
THE SCOTTISH GUNDOG-GOLDEN RETRIEVER
THE SCOTTISH GUNDOG-GOLDEN RETRIEVER
"This breed adores people"
OVERVIEW :
This breed was founded in Scotland. It has come out is the most popular breed in the United States. This breed is actually the most loving, caring and intelligent of all the breeds of dogs. As the name can signify it well that it is very good at retrieving games and therefore is named as "Golden Retriever". Being good to the owner is common but being kind to a stranger is something that makes him the sweetest of all the puppies. If you are a sports lover then again I would say golden retriever is going to be the best choice, because it is very athletic and competitive as well. Now we will discuss his description in detail :
HEIGHT :
- He develops his full height within a year.
- Male retrievers are from 23 to 24 inches.
- Female retrievers are from 21.5 to 22.5 inches.
WEIGHT :
- They gain there matured weight by two.
- Males weigh from 65 to 75 pounds.
- Females weigh from 55 to 65 pounds.
To check whether your dog is overweight or not you can perform a very well known method:
First, look down at him. You should be able to see his waist. Then place your hands on his back, thumbs along the spine, with the fingers spreading downward. You should be able to feel his ribs even though you can't see them, it means he needs less food and more exercise.
LIFE SPAN :
Retrievers will make your journey special for 10 to 12 years.
COAT :
- Colour: all shades of gold or cream.
- They are dense, smooth and furry.
FOOD HABITS :
They don't need to eat in bulk. You cannot make them eat for the whole day, you have to stick to a schedule and divide the meal between two times a day. They need 2-3 cups of high-quality dry food in a day.
But with this, I would even tell that the need for a dog's body varies from one dog to another because that depends completely on their physical needs. If your dog is sporty and an active one, then, of course, he will need more food than others. So it's important to watch out your dog and accordingly develop up their eating habit.
It's important to feed your pet with the right quantity and quality of food to help them grow in the best manner they may can.
You should never share human food with your pet because that may contain elements which can be toxic for your pet for example potatoes, chocolates, etc.
TRAINING :
- They are best to train so I assure you training them is going to be the best time of your day.
- They don't need hours of training. Half an hour to 40 minutes, every day is enough to train them.
- These dogs can do anything to get praised, so your one praise can boost them well to learn more.
- I assure you they are too sensitive to deal with so never go harsh on them.
- They have one bad habit of destructive chewing ( they can chew shoes, doors etc. ), So to stop them from doing such chewing you need to train them properly. You can involve them with chewing their own toys and bones so that they don't get involved in destructive chewing.
Their training has only made them the number one choice. They are even the favourite choice of the police force and search rescue teams also.
CARING TIPS :
First of all, just take care while selecting your pet because there are many golden dogs sold at the name of golden retriever so choose a reputable breeder. Now when you have your dog remember you have adopted the most social dog so try to keep them among people because they are known as family loving dogs. They love action and being sporty so try to keep them active. They are a bit mouthy so guide them well that what they need to chew and what not to chew. Don't let him run on hard surfaces until and unless it is matured. Yes, another thing is you cannot make them overeat because overeating will spoil their health and behaviour. The challenge you may face is with their shedding habits as they shed hair too much so if you are having golden retriever then you should get used to hair. Last but not the least keep an eye on bone disorders especially for first 4 to 7 months.
RETRIEVER'S FUR :
Retriever's fur is something that glows like gold but remembers that fur comes with a lot of maintenance as well, you have to be very careful with it. Their fur has two layers first one is the external layer and that layer protects the pet from external causes like from water, sun etc. The second layer is the internal layer which shed a lot with the season. So before they start shedding make sure to take them for trimming, because if you get them trimmed then the chances of losing hair in the season are bit lower than normal. So keep a track of when and how you have to take your pet for trimming.
Another important thing is the habit of brushing. Brushing is very important and we should brush them every second day, and always keep their brush specific so that there lies no chance of infection.
BATHING :
The dog should take bath every month at least. Never break the rules or the habit of bathing you develop in them. If by chance you find the fur has become too dirty and there is time for next bathing session then you can clean their fur with a towel and dry shampoo but never go with the excess wash logic as your excess wash habits can destroy the quantity and quality of their fur. Another important thing which you should keep in mind while washing your pet is that you should dry their ear well so that there lies no chance of fungal or any other infection.
MEDICAL TIPS :
HIP DYSPLASIA -
- In this condition, the bones don't fit into the hip joint.
- The dog will have pain and will be low on rear legs.
ELBOW DYSPLASIA -
- It is caused due to the different growth rate of three bones that together makes up the dog's elbow causing joint laxity.
CATARACT -
- It causes the cloudy spot on eye lens and it can happen at any age.
SUBVALVULAR AORTIC STENOSIS -
- Caused by a narrow connection between left ventricle and aorta
OSTEOCHONDROSIS -
- This is caused due to improper growth of cartilage in the joints. Basically, it happens in the elbow.
ALLERGIES -
- They catch but allergy very soon and it can be caused by anything. If he starts licking his paws or if he rubs his face more often then it's time to get him checked up.
VON WILLEBRAND'S DISEASE -
- In this blood clot happen.
- Its symptoms are nose bleeding, bleeding gums, bleeding intestine etc.
GASTRIC DILATATION VOLVULUS -
- In this bloating happens which can be a life-threatening thing. In this, the dog is not able to vomit out the extra air in his stomach.
- Mostly deep-chested dogs are affected like a golden retriever.
HYPOTHYROIDISM -
- This happens because of thyroid gland when it goes unbalanced in the body.
HEMANGIOSARCOMA -
- It is a kind of cancer which originates from blood ves
- It is again a life-threatening disease.
ADVANTAGES :
- Loves to be indoor - Golden retriever is a kind of pet who won't always love to play out, they are the one which finds happiness anywhere be it even in a room, so keeping them in between four walls or outside are equally same for them.
- Cheerful: This breed is a happy going one, they spread happiness and positivity everywhere. They are those happy kids who will keep you lively and happy as well. With a retriever at your home, you will feel the positivity and energy all around.
- Active dogs /Playful: They are everywhere on a You can find them running here and there in your room and playing with anything they find to be it their own toys or yours they will play with anything happily.
- Obedient one: They will follow you with everything. Just be kind to them and see they will follow you so beautifully and perfectly. But being harsh on them can never be good because they are really too sensitive.
- Trustworthy: You can trust them with anything and everything they will always stand to your ex You train them right and I assure you they will be your best friend who will never crossover your trust.
- Easily trained - Training them is easy as you don't have to run after them for hours to train something, as they catch up all the things pretty faster than any other dog.
- Intelligent- Intelligence is an add on grace to this breed they are so sharp and spontaneous at their reaction that they will even leave you with a blow. Their intelligence only makes them easily trainable.
- Loyal - Dog is a pet known for its loyalty so speaking more about it is not important because this is something that makes the whole breed as a commendably loyal one.
- Family loving dog - They are friendly and family dogs as they love being around with people, you cannot leave them alone for long. They are even easy going with kids so you need not to worry about it much.
DISADVANTAGES :
- Heavy shedder- If you are having a retriever then you should be used to be with hair everywhere because they surely shed hair a bit more than any other dog and especially when it's their season they shed a lot.
- They can't be alone for long as they are a family loving dog. So if you keep them alone for longer then that can harm them, as I already told you they are too sensitive to deal
- They can easily become overweight if they are overfed. They cannot cross their dose and if you make them cross up their daily dose of food then be ready to watch up against a doctor because overeating can make them sick.
- High maintenance - To be frank enough it's really true to say maintaining a retriever is costlier than maintaining any other dog.
HOW TO SELECT YOUR RETRIEVER :
There are two most important things you should keep in mind if you are planning to buy a retriever.
First and the most important thing is to approach a reputed breeder because if you are not doing that remember you are on the verge of getting trapped and will be fooled out with a dog of the different breed. No doubt, that there are many beautiful golden dogs which will give you an illusion of being a retriever but as we know looks is not all that is needed in a pet. So choose your breeder wisely and smartly. Try not getting fooled up from the fake breeders.Last but not the least choose the breeder with your area of interest.
The second thing I believe comes as being an important point of concern is the quality of pedigree and remember only a reputed or a good breeder will only know what is pedigree. Actually quality pedigree means what kind of parents, grandparents and ancestor that particular pet had, because through that only you will understand the abilities, temperament and health of that pet, as almost the same traits are passed as hereditary. Basically track record of a quality pup is very important.
Now what mostly happens is that at times we confuse the two important terms pedigree and puppy's registration but they are too different. Through pedigree, a reputed breeder can tell you what qualities the pet must have inherited but through registration papers, you identify who are the parents and ancestors of the pup but they will not tell you about the qualities.