Golden Retrievers: 15 reasons to adopt one

The Golden Retriever is a very popular dog breed with many great qualities. This breed is the ideal pet because they are gentle, affectionate, loyal, and always full of energy!

1. Golden Retrievers are friendly

When adopting a pet, often the first question that comes to mind is whether or not it will get along with the other members of the family. Golden Retrievers are very friendly and loving. They usually get along with everyone. In fact, this dog can even get along with other animals in the family, as well as with your children and the other adults in the household. If you are used to having people in your home, Golden Retrievers are very dependable. They will always be friendly.

2. Golden Retrievers are affectionate

The Golden Retriever is one of the most affectionate dog breeds, even more than its sidekick the Labrador Retriever. This dog breed likes to be in the presence of humans. The cute appearance of this fluffy dog makes it even more endearing.

3. Golden Retrievers are very intelligent

There are three different types of intelligence recognized in dogs: working intelligence, adaptive intelligence, and instinctive intelligence. Dogs are more or less intelligent in certain areas, depending on their genetics and their training.

It has long been recognized that the Golden Retriever is one of the most intelligent dogs. It is notably recognized for its learning abilities. Golden Retrievers can be faithful companions for people with disabilities. This is because they learn and retain actions well.

Additionally, the Golden Retriever has an interesting working intelligence. It knows how to concentrate and develop stamina for work. Moreover, its understanding of human language is also very developed. Some Golden Retrievers can understand up to 1,000 different words. A typical dog understands about 160 words.

4. Golden Retrievers are relatively healthy dogs

The Golden Retriever is a large dog with a well-balanced body. It is robust and very resistant to disease. Generally, the Golden Retriever does not have any trouble passing the age of twelve years. This is considered an advanced age for a dog of this size.

The Golden Retriever is not afraid of the cold or the heat and is generally a healthy dog breed.

Golden Retrievers can suffer from hip dysplasia. This is usually the cause of limping when they reach old age. This disease is generally operable but it is advisable to choose a puppy from a family where the members were little affected by the disease. This can be verified by x-rays of the hips at the time of adoption.

5. Golden Retrievers are great motivators

One of the best qualities of the Golden Retriever is that it is always motivated! If you are athletic or love going running or hiking, this breed is the ideal companion! The Golden Retriever is an athletic dog that likes to do many activities.

However, this trait is not ideal if you prefer to stay in the house. Even though Golden Retrievers adapt perfectly to life in an apartment, it is necessary to live near green spaces to meet its daily exercise needs. Allow about an hour of vigorous activity each day. This includes running, playing (ball throwing, training, agility) so that your Golden Retriever gets its daily quota of stimuli!

A Golden Retriever on a walk.
A Golden Retriever on a walk.

6. Golden Retrievers are stunning

We all know that beauty isn’t everything. But let’s not lie, who hasn’t fallen in love with Golden Retrievers?

Their big eyes, their innocence, their kindness, their gentle and affectionate face, their undeniable softness — this dog breed has incredible beauty. It is obvious that no one can deny the beauty of a Golden Retriever! This dog breed will always charm people with its inner and outer beauty.

7. Golden Retrievers will always be loyal to you

The Golden Retriever is a loyal and faithful dog to its owners. In any situation, you will be the person who comes first for it.

Many news stories have made headlines about Golden Retriever dogs who saved their owners from things like fires, drowning, or serious illnesses. This dog breed has a real ability to protect humans. It is for this reason that they are used as guide dogs for the blind.

The relationship between this dog and man is harmonious and fusional. This is one of the reasons why adopting a Golden Retriever is incredible!

8. Golden Retrievers are easy to train

As explained above, the Golden Retriever is a very intelligent dog. It goes without saying that it is easy to train.

Small everyday exercises will be very easy to teach your Golden Retriever, such as “sit”, “down”, “stand”, “paw”, “leash”. With that in mind, you will be even more amazed when you teach it more elaborate tricks. Here are some ideas of what you can teach Golden Retrievers: how to fetch specific objects (mail, balls, newspapers), how to put away their toys, how to dance, how to open a door, and so much more.

It goes without saying that such intelligence can lead to mischievous behavior. It is important to take the time to train your dog well. A daily session of about 15 minutes is necessary for its well-being.

9. Golden Retrievers are active

The Golden Retriever has the particularity of always being motivated for any activity! Whether it is during training sessions, a simple outing, a long walk, or even more physical activities like hiking.

In short, this breed is always happy and ready for new adventures!

For this reason, the Golden Retriever does not like to be alone. You should therefore teach him to be alone for a bit from a very young age. The goal is to prevent your dog from suffering from separation anxiety.

Golden Retriever lying on the grass.
A Golden Retriever lying on the grass.

10. They will do anything to please you

Anyone who has spent any time with a Golden Retriever knows how much this dog loves to please its owners.

If you give them love, praise, and positivity, Golden Retrievers return the favor tenfold!

There is no doubt that this breed will fill your life with love. It will welcome you full of spirit when you arrive, will console you during the hard times, will bring you happiness, and will share beautiful moments of tenderness with you to make you happy.

11. They get along with all animals

Some dog breeds do not get along with other animals. This is not the case for Golden Retrievers.

If Golden Retrievers are well-socialized from a young age, they will enjoy sharing time with other pets in the home. Golden Retrievers are protective towards the other animals in their family.

12. Golden Retrievers are balanced dogs

We have seen how the Golden Retriever can be a very motivated and lively dog. In addition to this, they are very balanced. While this dog breed is very active, it also enjoys moments of rest.

The Golden Retriever is a balanced dog in terms of temperament, but also physically. For example, it is a symmetrical, powerful, and overall well-proportioned dog.

13. They are suitable for children

As you now know, the Golden Retriever is an attentive and friendly dog breed. For this reason, it is easy to see a good relationship emerging between a child and a Golden Retriever.

It is advisable to establish very precise rules for both the dog and the children. This, in order to obtain a harmonious and respectful relationship between the two.

Child hugging a Golden Retriever
A child hugging a Golden Retriever.

14. They have a developed sense of smell

The Golden Retriever has a highly developed sense of smell, which is why you can teach it to bring back all sorts of different objects.

It is also thanks to its very powerful sense of smell that the Golden Retriever is used as a detector dog: it can find narcotics, explosives, or certain rare products such as truffles.

This breed has a nasal mucosa filled with millions of olfactory cells. It is estimated that there are 150 to 200 million in this breed, while there are 100 million in the Fox Terrier and Bulldog. If we make a comparison to humans, we only have 5 million olfactory cells.

15. Golden Retrievers have a long life expectancy

Since the Golden Retriever is a robust dog, it is not uncommon for the Golden Retriever to live up to twelve years.

Its longevity will be closely linked to its physical activity and diet. It is therefore important to give your Golden Retriever a balanced lifestyle, both in terms of food and physical activity.