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Children and Adults Love Golden Retrievers
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Are Golden Retrievers good with kids to play with? Yes, because after training they usually make patient, gentle, and loving pets. It means that they can avoid biting or being out of control even when frolicking sessions get rowdy. More often than not, they may tolerate children messing around and even try to join rough plays too. So, with a good upbringing, these four-legged friends of ours can be great companions. From this, it’s easy to see why many buy or adopt these canines into their homes.
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The American Kennel Club has been making these lovely creatures a part of their top 10 pooches. Films depict these animals as sweet and playful. Several home videos show Goldens as affectionate too. But are Golden Retrievers easy to train to be nice? Yes, and there are techniques for that. In this post, we’ll show you more details about these fascinating dogs and explain why they are worth it. Also included are some training tips to make these pooches behave well around people.
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What Golden Retrievers Good With Kids Are Like
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These are medium-to-large canines with a glossy and golden coat. The average height for males is 56 to 61 cm while it’s 51 to 56 cm for females. Male Goldens are often heavier at 30 to 34 kg, compared to females that are usually 25 to 32 kg. With their dense double-coat, they don’t shed as much as other pooches do. But are Golden Retrievers playful? Yes, indeed. That’s due to their bodies which give them plenty of energy and natural playfulness. When supervised, this hyper canine breed is often sociable with children.
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Because they are good-natured animals, they make exceptional pets. People of all ages enjoy having them around and they are quite eager to please those around them too. Also, due to being young at heart, it’s easy to see them as animals that remind people of youthfulness. Hence, people looking for kind and adorable pets may want to get Goldens. Their intelligence is high but they have it in them to be obedient, affectionate, and friendly. So it’s not at all surprising why folks use them as service dogs for emotional and physical support. After all, they are good when it comes to hunting, rescue operations, fieldwork, and other tasks.
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Why Are Golden Retrievers Good With Kids?
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Goldens are very smart canines. In that way, they are likely trainable to interact well with small children and teenagers. In the book, “The Intelligence of Dogs” by Stanley Coren, a survey showed them as quite intelligent. They rank 4th in the clever breeds and with good reasons. During the study, they comprehended instructions only after fewer than five tries. Plus, they were obedient at most or 95% of the time. So, based on those points, are Golden Retrievers easy to train? They are almost always likely unchallenging to teach. Hence, after coaching, it wouldn’t be surprising for pups and mature dogs to be friendly with kids.
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Dr. Elinor Karlsson of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard made some important ideas. She said that many factors affect our four-legged friends’ personalities and behaviors. That is to say, genes and life experiences come into play. Although many Goldens are friendly, it’s their rearing that makes them well-behaved animals. Besides, other things may affect how dogs in general interact with humans. For instance, some may be aggressive when touched while having discomfort or pain. This explains why some of these pooches are easy to control while others aren’t. So supervision is necessary with Goldens to make them get along with the little ones.
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Are Golden Retrievers Good With Kids Only?
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No, because it’s natural for Goldens to be close to adults and old people who are good to them. As mentioned, these furry friends of ours are bright animals. Hence, they are as loving and playful to grown people as they are with children. Anyway, the likelihood of them being aggressive is quite low. Often, they tend to have undesirable behaviors due to actual or perceived mistreatment. Many times, though, they don’t do well with persistent irritation while feeling uneasy. So ask yourself, “What health problems do Golden Retrievers have?” and try to find ways to avoid them. In that way, you have Goldens that are even-tempered.
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To grown-ups, are Golden Retrievers playful? Yes, they are. As said, it’s the same with small kids and teens. These four-legged friends of ours aren’t choosy and don’t discriminate when playing. They are quite eager to please and that makes them super friendly. Many times, they even get along with other animals too. Even if fellow pooches or other creatures such as cats aren’t kind to them right away, that’s okay. It may take time for them to have positive associations with one another and that’s quite natural. But at least the hostility is removable. So you can introduce Golden Retrievers and let them play with fellow dogs and other animals. Even making them acquainted with strangers is possible.
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Are Golden Retrievers Easy To Train?
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These animals are not only perceptive but also intelligent enough to comprehend messages. Still, they can be quite obedient and follow verbal commands with fewer mistakes. Are Golden Retrievers good with kids while having lessons? Even if they are easy to distract, there are ways to help them focus on instructions. For instance, putting them on a leash can get them to concentrate on you. Thus having kids around while teaching them wouldn’t give a lot of problems. But, of course, it would be best to train them in an environment that is free of distractions. Know that the 2022 American Kennel Club Obedience Championship is a Golden Retriever. For several years, some of the AKC champions are Goldens too. This proves that they are clever canines. Thus, because of their smartness, it may be easy to educate them.
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Praise and treats as rewards for positive reinforcement make them trainable. But they will almost always only be attentive when training sessions are fun or engaging. Also, timing and appropriateness of instructions are very important. Take note that the attention span of young pups is short due to their undeveloped brains. Grown canines are also receptive when they know they get something good out of it. Pooches will also only be able to follow if they are capable of complying based on their physiques. Also, since they may get inattentive, using a collar and leash to tug them in the right direction is sensible too. Still, in training, there must be consistency and progression to make everything work. So it may not be difficult to train them but you’re likely going to need some time and patience to achieve success.
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How About Their Health?
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Are Golden Retrievers good with kids, given their health conditions? Zoonotic diseases that affect pooches can transfer to grown-ups and children. Examples of these are ringworm, salmonellosis, and Lyme disease. But, with proper treatment, Goldens may be free of these infections. Thus, when they are healthy, they can make great partners whom we could share moments and have fun with.
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As a responsible pet owner, it also makes sense to ask, “What health problems do Golden Retrievers have?” After all, these animals are prone to several conditions too. Knowing their common illnesses means finding out what may happen and how well to respond to them. This canine breed may experience allergy symptoms and skin problems. They may even have metabolic problems such as canine obesity and hypothyroidism. These may occur due to poor living conditions, malnutrition, autoimmune disorders, and more. But they are also problems with solutions. For treatment or at least supportive therapy, many veterinarians are available. Plus, special medicine and dietary supplements for pooches are around too. Large dog breeds are susceptible to health issues, but there are ways to address them right. So having healthy Golden Retrievers is common.
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Cons Of Having A Golden Retriever
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Are Golden Retrievers good with kids to play with? Most likely, it’s a yes. As pooches to protect them, though, they might not be the best around. Because they are not that protective, they don’t make excellent guard dogs. Although some Goldens make the safety and security of their owners a priority, many focus on play. Whenever they meet strangers, they may greet them first rather than feel suspicious. How are Golden Retrievers playful? Almost always, they are energetic and ready to go. Compared to other canines, they are a handful due to their playfulness. In this regard, they could also be stubborn dogs. It’s because they concentrate too much on playing than doing some other things. So, because of this, they may not be ideal for very busy people.
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Their hair is glossy and nice to look at and stroke but Goldens shed a lot when they do. This may be an issue for individuals who suffer from allergies due to dander exposure. Also, Golden Retrievers often forget that they are medium or big canines. Thus they can end up hurting adults and kids. Plus, they may even bump into areas and cause property damage. Still, due to their appetite, they usually crave more food than small dogs. Hence, it isn’t surprising to see them steal treats or dog food. So you may have to make adjustments when Goldens are present.
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Taking Everything Into Account
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Are Golden Retrievers good with kids to take care of plus play and live with? The answer is yes. Not only are they loving, adorable, friendly, and playful but also trainable and calm. Compared to other breeds, they can be hyper pooches but at least they are not prone to biting people. Also, with them, it’s possible to get plenty of daily physical exercise. With that, they also provide quality companionship. So our Goldens are great to have them as family members. Even when there are drawbacks to adopting them, the pros of having Goldens outweigh the cons.
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We hope that our piece about Golden Retrievers gave a clear picture of what they are like as pets. Do you have one or have you experienced having one as a fur kid? How was it? Please share with us your thoughts about this post and your experiences with Goldens. Thanks for reading!
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