Lovin g, devote d, an d e ne rgetic, Gold ado r mi xe d-b ree d do gs are p rize d fo r their goo d-n ature d train ability. T hey make great family me mbe rs — a n atural with kid s an d so cial with othe r pets — as well as valuable guide, se rvice, an d bo mb detectio n do gs. T he idea was to c reate a wo rkin g do g with the se n siti vity of the Golde n Retrieve r an d the tole ran ce of the Lab rado r Retrieve r. It wo rke d. C ross the m, an d the result is the unequi vo cally ge nial Gold ado r. T h anks to their easygoin g n ature an d kee n intellige n ce, Gold ado rs h a ve p rove n outstan din g guid e do gs, se rvice do gs, searc h an d rescue do gs, the rapy do gs, an d bo mb detectio n do gs. But like their pare nt b ree d s, Gold ado rs are h appiest simply wo rkin g alo n gsid e a pe rso n they love. Gold ado rs are acti ve an d require at least h alf an hour of d aily exe rcise — most e n joy retrievin g games as well as hikin g an d swimmin g. O n ce they've reac he d p hysical maturity (betwee n 18 an d 24 mo nths), Gold ado rs make excelle nt jo ggin g co mpanio n s. Trainin g the eag e r-to-please Gold ado r is relati vely easy - they co me fro m a lo n g line of do gs w ho wo rk closely an d willin gly with p eople. T his makes the m an excelle nt c hoice fo r first-time ow ne rs, p rovide d they get the exe rcise, str ucture, an d positi ve reinfo rce me nt they c ra ve. Gold ado rs are also a goo d optio n fo r families with c hild re n (though they can be a bit rambun ctious fo r to ddle rs), as they want nothin g mo re th an to be part of family acti vities. T he ideal resid e n ce fo r a Gold ado r is a ho me with a fe n ce d yard, but with regular exe rcise an d co mpanio n ship they can li ve an d th ri ve in apartme nts an d co n dos. W h ateve r his ho me, a Gold ado r should li ve in doo rs with his people.
Highlights • Gold ado rs like to eat an d can easily beco me ove rweight if they do n't get e nough exe rcise. • Gold ado rs are goo d family do gs an d ge ne rally do well with c hild re n of all ages. • T he Gold ado r she d s mo de rately an d requires weekly b r ushin g. • Gold ado rs usually get alo n g well with othe r do gs an d p ets, esp ecially w he n they're raise d with the m o r so cialize d to the m at an early age. • Gold ado rs require about 30 minutes of exe rcise p e r d ay. T hey e n joy bein g outdoo rs an d can make excelle nt jo ggin g co mpanio n s. • Although a house with a fe n ce d yard is the ideal ho me fo r a Gold ado r, he can do well in an apartme nt o r co n do with p rop e r exe rcise. • Gold ado rs can be a goo d c hoice fo r first-time do g ow ne rs. • To g et a healthy do g, neve r bu y a puppy fro m a puppy mill, a pet sto re, o r a b ree de r w ho doesn't p rovide health clearan ces o r guarantees. Look fo r reputable b ree de r w ho tests he r b ree din g do gs to make sure they're free of ge netic diseases th at they might pass o nto the puppies an d w ho b ree d s fo r soun d te mpe rame nts.
B ree d C h aracte ristics: Ad aptability Ad apts Well to A partme nt Li vin g Goo d Fo r Novice Ow ne rs Se n siti vity Level Tole rates Bein g Alo ne Tole rates Cold Weathe r Tole rates Hot Weathe r
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All A roun d Frie n dliness Affectio n ate with Family In c re dibly Kid Frie n dly Do gs Do g Frie n dly Frie n dly Toward Stran ge rs
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Health G roo min g A mount O f She ddin g D roolin g Pote ntial Easy To G roo m Ge ne ral Health Pote ntial Fo r Weight G ain Size
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Train ability Easy To Train Intellig e n ce Pote ntial Fo r Mouthiness Prey D ri ve Te n de n cy To B ark O r Howl Wan d e rlust Pote ntial 4
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E xe rcise Nee d s E ne rgy Level 5 Inte n sity 5 E xe rcise Nee d s 5 Pote ntial Fo r Playfulness 5
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Vital Stats: Do g B ree d G roup: Hy b rid Do gs Height: 1 foot, 10 in c hes to 2 feet tall at the shoulde r Weight: 60 to 80 poun d s Life Span: 10 to 15 years
T he Gold ado r is o ne of the few designe r b ree d s with a fairly p re dictable size, as both pare nt b ree d s are larg e an d similar in size an d sh ape. T he Gold ado r is usually 22 to 24 in c hes tall at the shoulde r an d weighs 60 to 80 poun d s.
Pe rso n ality T he Gold ado r is affectio n ate an d loyal, ale rt e nough to make an excelle nt watc h do g, but too frie n dly to be an effecti ve guard do g. He loves c hild re n an d g ets alo n g with othe r animals, especially w he n he's bee n raise d with the m. His intellig e n ce an d desire to please re n de r him highly train able, an d he respo n d s best to a positi ve reinfo rce me nt tec h niques. He's capable of wo rkin g an d thinkin g in dep e n de ntly - an d does so beautifully as an assistan ce do g - but he p refe rs to h a ve guidan ce an d str ucture in his life. T his is a p eople-lovin g do g w ho wo n't be h appy left to himself in the b ackyard. Like eve ry do g, Gold ado rs nee d early so cializatio n: ex posure to many diffe re nt people, sights, soun d s, an d ex pe rie n ces w he n they're youn g. So cializatio n helps e n sure th at your Gold ado r puppy grows up to be a well-roun de d do g.
Health Gold ado rs are p ro ne to ce rtain health co n ditio n s. Not all Gold ado rs will get any o r all of these diseases, but it's impo rtant to be a ware of the m if you're co n sid e rin g this mi x. Hip Dysplasia Elbow Dysplasia Diabetes mellitus Pro gressi ve Retin al Atrop hy (PRA) Befo re purc h asin g a Gold ado r, it's impo rtant to researc h the health co nce r n s th at o ccur with both the Lab rado r Retrieve r an d the Golde n Retrieve r. Both pare nts should h a ve health clearan ces fro m the O rthop e dic Foun d atio n fo r A nimals fo r hips, elbows, heart, an d thy roid an d fro m the C anine Eye Registry Foun d atio n (C E R F) ce rtifyin g th at the eyes are no r mal.
C are T he id eal ho me fo r a Gold ado r is a house with a fe n ce d yard w he re he can play safely; howeve r, he can do well in an apartme nt o r co n do if he gets d aily walks o r r un s. Eithe r way, exe rcise is ve ry impo rtant fo r a Gold ado r's health an d h appiness — at least 30 minutes pe r d ay is ideal. Inte reste d in do g spo rts? Gold ado rs make fo r mid able co mpetito rs in agility an d fly b all. Me ntal stimulatio n is Gold ado r to fetc h slippe rs, p ractice regularly with him, wo rk fro m time to acti ve do g toy. As with all do gs, fo rce me nt (p raise, play, an d wo rk best with se n siti ve, an d tio n s will d amag e
c r ucial as well. Teac h your the pap e r o r your o be die n ce trainin g an d put his min d to time with an inte r-
positi ve reintec h niques foo d reward s) the Gold ado r. He's h arsh co r rechis co nfide n ce.
Coat Colo r A n d G roo min g A Gold ado r should h a ve the same double coat as a Lab rado r Retrieve r, with a sho rt, thick, straight top coat an d a soft, de n se un de rcoat (so me h a ve a slight wa ve dow n the b ack). Ge ne rally, a Gold ado r's coat colo r ran g es fro m yellow to gold to re ddish gold, but because the Gold ado r is a c rossb ree d, he may in he rit the black coat of a Lab pare nt. Weekly b r ushin g with a r ubbe r cur ry b r ush will re move dead h air, helpin g to keep it off your clothes an d fur niture. Durin g seaso n al she ddin g p e rio d s, howeve r, d aily b r ushin g is reco mme n de d. B athe your Gold ado r as nee de d, an d be sure to gi ve him a tho rough freshwate r rin se any time he goes swimmin g. T he Gold ado r can be p ro ne to ear infectio n s, so c heck an d clean the ears weekly. Othe r groo min g nee d s in clude de ntal hygie ne an d n ail care. B r ush your Gold ado r's teeth at least two o r th ree times a week to re move tartar buildup an d the acco mpanyin g b acte ria. Trim his n ails o n ce o r twice a mo nth, as nee d e d. If you can hear the n ail clickin g o n the floo r, they're too lo n g. Sho rt n ails keep the feet in goo d co n ditio n an d wo n't sc ratc h your legs w he n your Gold ado r jumps up to greet you. Begin accusto min g your Gold ado r to bein g b r ushe d an d examine d w he n he's a puppy. Han dle his pa ws freque ntly - do gs are touc hy about their feet - an d look in side his mouth an d ears.
C hild re n A n d Othe r Pets Gold ado rs are an ideal family co mpanio n an d are ge ne rally ge ntle an d lovin g toward c hild re n of all ages. As puppies, they can be a bit rambun ctious an d may k no ck ove r smalle r c hild re n uninte ntio n ally, so close sup e rvisio n is impo rtant. So cial an d easy-goin g, Gold ado rs do well with othe r do gs an d pets, especially w he n raise d to gethe r. Al ways teac h an d al ways supe rvise c hild re n to p reve nt any eithe r party.
c hild re n how to app roac h an d touc h do gs, any inte ractio n s betwee n do gs an d youn g bitin g o r ear o r tail pullin g o n the part of Teac h your c hild neve r to app roac h any do g w hile he's sleepin g o r eatin g o r to try to take the do g's foo d a way. No do g, no matte r how goo d-n ature d, should eve r be left un sup e rvise d with a c hild.