I'm thinking about getting a Golden Retriver

In My Humble Opinion
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This one is for all you dog lovers out there. I’m thinking about getting a golden retriever. I have done a fair amount of research on this and I believe this dog is a good fit for me and my current family. Right now it’s just me and the wife and our cat (2 year old). The breed seems to do fairly well with children so any future kids shouldn’t be an issue. We live in a 3 bedroom two story plus basement and a fair sized yard. I am totally willing to deal with the excercise requirements of the dog and the training required.

I plan on going through a purebread breeder to get the dog, no plans for a petshop dog, and though I would love to rescue a pet from the pound, I would really like to start out fresh with the dog to be able to provide the proper training.

So my question is… Can anyone give me pro’s / con’s of this type of dog?

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btw, I’m off work in about 30 minutes and I’ll be sleeping for the next 8 hours, so don’t think i’ve abandoned my own thread! I look forward to any advice I can get :slight_smile:

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Wifey is a small animal vet. She recommends against going to breeders unless you plan on showing the dog. Much better to go the rescue or pound route. You’ll save a lot of money. If you are flexible, check out some of the heinz 57s at your local pound - mutts tend to be healthier overall than purebreds, and there is a lot of satisfaction to be had taking a great dog off death row.
If you’re set on a Golden, great dogs, with fantastic temperaments. They generally LOVE to retrieve and never want to stop. Be aware that you will have slobbery tennis balls dropped in your lap for the lifetime of the dog. They also shed a lot.
Here’s some related webpages:
http://www.goldensonly.com/golden_retriever_links.htm

Good luck

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We’ve had two - my wife loves them, although we got another one just before Xmas, but our current house could not be made puppy-proof, so we gave her to a local farmer. I’m sure that will be a much better life for her. Our other goldens were great, though. They somehow seem to be bred for nothing but trying to please their master.

If you’re looking at a puppy, plan on a full year of everything being chewed up, unless you get lucky and it locks onto one or two things to destroy. Ours loved the little stuffed animals from the pet store. I’ve always tried to keep them worn out, either by running with them, or you can get a cane pole with a rag and short length of line. The pooch will chase that around in a circle until he’s exhausted - that will give you a short break from the chewing at least.

I don’t think you’ll have this problem in Canada, but we lost one to heat stroke a few years ago (nitwit daughter left her outside while we were out of town) and we still grieve for her. They really are great dogs and become part of the family in no time.

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My golden retriver passed away this summer at the age of 12. Having her introduced me to dozens of other golden retreivers.

Pros - best dog possible (this can actually be backed up by people that decide breeds best suited for families and children).

Cons - hip problems are all too common with them (and I’m told this is true for most large breeds). Mine suffered terribly for her last few years with her hips which is hard to watch.

  • long hair. It needs constant attention as with any other long haired animal. Mine LOVED to swim and was always wet, leading to lots of mats so we eventually started shaving her for the summer so she could swim away happily. Along the swimming theme, she would dive under water looking for things (usually rocks). This got a lot of water in her hears and caused problems.

I really can’t think of any thing else other than the need for exercise.

I heard of an adoption agency near Toronto for Golden Retreivers to move them from city residents to more rural settings. I’ll see if I can find it again.

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They have wonderful personalities and are very friendly. They also eat their own poop and insist upon licking your face immediately afterwards.

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Here fin1911

http://www.golden-rescue.net/

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hmm, i wasn’t aware that there could be more health problems from a breeder. I guess I was assuming that would be the best way to go. I would still really like to start out with a puppy tho. I think i’ll check out that golden rescue link that emacknight posted.

Anyway, i really gotta hit the sack now. I had a long night :slight_smile:

thanks for the info so far everyone!

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My parents rescued a golden and had it for 9 years. Sweetest dog in the world! Of course, she had some negatives, as well:

Shedding – there’s no way I can describe how much that dog shed. You’ll just have to experience it on your own.

She didn’t know her own strength – She was so gentle kids could come up and abuse her, but she’d also jump on small children, knock them down and pin them to the ground while she licked their faces.

She was dumb as a bucket of rocks – any trick that did not involve her running off and getting something was beyond her.

She was a hunter – and we lived next to the woods. If she saw a rabbit or something she’d try to go after it. She could wrench the leash right out of my mother’s hand if she fought hard enough, so you’d better make sure you have high fences and a strong grip.

But she was the SWEETEST dog I’ve ever known. Good luck.

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General Questions is for questions with factual answers. IMHO is for opinions and polls.

Off to IMHO.

DrMatrix - GQ Moderator

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I work with a golden retriever rescue organization here in the south U.S., and I can assure you that you can get a golden of any age from a rescue or a pound. We’ve had a bunch of puppies in the last year.

The advantages to getting a puppy – starting fresh with training – really don’t apply that much to a golden, however, since they’re usually quite intelligent and train VERY easily. We adopted two of them last year, and one, while around a year old, had never even lived in a house – but only had ONE accident inside before he figured out he should go outside. He’s trained like a DREAM.

Rescued dogs often seem extra-happy to bond with new people and seem to be very grateful for their new, comfortable life, and will jump through any hoop you want to train them. Being an adult dog doesn’t make a lot of difference when it comes to training issues.

Another reason to adopt is that most reputable rescues will have already taken care of health issues. Down here, for example, dogs are not only given their shots and spayed/neutered, but more than 60% arrive with heartworm infestation firmly in place and have to be treated. The adoption fee is generally only about 20% of the actual costs involved. So you’ll save yourself a fair amount of money going through a rescue rather than the pound – they’ll fix the dog, but not treat the health issues (beyond obvious open wounds and such).

And one last reason for going through a rescue – the dog will have been tested for temperament and you’ll know if you’re getting a dog that’s good with kids/cats/other dogs/etc. You’ll know if the dog has food possessiveness issues. You’ll know if the dog needs training in X area. Definitely something to be considered.

Good luck – they’re wonderful pups! I’ll see if I can find some rescue links in Canada for you and post them later.

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This is a myth. Unhealthy dogs are unhealthy dogs - and there are a ton of poorly bred goldens, labs, and mixes in shelters. The best you can do as far as health is concerned is to find a responsible breeder who screens their dogs for health problems. A large breed should be OFA’d for hips at the very least. It’s still not a guarantee that you won’t get a hip dysplastic dog, but you lessen your chances greatly. Whatever you do, DON’T buy from a petstore or broker. They keep the puppymills in business while raking in the dough selling poorly bred pets. Spend $1000 for a petstore puppy and $3000 for the hip replacement a year later - happens a lot.
I got my dog from a responsible breeder - they aren’t just for show dogs. Here’s an article on how to find one:
Finding a responsible breeder

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And I also agree with butrscotch re: rescue orgs. There are a couple ways to go about this, but I think the key words are reputable and responsible. Unfortunately, we live in the land of the irresponsible. :frowning:

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Here’s a link to some *reputable, responsible[/] golden rescue organizations in Canada:

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We have our second golden (well, 1st looked and acted a lot like a golden, but all we know is his mom was 1/2 golden). Our favorite breed in terms of personality.

My suggestion, try to get a smaller one. Mine is no more than 60# or so. A very manageable size. Seems the current trend is for massiveness.

I’m not certain of this, but I have heard several times that there are sort of 2 types of golden. One is larger and blockier, and is bred for conformation shows. The other is somewhat smaller and sleeker, and bred for field work and trials. Not sure of the truth of this. But if true, mine is definitely the second type.

Also, when we bought Daisy, the trend was for very light blond goldens. So we got a deal because she is dark red, almost Irish Setter colored.

Breeders will often give loer prices on dogs that are “non-show” quality. And there are a number of amateur breeders, folk who love their golden so much they (misguidedly) think what the world really needs is their dog’s progeny. I have also known several very nice dogs that are golden mixes - most commonly crossed with labs. Very nice personalities and very good looking.

My anecdotal info and experience is that goldens tend to be less chewy as pups than labs. My current dog - now 6, never damaged a thing. However, she loves to carry things in her mouth - especially dishtowels and dirty laundry. Never chews them, just likes to carry them. Several other golden owners have described the same.

At 7, my dog is seeming to show some signs of arthritis. My vet says I shouldn’t have run her as much as I did when she was young - especially on hard surfaces.

Don’t think that a golden will automatically accept new babies, and willingly act as a playset. They generally will, but they will need to be shown their position in the pack with every new addition. And kids and visitors need to be instructed on how to deal with the dog. Any list of dogbite stats will show a large number of bites by goldens. Due in large part to their popilarity, but also, I suspect, to people thinking their big cuddly ball of fluff would never hurt a kid. You can never be certain how a dog will react to various things, or how a kid can unthinkingly provoke a dog.

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In my personal experience, many of the Golden’s (SIL is a part-time breeder) were as dumb as a box of rocks as well- I think that’s because they have been bred solely for looks by too many breeders for too many years.

I always thought of them like Supermodels-- the cutest of the cute, but none too smart. Most Goldens have great winning personalities though (unlike supermodels. . . )

Labs are my personal favorites, smarter, much less shedding, but a bit “chewier”. Either way, plan on taking lots of walks, whether its raining, snowing, your tired, its dark, there is something good on TV, ect., as either breed loves going for long walks on the beach (oops, now I am writing a personal ad).

Of course, IMHO.

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A woman at my stable is looking to rehome her Golden because of a move to an apartment. A guy from my office took her for 10 days and loved her, but his daughter was allergic. This dog is 4 years old. She’s been professionally trained and is absolutely wonderful. I thought my co-worker was going to cry when he said he had to give her back - he said she’s the best dog he’s ever known.

A popular hybrid right now is a standard poodle/retreiver (either golden or lab). You get the intelligence of the poodle, the desire to please of the golden and a coat that is more manageable, although it still needs grooming, of course. And as with many hybrids, you get a hearty dog.

StG

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And I’ll say again - only if the people are breeding healthy dogs. If I breed a Poodle with skin problems to a Lab with hip dysplasia, those problems do not disappear through the magic of hybrid vigor. And any kind of “doodle” or “poo” mix is a fad right now so every Joe-Shmoe out to make a quick buck is breeding them. Also, the labradoodle is not an established breed which means they are most likely breeding 1st crosses (a lab and a poodle, instead of doodle to doodle) together which will not breed true - that means showing the same traits without exception over many generations. You might get get the intelligence of the poodle, and you might get the desire to please of the lab - or you could end up with something dumb as a box of rocks that sheds profusely and doesn’t look like either breed. If you ever wonder why all Cockapoos, Shih-poos, Schnoodles, etc… look different, the same reason applies to them - no standard.

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  • not too sure I agree with you on this one. I’m not talking about hybrids, I’m talking about the difference between mutts and purebreds.
    Purebreds are dogs that have been bred to conform to the breed “standard”, or historically to perform certain tasks. Goldens, for example, have been bred through the ages to be excellent retreivers with a good temperament and a golden coat.
    The selective breeding runs counter to what would happen in nature, where the healthiest dogs will breed the most and have the most offspring, passing on genetic traits that are best suited for survival.
    Purebreds on the other hand have been selectively bred from an artificially limited gene pool for the traits that humans deem to be most desireable. This does lead to a greater disposition towards congenital problems with purebreds.
    I’m not saying that all mutts are healthy, and all purebreds are unhealthy, far from it, but there is some reason behind my assertion. Goldens are not particurlarly bad, but Great Danes, Bulldogs and other more outlandish dogs will definitely have medical trouble down the line as a direct result of their breeding. The owner gets to pay for this.
    I’m not anti purebred - I own a Border Collie and a half (both rescues) - but I’m not a big fan of seeing people spend a lot of money on a dog when there are so many good dogs out there on death row. Just because they don’t look like any standard doesn’t mean they can’t be just as loyal, sweet, smart and enjoyable to own.
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“Labs are my personal favorites, smarter, much less shedding, but a bit ‘chewier’,” says elf6c. YMMV, but one of our two dogs is a yellow lab/golden mix, the other being purebred golden (the thinner, shorter coated redder variety bred for field work – not a show-type golden at all). We expected to have a house full of red hair, since the golden’s coat is much longer – but instead it looks like we’ve been attacked by a blond. Labs shed INCREDIBLY, at least ours does!!