Your New Golden
What makes a golden retriever a golden retriever? Your golden is a lot more than your furry best friend. The reason why we love them so much is because of what they were bred to do. Probably the two most notable and important traits for family life are the golden retriever’s natural ability to use a “soft mouth” and people please. Golden retrievers were bred and used as retrieving hunting dogs, especially for waterfowl. A wet duck is heavy and cumbersome, yet the golden retriever will return with the catch unharmed. They instinctively should never pierce the bird’s skin. This is to your advantage as a family dog; a golden retriever will not naturally bite down or “lock” their jaw. This also means that your golden retriever will tend to be “mouthy” and like carrying things in their mouth as well as exhibit considerable strength. This is not the breed for you if you are not into a little slobber and wet kisses.
The golden retriever is considered a large breed with females weighing 55-65 pounds and males 65-75 pounds on average. Their soft mouth goes hand and hand with their people pleasing characteristics. They can learn quickly that human skin is not to be bitten with early and consistent training. Goldens will frequently bring you “gifts” and want to be with you and the family. They are food motivated, which is also to your advantage in training as a family dog. This is not the breed for you if you do not like dog hair or socializing. Your golden retriever will truly live their best life if you can learn a little bit about their original purpose and just what makes them tick.
Read more here:
https://grca.org/about-the-breed/breed-history/ [grca.org]
AKC Breed Standard Via GRCA:
https://grca.org/about-the-breed/akc-breed-standard/ [grca.org]
Breeder Referral
You have researched the breed and now are committed to have a golden retriever to join your family, but what do you do now? There are so many online websites with varying information, how can you make a decision? Starting with your local golden retriever club is a great beginning. We recognize how challenging it is to navigate websites and discern correct health information and CGRC offers our own personalized breeder referral service with tips and information to keep you on track.
Each of us has different personalities, and we recommend to keep searching until you find a breeder you feel comfortable working with. The breeder is the leading expert on their dogs, and starting with a positive relationship will provide you with support throughout the life of your dog. It is often too easy to fall in love with all of the fluffy golden puppies, and working with your breeder on the temperament and activity level your lifestyle requires is important. We recommend honest and open communication about your current family and what the whole family wants for your new golden. Along with our varying personalities, golden retrievers have them too! We want you to be able to trust your breeder’s experience and expertise in helping to find the right puppy for you. In general, you will want your breeder to have current health clearances on the father and mother of the litter. You can search the Orthopedic Foundation of Animals here https://ofa.org/advanced-search/ for all reported health information.
Golden retrievers require the following basic health clearances: Cardiac- once after 12 months, Hips and Elbows- once after 24 months, Eyes- yearly after 12 months. In addition to these basics, there are many more genetic testing available that you breeder may choose to do. If you are not provided with this health information up front, please request the documents from the breeder. We recommend that you select a breeder that is following the Golden Retriever Club of America Code of Ethics. Use this guide here to familiarize yourself with what a quality golden retriever breeder is required to uphold: https://grca.org/about-the-breed/grca-code-of-ethics/
Here are some additional links for further reading:
https://resources.pangovet.com/pet-lifestyle/dogs/questions-to-ask-a-dog-breeder/
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/puppy-information/questions-to-ask-your-potential-breeder/
https://grca.org/find-a-golden/about-breeders/selecting-a-breeder/