Are You Ready For Golden Retrievers?

There's a very popular YouTube video featuring a Golden Retriever that's made a big hit all over the world. The video was taken during the relatively new sport of canine freestyle dancing. The dog danced John Travolta's part very convincingly to the song "You're The One That I Want" with the owner, dressed as Olivia Newton-John. This shows you what a Golden Retriever - show quality or pet quality - is capable of.

But Golden Retrievers are not born wonder dogs. They need time, effort and lots of praise in order to fully blossom into the great dogs they can be. You also need a good sense of humor and a willingness to let the house get a bit messy. You need to learn as much Golden Retriever information as you possibly can before, during and after you bring your dog home. The best places to get Golden Retrievers with great personalities are from breeders and Golden Retriever rescue centers. Never get a dog from a pet store.

There are some negatives to living with Golden Retrievers that you should prepare yourself for. These will be mild for some people and calamities for others. Golden Retrievers need daily grooming, or they get matted. They shed more than other breeds. It has been said they have more of a doggy odor than other breeds. They also were bred to be Retrievers (hence the name), which means they have a compulsion to pick things up in their mouths and carry them to your home. This can mean they find a big dead rat and carry in into your living room, fully expecting to be showered with praise.

Golden Retrievers, because of their popularity, have been victims of their own success. Some unscrupulous breeders more concerned about how many puppies they can sell as opposed to how healthy the puppies are have over bred them. There is an effort of Golden Retriever breeders to try and reverse health problems that can be passed on through genes. Just to be on the safe side, expect your Golden Retriever to have skin problems, hip dysplasia, eye problems and heart problems.

You can also help sweeten a Golden Retriever's naturally sweet disposition by getting your dog spayed or neutered. This helps reduce your dog's chances of getting in fights, wandering off to find a mate or getting cancers of the reproductive organs. Golden Retrievers also become more interested in paying attention to you instead of their hormones. Still, even a mature Golden Retriever usually does not make a good guard dog, as they want to make friends with everyone.

You also cannot skimp on regular veterinary care. Golden Retrievers are prone to eye diseases, although they can adjust well to being blind. They are also prone to hip dysplasia, but that can be partially prevented and often successfully treated. Golden Retrievers tend to even like their vets and do not stress out as much as other breeds at the thought of going to the vet's or a groomer. They also are very good about taking pills, because they love food. Just slip the pill in food.


Carol Matthews has interviewed many owners, vets and trainers about Golden Retrievers. A Golden Retriever also like to serve as a seeing eye dog or rescue dog. Knowing a lot of Golden Retriever information before buying a puppy can only help as the family adjusts.