When I was choosing pictures for this website, I thought to myself which photos would best represent a golden retriever? This one with Polly at the piano did it for me.

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The Golden Retriever Club of American states  a Golden Retriever should be "friendly, reliable and trustworthy. Quarrelsomeness or hostility towards other dogs or people in normal situations, or an unwarranted show of timidity or nervousness, is not in keeping with Golden Retriever character", so there ya have it, right from the breed standard.

 

What is it about those goldens?  For me it is this, it is the quiet just wanting to be with their people.  Over the last 25 years I have found that my goldens are ready to go when I am ready to go, but they are also happy to just relax and chill when I am ready to chill.  Unfortunately, this is not "all" goldens and I hear all about goldens that are bouncing of the walls but a well bred golden should be a friend to all.  They should not be hyper and driving you crazy in the house.  They should be an enthusiastic participant in your activities and be a great couch potato in the evenings.   

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Over the years there has been a great deal of discussion about "English Cream" or "Platinum" or whatever silly word they want to call them these days.  When we first started with our dogs years ago, my dogs were straight out of UK Kennels.  I am still in touch with those breeders.  Over the years unscrupulous breeders have convinced people that these very light colored dogs were somehow healthier and better than the "American" style golden and honestly this is just not the case.  A golden is a golden is a golden is a golden.  There are aspects of those UK dogs that I like a lot, I like the heads, and the shoulder structure and the amount of bone, none of these things matter to the average pet owner who is just looking for a great dog.  I also found that there were several aspects of the "American" style dogs that I also really liked and as such the past few breedings really focused on blending these two styles of dog into one perfect golden package. 

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So Goldens are Great, that's my motto BUT as with any dog they are not the dog for everyone. 

 

Golden puppies are piranhas, this is a breed that was bred to use their mouths, and trust me they use their mouths, on your hands, the chair legs, the towels, the socks and I could go on and on.  A golden retriever is going to want to have something to chew and to carry around in their mouths.  They don't care what that is, this can lead to chewed socks as I mentioned before, and those chewed socks can lead to things like intestinal blockages.  If you are someone that has trouble picking up your stuff, then a golden retriever might not be the dog for you. 

 

Goldens shed.... sometimes A -LOT! now don't get fooled by the old "doodle" breeders lie.  Many many doodles also shed and that fur is a bear to keep control of; It mats and tangles badly.  Here is the thing, it's just genetics, Mom is a poodle, Dad is a golden, or vice versa, a basic understanding of genetics would tell you that some of the puppies will have dads coat and some of them will have moms coat.  Which one will you get? luck of the draw.  The thing about regular golden fur is that it forms into tumbleweeds, you learn very quickly the air flow of your house.  Unlike lab fur or other short haired dogs where the fur gets woven into things, the goldens hair just sits on top and thus it is pretty easy to vacuum up.  However, if that is going to drive you crazy, then a golden may not be the dog for you.

 

Goldens are large dogs and a jubilant puppy can knock over anyone who is unsteady on their feet.  This means young children, the elderly and their breeder in a cast after having ankle surgery (spoken from experience).  If you live with folks who have trouble staying on their feet then a golden puppy may not be the dog for you.

 

You are welcome to visit my house and meet my goldens and I am happy to show you where Polly chewed the futon arm, and the recliner (while I was sitting right there).  Our dogs were born with a proper golden temperament but then there was a ton of training involved to make them into the good citizens they are today.  They did not just pop into the world like this.  They are work, all dogs are work and you need to be prepared. 

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I have included some links of interest to help you with your decision.