Children and Golden Retrievers

Frequently, their affection with children is what finally weighs on the decision of buying a Golden Retriever. Golden Retriever's are usually very patient with children and allow them many liberties: children can get balls out of their snouts; they can pull on their hair, ride them and pull on their leashes. In fact, you sometimes have to protect dogs form overly active kids. Many Retrievers feel good around comprehensive children. They like to be petted; they observe how the children play and let them park their toy cars in between their front paws. But other Golden Retriever's don't appreciate being constantly held, petted or woken up. They prefer their tranquility; they find children bothersome and would no way be a publicity "pets".

Set rules for your children and also for your friends' children. Most small children don't understand why they can't stick their finger in the dog's nose or why they can't pull on his tail. And even the most patient dog can lose his temper if treated that way. If they are annoyed too much, they will use their canine language to say so, but young children can't understand their language and will need the help of an adult to translate what the dog is trying to say. If these signs are not understood, he will have no choice to bite. And that's what you read in the papers. When puppies and still in growth, Golden Retrievers tend to be kind of clumsy. Playfully, they jump on the children and knock them over. A mature Golden can also frighten a kid with an over effusive greeting.

Walking the dog by themselves –the golden dream of all children – sad to say almost always has to remain that way: a golden dream. A male Golden Retriever can reach up to 90 pounds, and a female up to 77 pounds. No child has the physical conditions to hold a dog of that weight if it decides to go its own way. Accompanied by adults, children can guide the dogs, but in case of an emergency, the adult has to step in with a firm hand to protect the child and the dog from any accident. If these norms are followed, the Golden Retriever can get to be a wonderful friend and partner; and your children will gradually learn to assume responsibilities, at first by helping with the caring and the feeding of the dog & also by developing an intuition for the needs of the dog.