The Ultimate Guide: Golden Retrievers
One of the classic family companions, Golden Retriever is an intelligent, well-mannered and playful dog. The combination of these qualities makes it a good watchdog. For its Scottish looks and exuberant nature, it stands out as one of the most popular dog breeds in America.
The dog excels at field work, hunting, guides for handicaps and rescue operations. Obedience is something that is very common in its nature. The average-sized dog has a generous heart that shows love, compassion, and subservience for the owner.
The golden color coat does not only resonate with its name but it’s also endearing for the people. With its jovial nature, Golden Retriever makes the best companion as a service dog.
Nutrition
The Golden Retriever is an active, energetic and friendly dog with a big appetite. Feeding it a high-quality diet is crucial to fulfilling its nutritional needs and keeping its golden coat lustrous. High-quality diet provides all the essential nutrients your retriever needs to grow and thrive to sustain its good health.
Retrievers are prone to obesity and gain weight quicker than other breeds. This means keeping a watch on your dog’s calorie consumption is essential. Old retrievers generally require more calories than their active counterparts.
Nutritious canned food or commercial balanced food are good feeding choices for your Golden Retriever. Consult with a veterinarian before feeding your dog a homemade diet, or raw meat.
Grooming
The fluffy golden coat needs a lot of care, but it is not hard work as most people think. The Golden Retriever has a tendency of shedding hair that makes regular grooming a vital part of its routine.
The medium-length dense coat is water repellant and goes through seasonal shedding. You need to plan weekly brushing sessions if you cannot do it on a daily basis. The furry dog requires trimming and ear cleaning as well. Make sure your retriever’s coat is dry when you trim it.
Exercise
The Golden Retriever is a working breed that reflects in its hyperactive nature. A young retriever requires at least 40 to 60 minutes of physical activity such as walking or playing session to thrive.
Similarly, an adult Golden Retriever needs some physically demanding exercise like swimming, tracking, hunting or running to release unused energy. The dog breed may become destructive if they are not engaged in physical activities. It digs, it runs, it chews to release the pent-up energy.
Training
Training plays a crucial role in shaping a young Golden Retriever into a well-behaved adult. In addition to making it a well-trained dog, training strengthens the bond between you and your pet. Retrievers are happy learners and love to follow your commands; so, training them is not only easy but also a fun-filled experience. Reward-based and clicker trainings are ideal for them.
Do They Make Great ESA Dogs?
This is a commonly asked question - the answer is Yes! Their friendly temperament and emotional bond with their owners makes them not only great support animals, but also service dogs. You can easily make your Golden Retriever an legally recognized emotional support dog through this link: https://therapypet.org/emotional-support-animal-information/.
Health
Generally a healthy dog, the Golden Retriever requires screening to diagnose certain health conditions. Juvenile cataract is the common eye condition found in Golden Retrievers in the early age. Similarly, pigmentary uveitis, retinal atrophy, and heart diseases may develop if you neglect minor symptoms.
Furthermore, Golden Retrievers are susceptible to ear infections that can be contagious. That’s why canine experts recommend weekly checkup to limit the risk of developing an infection. Following are the recommended tests to ensure the good health of your Golden Retriever
- Ophthalmologist evaluation
- Elbow evaluation
- Hip evaluation
- Cardiac exam
Bottom Line
Overall, people love Golden Retrievers for their endearing charm and intellectual levels. They have good learning ability that makes them highly trainable. Loyalty, playfulness, and friendliness are some other defining attributes that you will find in these canines.