The Golden Retriever is my absolute favorite dog breed. Both the temperament and the appearance of these dogs are wonderful. Plus, there’s a staggering amount of interesting facts about Goldens, and I’ve put together a list of my 10 personal favorites here. I hope you enjoy it!
- Of all the AKC registered breeds, Goldens are the second most popular. The only breed that outnumbers the Golden is the Labrador Retriever.
- The first dog to win the AKC overall obedience championship was . . . you guessed it – a Golden Retriever. This prestigious title was awarded to a female Ch. Moreland’s Golden Tonka in July 1977. But wait, there’s more: the next two dogs to win the title were also Goldens!
- Golden Retrievers are believed to be one of the MOST intelligent breeds. Some studies rank them as the third most intelligent (after Border Collies and Poodles).
- Despite its strong jaws and sharp teeth, the Golden Retriever’s mouth is actually very soft. They can retrieve and transport a number of different objects (including living things) without damaging them.
- Golden Retrievers’ tolerance for bread is high, higher than that of many other dogs. This makes them well suited for potentially dangerous roles such as police work, rescue work, and hunting helpers.
- Although Golden Retrievers are fully mature at 2 years of age, they can behave like puppies until they are around 3 years old (and some display puppy behavior for life!).
- This breed is considered by most to be the best breed to be a service dog – drumroll please, The Golden Retriever!
- Golden Retrievers are “twilight.” Do you need the dictionary? – This refers to animals that are most active at dawn and dusk, rather than in the middle of the day.
- Golden Retrievers are some of the best swimmers among all dog breeds. They were bred to navigate through different terrains (including water) to retrieve animals and birds.
- As puppies, Golden Retrievers are much lighter in color than they will be as adults (see appearance). The coat color of a pup’s ears is a good indicator of its adult coloration.
For more fun facts that didn’t make my top 10 list, but are pretty amazing, head over to More Fun Facts
