Golden Retriever Adoption
What You Should Know About Adopting a Golden Retriever.
According to American Kennel Club registration statistics, Golden Retrievers are the fourth most popular dog in the United States, surpassed only by Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, and Yorkshire Terriers. Golden Retrievers are popular for good reasons: They are loyal, friendly, eager to please, gentle with children, and loving companions for people of all ages. In short, Golden Retrievers make excellent family pets.
Golden Retrievers thrive in households where at least one person is home most of the time. Households with young children in which one parent stays home all day or the households in which the owners are retired and like sharing their day with a large, gentle dog are ideal.
Golden Retrievers hate to be alone and won’t be happy if crated for extended periods or if left in a backyard while the owners are at work. A Golden Retriever needs lots of owner-dog interaction and lots of play time and walk time outdoors, so this is not the ideal breed for a single person who lives in an apartment and works a lot of overtime.
Golden Retrievers are relatively easy to train. Intelligent and eager to please, they love people and try hard to deliver the behaviors their owners want. Obedience training is recommended but is usually quick and successful. On the down side, because Golden Retrievers are fond of all humans and extremely easy-going, they make poor watchdogs. A Golden will be more than happy to accept treats and pets from an intruder and may not even signal that someone strange is in the house.
Golden Retrievers have other habits that make them inappropriate for some households. They love to chew and need lots of toys and lots of activity. Without proper training and lots of exercise they may tear up furniture, shoes, and socks. They also love food and will overeat if allowed to do so.
Many Golden Retrievers lean toward obesity naturally, and this tendency will be made much worse if ill-informed owners feed table scraps, too many treats, or provide too little exercise. Obesity is a serious issue for all dogs, but for large hunting breeds like retrievers it is even more dangerous and can lead to hip and hind knee problems that are painful, expensive, and in the worst case scenario, can lead to the dog having to be put down. A Golden absolutely needs exercise and proper diet to stay healthy. Owners who can’t provide this should check out other breeds.
Finally, Golden Retrievers do shed and need to be regularly groomed and brushed. The fur around their back quarters can get quite dirty and unpleasant if not trimmed and kept scrupulously clean. People with allergies to pet hair or dander might want to avoid this particular breed.
Despite these few drawbacks and considerations, Golden Retrievers make the perfect family pet and are great with elderly or handicapped people too. Millions of families own a Golden Retriever and are thrilled about that fact and wouldn’t have it any other way. If a Golden Retriever sounds right for your family, make sure you deal with a reputable breeder who screens for genetic problems (like hip dysplasia) that disproportionately affect sporting dogs.
