3 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE GETTING A GOLDEN RETRIEVER

Now bringing a golden retriever into your home is a big decision and one that you absolutely should take seriously. And in today's video I'm going to hand you over to my breed history expert and he's going to break down a few things that you absolutely must know before considering bringing a golden retriever into your home. Number one, they want to be involved in everything. There's a reason why the idiom of golden retriever energy exists and is universally recognizable without any kind of explanation. People know what it means because there is no dog quite like a golden retriever when it comes to zest for life. Full of vim and vigor and fizzing with enthusiasm for everything, a Goldie wants to be a part of anything and everything. If they could speak, you could offer them the opportunity to do anything from eating ice cream with you on the sofa to running a marathon with you whilst carrying a piano and their response would invariably be yes oh my god that is my favorite thing. Because of this charming trait it's important to acknowledge that as a prospective owner of one of these munchkins you are setting yourself up for a companion for everything. Never again will you think of anything as a single player game. Everything from putting on your socks to sitting on the toilet is now a collaborative exercise. So if you're not keen on a living shadow, a true velcro dog, then please do not get yourself a Golden Retriever. Because whilst they can of course be trained to enjoy their own company and respect your boundaries, you will never find a happier or more fulfilled Golden Retriever than one who can share in all aspects of your life with you. Stereotypes about them can blind you to the truth. Now it is absolutely crucial to make this point which may seem at odds with the previous one. You cannot guarantee that every Golden Retriever will embody all of the above traits. One of my colleagues owns a Goldie who is quite aloof and physically distant, and that is just his idiosyncratic way. The problem with the internet and with any breed profile that I can give you from my wealth of experience is that it can create a monolith in your head. Not all dogs in a breed are identical, and only you can know your own dog. So when you choose a dog, by all means do your research into both breed and breeder, not to mention conducting temperament assessments on both parents and offspring, but do not think that you have yourself a guarantee. If you subscribe to expectation and neglect to treat your Golden Retriever puppy as an individual, you will do it a disservice that will leave you both unhappy. Most Goldens are, well, golden. But all Goldens, like all dogs and indeed all people, are individuals. So be prepared to love the dog in front of you, not just the meme-worthy dog you saw on the gram or the affable pooches from Air Bud, Homeward Bound and up. That way, everyone is all the happier. Number three, they will love everyone, not just you. As a final note on the relatively stable temperamental traits of well-bred Retrievers that you can expect even if you cannot guarantee, it is worth noting that they are not loyal. Well, that's not fair. They're exceptionally loyal to their owners and will always choose them over someone lower on the hierarchy of importance to them. But that said, they will show love to literally anyone. We've all seen the videos of Goldies online who greet strangers like long-lost friends and embrace random beachgoers as if they love them more than the stars. Goldens are just like that. They are brimming with love and affection, and their natural state is to adore humans to a fault. And a fault it may well be. They make for truly awful guard and even watchdogs, greeting everyone as they do with wagging tails and kisses on the hands. And they can even make you jealous. I, for one, prefer dogs who are somewhat aloof with strangers so that I can feel special when my dog only gives its full remit of love and cuddles to me. As absurd as it sounds, it is a well-established fact of dog ownership that one of the main motivators for purchasing a dog is to help with self-esteem and confidence. And so if you're anything like me, you might want a dog who will save its kisses for you, like a Mastiff or an Akita. If you love love, however, and just want the entire world painted with it, then the Goldie is indeed the best choice for you. Guys, I hope you enjoyed that video. And if you love the Golden Retriever as much as I do, don't forget to like this video, but also don't forget to subscribe. We make videos like this every single week and we can't wait to see you on the next episode.