Best selling author Lisa Scottoline has four Golden Retrievers and one Welsh Corgi. She writes about them like this, “When you have a house full of Goldens, you think to yourself, You know, we need a dog”. And which dog causes all the trouble in her home? The Corgi. Which dog literally ate part of her finger? The Corgi. Which dog is on doggy Prozac? The Corgi.
This shows the big contrast between Golden Retriever temperament and the temperament of most other dog breeds. Although every dog is an individual, for the most part Golden Retrievers are calm, trainable and submissive. However, they need proper nutrition, grooming and exercise to get this good-natured and stay this good-natured. Golden Retrievers aren't the perfect dogs, but for many they are worth their weight in gold for their personalities. If you are ever saddled with a Golden Retriever, you could do a lot worse.
These dogs were bred to be highly active, running miles through the rain in order to retrieve killed game for his master. Although the main job of a Golden Retriever has changed, the attitude is still the same. These dogs need to be busy. They need regular exercise and to be in the middle of family life or they will find something to occupy their time ? which can mean they might do things you don't want them to do.
The behavioral problems Golden's are most prone to are hyperactivity (in young dogs) and separation anxiety. Keeping the dog on a proper diet and a regular exercise routine will help to lessen both problems.
Golden Retrievers, because of their popularity, have been victims of their own success. Some unscrupulous breeders more concerned about how many puppies they can sell as opposed to how healthy the puppies are have over bred them. There is an effort of Golden Retriever breeders to try and reverse health problems that can be passed on through genes. Just to be on the safe side, expect your Golden Retriever to possibly have skin problems, hip dysplasia, eye problems and heart problems.
You can also help sweeten a Golden Retriever's naturally sweet disposition by getting your dog spayed or neutered. This helps reduce your dog's chances of getting in fights, wandering off to find a mate or getting cancers of the reproductive organs. Golden Retrievers also become more interested in paying attention to you instead of their hormones. Still, even a mature Golden Retriever usually does not make a good guard dog, as they want to make friends with everyone.
If you look in the media or in advertising, a lot of times when a dog is needed to play a part, that part is played by a Golden Retriever. This shows you what these dogs are capable of.
Since they are large dogs, if you are not sure of how to train them, please get a professional trainer to help you. Read dog training books and learn as much Golden Retriever information as you can.
