If dogs are considered to be man’s best friend, then the golden retriever must be considered one of the greatest friends a human family could have. Certainly, this breed is very popular, especially in the United States, and you might be assuming that this is a perfect pet for every family regardless of your particular circumstances.

The golden retriever makes a wonderful pet for a number of reasons. He has a wonderful personality, a beautiful appearance, and he has a willingness to please his human owners. This breed, after all, came about in order to work closely with human beings as retrievers and hunting partners.

Golden Retriever – Is It Right For You

With all these wonderful qualities, you may be surprised when we say that a golden retriever may not be right for everyone. It’s not that we’re trying to dissuade you from welcoming this wonderful pet into your family, but you want to make sure that he is the right fit and that the two of you will end up living happily ever after (or at least as long as possible).

What are some of the disadvantages of having a golden retriever? Well, his coat for one thing! Golden retrievers have a double coat, with the soft undercoat providing great insulation from the weather during the winter and summer months. Every spring, your dog will be shedding quite a bit of hair from this undercoat, but you will also have a fair amount of hair being shed throughout the rest of the year.

Believe it or not, there are some dogs that are much more demanding when it comes to grooming and shedding. (The English Setter and Afghan Hound are at least as demanding, while the Komodor can be a true nightmare!) Still, the golden retriever is definitely not the easiest to work with. You will have to learn to tolerate some dog hairs if you have your dog inside, although regular brushing and combing can help reduce this significantly.

Characteristics You Need To Know

Other characteristics of the golden including the requirement of regular exercise and a close attachment to human beings. They were bred for sporting activities, after all, so they require lots of exercise like walking, jogging, retrieving, and just playing around in the yard with your family.

You might enjoy this aspect if you are an active person who loves to exercise, but otherwise, you could be doing the dog a disservice if you don’t plan on giving him plenty of exercise time.

Another thing to keep in mind is that golden retrievers need to be close to their human family. This is probably true to some extent for every dog, and you should always consider how much time and attention you will be able to devote to your canine friend before purchasing a dog. It would be very unfair to leave your dog alone all the time, and we think this is probably particularly hard on the golden retriever because of his loving and outgoing personality.

You also might be thinking that the golden retriever requires very little training because of his reputation for having great intelligence and working closely with human beings. The truth is that your dog will need training just like any other, although he certainly is among the easiest dogs to train as long as you put in some effort.