Height: 20 – 23 inches

Weight: 65 – 70 lbs

Lifespan: 12 – 13 years

Colors: Red

Suitable for: Active families, hunters

Temperament: Intelligent, friendly, energetic

The Red Golden Retriever, sometimes called the Red Retriever, is a natural variation of the Golden Retriever breed. While they’re mostly the same, Red Retrievers feature a striking mahogany-colored coat rather than the traditional yellow-golden coat that gives Golden Retrievers their name. There are a few other notable differences, but none so striking as their coat color. Like Golden Retrievers, Red Retrievers were bred as gun dogs when hunting wildfowl was part of the way of life for any person who wanted to survive. So, they’ve got the same athletic builds and sharp minds that made Golden Retrievers famous gun dogs. Red Retrievers are excellent for people who have an active lifestyle. They’ll love to go hiking, swimming, and, harkening back to their origins, hunting. They’ve got the same eager to please and friendly personality as standard Golden Retrievers, so they make great family dogs too.

Red Golden Retriever Puppies Image Credit: Jesse Collins, Unsplash Energy: Trainability: Health: Lifespan: Sociability: Red Retriever puppies are highly energetic. Red Retrievers are usually bred from hunting lines rather than the companion lines that Golden Retrievers are born from. They’ll need a lot of exercise and playtime; they won’t be happy being crated or inside all day. Red Retrievers do maintain the friendly and protective personality that we associate with Golden Retrievers. They’re eager to please their humans, highly trainable, and know how to be gentle and sweet when they need to be.

7 Interesting Facts About the Red Golden Retriever

  1. Red Retrievers are ineligible for dog shows. The red coat color is not considered to be part of the Golden Retriever’s breed standard. Show dogs must be regarded as an “example of the breed,” which means showing off all the breed’s standard features. Since the red coat is not part of the Golden Retriever’s breed standards, they’re usually ineligible for shows. Even if your dog were allowed to compete in a dog show, they would lose a significant number of points for their coat coloring. Image Credit: MBurdich, Pixabay

  2. Golden Retrievers are known for their soft mouths. Retriever dogs are required to have soft mouths to pick up the hunted game without damaging it. As part of this family, Golden Retrievers have the characteristic soft mouth. Their soft mouth is one of the reasons that they make such good dogs for parents with small children; they’re able to interact with children, even ones who are being rough with them, without harming them.

  3. Golden Retrievers are one of the most popular dog breeds. Golden Retrievers have maintained a top spot in the most popular dog breeds for decades. The Golden Retriever regularly places in the top three of the 195 dog breeds recognized by the AKC. Recent surveys place Golden Retrievers as the third most popular dog in America. Their cousins, the Labrador Retrievers, have consistently held the number one spot for 28 years. Image Credit: Ron Jungwirth, Pixabay

  4. Golden Retrievers will eat almost anything. As fanciers of the breed will tell you, it’s fair game for your Golden Retriever if you leave it out. Golden Retrievers will eat almost anything, even if that thing isn’t food. They love to eat and will rarely turn down a meal, which makes them susceptible to obesity. They’re also prone to having stomach aches and issues from eating everything from paper and crayons to expensive jewelry.

  5. Red Retrievers are the smallest of the Golden Retrievers on average. Red Retrievers are usually smaller and more athletic than the standard Golden Retriever. Golden Retrievers have long been bred primarily as companion dogs rather than hunting dogs. However, the Red Retriever has maintained its position in the hunting world. To better aid their hunters, Red Retrievers are smaller and more muscular than their companion cousins. This size difference doesn’t mean Red Golden Retrievers make lousy companion dogs. Red Retrievers still have the friendly, gentle, and often goofy personality we associate with Golden Retriever. But they’ll need to be exercised more frequently and a little more rigorously to get out all their energy. Image Credit: Claire Diaz, Pixabay

  6. Golden Retrievers are popular in many disciplines of working dogs. Golden Retrievers can find work in a wide variety of disciplines, including hunting, search and rescue, service work, and therapy. They’re brilliant dogs who are eager to learn and please. This personality makes it easy for them to learn and master the skills they need for various jobs. Once they’ve been trained for a job, their people-pleasing skills shine as they work exceptionally hard at their job. The only job that Golden Retrievers don’t excel at naturally is protection work. While Golden Retrievers are naturally protective dogs, they’re protective of everyone, not just their owners. Golden Retrievers are usually considered to be too friendly and gentle for guard work. They’re also quieter than some other dog breeds, so they might not bark to let you know that someone is approaching.

  7. Red Retrievers are a cross between the Golden Retriever and the Irish Setter. Red Retrievers were initially a crossbreed between the Irish Setter and the Golden Retriever to get their characteristic red coat coloring. Like the Golden Retriever, Irish Setters are sporty, energetic, and friendly gun dogs. However, they sport a striking red coat that wasn’t seen in the Golden Retriever. Hunters crossbred the Golden Retriever and the Irish Setter to improve their hunting abilities and give the Red Golden Retriever their beautiful mahogany coat. The Red Retriever shows more breed standards of the Golden Retriever than the Irish Setter. While they may not be considered part of the breed standard because of their coats, they have most of the same features that are seen in Golden Retrievers with the Irish Setter’s dazzling red coat.

You may also want to read: Are Golden Retrievers Hypoallergenic?

Final Thoughts Even if they aren’t the breed standard, Red Retrievers are beautiful dogs that have captured the hearts of fanciers worldwide. Whether you’re looking to bring one on the hunt or have a companion to go hiking with, Red Retrievers make great options for any dog owner.

Something to ponder on: Will Golden Retrievers Attack People?

Featured Image Credit by: irinaorel, Shutterstock

The Red Golden Retriever, sometimes called the Red Retriever, is a natural variation of the Golden Retriever breed. While they’re mostly the same, Red Retrievers feature a striking mahogany-colored coat rather than the traditional yellow-golden coat that gives Golden Retrievers their name.

There are a few other notable differences, but none so striking as their coat color. Like Golden Retrievers, Red Retrievers were bred as gun dogs when hunting wildfowl was part of the way of life for any person who wanted to survive. So, they’ve got the same athletic builds and sharp minds that made Golden Retrievers famous gun dogs.

Red Retrievers are excellent for people who have an active lifestyle. They’ll love to go hiking, swimming, and, harkening back to their origins, hunting. They’ve got the same eager to please and friendly personality as standard Golden Retrievers, so they make great family dogs too.

Red Golden Retriever Puppies

Energy: Trainability: Health: Lifespan: Sociability:

Red Retriever puppies are highly energetic. Red Retrievers are usually bred from hunting lines rather than the companion lines that Golden Retrievers are born from. They’ll need a lot of exercise and playtime; they won’t be happy being crated or inside all day.

Red Retrievers do maintain the friendly and protective personality that we associate with Golden Retrievers. They’re eager to please their humans, highly trainable, and know how to be gentle and sweet when they need to be.

7 Interesting Facts About the Red Golden Retriever

1. Red Retrievers are ineligible for dog shows.

The red coat color is not considered to be part of the Golden Retriever’s breed standard. Show dogs must be regarded as an “example of the breed,” which means showing off all the breed’s standard features.

Since the red coat is not part of the Golden Retriever’s breed standards, they’re usually ineligible for shows. Even if your dog were allowed to compete in a dog show, they would lose a significant number of points for their coat coloring.

2. Golden Retrievers are known for their soft mouths.

Retriever dogs are required to have soft mouths to pick up the hunted game without damaging it. As part of this family, Golden Retrievers have the characteristic soft mouth.

Their soft mouth is one of the reasons that they make such good dogs for parents with small children; they’re able to interact with children, even ones who are being rough with them, without harming them.

Golden Retrievers have maintained a top spot in the most popular dog breeds for decades. The Golden Retriever regularly places in the top three of the 195 dog breeds recognized by the AKC. Recent surveys place Golden Retrievers as the third most popular dog in America.

Their cousins, the Labrador Retrievers, have consistently held the number one spot for 28 years.

4. Golden Retrievers will eat almost anything.

As fanciers of the breed will tell you, it’s fair game for your Golden Retriever if you leave it out. Golden Retrievers will eat almost anything, even if that thing isn’t food. They love to eat and will rarely turn down a meal, which makes them susceptible to obesity.

They’re also prone to having stomach aches and issues from eating everything from paper and crayons to expensive jewelry.

5. Red Retrievers are the smallest of the Golden Retrievers on average.

Red Retrievers are usually smaller and more athletic than the standard Golden Retriever. Golden Retrievers have long been bred primarily as companion dogs rather than hunting dogs. However, the Red Retriever has maintained its position in the hunting world. To better aid their hunters, Red Retrievers are smaller and more muscular than their companion cousins.

This size difference doesn’t mean Red Golden Retrievers make lousy companion dogs. Red Retrievers still have the friendly, gentle, and often goofy personality we associate with Golden Retriever. But they’ll need to be exercised more frequently and a little more rigorously to get out all their energy.

Golden Retrievers can find work in a wide variety of disciplines, including hunting, search and rescue, service work, and therapy. They’re brilliant dogs who are eager to learn and please. This personality makes it easy for them to learn and master the skills they need for various jobs. Once they’ve been trained for a job, their people-pleasing skills shine as they work exceptionally hard at their job.

The only job that Golden Retrievers don’t excel at naturally is protection work. While Golden Retrievers are naturally protective dogs, they’re protective of everyone, not just their owners. Golden Retrievers are usually considered to be too friendly and gentle for guard work. They’re also quieter than some other dog breeds, so they might not bark to let you know that someone is approaching.

7. Red Retrievers are a cross between the Golden Retriever and the Irish Setter.

Red Retrievers were initially a crossbreed between the Irish Setter and the Golden Retriever to get their characteristic red coat coloring. Like the Golden Retriever, Irish Setters are sporty, energetic, and friendly gun dogs. However, they sport a striking red coat that wasn’t seen in the Golden Retriever. Hunters crossbred the Golden Retriever and the Irish Setter to improve their hunting abilities and give the Red Golden Retriever their beautiful mahogany coat.

The Red Retriever shows more breed standards of the Golden Retriever than the Irish Setter. While they may not be considered part of the breed standard because of their coats, they have most of the same features that are seen in Golden Retrievers with the Irish Setter’s dazzling red coat.

  • You may also want to read: Are Golden Retrievers Hypoallergenic?

Final Thoughts

Even if they aren’t the breed standard, Red Retrievers are beautiful dogs that have captured the hearts of fanciers worldwide. Whether you’re looking to bring one on the hunt or have a companion to go hiking with, Red Retrievers make great options for any dog owner.

  • Something to ponder on: Will Golden Retrievers Attack People?

Featured Image Credit by: irinaorel, Shutterstock