Golden Retriever
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Golden Retrievers are a very popular kind of dog. When the kind was first created, they were used for hunting. Now, they are sometimes used for hunting, but a lot of people like to have them as pets because they are very friendly. People also like them because their face looks like they are smiling all the time. Because they are so friendly, Golden Retrievers cannot be used as guard dogs, but they are good as drug dogs at airports and very good as service dogs for the blind (People who cannot see). They also like people, so when they are left alone for too long, they get very sad and can cry.
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[edit] About Goldens
Golden Retrievers are very good family dogs because they are nice to little children and do not bark very much. They are good in neighbourhoods too, but they need to be walked a lot because they can gain weight very quickly.
[edit] Looks
A good Golden Retriever has a nice, strong body and long hair that is yellow or gold. Their fur even stops water because it has two special layers, one short and one long. They always have brown eyes and can show a lot of emotions with them. When they get old, their face turns white, but when they are young, they should not have any white on them. A normal male dog weighs about 29 to 34 kilogrammes (65 to 75 pounds) and a normal female dog weighs about 27 to 32 kilogrammes (60 to 70 pounds). From their front paws to their upper back, they are about 56 to 61 centimetres (22 to 25 inches) tall.
[edit] Activities
As said earlier, Goldens are used a lot for people who cannot see, but they are also used for obedience trials and as assistant dogs for people who have seizures or cannot hear. They are very good at smelling things, so they are also good for hunting. The second part of their name, retriever, is very true because they love to fetch things for their people! Goldens love to catch tennis balls and frisbees.
[edit] Kinds
There are two different kinds of Golden Retrievers: show dogs and field dogs. Show dogs have very long hair and a lighter colour, but field dogs have a lot more differences. They have short hair and can have any shade of hair. Because they have shorter hair, it is easier to brush them because they do not get as many things caught in it.
[edit] Health
Like a lot of purebred dogs, Goldens can have bad health. A big problem for Goldens is hip dysplasia, which makes the dog's bones hurt at its hips. Also, a lot of Goldens have skin allergies, so people have to be very careful to not wash the dog too much and make sure that it does not get fleas. Goldens also have problems with their eyes sometimes, but it's mostly when they get older.
[edit] History
Golden Retrievers were created by a man named Sir Dudley Majoribanks who lived in Scotland. He took a yellow dog and a kind of dog called a Tweed Water Spaniel, which is a dog that does not exist anymore. The yellow dog was named Nous and the Spaniel was named Belle, and all Golden Retrievers are related to these two dogs. The breed was created to be stronger than other retrievers but more gentle with people so they could be trained very easily.
In 1903, the breed was added to the list of the Kennel Club of England, but it was not added to the list of the American Kennel Club until 1932. Now, there are millions of Goldens around the world, and people love them!
