), hypothyroidism, elbow dysplasia, pigmentary uveitis and progressive retinal atrophy eye conditions, hot spots, and atopic dermatitis. It is an inflammatory, itchy skin and ear condition.
FAQ
1. Are Golden Retrievers and Labradors the same?
Although both are retriever breeds, golden retrievers and Labradors are not the same in any way. They have distinctive features, color, and coat type. Golden retrievers are feathery, while Labradors are sturdier and more muscularly built. Golden retrievers are more energetic and less barking dogs; on the other hand, Labradors are less energetic and highly vocal dogs.
2. Will the Golden Retriever bite?
Golden retrievers are very friendly and cheerful dogs. They do bite, but mostly at the puppy stage in their teething phase. With proper bite and socialization, they bite infrequently and only attack when they feel any fear, insecurity, or pain.
3. Where are cute Golden Retrievers from?
Golden retrievers mainly originated from Scotland in the 19th century. Lord Tweedmouth specifically bred them for hunting purposes. They have a strong ability to retrieve game birds and small animals from both water and land.
Final words
Bringing home a cute Golden Retriever means adding love, care, and a great companion to your family. They, too, thrive in an environment where they receive love, care, and attention. Due to their highly social, involved, and friendly nature, you cannot be bored at any time. You can go for a Golden Retriever if you are emotionally and financially stable because providing them the love, care, nutritional diet, grooming, and veterinary checkups they need is your responsibility.
Read more if you want to know about The Best Dog Breeds in India