This family favourite is easy to train, but comes with a food obsession, a goofy nature, and more love than you can handle
Thinking of bringing home a Golden Retriever? Whether you’re picking out a puppy or picking up a rescued older dog, learn more about your furry friend with our ultimate breed guide.
Colours
The Golden Retriever is one main colour: golden! The clue is in the name.
However, there is some variance in the shade of gold – they can be very light cream to a dark reddish gold.
Typically, show line Goldens tend to be more cream, and working lines are more of a deep golden colour. However, many Goldens come from a mix of lines, so it isn’t always possible to tell if a Golden Retriever is a show line or a working line just by colour alone.
Personality
Golden Retrievers make excellent dogs for almost anyone, even first time owners. They are great with children, other pets, and other dogs, and people who own one typically say they don’t deserve their dog’s kindness and affection.
These are extremely loving dogs who just love absolutely everyone and love to please their owners. People say the ‘golden’ in the breed’s name isn’t based on the colour of their coat, but instead because these dogs have a heart of gold.
Many people struggle to tell the difference between a yellow Labrador Retriever and a Golden Retriever. But they are separate breeds – just within the same group (Retrievers). As such, their personalities are similar to the Labrador but with some slight differences.
Typically, the Golden Retriever is said to be more intelligent than the Labrador. They need mental stimulation, which is why they often do well as therapy or assistance dogs, which gives them a job to do (and keeps their brains busy!).
Whilst Goldens are intelligent, they are also highly biddable – which is great if you are interested in a dog that you can train. They love food and toys and will do anything you ask of them.
They will easily learn almost anything you can teach them, but you should be wary not to accidentally teach them a trick, such as opening the fridge door or let them know where you keep your socks. Goldens have a knack for teaching themselves new tricks that will get them into trouble, and sock eating is high on their list of priorities.
The breed also comes with a few ‘quirks’ that makes them fun and interesting to work with. They are typically more playful and goofy than their Labrador cousins, and can be slightly more emotionally sensitive. They also occasionally have a stubborn streak and will lie down in the middle of the street and refuse to walk , though this can be remedied with appropriate training.
Exercise needs
An active dog breed, the Golden Retriever needs about two hours of exercise per day – ideally with plenty of off lead time to sniff and run around.
They do well with training and have an active mind, so you’ll need to spend some of that time playing games or training to give their brain a workout as well as their body…
Once your Goldie has had enough exercise for the day, they will easily become a couch potato and be up for all the snuggles you could possibly want. Although, be prepared that they have a long puppy phase of around two years, and they may not calm down and snooze all day until this point.
If you don’t give your Golden the exercise they need, be prepared to be stared at and barked at (just once or twice) until you pick up their lead and get out the door! They know what’s best for them (and for you!) and will force you to get up off the sofa enjoying the great outdoors.
Goldens love to swim, so you should give them the chance whenever you can in bodies of safe water, such as a pool in your garden. It can be a great way to cool down on a hot day.
Can’t walk your Golden? Yikes. Definitely get a dog walker. You don’t want to come home to a destroyed sofa or scratched skirting boards.
These dogs are big, active, and need to have the exercise and mental stimulation they deserve. So if you don’t think you have the time for a Golden Retriever, consider a different breed.
Trainability
On the whole, Golden Retrievers are biddable and easy to train. They love to please people and are food oriented, which makes training fairly simple. They are ideal for a first time dog owner, or for someone wishing to train a therapy or assistance dog, since they suit this type of work.
The biggest issues I’ve seen with Golden Retrievers is that they can have ‘selective hearing’, and may decide that the hole they are digging in your garden is more important than coming back to you. They can be prone to pulling on the lead, so you’ll need to work on loose lead walking right from the start. Thankfully, they love to learn, so if you get started early on the fundamentals, you shouldn’t have too much of a problem.
They are food oriented, so this really helps to train them since any food will do. You could use their regular kibble and this would easily be enough to keep them doing what you ask.
They are part of the gundog group, which means they are excellent at fetching and retrieving items (the clue is in the name, of course). So if you want a dog who can fetch your your slippers, this is the ideal dog breed for you.
Health
Golden Retrievers are generally speaking fairly healthy overall. Like most big dogs, they do suffer from joint problems such as hip and elbow dysplasia, so you should watch out for this.
Eye problems can also be a risk for this breed, with some dogs suffering from cataracts and blindness later in life. Eye examinations are vital for this breed, as there are four eye conditions that they can suffer from, according to The Golden Retriever Club.
One of the saddest things is that the breed is prone to cancer, which can strike at any age. I once knew of a two year old Golden who contracted cancer and died before his third birthday. Though cases like this are not the norm, Goldens are slightly more prone than other breeds.
And as with all deep-chested breeds, you should also watch out for signs of bloat, which can be a life threatening illness.
Grooming
Golden Retrievers are a long-haired variety that sheds. ALL. THE. TIME. Owners call it ‘Golden Glitter’, and you should be prepared to have your home covered in their fur.
Their saving grace is that you don’t really need a professional groomer for a Golden Retriever – unless you want to save yourself the hassle of bathing them yourself. They are fairly easy to shampoo and bathe yourself at home, since they don’t require shaving down like a poodle or poodle cross (such as a Goldendoodle).
Goldens have a thick double coat, which ideally should never really be cut or shaved down. Some owners like to trim their dog’s grinch feet, to give their dog better grip, and give their dog a hygiene trim around their bottoms to ensure that the fur stays clean after a toilet visit. You could get a groomer to do this, but you could learn this yourself and do it at home, since Goldens don’t really need a haircut, just a trim.
That said, they do require brushing due to their long hair, and you should be doing this every couple of days to remove loose hair.
Just be prepared to have the hoover out every day – or invest in a robot vacuum!
Cost
If you’re getting a puppy, expect to pay about £1800 – £2100 from an ethical breeder.
Due to their tendency to eat literally EVERYTHING from hard plastic to socks, it is essential to get pet insurance right from the moment you bring your Golden home. There are many different insurers, like Many Pets and Petplan, who may quote for different levels of cover – so make sure to shop around.
Make sure you have funds available to pay for things like Pet Health Club to help cover vets fees, as consultations can be expensive. My local vet charges £90 a visit!
Owners say…
Are you an owner? We’re looking for owners to interview to update this article. If you’d like to be featured with a link to your dog’s Instagram or TikTok page – email us!
Where to find a breeder
If you spot a friendly dog walker out with their Goldies – ask them! They might know a reputable breeder nearby.
As a good alternative, visit dog shows and speak to those showing their dogs to get recommendations. Word of mouth is often a brilliant way to find an ethical breeder, especially when you find someone who is fanatical about their dog and can tell you everything about who bred it.
If you are determined to find a pooch online, try the listings on the Kennel Club website. Make sure to tick the ‘Health Tested’ option on the drop down box, as not all KC registered breeders health test the parents before mating (yikes!).
Another option is to look at the Champdogs website. Here you can look through the list of breeders to find one nearby, or one that you think might breed in a way that fits your lifestyle. For example, if you wanted a Labrador to become a therapy dog, then you should browse the listings for breeders who PAT train their dogs. If you want your pup to become a show dog, then you should reach out to breeders who show their dogs.
For those of you who like using Facebook, there is also a Facebook group run by the Golden Retriever Club. Litter locations are posted by admins and you can message admins to find out further details. Typically admins will check all the health certificates of the litters posted, so you get some reassurance.
Wherever you look for a puppy, make sure the breeder you choose fully health tests their dogs and bitches before breeding – this is to make sure you don’t end up with a dog who might end up with some very expensive surgery needed for elbow or hip dysplasia.
Where to find a rescue dog
Golden Retrievers are incredibly popular – and one of the most popular dog breeds in the world. And sometimes, though not often, sadly, they end up in rescue shelters. So keep browsing the listings and put your name down with every rescue centre you can – because when these dogs end up in a shelter, they tend to get snapped up really fast!
Unfortunately, due to backyard breeding, you might be able to find a former puppy mill stud or bitch used for breeding on rescue sites. These poor dogs are often dumped once their ‘usefulness’ for breeding has expired.
There aren’t many rescue centres that specialise for Goldens – as typically they are much beloved by their owners and don’t often go up for adoption. You could check out your local Labrador Retriever Club, as they often have details of how to rescue one.
If you don’t mind rehoming a crossbreed, you could rehome a retired Guide Dog. They often have Golden Retrievers, but typically the charity uses a Labrador x Golden Retriever. The cost to rehome is £500 at the time of writing, but you’ll be getting a very well cared for dog and won’t be funding puppy farming. In fact, you’ll be helping to fund a vital charity for people living with sight loss.
Leave a comment