Thinking about getting a Golden Retriever?
Golden Retrievers have sweet temperaments and are loving, loyal dogs that make great family pets. They have animated personalities and are smart, eager to please, and typically aren’t aggressive.
In this post, we’ll highlight the top 10 characteristics of a Golden Retriever!
They Love Children!
Golden Retrievers are playful with kids of all ages, yet soft and gentle enough for small children.
They make great family pets because they seem to have a natural sense of boundaries with children, which is both impressive and adorable.
Golden Retriever is a great family dog!
They Are Great Companions
They love people (and people love them).
Kids, adults, babies, grandmothers… Golden Retrievers love them all.
A Golden is most happy when they’re with their family.
But they don’t just love spending time with their own families.
In fact, there’s a group of Goldens called the LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs that show up and provide comfort for victims, families, and first responders after the tragedy has struck.
They’ve been there for tragic events such as the Pulse shooting in Orlando, the Sandy Hook shooting in Connecticut, and Hurricane Sandy in NY and NJ.
Goldens make great therapy dogs because of their sweet personalities and love for people.
They Are Fun Loving
People often say that Golden Retrievers are playful puppies for life.
They love romping around the yard, throwing sticks or squeaky toys in the air, and playing fetch.
Goldens often have “zoomies” (running around in circles) because they just can’t contain their excitement.
They Are Intelligent
Although they love to have fun (and can look goofy doing it), they’re very smart.
They’re intuitive and give you the feeling that you’re hanging out with a furry little human toddler, and not just a regular dog.
They Are Easy To Train
Because they’re so smart, they’re easy to train.
But it’s not just that they’re smart, there are two other reasons they’re easy to train.
For one, they’re people pleasers that love to make you happy.
And two, they love treats!
The combination of wanting to please you, being mentally capable of understanding what you’re trying to communicate to them, and loving treats makes them some of the most trainable dogs.
They Are Hard Workers
Golden Retrievers were originally bred to be hunting dogs.
They still do work hunting in the field, but they also excel as therapy dogs, service dogs, and search and rescue dogs.
Their sweet temperament, loving personalities, the fact that they’re trainable, and their great sense of smell help them in these jobs.
They Are Fearless
As we mentioned in our previous characteristic, Goldens were bred to be hunting dogs.
Specifically, they were bred to retrieve waterfowl in Scotland.
You can’t be fearful and be a hunting dog at the same time!
And fearlessness is one of the personality traits that still persist today.
Have you heard the story of Todd, the Golden who saved his mom from a rattlesnake bite in Arizona?
He took a bite to the face while on a walk that could have easily been for his mother.
They Are Rarely Aggressive
All of the love and good-naturedness don’t leave much room for aggression.
In fact, most Golden Retrievers are likely to be submissive rather than aggressive.
And although Golden Retrievers can be “mouthy” (they were bred to hold birds in their mouths, after all) they are known for their soft mouths and rarely bite out of aggression or fear.
They Are Rarely Bark
Goldens are moderate barkers.
They may bark to let you know someone is creeping around outside, but they’re confident dogs, not little yappy things that feel the need to bark at every little sound.
Plus, because they were bred to hunt birds, they had to be quiet in the field otherwise they would scare them away.
They Are Great With Other Animals
Golden retrievers don’t just love people, they also love dogs and other animals!
They could play all day as long the other pup is up for it.
And if you’re wondering if you can have a Golden Retriever and another dog at the same time, here’s a fun stat for you:
A study found that 31.6% of Golden Retriever owners currently have more than one dog.
Of those people, 43% have only Golden Retrievers, and 57% have a Golden Retriever plus another breed.
And provided they have had a proper introduction, Golden Retrievers are good with other animals, including cats, birds, tortoises, and even guinea pigs!