# Why do Golden retrievers pant to much? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 4, 2018, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-golden-retrievers-pant-to-much/819104 "2018-08-04T21:14:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JakeRS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ab097/32.png) [@JakeRS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JakeRS)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-golden-retrievers-pant-to-much/819104/1 "2018-08-04T21:14:37Z")
I tried looking on Google for an answer, but all answers I found were about how “extreme panting may be a medical problem” and stuff like that, I am not talking about that, if you looked at any Golden retriever on a Youtube video, even, if you just look at Google images for Golden retrievers, just the first 10, 20 images, like 60% to 70% of them will be panting, the panting smile is basically their trademark. Now do the same with a Dachshund and you’ll see that barely 10 or 20% of them will be panting, so why’s that, because of all the hair that Goldens have or something else? ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-golden-retrievers-pant-to-much/819104/2 "2018-08-04T21:19:31Z")
Along with tail swinging, panting can be a way of communicating positive emotions, somewhat like smiling in humans. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2018, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-golden-retrievers-pant-to-much/819104/3 "2018-08-05T02:54:49Z")
I have a golden & I agree that it’s a way of expressing pleasure/happiness. ---
**Author:** ![Mapmkr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bbce88/32.png) [@Mapmkr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mapmkr)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2018, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-golden-retrievers-pant-to-much/819104/4 "2018-08-06T21:06:26Z")
Maybe they are hot or nervous. These are also causes of panting ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2018, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-golden-retrievers-pant-to-much/819104/5 "2018-08-06T23:45:29Z")
Interesting observation. I do feel like Golden Retrievers have longer fur on average than most other dogs in America, excepting the ones (like Huskies) that are generally considered a Northern-border only dog. No idea if your observation is correct, but it seems plausible that they could be a little too well-insulated for the climates that they’re popular in, but the furriness of their pups make us keep breeding them everywhere regardless. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-golden-retrievers-pant-to-much/819104/6 "2018-08-07T01:45:26Z")
Don’t know specifically, but modern purebreed dogs in general are inbred messes with all sorts of genetic defects. This could be one for golden retrievers. ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-golden-retrievers-pant-to-much/819104/7 "2018-08-07T01:59:46Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Interesting observation. I do feel like Golden Retrievers have longer fur on average than most other dogs in America, excepting the ones (like Huskies) that are generally considered a Northern-border only dog. > > No idea if your observation is correct, but it seems plausible that they could be a little too well-insulated for the climates that they’re popular in, but the furriness of their pups make us keep breeding them everywhere regardless. Retrievers are not double coated, but dogs don’t lose much additional heat by being shaved. They only have sweat glands on their feet and it is not uncommon for shaved huskies to get heat stroke from the increased direct sunlight. Without sweat glands it doesn’t work like it does for humans. Note how you don’t see bedouin herders in shorts and t-shirts either. Retrievers tend to be high energy dogs and dogs pant more when excited, stressed, anxious, happy or fearful. Some goldens I’ve seen almost have a language where they asked to be petted, express frustration or fear. Really someone would need to know the dog or see other indicators to know what is going on. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-golden-retrievers-pant-to-much/819104/8 "2018-08-07T02:44:17Z")
I suspect it’s not that they pant more, but that they look cuter panting than a dachshund does. Pictures on the internet are not exactly a reliable sampling of a population. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-golden-retrievers-pant-to-much/819104/9 "2018-08-07T08:56:36Z")
They have a higher volume-to-surface area ratio than, say, a whippet - I know dogs don’t sweat, but losing heat by radiation and convection also isn’t so easy for a dog with a larger body size and a thicker coat. In my experience (which I don’t claim to be universal), retrievers are also the most commonly-overweight dogs I see, at least amongst the larger breeds. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-golden-retrievers-pant-to-much/819104/10 "2018-08-07T17:11:37Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I know dogs don’t sweat, As noted above, they can sweat through their feet. Watch a dog on a very hot day on the right surface and you’ll see them leave a trail of wet footprints. ---
**Author:** ![mmmiiikkkeee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@mmmiiikkkeee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmmiiikkkeee)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-golden-retrievers-pant-to-much/819104/11 "2018-08-07T20:16:22Z")
I have a 10 month-old golden retriever mutt with poodle mixed in. She’s actually got a fairly short coat, but still pants a lot at temperature over room temp. During the winter she’d bound through the snow at -15C happily and never showed signs of being cold, but this summer I get nervous having her outside during the afternoons even with water and shade as she’s constantly panting, even laying flat on her side. She’s very fit (no excess body fat), young and healthy, and a little over 50 pounds. I don’t know if the panting is heat related or behavioural, but I can say my (mostly) golden retriever does pant an awful lot. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-golden-retrievers-pant-to-much/819104/12 "2018-08-08T10:09:56Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > As noted above, they can sweat through their feet. Watch a dog on a very hot day on the right surface and you’ll see them leave a trail of wet footprints. Noted - but I don’t suppose sweating out of such a small area has a very significant impact on cooling - especially as much of the moisture is probably wicking away to ground, rather than evaporating.