~~ Updated March 2009 ~~
If there is one thing that is guaranteed to bring a smile to my face is the unexpected sighting of a Golden Retriever.
Our first Retriever was called Bollinger (Bolly). Sadly, Bolly died at the age of ten from a soft tissue sarcoma i.e. cancer - something that ... Read review
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With their attractive proportions and great stature Golden Retrievers are both tough and elegant creatures with gentle strength and graceful movements. Their lively affectionate nature makes them the ideal family pet; they will frolic lovingly with your children and yet with the correct training be very obedient. If they do not receive enough exercise they can quickly gain weight. Unhealthy additional weight can be a further burden on the joints and special nutrition can help these dogs. Eukanuba Breed Golden Retriever is a complete and well-balanced dog food which supports the health of the joints and helps to control and balance your dog's bodyweight to generally improve health and wellness. Eukanuba Breed Golden Retriever special features Natural sources of Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate help maintain joint and cartilage health L-Carnitin
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Advantages: Loyal and obedient - you'll have a friend for life Disadvantages: Hair, hair and more hair everywhere!
...the unexpected sighting of a Golden Retriever.
Our first Retriever was called Bollinger (Bolly). Sadly, Bolly died at the age of ten from a soft tissue sarcoma i.e. cancer - something that Golden Retrievers are rather susceptible to. Bolly was the the first dog we ever owned (but I knew from the off she wasn't going to be the last) and I loved her to bits, even though she was the scruffiest dog in the world.
Our house ... ...Enter stage right, a new Golden Retriever puppy dog whom we christened Taittinger (Tattie, Tatts or Tatters for ease of bellowing....).
Needless to say, I am a Golden Retriever lover for life, so I thought I'd put pen to paper and write about this breed.
== ~~History of Golden Retrievers~~ ==
Archive Kennel Club records trace this breed back to 1860 when Lord Tweedmouth breed a yellow wavy coat called Nous ... more
~~ Updated March 2009 ~~
If there is one thing that is guaranteed to bring a smile to my face is the unexpected sighting of a Golden Retriever.
Our first Retriever was called Bollinger (Bolly). Sadly, Bolly died at the age of ten from a soft tissue sarcoma i.e. cancer - something that Golden Retrievers are rather susceptible to. Bolly was the the first dog we ever owned (but I knew from the off she wasn't going to be the last) and I loved her to bits, even though she was the scruffiest dog in the world.
Our house felt incredibly empty and lonely when Bolly died, so we decided to get a new puppy almost immediately, and it really did help ease the heartache. Enter stage right, a new Golden Retriever puppy dog whom we christened Taittinger (Tattie, Tatts or Tatters for ease of bellowing....).
Needless to say, I am a Golden Retriever lover for life, so I thought I'd put pen to paper and write about this breed.
~~History of Golden Retrievers~~
Archive Kennel Club records trace this breed back to 1860 when Lord Tweedmouth breed a yellow wavy coat called Nous with a liver-coloured Tweed Water Spaniel called Belle. This resulted in four yellow pups which were bred to create the Golden Retriever breed that we all know and recognise today.
~~The Ideal Companion~~
Golden Retrievers are lively, yet placid dogs who live to please their owners. They love nothing more than being part of a family. They are loving, faithful and friendly. Do beware of their wagging tails though, Bolly often managed to knock items flying with hers - including a glass of red wine onto my mother's pale green lounge carpet one Christmas…..They love to travel in the car and hate to miss out on a trip anywhere. They also love a sofa or a bed and will make a "nest" for themselves wherever they feel like - unless you lay down some ground rules with them from the off. They do require lots of exercise - at least an hour a day, but if circumstances force you to curtail their activity for a day or so they will adapt quickly and quietly.
They are good with children of all ages, being gentle and trustworthy companions. They are really patient - often allowing themselves to be involved in "dressing-up" games. However, they can be a rather boisterous and clumsy breed, so it's best to train them not to jump up from an early age. They make ideal guide and listening dogs as well as their more traditional role as gun dogs at hunting and fishing events.
~~Disadvantages~~
~Hair~ They shed their coats continuously throughout the year if they live in a centrally heated house, and the hair gets everywhere. A Golden Retriever is not the best dog for the exceptionally house-proud. However, a daily grooming routine does do wonders. I love wearing black, but Bolly was always convinced that I would look better with a full layer of yellow fur all over it, and I never managed to persuade her otherwise.
~Guard Dog Abilities~ These are virtually non-existent - they are likely to make the right noises but then try and befriend the would-be intruder in their constant quest to make friends with everyone.
~Water~ Golden Retrievers have an instinctive love of water and will leap in anything wet from a muddy puddle to a full raging river. They will then leap right out again and shake themselves all over you.... and anyone unfortunate enough to be standing nearby. The only exception to this love of water is if you try to wash and shampoo them - obviously bath water is just not dirty enough for them....
~Hereditary Eye Diseases~ Golden Retrievers can develop two different eye diseases - cataracts and progessive retinal atrophy. However, if you buy your dog from a reputable breeder they will supply you with certificates showing that the dog is clear of any inherited eye disorders.
~Hip Dysplasia~ As with most big dogs, Golden Retrievers are prone to hip joint problems. These conditions can be partly inherited and partly caused by excessive weight or over-exercising as a puppy. Again, a reputable breeder will be able to supply you with a hip score which will show if there are any hereditary abnormalities.
~Skin Ailments~ They are very prone to these, especially during the Summer months. Bolly had an ongoing skin problem since she was a pupster, and there was nothing we could do about it. At different stages she had spots on her belly, flaky dry skin, clumps of hair peeling off her, shampoo allergies and "walking dandruff". These can all be cleared up by a course of antibiotics from the vet, but it does not come cheap - so it's worthwhile insuring your dog. We must have spent hundreds and hundreds of pounds on vets visits (and even a session with a skin specialist) in the quest to find a cure for Bolly, but luckily we insured her from the word go.
~~More information~~
The Golden Retriever Breed Council (www.goldenretrievers.co.uk) can advise you on all aspects of ownership and supply you with a list of reputable breeders in your area. A pedigree pup will cost you from between £500 to £700 - more if the breeder has won prizes. We bought Bolly through an advert in the local newspaper for £375. In retrospect this was extremely foolish, as we knew absolutely nothing about her history or her breeder. Although we did see her with her mother (which is most important), we should have done our homework first. We were extremely lucky on that occasion, but we did do more research the second time around and found a reputable breeder who sold Tattie to us for £675.There is also the Golden Retriever Club (www.thegoldenretrieverclub.co.uk) - another good website with pages of advice on buying a puppy.
If you really want a Golden Retriever but haven't got the time to spend raising and training a puppy (or the funds to buy one), then there are a number of Golden Retriever Rescue Societies throughout the UK. You can register with these people (usually volunteers who love the breed), and they will contact you when and if they have to re-home a Retriever. They'll inspect your home and subject you to stringent questioning before they'll let you take one of their dogs, as the welfare of the animal is always paramount in their eyes. More information on rescue societies for all breeds can be found at www.dogpages.org.uk, as well as a section on dog homes in your area.
Similarly, you will find the odd Golden Retriever looking for a new home on the Forum Pages on the same website (www.dogpages.org.uk/forums/index/php). There are two sections "Dogs in Rescues - We Need a Home" and "More Dogs Needing Homes". Alternatively, you can post your request to rehome a dog in another section of this Forum called "Homes Offered". This is an absolutely fantastic website with information on all sorts of doggy issues. The Forums are full of dog experts who are only too happy to help and advise on any issue. A few years ago, we wanted a companion for Bolly and we found a 3 year old male retriever called Bailey through this website. We made contact with his owner, who was distraught at having to rehome him, but family circumstances had made it necessary. Unfortunately it all went very wrong, and Bolly and Bailey hated each other on sight and fought like mad. Luckily, his owner had organised a back up home for him in the event that ours did not work out, so it all ended happily eventually.
~~Conclusion~~
In conclusion I would heartily recommend a Golden Retriever - I cannot remember life as it was before we got either of ours. They really do make our house a home - despite the mounting piles of hair in every corner and the trail of paw prints across the carpet. There's nothing nicer than the sight of a wagging tail and fluffy ears greeting me when I get home at night after a crappy day at work. They are hard work but they give out so much affection it makes it more than worthwhile.
Highly recommended.
RIP Bolly 10th September 1997 to 5th August 2008. Truly, the most special of dogs.
Advantages: Faithful, loving, trusting, loyal, intelligent and friendly Disadvantages: Hairy leaving you lovely white carpets.
GOLDEN RETRIEVERS I find it hard sometimes to think what I want to write about, I have read a couple of reviews now on Golden Retrievers. My parents have had a few over the years, I have personally have owned two of them. Both of my dogs (Bonnie and Chloe) had totally different personalities, it is my dogs that I want to tell you about in this review, I will cover a bit about the breed as well. I will try and break this review up into sections, so ... ...the Breed ~~
The Golden Retriever was originally bread as a waterfowl dog and a shooting dog. Today they are mainly pets or working dogs for the blind, deaf and others. Firstly I like to give you an interesting fact, yellow pups occasionally appear in a little of all black retrievers, these were called a 'sport' and were due to a recessive gene. I mention this now, because tracing back their history I got to 1850 when Lord Tweedmouth purchased a ...
arnoldhenryrufus 07.11.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Golden Retriever
..."Bertie" a loving big hearted Golden Retriever. Bertie died from Leukimia in 2000 but I think about him nearly every day. I am a Golden Retriever lover for life, so I thought I'd share my experiences with you of owning a Golden, the good bits and the bad bits. A can no longer have one because of the hair but if I could I would not hesitate to recommend. History =====
The Golden Retriever we know and love today was the result of one mans dedication ... ...was the start of the Golden Retriever breed.
The work of the Lord went on for a quarter of a centuary breeding Nous to create 4 yellow puppies which in turn were breed and in 1913 The Kennel Club registered Golden Retrievers as a distinct breed. Golden Retrievers have been imported to countries all over the world where they have been admired and well loved.
Costs
=====
To buy a Golden Retriever puppy will cost you in the region of £300 - £500. ...
rachel1431 31.07.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Golden Retriever
Advantages: A brilliant, loyal, loving family pet. Disadvantages: None really
Golden Retrievers were originally developed in the 1800s in Scotland to assist in the fields and retrieve game during hunting, They were bred to have soft mouths so as not to damage birds that they retrieved, and also to have a love of water.
I own an 8 month old Golden Retriever, they are a wonderful family dog. Ruby is my second Golden Retriever, I have had and do currently own other breeds of dog but for me, the Golden Retriever is the best dog ... ...from light cream to deep golden in colour. The price of a Golden Retriever can vary somewhat, depending on where you are buying from (a more expensive dog does not equal a better dog) I paid £650 for mine, but you must remember that on top of buying your dog, there are lots of other costs - vaccinations, feeding bowls, toys, food, collar, lead, insurance, microchipping, puppy classes etc. This can put the cost up to nearly a thousand pound, but if ...
pinkgunner10 14.04.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Golden Retriever
Advantages: Loyal, loving, easy to train. Disadvantages: Hair seems to be everywhere except on the dog!
Golden Retrievers! Where do I start with this wonderfull breed?
Shadow, my 5 year old male, is my first Goldie, but certainly won't be my last. In my opioion, they are one of the most loyal, loving and gentle breeds of dog there is. Here I will be reviewing the breed for potential owners, pointing out the good and bad points of the breed aswell as sharing my experiences of my Golden Retriever.
-Apperance-
The Golden Retriever is classed as a large ... ...almost white to rich deep golden brown, Shadows coat is a very dark golden colour with lighter areas around the face, paws and tail. Their eyes are a deep brown/black colour and their nose is pure black (normally!), however around a quarter of Shadows nose is pink, why? I don't know!, it has always been like that and probally always will be! -Puppies-
Golden Retriever puppies are generally fairly easy to acquire, when choosing a puppy you should ...
Star92 18.06.2007 (31.07.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Golden Retriever
The Golden Retriever. Ah the infamous cute dog. We all know what a Golden Retriever looks like, and we all want to stroke one when we see one in the streets. I have had a Golden Retriever since March and I love her to bits. She was born on the 4th January and was an "accident". Lol. My dad's work mate had the mother and father and it happened as it does. As soon as they were born, my mother, sister and I went to see them. There were three in the ... ...a fantastic example of a Golden Retriever, she is now six years old and called Sophie. The Father was in the kitchen because he is still young, 18months, and is very boisterous, he is called Max. In the corner inside a man made box were the three puppies, they were four days old by this time and couldn't open their eyes. The owner let us hold her in our hands, she was as small as our palm (I can see you all now going "arhhh"). The owner's father ...
drew_greenday666 17.12.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Golden Retriever
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After being overly impressed with the original kong dog toys I brought one of these stuff a balls for my GoldenRetriever and Westie.
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They often play with it and its still in good condition, although it is rather hard to clean. When their teeth go through the slots on the ball it helps remove plaque, so they have fun whilst doing something good for their teeth!
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Advantages: low fat. Disadvantages: only one flavour, smell.
Pedigree Light & Tasty Chewy Bars were on a buy one get one free deal at Sainsburys , so I got them for my dogs, a GoldenRetriever and a Westie.
The treats are soft, brown and a rather odd shape, kind of like a stick with waves in it?! They smell dreadful..but i'm a vegetarian so maybe thats just me. The dogs LOVED them, the GoldenRetriever wolfed his down then 'helped' the Westie eats his too! The packet is yellow and green with the Pedigree logo, picture of the products and a small dog on the front, they cost 98p for a 70g packet (4 chews).
They were very soft rather than chewy and didn't last the dogs very long, but being less than 2% fat I gave them both another one! They made them thirsty and made their breath smell too!. Could do with another flavour prehaps as they are only available in chicken..and my dogs are beef ...
Advantages: dogs love them. low fat Disadvantages: strong smell
My boys -a GoldenRetriever & a Westie- are very active, always running around after each other or their toys so are able to enjoy treats (in moderation of course) without putting on weight.
These treats were on a 3 for 2 deal in Pets At Home so I brought them for my dogs. The packet is mainly red and blue with the logo, picture of the product and the Bakers mascot on the front. The packet is also resealable so the treats stay nice and moist even after opening.
The treats are triangle shaped- but with rounded corners. They have a white centre, a red middle layer and white top layer. They're made to resemble pork chops. They smell very strongly, and make your hands smell, so I wouldn't recommend them for taking on walks.
Both my dogs enjoyed them, they were very soft so didn't last very long but the both of them kept bugging me ...
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