Golden Retriever Puppies for Sale in Scotland

If you’re looking for a Golden Retriever puppy in Scotland, type in your postcode and let Pets You Love alert you to any dogs for sale or rescue in your area.

The super-friendly Golden Retriever really is man’s best friend! Clever, trustworthy and kind are just some of the adjectives that sum up this big beautiful breed. And, it’s these personality traits make him one of the most popular large dogs in homes the world over.

Bred to retrieve game, the Golden Retriever is both an excellent hunter and tracker and brilliant at sniffing out drugs. He also makes a great therapy and assistance dog due to his calm, patient and almost intuitive persona.

The Golden Retriever is wonderfully playful and needs at least one to two hours’ of good exercise each day. He also loves to attend obedience and agility classes as he needs his mind to be kept active and thrives on this physical activity.

Retrievers are very food motivated and love to eat, so owners need to take care not to over-feed with too many treats, nor leave temptation in the way on kitchen worktops!

Temperament

The Golden Retriever is kind, confident and affectionate; he wouldn’t make the best guard dog as he would be more likely to greet an intruder as his new best friend!

Highly intelligent, this breed is a fantastic working dog and loves to be trained and given jobs to do whether it’s simply teaching him to fetch his toys or putting him to work as a police, therapy or assistance dog.

The Golden Retriever is clever and easy to train, but he’s not as highly-strung as some other working dogs and is able to chill-out and cuddle-up for naps with his owner at home when it’s time to switch off.

The Golden Retriever is a large and powerful dog and while he’s very affectionate and kind with children, his sheer size means that he could knock little ones over, so care should be taken around all kids as with all dogs.

Description of the Golden Retriever

With a soft, kind and intelligent appearance, the Golden Retriever is a true gentle giant as he is large and powerful dog, standing at between 51-61 cm and weighing in between 25 -34 kgs. Such weight and height differences depend on whether the dog is male or female.

The Retriever’s body is nicely proportioned with a strong head, deep chest and broad level back. He has strong shoulders, and well formed and powerful front and back legs.

Facially, the Retriever has a strong muzzle and perfect bite, yet the Golden Retriever is known for being soft mouthed (this goes back to his retrieving days bringing back duck and game). He also has a black nose, and deep-set brown eyes, rimmed in black and ears that are set level with his eyes, giving him his soft expression.

The Golden Retriever’s soft coat comes in a variety of cream and gold shades and some will have a bit of white on their chests.

Lifespan

If you’re looking for a Golden Retriever puppy for sale in Scotland, it’s worth knowing that this breed can live between 10-12 years. It’s a long commitment to any pet, but the Golden Retriever will become a well-loved member of the family!

Exercise

The Golden Retriever is an athletic dog that needs at least an hour’s exercise per day. Such a clever dog also needs mental stimulation otherwise boredom and mischief can creep in and dogs can start chewing up their owners belongings!

Owners keeping a Golden Retriever as a family pet will need to give their dog mental and physical stimulation and doggy obedience and agility classes are a good way to keep these dogs busy and entertained. They will love the activity and interaction with their humans. These classes are also a good way of socialising your dog with as many other dogs as possible which help him to learn doggy etiquette.

Retrievers also love to play fetch!

Grooming

Grooming the Golden Retriever’s beautifully soft coat shouldn’t be under-estimated; it’s something that dogs need to get used to from the very early days as the Retriever is a prolific shedder – especially in Spring and Autumn. This means that he needs to be brushed on a daily basis to keep his coat and skin in good condition.

This breed of dog also benefits from the occasional professional groom (perhaps three or four times per year) to keep the hair around his feet neat and tidy and to stop any debris from gathering in his paws.

Retrievers love water – it’s an inherent trait from his water retrieving days and he will be drawn to streams, rivers, ponds, etc. outdoors. This means that these dogs will also need an occasional bath to keep them smelling sweet, but this should be done with a gentle shampoo and they shouldn’t be bathed too often.

The Golden Retriever should also have his ears cleaned on a regular basis so wax cannot build up and cause infection. He should also have his nails cut regularly too.

Feeding

The Golden Retriever certainly isn’t a fussy eater and he’s best kept on two meals per day of good quality wet or dry food. Owners should keep in mind that treats should make up only 20% of their dog’s diet and take care not to overfeed as this breed of dog can easily become overweight and this will make life uncomfortable for the dog and actually shorten his life. The Golden Retriever must also have access to drinking water at all times.

Cost of Keeping a Golden Retriever

Those looking for a Golden Retriever puppy in Scotland should know that the average price for a well-bred dog ranges between £500 to £1000!

There are rogue traders selling puppies of every breed and since the Golden Retriever is such a popular choice, owners should really do their homework before buying and always ask to see the puppy with its mother and in its place of birth before entering into a contract to buy a puppy.

It will costs on average between around £100 per month to keep a loving Golden Retriever in your life. This includes food, pet insurance, grooming, vaccinations and neutering.