Golden Mountain Dogs (Golden Retriever and Bernese Mountain Dog mix)
 What is a Golden Mountain Dog mix? The Golden Mountain is a crossbreed mix between a Golden Retriever and a Bernese Mountain. Being a hybrid dog, this dog will inherit behavioral and physical traits from both of its purebred parents. However, this isn't always the case, as some Golden Mountain Dogs could favor one parent more than the other. Golden Mountain Dog puppies could be very different, even those that are within the same litter. Since they are friendly, active, hard workers and loyal, these dogs are an excellent choice for people who live in a home with a spacious backyard or on a farm. Golden Mountain Dogs have lots of energy and require a lot of exercise during the day.
Golden Mountain Dogs are adaptable to a variety of temperatures, but they are suited better for colder climates. Hot climate areas could be a bit hard for them to tolerate. As a result of the Golden Retriever parent lineage, training this dog shouldn't be a big challenge. Also, these dogs are quick learners and are always willing to please, making it easy for them to grasp skills rather quickly. Overall, Golden Mountain Dog can best be described as an attractive, friendly and happy dog. He also has expressive, sparkling eyes, fluffy thick coat, and has a downright pleasant mood. Being lovers of jogging and hiking, physically active families will enjoy Golden Mountain Dog's company.
If you are looking for a crossbreed that is more of a gentle giant, then look no further than the Golden Mountain Dog. Always willing to please, these dogs make an excellent addition to any family. Due to their high energy levels, they demand a high level of exercising each day. As such, you don't expect them to be comfortable in an apartment or small condo setting. They enjoy being in a home with a spacious backyard where they can play and run around. That said, if you are in a position to devote sufficient time to this attention-seeking canine, you live in a large home with a big fenced yard and you're also willing to take your Golden Mountain Dog to various sorts of adventures this may be the right dog for you.
Golden Mountain Dog Life Expectancy
What is the average lifespan of a Golden Mountain Dog? With a life expectancy of 9 to 15 years, Golden Mountain dogs are expected to live longer than Bernese Mountain Dogs that have a very short life expectancy in comparison to many other dog breeds. Longevity in dogs is dependent on various factors including health issues and feeding habits. A healthy diet that offers the dog the right vitamins and minerals to keep the body strong and healthy in addition to a healthy and active lifestyle where the dog gets plenty of outdoor time all contribute to a longer life.
Golden Retriever Bernese Mountain Dog Mix Size
How big do Golden Mountain dogs get when full grown? Both Golden Mountain parents are large breeds. Expect your Golden Mountain Dog to be large when the pup is mature. Depending on the gender, these dogs will have varying sizes with females often being smaller than the males. Most of Golden Mountain dogs weigh anywhere between 75 and 120 pounds, and height will range between 24 and 28 inches. To get a better idea of how big your Golden Retriever and Bernese Mountain dog cross puppy will get, take a look at your pup's parents. If both parents are large, then most likely your Golden Mountain Dog will also be in the same size range as his or her parents.
Golden Mountain Dog Temperament
Just like their purebred parents, Golden Mountain Dogs have an affectionate, good-natured and loyal character. They enjoy being in human company and are always willing and eager to please their owners. As a result of their caring and pleasant disposition, they are ideal for families, especially if you have children and other dogs since they are very easy to get along with. They will also enjoy a lot if you involve them in house activities like playing with family members and giving the company while you're working around the yard.
Aside from being a great family dog, Bernese Mountain Dog and Golden Retriever cross dog is usually a quiet and calm dog. Golden Mountain Dogs aren't aloof or shy towards strangers. They just need proper socialization with unfamiliar people from an early age so that they get along well with visitors easily. Considering their high level of intelligence and desire to please the owner, these dogs aren't difficult to train.
Golden Mountain Dogs are always eager to eat and tend to gain weight quickly. As a responsible owner, you need to be careful on the daily diet intake of this dog, while you ensure the treat rewards are always kept at a minimum. It is also worth noting that these dogs have a low tolerance to extreme temperatures. In a nutshell, Golden Mountain Dogs are loving, cuddly, and easy to accommodate as you get well along with it. They have one of the best combinations of perfect character traits among designer dogs.
For active families with older children, the Golden Mountain is an great addition. They will get along with your kids pretty fast! Golden Retriever and Bernese Mountain cross dogs are gentle and playful canines who are always happy, making them great play buddies with kids. Teach your children how to treat the new four legged pet with the respect the dog deserves, meaning kids should not approach the dog when the pet is eating, sleeping or resting. There needs to be a place in the house where the dog can have a save area where he can get away from the world and just relax without being bothered. Just like with all other puppies, Golden Mountain Dogs Require to be handled gently and with utmost caution. When kids are interacting with these puppies, ensure to keep an eye on them and your puppy will not get hurt. When you train and socialize these pups from puppyhood, they will grow to be well-behaved canines that will get along with anyone easily.
Golden Mountain Dogs are usually friendly with other dogs or pets in the house. Introduce new pets carefully and in a positive manner to ensure a good start of a new friendship between your pets.
Early socialization and training will pay off with this intelligent dog. In all the training sessions, dogs should be praised for doing the right thing and at times rewarded with treats for being obedient. This is a good training regimen that will make your dog want to repeat the behavior to get a reward.
Being a large dog breed, endeavor not to expose young puppies to excessive exercise as they grow and develop. Although sufficient exercise is good for the Golden Mountain Dogs given their high energy levels, over-exercising may lead to stressed joints and bones, which may eventually lead to orthopedic issues as they mature. This mostly applies when the Golden Mountains are still pups. Excessive jumping or running up and down the stairs can be dangerous for puppy's developing joints and may cause joint problems later in life.
Once these dogs have fully matured and developed, Golden Mountain Dogs enjoy being highly engaged and active. You need to expose your Golden Mountain Dog to at least two walks daily. This could be done in a nearby park, around your neighborhood, or by the beach or river.
Golden Mountain Dogs are working dogs. As such, they will require a healthy, daily dose of exercising that includes long walks. Trips to a dog park would be great as it would improve their social skills. These activities are important for Golden Mountain Dogs, as they help them become mentally and physically active which is very important for working dogs.
Be mindful of your dog's diet to help prevent obesity which comes with a range of health problems. During hot and humid weather, be cautious about how you exercise the Golden Mountain Dog, as their bodies could get overheated easy. You can expose them to cooling-off activities such as swimming.
Golden Mountain Dog Appearance
 As highlighted above, half Golden Retriever half Bernese mountain dog will differ in characteristics. It all depends on how much a particular pup favors one purebred parent than the other. Others will show a mix of traits from both the Golden Retriever and Bernese Mountain parents, while others will favor just one parent.
Bernese Mountain Dog coat color often appears in tricolor white, tan, rust or black. Golden Mountain Dogs feature triangular, high-set ears and dark brown eyes. They also have a thick, long double coat that could be wavy with a bushy, low tail. Their coats could also be soft and silky.
If a Golden Mountain Pup takes on the appearance of the Golden Retriever, its appearance will be kind of elegant and functional. Their coat, which is flat to wavy and of medium length is weather resistant with a lean, rectangular and athletic body. They also feature an angular, long head that has dark almond eyes, giving it a warm, thoughtful expression. They have floppy ears that fall to the sides of the head.
How to groom a Golden Mountain Dog?
Golden Retriever and Bernese Mountain dog cross is a high maintenance dog in regards to grooming demands. Considering that both of their purebred parents are high shedders, vacuuming will be a necessity. Invest in a vacuum cleaner that is designed for pet owners and will help in collecting the shedded hair that any Golden Mountain Dog owner will find in their home. Another effective way to help manage excessive shedding is by brushing the dog frequently to remove all the shedded hair from the Golden Mountain Dog's coat.
The coat of the Golden Mountain Dog can well be described as straight, dense and long. While you regularly maintain your pet's lush coat, always ensure to brush the dog while you're outside your house to avoid fur from scattering all over your interiors.
As its name suggests, Golden Mountain Dog, these dogs are well adopted for living in cooler climate and have low tolerance for hot weather. Whenever temperatures seem to rise, ensure there's adequate fresh water and shade for your Golden Mountain Dog.
While brushing the dog's coat, always ensure to check on their ears and teeth. If detected early, ear inflammations and infections that tend to affect dogs are treatable. While cleaning your pet's ears, don't insert anything sharp into their ears, but use a soft, clean cloth.
The teeth of Golden Mountain Dogs may be a home to harmful bacteria, which can lead to bad breath, toothache and bleeding or weak gums. That said, it's really important to scrutinize the dog's teeth, look out for these symptoms and regularly brush your Golden Mountain Dog's teeth using a vet-approved canine toothpaste. Nail trimming is also very important and it should be done every 4 or 6 weeks.
Golden Mountain Dogs should be washed when necessary. Frequently washing the dog's skin could damage the natural oils found on the dog's skin that helps to keep it dry. Whenever you do wash this dog, ensure to use a gentle dog shampoo, ensuring it doesn't have any harsh chemicals or ingredients that could damage the dog's skin.
If Golden Mountain Dogs are not used to regular grooming and care, they could show some resistance. As such, it's very imperative to introduce cleaning, brushing, and clipping the nails when the pups are still young.
Golden Mountain Dog training
While it's usually a tough and daunting task to train dogs, training the Golden Mountain Dog can be accomplished even by people who don't have much experience in training a dog. This is because of the inherited intelligence from the Golden Retriever parent and innate desire to please the owner that Golden Retriever Bernese Mountain Dog mix possesses. Training sessions should be short and rewarding for the Bernese Mountain mix dog. Several five-minute training sessions per day with positive motivation technique can be very effective during basic training as well as during potty training.
As soon as your Golden Mountain Dog pup arrives home, begin training immediately using simple commands like sit, come, place and go potty. Given that Golden Retriever mix dogs are inherently intelligent, these are simple commands to start with before advancing to more complex lessons.
Early socialization is essential for raising a confident dog that can behave in a calm manner in different circumstances. So that your Golden Mountain puppy can learn to be social and friendly early enough, ensure to expose your pup to kids, new people and other animals. You also need to train your puppy to accept grooming and care activities so that he can be comfortable being groomed when the dog reaches mature age.
Potty Training the Golden Mountain Dog
Toilet training is among the most important and first steps any dog owner takes in preparation for a healthy and happy co-existence with their dogs. Based on how much time you can devote to the housetraining process, ensure to formulate an ideal schedule and plan to make it a success. Fortunately, Golden Mountain Dogs are quite intelligent and generally are not stubborn during the training sessions. Additionally, they are always willing to please. Stick to positive reinforcement techniques without exposing your Golden Mountain Dog to any form of punishment whatsoever.
Identify a dog potty area outside your house where you need to be taking your puppy quite frequently. This can be done after the puppy wakes up from sleep, after eating or playing. You could also watch your pup closely for any signs that it needs to relieve. Potty readiness signs include
Going around in circles
Sniffing the floor
Returning to a previously soiled area
While at the potty area, and after the puppy relieves himself, it is very important to reward him with treats such as chicken pieces to make the positive behavior stick to his brain. But always watch out not to excessively reward your puppy with treats as this could cause extra weight gain. Accompany the praises you give with commands such as "Gooood dog!" Eventually, you will just need to utter the command whenever you see signs that your Golden Mountain Pup wants to relieve himself, and he will rush to the potty area and do the business. That said, you need to be patient as this process could take a few months for the puppy to completely learn. How quickly the Golden Mountain Dog learns to use the potty area depends on your commitment to follow through with the process. The dog can't potty train himself and you would need to spend a few days or even weeks actively watching your dog and taking the dog to the potty area as necessary until he learns what behavior gets rewarded. Never punish your pup for accidents during potty training as harsh treatment will only confuse your pet and will slow down the potty training process.
History of the Golden Mountain Dog
Being a mix between a purebred Bernese Mountain and purebred Golden Retriever, there is very little documentation about this breed's history. While it's somehow unclear the Golden Mountain originated from, we can get some information regarding the history of the hybrid's parents.
The Golden Retriever came into the world during the 1800s. The first was produced by Lord Tweedmouth, who was a Scotland nobleman. He did this with a clear intention of producing an attentive, loyal and friendly companion. The dog was initially referred to as a "Retriever", but the yellow-haired breed was later named ‘Golden Retriever' in 1920.
The Bernese Mountain, on the other hand, has its origin in Bern, Switzerland. While here, these dogs worked to protect stock from pests and cattle drivers. In the year 1926, this dog breed was imported into America by a Kansas farmer. In America, its popularity grew as being a perfect house pet friend as well as a farm dog by other people in the countryside. It was later recognized and registered in 1981 by the American Kennel Club (AKC).
That said, this dog possesses characteristics that could be common to both parent breeds, but they can also vary even between puppies of the same litter. The Golden Mountain dogs are the first offspring from their purebred parents, well-referred to as F1s. Getting pups with predictable traits and get them recognized by the AKC could take several generations that can run through decades.
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