Gundog group · Scotland
Golden Retriever
Also called Golden.
What makes them remarkable
This family favourite began as a Scottish waterfowl retriever, developed on Lord Tweedmouth’s estate.
- Intelligent
- Friendly
- Devoted
- Reliable
- Trustworthy
- Size
- Large
- Weight
- 25 to 34 kg55 to 75 lb
- Lives
- 10 to 12 years
- Energy
- High
- Trains
- Very High
- Barks
- Moderate
Training
Training a Golden Retriever
Gundog breeds. Quick to learn and quick to get over-excited. The work is calm around distractions, not obedience.
Exercise Needs
Start here
High energy requires daily exercise to prevent destructive behaviour.
Eager to Please
One of the most trainable breeds. Reward what you want and they do it more.
Puppy Mouthing
Natural retrievers mouth a lot, redirect to appropriate toys.
The app turns this into five to fifteen minutes a day.
Add your Golden Retriever and it builds the plan around their age, where they came from and what they already know, one step at a time.
Free to start. iPhone. No card needed.
At home
Living with one
Bred to find, flush and retrieve game alongside a person. Biddable, busy, and happiest with a job.
Gets on with
- ChildrenVery High
- Other dogsVery High
- StrangersHigh
- CatsHigh
Breed averages. Early socialisation and the individual dog matter more.
- Exercise
- 1-2 hours daily. Swimming, retrieving, and active play.
- Grooming
- Moderate shedding. Weekly brushing, more during shedding season.
- Drool
- Moderate
- Coat
- Double coat, Water-repellent outer coatLight Golden, Golden, Dark Golden
- In a flat
- Needs more space than a flat gives.
Health
Things to ask a breeder or vet about
Hip Dysplasia
Moderate
Common in large breeds
Cancer
Severe
Higher rates than average
Heart Disease
Moderate
Subvalvular aortic stenosis
Where they come from
History
Developed in Scotland in the 1800s by Lord Tweedmouth for retrieving waterfowl.
- Air Bud · Basketball-playing Golden
- Shadow · Loyal Golden in Homeward Bound
Similar breeds
All breeds
Flat-Coated Retriever
Before Labradors and Goldens rose to prominence, the Flat-Coat was a leading choice of retriever.
Large · Gundog
Labrador Retriever
The Labrador’s story starts in Newfoundland, where its ancestors worked alongside fishermen.
Large · Gundog
Spinone Italiano
That shaggy Italian pointer was developed to work through difficult terrain in search of game birds.
Large · Gundog
English Setter
“Setter” describes its old job: crouching low, or “setting”, to show hunters where birds were hiding.
Large · Gundog