Golden Retriever Facts- Is A Golden Retriever Good Fit?

Golden retrievers were bred for hunting purposes. They are a sporting breed. So they need regular activities and exercise. So you can adopt a golden retriever if you love playing, jogging, running, and other physical activities. But do not adopt one if you do not love outdoor activities. Golden retrievers need full of activity-related games in their first two years. Failing this can lead them to get involved in destructive activities.

This breed is of medium to large size. They are 21 inches to 24 inches long at the shoulder. They can weigh up to 65 pounds. Almost all golden retrievers have a powerful, furry, long tail always waving. These waves are faster at the time of excitement. And this is one minus point of this breed. If you love to collect items, you should avoid a golden retriever. Because their waving tail can break your valuable items. Golden retrievers need high-quality food with balanced nutrition. They eat two to three cups of food every day.

This breed is a very family-oriented dog. Golden retrievers love children. But you need to prepare them to ensure your children’s safety. These puppies need very careful affection and attention. So avoid adopting a golden retriever if your family has many children.

This breed loves swimming, playdates with other safe dogs, chasing balls in safe areas, and even field training. Do not let them get involved in jogging or biking until they are at least one year old. Getting an approval from a veterinarian is recommended before starting biking or jogging for your golden retriever.

This disease is very common in golden retrievers. The hip joint socket of a healthy golden retriever allows the thigh bone ball to rotate without any problem. But hip dysplasia is a shallow socket condition. It damages the bone and the connective tissues as well of the joints. This makes a dog’s walking, sitting, and running problematic. So you need to monitor your dogs every movement to check if there is any problem.

This breed has a thick double coat. This is the main highlight of this breed. But they usually shed throughout the year. But it becomes a heavy fall during fall and spring. The undercoat specially grown for the winter season is very thick. It can take up to 3 weeks for a complete shedding. So you have to clean your house regularly during this time.

This breed has large nails. It grows quickly and splits very easily. Split or broken nails are very painful and dangerous for the breed. They feel uncomfortable with broken or split nails while walking. These nails can scratch you too. So they need regular nail groomings and calcium treats to make the nails stronger.

This breed’s coat easily catches burrs and other debris. These things need to be brushed out. You have to brush them in every week during winter and spring. You need to bathe them frequently. You must bathe them once in a month. Avoid infection by maintaining their ear hygiene. Visit a professional dog groomer to know more.

This is a prevalent genetic disease in this breed. It is mainly a blood disorder with clotting protein. Due to this disease, your golden retriever can severely bleed after an injury. You need to check its urine and take it to a veterinarian specialist if it finds blood. Internal bleeding also can happen without any reason. Their gums can bleed too. So you need to take care of your dog’s oral grooming, take it for regular check ups, and avoid breeding it with female dogs with this disease.

This breed is prone to several cancers. Half of them die out of cancer. Hemangiosarcoma is prevalent in golden retrievers. It starts in the blood vessel lining. It can be detected with proper check-ups. But treatment of cancer of a golden retriever is very expensive. So you need to take care of this expense and think about it before adopting one.

So now you know the main points you have to consider before adopting a golden retriever. All the best!