Many breed enthusiasts are interested in what are field golden retrievers and how they differ from other goldens.
Field golden retrievers aren’t a separate breed but a different type bred for a distinct purpose.
For this reason, field goldens have a slightly different appearance, temperament, energy levels, and grooming needs than show goldens.
Still, all golden retrievers are loving, intelligent, outgoing, playful dogs that make excellent companions for active people and children.
A field golden retriever isn’t a low-maintenance dog because it needs a lot of physical activity, mental stimulation, training, and grooming. However, the effort is worth it because field goldens can give a lot in return.
Field Golden Retriever Purpose
Nowadays, there are two types of golden retrievers – show and field. Show goldens are bred with an emphasis on the appearance and traits of a great family dog, such as gentleness, patience, and friendliness.
On the other hand, field golden retrievers are bred for their initial purpose – hunting. Breeders focus on intelligence, obedience, prey drive, agility, and stamina. These dogs are intended to retrieve waterfowl that have been shot down.
However, they also do well as tracking dogs because of their fantastic sense of smell. Although field goldens are born to hunt, they can also be family, service, or therapy dogs.
All golden retrievers are loving, friendly dogs with kind nature. They can be trained to assist people with special needs, support those with depression or anxiety, and protect the owners.
However, golden retrievers generally make poor guard dogs, and field golden retrievers aren’t an exception. They rarely bark and are too friendly with strangers.
Field golden retrievers can participate in shows but are unlikely to win because they differ from the breed standard. Red field golden retrievers can even be disqualified because the breed standard doesn’t recognize the red color.
However, field golden retrievers can participate in sporting events where they can prove their hunting and tracking abilities and obedience.
Field Golden Retriever Appearance
The field golden retriever looks a lot like a show golden retriever but has slight distinctions. One can still recognize the breed, but professionals can instantly spot the difference. Field golden retrievers are leaner and shorter than show goldens.
Field golden retrievers have wedge-shaped skulls with longer muzzles and a narrower chest. They usually don’t exceed 23 inches in height. Field golden retrievers have shorter and thinner coats than show goldens.
For this reason, field golden retrievers shed less than other goldens. Their fur is typically dark, ranging from mid gold to rich mahogany.
Like all goldens, field golden retrievers have drop ears and distinct feathering on the legs, belly, chest, tail, and ears. Their nose is always black, and their eyes are dark brown to black, with an intelligent expression.
Field Golden Retriever Temperament
Field golden retrievers are fantastic dogs with a friendly temperament. They are extroverted, curious, and outgoing, so they love exploring new environments and meeting new people or dogs.
Field goldens retain their puppy goofiness at adult age, particularly males. They are always up to play, yet they have excellent work ethics. Like all hunting dogs, field golden retrievers are highly obedient and intelligent.
Because field golden retrievers are very energetic, they demand a lot of attention, exercise, and mental stimulation. Show golden retrievers are a lot calmer.
Field goldens have a high prey drive, so they can sometimes chase smaller pets. These dogs are gentle and patient but need supervision when interacting with kids because of their exuberant nature.
Field golden retrievers are rarely aggressive and tolerate other animals well. They can be protective of their owners but overall get along with strangers. Field goldens aren’t barky.
Field Golden Retriever Trainability
Field golden retrievers aren’t a separate breed, so they are equally intelligent as any other golden retriever. Canine researcher Stanley Coren, who studied the working dog intelligence of 138 breeds, ranked golden retrievers fourth.
Dog intelligence is based on memory, obedience, communication, and problem-solving skills. Golden retrievers excel at every parameter. These dogs memorize commands from only five repetitions and have a 95% obedience rate.
Because field golden retrievers are hunting dogs, they have developed excellent communication abilities and are highly empathetic. They can read human emotions through tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language.
These dogs can also assess the situation and act independently when necessary. They are rarely stubborn and are easy to train, but they aren’t born well-behaved.
Field golden retrievers need a lot of mental stimulation and quickly get bored. They admire challenges and can sometimes outsmart their owners. Disciplining such an intelligent dog requires some experience.
Field Golden Retriever Grooming Needs
All golden retrievers are high maintenance in grooming, but field golden retriever grooming is a bit easier. Because their coat is shorter and not as dense as that of show goldens, they don’t shed as much.
Field golden retrievers need regular brushing to prevent tangling, matting, and spot parasites that might be hiding in the undercoat. Most dogs will suffice with brushing twice a week. The best brush for golden retrievers is a slicker brush.
However, field goldens need daily brushing with an undercoat rake during seasonal shedding periods that last several weeks twice a year.
Field golden retrievers don’t need haircuts. Shaving can permanently damage their coat and intervene in the body’s thermoregulation. However, they will benefit from feather trimming in the back of the legs, chest, belly, tail, and ears.
How often to bathe a field golden retriever largely depends on the dog’s lifestyle. A hunting dog needs more frequent baths than a family dog. On average, field goldens need a bath every four weeks.
Like all dogs, field golden retrievers need claw trimming once in two to four weeks, teeth brushing about three times a week, and regular ear cleaning.
Field Golden Retriever Exercise Needs
Field golden retrievers have immense stamina and energy levels, so they need plenty of physical activity to stay fit and maintain their emotional well-being.
A healthy adult field golden needs at least two hours of walking or an hour of vigorous activity daily. Senior dogs might not be able to reach their daily exercise norm because of medical conditions, but they should stay active.
Puppies should receive about five minutes of physical activity per month of age because excessive exercise can lead to hip dysplasia development.
Field goldens will appreciate swimming, hiking, and mentally-stimulating activities like smell tracking games.
Field Golden Retriever Health
Field golden retriever’s life expectancy is about 12 years. Most goldens die of cancer. Additionally, the breed is prone to hip and elbow dysplasia, hypothyroidism, progressive retinal atrophy, epilepsy, obesity, and ear infections.
Owners can avoid hip dysplasia by regulating the amount of exercise their dog gets while it grows. Obesity is unlikely in goldens that receive sufficient physical activity and eat a healthy diet.
Unfortunately, progressive retinal atrophy, epilepsy, and hypothyroidism are impossible to predict and only manifest at adult age.
Ear infections are a big problem with golden retrievers because they have drop ears and love swimming.
Moisture trapped in the ear canal creates a perfect environment for bacteria to thrive. Owners can resolve the problem with regular ear cleaning.
Field Golden Retriever Behavior Problems
Field golden retrievers are obedient, intelligent, friendly dogs, but no breed is perfect. Because golden retrievers are very attached to their owners, they can suffer from separation anxiety.
Separation anxiety symptoms in dogs include potty accidents, excessive vocalization, and destructive behavior. Chewing, barking, and digging can also result from boredom due to a lack of mental stimulation and physical activity.
Many golden retrievers pull on the leash out of curiosity and jump on people. Owners can combat these habits with timely training. The good news is that field golden retrievers are rarely barky, stubborn, or aggressive.
Field Golden Retriever Price
Field golden retriever price varies greatly – it starts at $1,000 and can exceed $4,000. A field golden retriever’s cost depends on age, personality, lineage, training, color, breeder’s reputation, and location.
Puppies usually cost more than adult dogs. You can find an adult rescue field golden retriever for $300-$700.
Golden retrievers from champion parents are always more expensive because they will likely inherit the traits that made their ancestors excel.
Puppy prices tend to be higher in states with a higher cost of living, and experienced breeders charge more than newcomers. Red field golden retrievers are the rarest and cost more than golden ones.
Can a Field Golden Retriever Be a Good Family Dog?
Although field golden retrievers are hunting dogs, they can make wonderful family dogs. They get along with other dogs and cats and make perfect playmates for children.
However, field golden retrievers are energetic and can be over-the-top for older pets or babies. They need equally exuberant companions, like Labrador retrievers, Abyssinian cats, or school-aged kids.
Field golden retrievers are gentle and intelligent, but supervision is always necessary when a dog interacts with a child or a smaller pet. Sufficient exercise and proper training are vital to keeping the dog well-behaved.