Golden Retriever: Living with a Wonderful Pet

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The golden retriever originated in Scotland in the nineteenth century. They were also known as yellow retrievers, but the yellow was later dropped. The retriever was bred to be a hunting dog, being able to retrieve waterfowl which had been shot and fell into the water. They are very good swimmers and are very athletic. They need to be exercised daily and love to chase objects that are thrown for them. It you live in an apartment and are unable to give a dog daily exercise, it would not be a good idea to have a golden retriever.

Golden retrievers are a very mild mannered and friendly breed. Their nature is to get along with children, adults and most other animals. These dogs need to interact with people, and do best when they live in the house with their owners instead of a back yard. If they are alone most of the time they tend to become unhappy. They should be included in family activities.

It will take a retriever two to three years to gain their full weight but should be at full height in one year. They are not unusually large dogs, about two feet tall. You do need to be careful not to overfeed a retriever because they to tend to put on weight. They are not a dog that matures quickly, and might take two to three years to mature. This being said, they are smart dogs and can understand up to 260 commands. The average life span of a retriever is 10 to 12 years.