Not only will having a Golden Retriever be a great family pet but they can be trained as a hunting dog also. For the truth of the matter, many do not even need training. They are instinctively great at what they do.
Golden Retrievers are similar to labrador retrievers in that they are both gun dogs. The retriever is great at hunting small birds and other smaller prey.
The Golden Retriever is the dog that aims to please in everything it does. What it believes the owner wants is the Golden’s biggest desire to accomplish.
The physical aspects of a Golden Retriever are what make it great for a hunting dog. They have a strong and muscular bodies, and these dogs are super intelligent.
History
The history of a Golden Retriever is one of hunting and sporting. Due to their trainability and versatile nature, Golden Retrievers became popular with hunters back in the late part of the 19th Century.
The Golden's size, muscular build and love of water, made it the perfect dog for the upland game and the waterfowl.
The Golden Retriever has been known for its hunting and field abilities or strengths since early 1904. The field abilities are that they live up to their name and will retrieve what they need to, in order to please their owner.
It should be made known that the Golden Retriever has not always been a family dog. In truth, the Golden Retriever was not even meant to be a part of the family, to begin with. The full intention of the Golden Retriever was to be the perfect hunting companion and retriever for the elite while they were hunting.
The Golden Retriever still makes an excellent hunting companion. With the superior sense of smell that the Golden Retriever has, they are the perfect retrieving animal for hunters.
With training, some Golden Retrievers can flush out prey, but this is definitely not their forte’. They were meant strictly for retrieving the kill so the master or owner did not have to wade through the wetlands or water marshes.
If the purpose of purchasing or adopting a Golden Retriever is for hunting, you should actually visit a breeder that specializes in field-bred Golden Retrievers. This is generally the first step to raising the perfect hunting companion.
The next step is to find a reputable trainer. Finding a trainer that can specialize in training for hunting would allow you to have a Golden who has been trained properly and understands what is needed from him or her.
Obviously finding a Golden that was meant for hunting is more difficult now than it was a century ago. However, do not give up hope. It is possible.
Why Goldens
To begin with, they were specifically bred for hunting, generations ago. This gives them that instinctual nature. They have that superb sense of smell that allows them to locate the downed bird and retrieve it.
The Golden Retriever seems to have an endless sense of energy and is supremely intelligent. The Golden is also considered easily trained.
To start with being bred for hunting. Hunters needed a dog that could retrieve the kill from dry land as well as locate it in the wetlands and marshes. However, the hunter needed more than just that in a hunting dog. They also needed a dog that could get along with other humans without being rough or vicious to them.
At that time, the elite went out in what they called hunting parties. This meant that there were many men and their dogs also. So each hunter needed their retrieving dog to be somewhat sociable, and friendly and yet know their role and do the job they were meant to do.
The perfect breed
The perfect breed came about due to one elite man deciding to mix the breeds until he came upon the dog we love today! This ‘Lord’ managed to come up with the perfect mix. With a superior sense of smell, a double layer of fur to protect against the elements and the water as the dog is retrieving the fowl, the breed is muscular, intelligent and easily trained.
This leaves us with the canine that is not only one of the most popular dogs on the planet but also one of the smartest, most hard-working, loving and intelligent canines to be bred. Today this means that the hunters in the family can take the Golden to the hunting area, where he will bring back the dinner. Take the Golden Retriever home where he or she will play with the kids and show a love that is unmatched by most other breeds.
Loyal breeds
The Golden Retriever is also one of the most loyal breeds we can find on the whole planet. The Golden Retriever seems to be the happiest when he is making his family happy. This is what the Golden Retriever lives for, to please his family.
An interesting fact in regards to the abilities of the Golden Retriever. Many Search Companies now use the Golden Retriever during the searches they conduct for missing persons. We have found that the Golden Retriever is a canine that works well during Search and Rescue, as a seeing-eye dog and also as an Avalanche worker.
Breeding practices
Due to the popularity of the breed, there was a split when it came to the show dog and the field-bred dog. With the breeding practices that came along with the popularity, the Retrievers began to become more diluted. The animals were becoming more prone to health issues and different diseases.
Thankfully, responsible breeders, along with very knowledgeable and highly educated Veterinarians are working together to pair up and breed more genetically sound animals. This is not as simple as it may sound to the layman. It is important to delineate the lines by intent and to understand the differences in the variety of Goldens.
Basically what is being done is that the breeder and the veterinarian are working to get the distinct characteristics back for the Golden Retriever that is bred for hunting, also known as field bred and keep that separated from the other types. The field-bred Golden Retriever is more compact, athletic or agile and has a shorter, yet denser coat of fur. For hunting dogs, these are the important characteristics.
Due to the study, research and all other involved costs, you can expect to pay more when it comes to purchasing a Golden Retriever with dedicated breeding. However, before jumping in and purchasing the first Golden you see, research the breeders, and their veterinarians and look for any warning flags. When it is a certain type you want, you need to be sure that the breeder knows what they are doing and that they have followed lines. Ask about genetic testing, if it was completed, what were the results and how far back are the tests done?
Be sure that you also ask for the health certifications, are they offered? If not, this could be the warning sign you needed to find. A registered breeder will have no problem showing you reports, and tests, or discussing anything you need or want to know and they will also show you certifications they have. For the sake of your family, the Golden Retriever and the others that are searching for the same objective, be sure that you do your homework beforehand. This is the only way that these backdoor breeders will be shut down for good.
A true hunter is exceptional. When you hunt a Golden, you are getting a Golden Retriever who can handle a duck blind, run through the marshes or wetlands with ease and can easily be trained to hold the duck or other fowl in its mouth with no damage caused to the fowl.
Since the Golden Retriever does love attention, he or she will be pleased to just be coming along with you. In order to make you even more proud of them, they will learn what you are teaching and perform the hunting tasks bestowed upon them with ease.
Their higher energy levels help to keep them engaged on the task at hand, whether that is searching for the hunter’s kill, searching dense areas for missing people or being the favourite dog for your family.
You do need to remember though, that the hunting-bred Golden Retriever tends to be more of an intense animal than a family Golden Retriever. That does not mean that there will be issues with the Golden and your family. The Golden just tends to be more serious when it is doing what it was bred to do, and this seriousness tends to spill over into life for the Golden Retriever.
Conclusion
One thing is for sure though, the Golden Retriever continues to be one of the most popular breeds of dogs there is in the world. They make a perfect house and family dog, they will be great hunters and retrievers as needed, with training. And they remain one of the most gorgeous canines ever bred.
The Golden Retriever is a well-loved dog for all of these reasons plus many more. The love that you give to your Golden Retriever is going to come back to you tenfold, there is no greater love. Although the Golden Retriever does have a sunny and outgoing temperament, it tends to be slightly more sensitive to the world around him than the Labrador Retriever.
