ABOUT THE
BREED
CHARACTERISTICS.
KIND. FRIENDLY. CONFIDENT
It’s not surprising that Golden Retrievers are one of the most popular dog breeds. Along with being exuberant and friendly, they are strong hard working dogs.
The Golden Retriever is equally at home as a beloved companion, a gun dog, a guide dog for the blind, an agility or retrieving trial competitor, a show dog or a therapy dog.The Goldens desire to please is legendary, making the breed excel as an obedience competitor, an assistance dog, or working search and rescue. Goldens are noted for their loving disposition and are an excellent breed for families with children.
The Golden Retriever is a large breed and has a lifespan of 12 to 14 years.
A Golden Retriever should be biddable, kindly, friendly and confident whose main interest in life is to please its owners. Males and females are equally intelligent and affectionate.
The Golden Retriever breed originated in Scotland in the mid 1800’s on the Guisachan Estate of Dudley Marjoribanks, 1st Baron Tweedmouth. The first litter in 1868 sired by a yellow Wavy Coated Retriever named Nous from a Tweed Water Spaniel named Belle ultimately led to the development of the much loved Golden Retriever breed. Marjoribanks developed the breed as a gun dog with the specific aim of producing a breed that was gentle, loyal and trainable, yet energetic and powerful with the ability to retrieve downed birds over rough and marshy ground.
The first registered Golden Retrievers to arrive in South Australia came from the United Kingdom with Mr and Mrs S F Armfield when they emigrated early in 1950. They were Alexander of Arbrook (Alex) and Kristina of Kuldana (Bonny).
The first litter of Golden Retrievers to be bred in South Australia was by Alex out of Bonny under the Swakeleys prefix of Mr and Mrs Armfield, whelped on 23rd December, 1950. There were 5 males and 3 females.
HISTORY.
WHY CHOOSE A GOLDEN.
With their friendly temperament and striking good looks, its no wonder so many people choose a Golden. The breed is both beautiful to look at and a joy to own.
While Goldens are very adaptable, they need considerable stimulation and daily exercise to maintain physical and mental fitness. They love human company, and time spent on daily walks and physical activity should be complemented with time spent with their families indoors.
Without the companionship of people and adequate mental and physical exercise, Goldens can become bored and full of pent up energy, leading to hyperactivity causing them to display behaviours such as barking and destructive chewing - overactive, overweight and mischiev ous. They are not a breed to be left alone in the backyard.
Goldens remain enthusiastic, playful and puppy like for many years, so early training is a must to teach them appropriate good manners. Their minds and hearts are gentle but their bodies grow big and strong very quickly and can become over exuberant in their enthusiasm for life. They are eager to please and enjoy training but they get easily distracted so you must be patient and persistent.
Golden Retrievers come in any shade from cream to deep gold. They have a dense, water-repellent outer coat with a thick undercoat and if you live with a Golden, you'll need to adapt to a certain amount of dog hair in your house and on your clothes. Daily grooming at home is recommended to prevent tangling - once a week is the bare minimum. They will also need the occasional bath to keep them clean and looking their best.
Like all breeds there may be some health issues, particularly hip and hip and elbow dysplasia, eye disease and cardiac disease but the majority of Golden Retrievers from responsible breeders are healthy dogs. Good breeders utilize health and genetic testing of their breeding stock to reduce the likelihood of disease in their puppies.
The Golden Retriever Club of SA strongly urges you to purchase your dog from a responsible, reputable breeder who has the best interests of the breed at heart. They should also be a registered breeder with Dogs SA.
