Breed Profile: Golden Retriever

Gamekeepers and wealthy hunters in 19th century Scotland developed the golden retriever to serve as a hunting companion. The golden’s primary job—retrieving shot birds from water and land—required him to be a powerful, agile dog with enough energy to keep going all day in the field, confidence to work away from his master, eagerness to keep him interested in his work, and a willingness to please his human partner.

The American Kennel Club first registered the golden retriever in 1925. Today, the golden retriever is one of the most popular dogs in the United States. Though some people still hunt with their goldens, they more often are beloved family members, service dogs, and personal companions.

The following description is of an “ideal” golden. Not all goldens will fit the description exactly, but that’s not an issue unless you want one who can participate in dog shows.

Both male and female golden retrievers are friendly, reliable, confident, and affectionate toward people and other animals. Aggression, nervousness, and timidity are completely abnormal in this breed.

Here are some traits to consider when determining how well a golden retriever is going to fit in with you and your family.

Golden retrievers are friendly to just about everyone—whether in groups or one on one. Although goldens likely will defend their loved ones in a life-threatening situation, they are not by nature suspicious of strangers or protective, which makes them unsuited to any sort of guard work. They are among the best family dogs in the world, although as puppies or adolescents they can be a bit too exuberant and overwhelm a small child or feeble adult. They are kind, gentle, and loving dogs by nature, and with training for manners and control, they can be ideal companions. Goldens get along particularly well with children, provided that the children are instructed on the proper way to interact with a dog.

Golden retrievers thrive on human companionship and need to live indoors as part of the family. Goldens banished to the backyard may exhibit nuisance behaviors born of loneliness and boredom. They do like to spend time outside, however, so a fenced yard is ideal to provide room for them to run. They tend to get along well with other pets, though they are likely to chase cats or small animals they don’t know. These high-energy dogs don’t do well in homes with a lot of breakable objects.

A young golden retriever has seemingly boundless energy and needs plenty of exercise. Your golden will want to be active with you, so long walks or runs, bike rides, hikes, hunting excursions, or active games of retrieving are necessary to keep him well exercised and out of trouble. The key to living happily with a young golden is to provide a high level of mental and physical activity for at least an hour or two each day.

Golden retrievers are quick to learn and enthusiastic, so they need only consistency, a fun approach to training, and lots of positive reinforcement to succeed. They are housetrained easily and learn basic commands quickly.