The Golden Retriever is a beautiful dog that originated late in the eighteen hundreds in the Scottish Highlands. This breed was created by breeding a yellow Flat-Coated Retriever with a Tweed Water Spaniel, which is now extinct. These dogs quickly became one of the most popular breeds because of their many great qualities.

They are used for tracking and hunting, as bird dogs, for obedience competitions, as service dogs for the handicapped and for the detection of narcotics. Outside of the working abilities of the Golden Retriever, they make wonderful pets as they are great with children and with other dogs. In 1925, the AKC recognized the Golden Retriever as a breed.

Their coats makes these dogs very easy to care for. Their hair is medium in length and they have a smooth double coat. Caring for their hair is a fairly easy process. It is important to groom the undercoat and a bristle brush that is firm is the best tool for the job. It is good to use a dry shampoo to wash them but an occasional bath may be necessary. They do shed but it is considered to be an average amount when compared to some other breeds.

Golden Retrievers need to be exercised on a daily basis. You can take them out for a long walk around the neighborhood or have them run alongside of you as you take a ride on your bicycle. They have a natural instinct to follow the leader so when they are trained that the human is the leader they will heel and be right by your side. They love to chase and retrieve toys and balls and this can help them get the necessary exercise as well. When this breed does not get enough exercise you may find that they are hyperactive so be sure to take them out on a daily basis.

Some people are afraid to keep a Golden Retriever as a pet if they live in an apartment. While they are medium to large sized dogs, keeping them in an apartment is possible as long as you are willing to take them out to exercise on a regular basis. They do better when they have a large or medium size run in which they can run and play.

Golden Retrievers are prone to have some specific health conditions. These conditions include hip dysplasia, cancer, heart problems, and congenital eye defects. It is common for this breed to have skin allergies that require treatment by a veterinarian. They do gain weight fairly easily so their food intake should be monitored.

The average weight of a Golden Retriever is between 55 and 80 pounds and they are typically between 30 and 24 inches tall. These dogs are family friendly and have a life expectancy of between ten and twelve years. They are a great addition to any family and the owners typically, very quickly, fall in love with their personalities and their beauty.

Kevin Taylor is a Golden Retriever Trainer and breeding enthusiast, and enjoys helping others get started in this amazing hobby by sharing information about  the golden retriever

http://www.goldenretrievercentre.com

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The Golden Retriever Breed – Beautiful, Friendly and Active

Say you’ve got a litter of puppies and while you’re cleaning up, you notice that something is not quite right with one of them. You can hardly believe your eyes, but right in the middle of his butter-colored siblings sits a black colored puppy shuffling blindly about.

Now, you shouldn’t get worried at all. The black Golden Retriever, as most dog enthusiasts theorize, is merely a very rare and recessive gene that was expressed by the puppy. Most enthusiasts trace the origin of this gene back to one of the Golden Retriever’s ancestors, the Flat-Coat Retriever. This type of retriever had a black coat gene in its genetic makeup, and it’s possible that this gene is simply buried deep within modern Golden Retrievers. Be that as it may, it proves that black Golden Retriever is no different than golden colored ones, and do not need any special attention or treatment.

For the most part, taking care of black Golden Retrievers is pretty much the same as taking care of the golden colored ones. They will mature and grow at the same rate, which means that they will require the same amount of food. For puppies below three years of age, you need to feed them three times a day. Mature dogs only need to eat once a day, unless the dog has regular exercise, then you can feed it twice. You will need to refer to a breed-specific age, weight and height chart to know just how much to feed your black Golden Retriever.

Another similarity between the two “varieties” is that both are very intelligent. Puppies are curious and love to explore, and are quick to learn about things. If you try teaching a black Golden Retriever tricks or you’re trying to toilet train it, you’ll find that it’s generally no easier or harder to do so. You can use the same methods, tips and strategies that you use to train a white or golden retriever. You can teach both types of retriever to walk on a leash and collar or a harness without any problem from either one.

Since their biggest difference is their coat color, it’s possible this is what would be different in their care. For white or golden retrievers, brushing and check the fur and the skin underneath is easy when the fur is light, and the skin is easy to spot underneath the fur. For the black version, however, since the fur is black and it is harder to spot parasites such as fleas and ticks hiding in the fur. You therefore may want to use more flea or tick repellent on a black golden retriever.

So as you can see, aside from the difference in the coat color, both retrievers are similar to each other. As long as you have the same patience and passion for molding your black golden retriever as you do for the golden retriever, then you will have no problem taking care of this beautiful black baby!

Garry Macdonald is a golden retriever enthusiast with many years real-life experience. For more information on the black golden retriever, visit http://www.goldenretrieversexplained.com.

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How To Take Care Of A Black Golden Retriever

The Curly Coated Retriever is a very unique and interesting breed. From it’s history to its use in today’s society here is a brief overview of the breed.

The breed dates back ( or more correctly there is mention of the breed ) to the mid 15th Century. Shakespeare even mentions two “ Water Spaniels” in his writing. It was known as a meat dog, which is a dog that could find and retrieve game that was left behind by other dogs during a hunt. The dog was often owned by gamekeepers or poachers.

The breed is very hard to track down as to when it actually became known as the modern day Curly. In the 1800’s there where many number of curly-coated breeds, such as, the Water Spaniel, Wetterhoun, and Tweed Water Spaniel, any of these could be the actual ancestors of the modern day Curly. Actually some individuals claim that the Poodle and Curly-Coated where crossed to get the best qualities from both breeds into the Curly.

In 1860 the first Curly was exhibited in London. The Kennel Club in 1864 split retrievers into two different classes. They where Retrievers-Curly Coat and Retrievers-Wavy Coated class.

The breed was significantly reduced in numbers during the World Wars. In 1919 only 5 where registered, aprrox 40 in the late 1930’s and by the end of 1943 only 13. After the World Wars the breed started making a come back with 90 registrations by the end of 1947.

The breed showed up n the United States somewhere around 1907, however the first registered Curly did not appear until 1924. Here again the World War has a impact on the Curly as registered number of Curly’s was low. Just a personal observation on this, since these where hunting dogs and many men where in the service at this time, that would seem to explain the drop in numbers as most men at the time avid hunters and they where away fighting in the War.

The breed finally established itself firmly in 1929 and the Curly Coated Retriever Club of America was formed. However the Curly is still a rare breed in the United States.

Here is some more general information on the breed:

AKC ideal height is 25 to 27 inches for male and 23 to 25 inches for female.

The coat is made up of small, tight, waterproof curls. However the face has no curls, the hair grows naturally straight.

Is an even tempered dog, that shows an intense loyalty, and will protect family. Curly’s can be hard headed.

It is important to brush and comb coat while Curly is shedding and bath at the same time. They do not require extensive grooming.

They are easily trained. However they do have a tremendous independence streak which can at times make training a little more difficult.. They do tend to mature slowly.

The Curly is a hunting dog and does require regular exercise.

Also keep in mind Curlys do shed.

Most Curlys love the water and are great natural swimmers.

All in all the Curly will be a great addition to your family.

Article Supplied by:
Dog Gone Good Stuff which was founded because of the need for a place that caters specifically to dogs and their owners specific needs. Please feel free to visit Dog Gone Good Stuff for all your dogs needs. Web address www.doggonegoodstuff.com

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An Overview of the Curly Coated Retriever