The Golden Retriever is a very playful breed. They are easy to please, easy to train, playful, even -tempered, loyal and affectionate. Golden Retrievers are very active dogs. They hunt and swim. They are also service dogs and rescue dogs. Golden Retrievers are the absolutely best pets. No matter how old they are, Golden Retrievers love to play. Their puppy-like playfulness is with them through adulthood.
Golden Retriever Puppies Playing
Have you ever seen a Golden Retriever puppy playing? Well, I owned one. When we first got Buddy, we never realized how active and playful he would
be.
My sons loved playing with him. But sometimes he would tire them out.
A puppy sleeps a few times a day. Until then, he would be constantly bringing a toy to one of us to play fetch or tug-of-war. If you were carrying an article of clothing, he took it as an opportunity to grab it and play tug-of-war. Everything was a game and all day was playtime.
When he fell asleep, we were like, “Let him sleep. Don’t wake him up”.
Even as a puppy, he loved his walks. He never wanted his time playing with other dogs in the dog run or just going for a long walk to end. He loved being outside. When it was time to go indoors, Buddy would lie down and not move. I had to actually pick him up and carry him in the house.
The Playful Golden Retriever Adult
As Buddy got older, he still required plenty of play time.
Our walks became longer and the time at the dog run also became longer. There were always a good number of dogs that he could play with. Buddy would run and play. They would play fight. Sometimes it looked pretty real. Golden Retrievers are not aggressive, even with dogs. Don’t get me wrong. 
If a dog shows aggression to a Golden Retriever, he will respond in an aggressive manner as well. They rarely initiate aggression.
When summer came around, we would go to the beach. Our beach allowed dogs on the beach early in the morning. Buddy was in his glory. Throwing a stick in the water so that he would swim to fetch it, was one of his favorite games. Golden Retrievers are great swimmers. Sometimes they are used to fish. Just running on the beach and in the water makes a Golden Retriever happy.
In autumn, when tons of leaves are on the ground. Buddy would like to dive into a pile of leaves or just roll and rub in back in the pile. I always had to brush him after a jump into the leaves.
In the winter, snow. Buddy loved the snow. Again, he would dive into piles of snow or just roll around in the snow. He loved to put his nose in the snow and dig into the snow with his snout. He would stay out for a long time. I couldn’t believe I was out in the snow for such a long time. I used to do it with my sons. Now I’m out there with my dog.
Golden Retrievers love the outdoors and they love to play in the outdoors.
Buddy and Henry
One day on one of our walks, we met our new neighbor, Henry, a Labrador Retriever, another great pet. Buddy and Henry hit it off the moment they saw each other.
From then on, Henry became Buddy’s partner in all things fun. We would meet every evening and do something fun. Buddy and Henry just loved being together.
Some evenings we would go to the dog run. Even though there were other dogs at the run, Buddy and Henry played with each other. They would find a stick and play a game of tug-of-war or they would just jump all over each other play fighting.
Their favorite evenings were when we went to the dog park. It was a park where dogs ran free off lease on these long trails. It was like a big amusement park for dogs. You would find bowls of water, balls and ropes along the trails.
You very rarely ran into an aggressive dog off lease. Responsible owners knew if their dogs should be leased or not.
Buddy and Henry would run and play. They absolutely loved it.
Another of their favorite times was at the beach. Running on the beach and romping in the water made them very happy.
Lastly, there were our quiet walks. Long walks around the neighborhood once in a while was just fine as long as they walked together.
They were friends for a few years. Then Henry had to move away. I know Buddy missed him. We still did our fun things but his friend, Henry, was very much missed.
The Happy Golden Retriever
As I stated previously, the Golden Retriever is a very playful and active breed. Keeping you Golden active is very important for the wellness of this breed.
Your Gold Retriever will play like a puppy for his entire life. At eight years old, I told by someone at the part that Buddy still thought he was a puppy.
If you have a Golden Retriever, take the time every day to do something that is fun with your dog. Just a run in the park or a good game of tug-of-war will keep him happy and healthy.
They say that sometimes you can see your Golden Retriever smile. Seeing you Golden playing and happy will certainly make you smile many times over.