Great Facts About Golden Retreiver

*Golden Retrievers were originally bred as gun dogs to retrieve shot waterfowl during hunting and shooting parties – hence the name ‘retriever’.

* They were first bred in Scotland in the mid-1800s, but they weren’t good at retrieving shot game from both the water and land, which was a necessity. They were therefore crossed with the Water Spaniel to make the Golden Retriever breed.

*Augie , a GOLDEN RETREIVER from Dallas , holds a record for " Most Tennis Balls Held In Mouth By a Dog " with 5 tennis balls .

*First 3 AKC obedience champs were Goldens . The American Kennel Club have been holding obedience tests for many years now, but the winner of the first three of these were all gorgeous Golden Retrievers.

* A Golden Retriever broke the ground for Instagram . The first image ever uploaded to Instagram was a picture of a Golden Retriever in 2010! .

* A Golden holds the record for the loudest bark . At an incredible 113.1 decibels, the loudest barker in the canine bunch is Charlie the Australian Golden Retriever.

*These are the third most popular breed in the USA . Both US presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan had golden retreivers while they were in the White House .

*They are also often used in police units as drug detection dogs because of their outstanding sense of smell .

*Golden Retreivers have a two-layer coat . The topcoat being water resistant and wavy , whilst the undercoat is soft and keeps them cool /warm throughout the seasons . They have water-repellent double coats that shed seasonally. (Brush your Golden once a week to minimize the shedding!)They are known to be very good swimmers .Golden Retrievers instinctively love to swim. They're always up for a game of fetch in the lake.

*There are three different types in them - English , Canadian and American with different colors like golden , light golden and dark golden .

*Golden Retrievers are known to become sad and even depressed when left alone for long periods of time. Experts say they shouldn't be left alone for more than seven hours.

*They are considered to be the 4th smartest dog breed (in line behind Border Collies, Poodles, and German Shepherds).

*They're thethird most popular dog breed in America.

*TheAKCofficially recognized Golden Retrievers as a breed in 1925.

*They are known to take care of other animals, even cats.

* Golden Retrievers are known to become sad and even depressed when left alone for long periods of time. Experts say they shouldn't be left alone for more than seven hours.

*They make great watch dogs, but not-so-great security dogs. They'll bark loudly at strangers, but once they physically interact with a person, a Golden becomes more friendly.

*Goldens are a popular choice to star in movies and television shows because they are easy to train.

*The lifespan of a Golden Retriever is about 10 – 12 years.

* Golden Retrievers were sporting dogs . Sometimes known as gundogs or hunting dogs, this breed group was created to work cooperatively with their human handlers to bring home food.

* A Baron had a hand in creating the breed . Although it’s hard to pin down their history to one single person, lots of sources suggest a main player in their creation was the 1st Baron Tweedmouth, Dudley Marjoribanks.

* They were originally from Scotland . Lord Tweedmouth was Scottish, and that’s where the first Goldens came about. Bred from several different sporting dogs to achieve an all round great land and water retriever.

* Goldens were bred from Spaniels . It’s thought the main historical players in creating the new Golden Retriever breed were Tweed Spaniels, as well as Flat Coated and Wavy Coated Retrievers.

* Golden Retrievers have webbed toes . right, webbed! The toes on their paws are joined together by thin webs of skin. These webbed paws don’t have a lot of everyday uses, but they can be beneficial in the water.

*Golden Retriever fur darkens with age . When you bring home your very blonde Golden Retriever puppy he might not stay that way, as fur can darken up as the puppy ages.

*Golden Retrievers are prone to cancer . Cancer in Goldies is sadly a very common problem, and one of the reasons that their average lifespan is lower than you might expect . A Golden Retriever that avoids the cancer gene will have a much longer life expectancy. Golden Retrievers have a high risk of joint problems . Goldies have three main potential contenders when it comes to joint problems.Hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament disease.Before picking your puppy you can improve his odds of good joint health by getting him from parents with excellent hip and elbow scores. Goldens can have eye problems too . Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) is a common problem with Goldens, but fortunately can be avoided through DNA testing parents before mating.

*Like every dog, a Golden Retriever needs early socialization and exposure to many different people, sights, sounds and experiences. It helps ensure that the puppy grows up to be a well-rounded dog.

*The hallmark of the Golden Retriever is his kind, gentle, eager-to-please nature. He craves affection and will seek it from strangers as well as his own family.

*While it is excellent company, you cannot trust your Golden to guard your household!

*Goldens are outgoing, trustworthy and eager-to-please family dogs, and relatively easy to train. They are joyous and maintain puppyish behavior into adulthood. They are ideal as hunting companion, search and rescue, guide and service dogs.

*Goldens enjoy outdoor play. For a breed built to retrieve waterfowl for hours on end, swimming and fetching are natural pastimes.