Best Dog Diet

What’s the ideal diet for your dog?

Discover more about the history of your dog’s breed, its temperament, appearance and diet

Border Terrier Diet

Bull Terrier Diet

Bulldog Diet

Boxer Diet

Cavalier Spaniel Diet

Cocker Spaniel Diet

German Shepherd Diet

Golden Retriever Diet

Labrador Retriever Diet

Lhasa Apso Diet

Miniature Schnauzer Diet

Pug Diet

Shih Tzu Diet

Springer Spaniel Diet

Staffie Diet

Westie Diet

Whippet Diet

YorkshireTerrier Diet

Copyright 2010 Best Dog Diet

Golden Retriever Diet

Golden retrievers have a tendency to scavenge for food, picking up almost every conceivable thing to taste and chew. Originally bred as an outdoor working dog this habit enabled snacks while working long hours in the field.

The Golden Retriever evolved from the Labrador Retriever (itself from the St John’s Water Dog) and will have been exposed to natural food products existing by the sea.

The amount and type of food will depend on the individual dog. A complete and balanced diet is recommended to include fish, poultry and natural meat and bone. Goldens are prone to obesity and require regular exercise.

Golden Retriever Temperament

Golden retrievers are naturally friendly dogs that thrive on company and play. They particularly like playing in the water as their webbed paws and water-repellent coat make swimming easy. Goldens make very good family pets as they are affectionate and friendly and not known for being defensive, territorial or aggressive.

Goldens are always willing to retrieve a stick or ball and will play with anyone young or old and any other dog. They exhibit affection for all they come into contact with and have a great deal of patience especially where children are concerned. Their sociability and attractive appearance makes them one of the most popular family pets.

Golden Retriever Appearance

The golden retriever has a strong elegant physique and a long straight-haired (with a small amount of wave) coat. The UK Kennel Club standards ideal height is 56-61 cms for a male and 51-56 cms for a female. Weight from 25-35 kgs.

The British Golden Retriever is slightly stockier in appearance than its American and Canadian counterparts, however the differences are relatively minimal.

The coat colour ranges from cream to any shade of gold, but red and mahogany are now ‘show’ colours. A Golden retriever’s coat can darken or grow lighter with age. In general with age there is a noticeable whitening of fur around the muzzle.

A Golden’s coat is thick, dense and water-repellent which means that it is naturally oily and a bit dry. There is a tendency to moult throughout the year. The tail is strong and well-feathered.  Sleek muscular shoulders and strong hind quarters are hidden by an overcoat and dense water-resistant undercoat.

Generally athletic in appearance, Goldens should look effortless and graceful in action.  A strong jaw, dark eyes, broad face and soft ears are key characteristics which make the Golden retriever one of the most popular dogs in the UK.

Golden Retriever Facts

Golden Retriever History

Golden Retrievers were originally bred in Scotland from a Retriever and a Tweed Water Spaniel. Improvements in firearms led to the desire for a specialised retriever to cover an increased amount of ground over more treacherous terrain.

The golden retriever was bred with the intention of creating the ultimate hunting companion for retrieval of all types of game from water and land. Their obedience and intelligence combined with overall robustness makes them highly desirable in the workplace.

Golden retrievers are now commonly used as assistance dogs.

Golden Retriever Known Disorders

Golden retrievers are prone to suffer from hip and elbow dysplasia and eye disorders and hip scores and clear eye certificates are recommended before breeding.