Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Loving A Golden Retriever

By Carol Matthews

The Golden Retriever is a wonderful dog for a family to own. It has terrific qualities, like being people-friendly, having a great sense of smell (leading to its being used as a narcotics-sniffing dog for law enforcement), hunting ability, confidence and a strong sense of loyalty. They became a breed as a mix of several sporting breeds plus some bloodhound.

Originally, a Scotsman named Sir Dudley Majoribanks experimented by crossing a Retriever that had a wavy coat with a Tweed Water Spaniel that was yellow. The offspring from them were then crossed with an Irish Setter and a Bloodhound that was sandy-colored. The result from this mixing was the Golden Retriever, as we know it today.

Golden Retrievers are beautiful and sturdy, with medium-length fur, ranging from almost white to a rich, honey-colored gold. The best color is the mid-gold color, and having no white patches or other noticeable markings is desirable. They learn quickly, and have been used not just as family dogs or to assist law enforcement with narcotics or tracking purposes, but they are also coming into their own as guide dogs and rescue dogs.

Best if they are a mid-gold color with no white patches, the Golden Retriever is a mid-size, well-proportioned dog. They learn easily, especially when young, and it is best to obedience train them from when they are puppies rather than try to fix bad habits once they are older. They can be highly trained, however, and that makes them very useful for law enforcement, with tracking or finding narcotics, but also very useful as guide dogs for the disabled. They are also being used more as a rescue dog.

All that energy can be guided, thankfully, through obedience training, particularly while they are young. Golden Retrievers can be trained to be good watchdogs, barking to signify that a stranger is near. They love to swim, and can be trained to hunt, track, and find narcotics, so they are often used by law enforcement for those purposes. They are also used as rescue dogs.

Golden Retrievers make great pets. If you are going to have a Golden Retriever for a pet, you need to remember a few things. First, have your puppy obedience trained, so that it learns good behaviors instead of having to try to get rid of the bad habits later.

A few of the things you will want your puppy to learn is to come when called, to not bark incessantly, and yet to let you know if a stranger is approaching. Also, remember that your dog will need regular exercise, preferably by going for a walk and seeing new sights outside. Dogs that get exercised don't get into as much mischief.

The dog will also need attention from its humans, as it is a highly social animal and is eager to please. Be sure your dog knows you love it, and give it plenty of positive attention when it does behavior you like.

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