Description: Goldie is a delight. She is a mix of my two favorite family-dogs - lab and golden! She loves everyone and everything, plus at just 45 pounds she will just about fit in your pocket. OK, well not in your pocket, but still, that's pretty small for a lab/golden mix! She is not a barker, loves playing with the other dogs, and is housebroken. She is a bit nervous at Judy's house right now - just a bit to hectic for this girl. We'd like to get her into a foster or permanent home as soon as possible. (oh, and I don't know why all the photos we took today turned out so lousey - it's just one of those days!)
According to www.dogbreedinfo.com, the Golden Retriever was first developed in the British Isles, probably from crosses between a yellow Flat-Coated Retriever, light-coated Tweed Water Spaniels, other spaniels, setters and even the Newfoundland and possibly the Bloodhound. In fact the breed was first shown as a Golden Flat-Coat. The Golden is one of the world's foremost family companion dogs. Many of the top obedience competition dogs in the country are Golden retrievers. The Golden is also a fine bird dog on both land and in the water. He has an excellent nose and has been used not only for hunting and tracking, but also for narcotics detection. Because of his great desire to please and capacity for love and learning, the Golden Retriever is also used as a guide for the blind, therapy dog, and service dog for the disabled. These are lovable, well-mannered, intelligent dogs with a great charm. They are easily trained, and always patient and gentle with children. Loyal, confident, sweet and eager to please. It is active, loving and an outstanding family dog. Golden Retrievers enjoy pleasing their masters, so obedience training can be fun. They excel in obedience competitions. Friendly with everyone, including other dogs, the Golden Retriever has very little, if any, guarding instincts. While unlikely to attack, Goldens make good watchdogs, loudly signaling a stranger's approach. This breed needs to be around people to be happy. If isolated from human contact, or left alone for long periods of time, the Golden Retriever may become mischievous. They can be over-exuberant and distractible. Some of the Golden's talents are hunting, tracking, retrieving, narcotics detection, agility, competitive obedience, and performing tricks. These dogs also love to swim. They have a life expectancy of 10-12 years.
Other Pictures of Goldie (click to see larger version):