Golden Retrievers are without doubt one of the most popular breeds of dog in the world.
They make great pets that can suit the needs of a wide range of dog owners due to their versatility.
Golden Retrievers are great family dogs as well as hunting companions and you can't really go wrong with one of these dogs.
With their kind and gentle temperament, these dogs excel in almost every role they are required to play.
Few other breeds have enjoyed the limelight as much as the Golden Retriever.
Many of us may remember Liberty, the First Dog of the Ford Administration or for those of us who are younger; Buddy the dog in the popular movie Air Bud may be more familiar.
Comet the dog in the TV series Full House and Duke the dog in the baked beans commercial...
all these dogs have one thing in common with one another, they are all Golden Retrievers.
Golden Retrievers have achieved such great popularity due to a number of reasons.
Aside the fact that they are very attractive looking dogs with great personalities, there are a few other reasons as well.
Water Dogs: Golden Retrievers love water and with their water repellent coats, this makes them ideal hunting dogs.
They also love retrieving things (hence their name), and these dogs have been bred to retrieve water fowl from the water.
Their natural gentleness enables them to gently carry the bird back to their owner without damaging it.
Working Dogs: Not only is the Golden Retriever a great family pet and hunting companion, it is also an excellent working dog.
Golden Retrievers are used in a variety of roles such as drug detection work, rescue work and assistance work for the disabled.
Golden Retrievers have also proven their worth as therapy dogs - dogs used to assist stroke victims and sufferers of psychological problems to deal with their conditions.
Some dogs are even used in grief counseling.
Being such social and friendly dogs makes them ideal for these tasks and they are able to reach sometimes unreachable patients.
A great ambassador of the breed was a dog named Hoop, he worked for the Utah Veterinary Medical Association and help many people with their physical therapy.
He was also used to bring joy to children in schools and hospitals and made such an impact on everyone he came in to contact with that he was inducted into the Utah Animal Hall of Fame and declared Animal Companion of the Year.
Search and Rescue: Due to their high intelligence and keen senses, these dogs are used for search and rescue tasks.
They also love to please and his makes them very easy to train.
Rescue dogs are trained to find people buried under 6 feet of snow.
A fine example of a rescue dog is a dog called Hasty who finds and rescues people in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.
He has rescued many people who were buried in avalanches in the perilous mountain range.
Golden Retrievers are very athletic dogs that need a substantial amount of exercise and mental stimulation.
They love playing games such as fetch and Frisbee, and usually excel at these activities.
This makes them very popular in canine agility competitions as well.
If you are considering bringing a Golden Retriever into your household you should consider adopting.
There are many fine Golden Retriever puppies and dogs at adoption shelters that need a good home.
Adopting a dog will result in a dog that is especially grateful to you for the rest of his life and you will literally be saving a dog's life.