The Retriever Dog Breed will make a wonderful family pet, or a fantastic hunting partner. Retrievers are part of the sporting dog group and are particularly well known for their ability to retrieve game that has been downed by their companion hunter.
While other hunting dogs like pointers, setters and spaniels are adept at finding game and either notifying the hunter of its location by a pointing stance (pointers and setters) or flushing the game (spaniels), the retriever's only job is to return downed game to the hunter. For anyone familiar with hunting in the field or on water, retrieving game is no small task.
The primary characteristic of bred retrieving dogs is what is called a soft mouth. This means that a retriever understands to hold retrieved game gently in the mouth so the game is not damaged in the process and the game is returned without teeth marks.
Anyone who has played Frisbee with a dog that does not understand retrieving knows full well that a mangled toy frequently results.
While there are quite a few breeds of retrievers, Americans are in love with the Labrador retriever and the golden retriever. The Labrador retriever is one of the world's most popular dogs.
The Labrador retriever typically has a black or golden color coat with a number of brown-coated members affectionately called chocolate labs. It's important to remember that the golden retriever is a separate breed from the golden Labrador (golden lab).
Both labs and golden retrievers are good family dogs, accounting for a great deal of their popularity. These dogs like children and are sociable with strangers, making them a good neighborhood dog as well. Once trained, these dogs are obedient and emotionally stable.
Both breeds are relatively large dogs, as are other breeds of retrievers. Golden retrievers stand 21 to 24 inches at the shoulder and weigh 55 to 75 pounds depending on gender.
Labrador retrievers are approximately the same height but exhibit a stocky build and weigh more than golden retrievers.