[MtnGoat]

Big get together on the 150th anniversary of the Golden Retriever Breed

Biggest risk to the humans present...getting wagged or licked to death

[olderthanIusedtobe]

That's awesome!

[Bernardo]

Gotta love Golden Retrievers! That's an amazing foto! How did they do that?

[treeswarper]

They are good dogs. Hairy, but good. I likes dock stumbling labs too. Labs leave about the same amount of hair around but are easier to brush.

[grannyhiker]

Golden retrievers are lovely dogs but are very much subject to lymphoma. Vet schools (per my daughter-the-veterinarian) call goldens (unofficially) "cancer retrievers" and there are numerous studies going on as to why this disease is so prevalent among goldens. Article from WSU vet school Another article My Hysson's mother (1/2 golden) and grandmother (full golden) both died from lymphoma. So did Hysson (1/4 golden) (see my avatar) and at least one of his litter mates. Unfortunately, the disease usually doesn't develop until the dog is about 10 (Hysson was 10 1/2), so by the time it comes along, it's too late to prevent breeding of the parents. On the positive side, a number of service dog organizations (such as Guide Dogs for the Blind and Canine Companions for Independence) which raise their own dogs tend to go for Lab/Golden crosses. Goldens have mellower dispositions, while Labs are more active and alert. The combination seems to work well. Hysson's most distinguishing feature as a backpacking dog was his morning tail-wag routine when he woke up. If I hadn't already wiped off any condensation on the inside of the tent, we got a thorough morning shower! At least there was no moisture left on the tent afterwards!

[treeswarper]

I was told epilepsy was a problem also. My first golden averaged a seizure a month. She could tell one was about to happen and would seek me out and we'd get her off the carpet. Seizures caused her to drool massively. She would stiffen up. Because the seizures were not shaky, I would take the opportunity to clip toenails and work on any hair mats. She was quite the water dog and lifeguard. If you swam underwater she'd come looking for you and might even grab a leg to haul you out. We could throw rocks in the water and she would dive and swim underwater to bring them back. Somehow, she got the same rock back. She would swim out and check up on me if I was becalmed on my sailboard. She towed me in a couple of times. The dog was a very powerful and strong swimmer. I also hunted pheasant with her, but she discovered that hunting gophers was more fun and that ended the bird hunting. Her arthritis was the cause to end her life. That was before so many new medications were available. My second golden was a completely different dog. I called her the anorexic golden. She was skinny and sometimes didn't eat for a couple of days. Vets love skinny dogs but the general public thinks that the owner is not feeding the dog properly. She was a dark red and got mistaken for being an Irish Setter. She was fast and liked to "fish". She was hiking right up until the end. She began having seizure after seizure and the vet said her body was shutting down. That was the end. They are good dogs for the most part. I have run into a couple that were not friendly though. I hope my little Slightly Used Dog has a longer and less painful (no arthritis) life. She's a mix of unknown breeds. I suspect some lab, spaniel and terrier. The dog is extremely athletic and would make a good circus dog.