Golden Retrievers are one of the most popular dog breeds in the world. They are in 3rd place by the American Kennel Club, only behind the German Shepherd and Labrador Retriever.  A friendly and patient temperament, they make a perfect family dog.

Golden Retrievers were bred in the Victorian era by Lord Tweedmouth Dudley Marjoribanks. He wanted the perfect hunting dog to retrieve game at his estate. He originally bred the Yellow Retriever with the Tweed Water Spaniel. Further down the road he added the Bloodhound and Irish Setter.

The average height and weight for male Goldens range from 22 to 24 inches in height and weigh 65-75 pounds. For females, they range from 20 to 24 inches tall and weigh 55-65 pounds. There are 3 types of Golden retrievers, American, British and Canadian. They have a life expectancy of 10-12 years and mother Goldens usually have a litter of  6-12 puppies.

Some famous Golden Retrievers are Air Bud and his puppies. There is also adorable Tucker Budzyn. A social media phenomenon on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram with over 2.7 million followers on Instagram. Go check him out.

On to VMSS Dogs! Here on these articles, we will be showcasing a few of VMSS students very own pups. The puppy you first saw (yes that was clickbait) was Mack, owned by Madison Rutherford. He is a Golden Retriever puppy and Madison’s favorite thing about him is how snuggly he is. There is also Ember, owned by Miles Zimmerman. She is a Black Lab and Miles’ favorite thing about her is that when she’s tired she makes a Chewbacca-like groan. Also Stormi, a Pitbull/Lab mix, owned by Xavier Smith. Xavier’s favorite thing about Stormi is how playful she is. Last, but certainly not least is, Aspen of yours truly, Isabella Frutiger. She is also a Pittie/Lab Mix. My favorite thing about her is that she will play! She will chase you around, wrestle, take a 2 second break and then want to do it all over again.