The Golden Retriever has always been an American family favorite. Their gentle and obedient nature makes training extremely easy.  Golden are known to have many trainable talents; hunting, narcotic detection, leading the blind and, top rankings in obedience competitions. Once used for retrieving birds from water, Goldens are terrific swimmers and excellent at playing fetch. Goldens love the company of children. Unlike many other breeds that require a strong and skilled trainer for even simple tricks and manners, the Golden does not. Their eagerness to please makes even children capable trainers. The Golden is a large breed; males grow to be 70 to 75 pounds while females tend to be smaller ranging from 60 to 65 pounds.  Their average life span is between 10 to 12 years. Some clipping of the coat is required and regular brushing is needed. For more information visit the AKC website .