The golden retriever is one of the most known dogs, not only in U.S, but in Canada and England too, their tolerant makes them fabulous family pets, but what makes them famous and popular is their intelligence and their high work capability.
The golden retriever is a muscular dog of medium size, his beautiful golden fur is what gives him his first name “golden” and his last name” retriever” was taken from his ability in retrieving game for hunters, tracking, sniffing out contraband for law enforcement, and as therapy and assistance dogs.
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History of The Golden Retriever
In the late 1800 in the Scottish Highlands the golden retriever originated, at that time hunting was a popular sport for the wealthy, a lord named Tweedmouth wanted a perfect and suitable dog for hunting, so he stared with The lone yellow puppy that he got from a litter of black Wavy-Coated Retrievers whelped in southern England in 1864, however he wasn’t satisfied with it, so he breed it with a female tweed water spaniel, as result small golden puppies were born with exceptional hunt ability, and they become the foundation for a distinctive line of very talented yellow retrievers that became known as excellent working dogs, due to the breeds beauty, intelligence, and loving personality have earned the golden devotees.
Types of The Golden Retriever
It can be very hard and almost impossible to distinguish the varieties in Golden retriever breed since they look similar, however telling them apart can be possible if these two important factors are considered:
The breed
There are three different breeds of the Golden Retriever: firstly, the Canadian Golden Retriever is the most unique and pure among breed class. They have a really short hair and slightly more thinned out than other pure breeds, they also comparing to the British or American Golden Retrievers they appear less fury, however what makes them really notable than other breed is that they are taller almost by 2 inches on average.
Secondly, the American Golden Retriever, they are generally leaner and less powerful than other pure breed varieties. They also have less muscular strength than their counterparts. Their fur coats are usually darker than English Golden Retrievers but their height is the same. But what distinguish them from other breeds that American Golden Retrievers have lighter color eyes and are characterized by triangular or slanting-shaped pupils rather than fully round ones.
Thirdly the British Golden Retriever, they are characterized by their long furry coats. And They are slightly smaller relative to the Canadian Golden Retriever, although its hard to tell the differences between the English and American Golden Retriever. because Their body sizes are quite similar and their coats carry the same characteristics, but the English Golden Retrievers are distinguished by their broader skulls and more powerful front legs. Their eyes are also generally darker and rounder as compared to their American counterparts.
Therefore, the underlying differences between these varieties are almost negligible and mostly related to minor changes in appearance. The different breeds are not different from each other in terms of personality, health, temperament, and, quality of life.
Their color
The second factor that help to distinguish golden retriever from other breeds, is their golden unique color. However, their golden color is very different from one breed to another, it comes in a three different golden colors: light golden (or creamy), normal gold, and dark golden, this last one is the purest color of golden retriever, despite that they are not popular like the other two colors.
Health
Golden retriever has a lifespan of between 10 and 13 years, they are basically healthy, however like all the breeds, they are exposed to some health conditions, although not all of them can get these diseases but it’s better to be aware of them. Some of problem that can affect this breed are: hypothyroidism, sub-aortic stenosis (SAS), eye disorders, elbow dysplasia, mast cell tumors, and seizures, Osteosarcoma is also occasionally seen in Golden Retrievers. Other major health concerns for the breed include lymphoma, canine hip dysplasia (CHD), hemangiosarcoma, and skin problems. To identify these conditions early, a veterinarian may recommend heart, hip, thyroid, eye, or elbow tests during routine checkups.
The golden retriever personality
The golden retrievers are simply perfect, they always find a way to make you smile, no matter how your day is going. Because they’re smiling right back at you. In addition, they are loyal, happy, fun-loving, caring and intelligent, and bring laughter and joy to anyone and everyone. They also has a natural love of water so activities involving water appeal greatly to them, Many of their hobbies are outlined above under the behavior heading but there are other activities that they enjoy, in particular, fetching a stick after it is thrown because this appeals to their natural instinct to retrieve.
In conclusion the golden retriever is an excellent choice for either a working dog or a pet, no matter the color or type, he will be the perfect pet for your family. They are smart, fun, and easy to take care of and train. They will quickly become your new best friend and will be a companion for years to come.
