Hi everyone, just need a little help and advice really, my sister is looking to get a Golden Retriever as a family pet but also for her Son to train/work (looking at obedience training) and since she and I are Leo Girls we need all the advice we can get as regards health, temperament etc of the Retriever, what are the good points AND bad points of the breed, we have been researching online as regards health and found Eyes & hips are to be tested & certificated, that they are prone to skin allergies and epilepsy and heart conditions ..... anything else? We have no idea which are good lines again to be pointed in the right direction would be a great help ~ Thanks Dippy
Howdy! Like a lot of gundog breeds, there is a defined split between the show type and working type Goldens. The show types are generally heavier in bone and are heavier and lighter in coat. The working types are leaner in bone and are often a far darker Golden colour (almost Red Setter like) in coat. You said your sister wants to work the dog. Work it in just obedience or as a gundog? or both? if she just wants to have some fun with the dog in obedience, agility, etc., then either type of Golden may suit them. If she wants to work it as a gundog, then a working line Golden is the way to go. Working type Goldens are far harder to find, however. Unlike Labs and Spaniels, they are not 'the' gundog of choice, which means that pups from good working lines are hard to come by. Can't really think of many bad points about them to be honest, aside from the shedding. They shed buckets.
Only thing I can say is be careful of temperaments as this has definately slipped in a few lines over the last 10 years or so. Becky
yes,i agree,(re temeraments) i would go to a breeder longstanding in the breed,(then again i would say that in most cases);-) (i used to work with a breeder of lovely goldens,so laid back they'd almost stopped though!lol)
Used to see sooo many Golden retrievers and now they are a rareity round here....why is that? is it like that everywhere...are there not as many any more? They always used to be extremley polpular. Sorry no help to the OP but was just wondering!
Thanks everyone, all info appreciated! I think the training side will be obedience and fun training as my nephew will be getting involved and hopefully doing the most with him/her under supervision of course Now, I had been told to watch out for temperaments as they were becoming a little keen ~ wasn't sure how true this was tho :? We're still going through as much info as we can health wise, having had problems with the Leo's we are keen to be aware of all possible hereditary & non hereditary conditions that they are succeptible to If anyone could give me an idea of good lines to research, to give me a kick start, my sister has already made a few enquiries with some breeders but felt that some weren't really giving the whole picture about what to look for in a G/Retriever, I'd be really appreciative of a PM if its not allowed to mention breeders on thread Cheers, Dippy PS ... Note on shedding .... they live with Leo's so are used to the hair being everywhere you thought it wouldn't be possible to get!! Lol!
Champ Dogs .co.uk is a pretty good place to start looking for a breeder. Or, email the Golden Retriever club who should have a list of members with puppies available.
Parents should be hip, eye and elbow tested, although some breeders are not testing elbows yet. We also test hearts but you'll be unlikely to find a breeder that does so regularly. They're also susceptible to epilepsy. I'd say if you're not looking into specifically gundog work then a show golden will be what you're looking for. They're much more laid back yet they still have the typical 'want to please' attitude of the Golden. I personally have met very few Goldens with bad temperaments, you just need to sit around a show ring to see that they are happy dogs who are friendly with just about everyone, people and dogs! They are of course a few breeders around who do not breed for temperament, but there are in every breed, and the good breeders far outweigh the bad! HTH
I have a GR. She is finer boned and lighter than most GRs. I bought her from a breeder in Lincolnshire, however she has stopped breeding GR now. She is an extremely happy dog, very laid back in the house, quite happy to lounge. However, outside is a different matter - has to run everywhere and always looking for squirrels and ducks and never forgets where she saw them last. I have even caught her getting down close to the floor and creeping up on a squirrel. She is a good guard dog, no one gets in without her knowing about it. She is extremely friendly to other dogs, whether they like her or not. She loves my mum's female beardie and will want to play all day with her. I would definitely recommend the breed. I haven't had a problem with shedding except at moult but then Tess does not have a particularly heavy coat.
Thanks everyone for your thoughts & advice, still on the look out and trying to find as much info as possible, been in touch with a few more people/breeders and the search continues ...... Dippy
Golden’s are about the best family dog out there (IMO) and are eager to please. They bond like nothing I’ve ever seen and are as loyal as the day is long. They make good therapy dogs and are great with kids and other animals. Your homework, health info, quality time and training is key for any dog. Goldens want to be with their people, they won’t be happy alone. Golden’s are working dogs and naturally mouthy so this is something you need to work on in setting clear boundaries early on, especially where kids are involved. Our golden (any of our dogs) never even consider licking or mouthing a soul in our home. My girl also can read health issues, sadness, seizure.... theyhave a natural ability to calm folks in stress. They are truly amazing. We have Golden’s and English springer spaniels and they have all been super teachable and great with the family. My girl will even sit down and listen to my young children read very politely! They work when they need to in whatever their area of expertise is (mine was a therapy dog) and gel with the fam when they know it’s relaxing time. Can’t imagine life without a golden!
Hello - but please note you are answering very old threads, many of the OPs having long gone and were never on Breedia but were transferred from her sister forum Dogsey. However, it is nice to welcome you to Breedia Juli and Tikki Tikva
