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Any English Cream or Golden Retriever owners here in the B&B?

Hello.

My wife, kids, our dog Peanut and I just welcomed “Rocky”, a 1 year old English Cream Retriever to our family. I have owned several dogs throughout my life including one Golden that we loved dearly. Are there any other Golden retriever owners here? Would love to hear from you and about your experiences as an owner. We are kind of training Rocky from scratch as he spent a lot of time in a crate. So we could use all the advice, pointers and encouragement we can get! Thanks.
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A beautiful animal. I have a Goldendoodle that I trained myself using a book but I also had a very good trainer show me how it's done. It does take a lot patience but it's worth it.
 

Columbo

Mr. Codgers Neighborhood
We have had purebred Goldens for over three decades. They are very oral, and prefer something in their mouth more than most other breeds. They are, in a word, ‘mouthy’. If you don’t teach them as pups not to do so, they will try to hold your hand in their mouth, which can unsettle visitors.

The mainstream breeders‘ coat for the breed has considerably lightened in recent years. Now you find a lot of cream and tan ones. But the traditional coat when we started was closer to a golden orange. Very different dogs, too.

The traditional Golden is smart as a whip, almost majestic in disposition, and a first-class hunting animal. They also would have lifespans going out as long as 15 years. That is very good for a large breed.

Today, you need to be more careful about getting a ‘sweet nothing’. Still a good family pet. But not a Golden in the traditional temperament. They also don’t live as long, and you are lucky if they go 11-12 years. Unless you have a solid pedigree, keep an eye on the hips as they get older.

If you have kids, it’s still close to a bulletproof breed. An ideal family dog. I remember my then 3 year old son riding our first one like a horse while whacking her over the head with a whiffle bat. The dog took it with a smile until we could get him off.

But another time when he was about to hurt himself, she mouthed his wrist to pull him away from trouble. He claimed that the dog “bit” him. Mrs. Columbo gently told him that if this dog really bit him, he would be missing a hand. That dog was an exceptional animal, and even displayed some guard behavior for the family if I was out of town, which is unheard of in that breed. Normally, a Golden will lick an intruder to death.

Goldens take a long time to settle down, and many will behave like puppies and high energy knuckleheads until around age 5. Then you will have a big rug on your hands.

These dogs, like many others, are fine with crate training. It is their inside ‘dog house’ or den, and where they can go for peace and safety in a busy house. So I wouldn’t view it so much as a cage. Many actually like it. Crate training is also good for house-breaking them as an alternative to paper training.

Goldens can have an exceptional coat, but it will depend on the diet. I won’t recommend a particular food except to say I know what works with ours. I would also invest in a very heavy duty vacuum cleaner. We now use reconditioned Kirbys with special ‘pet’ brushes, as a $100 department store machine will barely last 1-2 years before burning out.

If you teach your dog nothing else, teach it to sit, stay, “down” and to “heel”. Nothing is worse than a totally undisciplined, out-of-control, high energy 80 pound dog. Especially around visitors.

The best of luck with your new family member.
 
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We have had purebred Goldens for over three decades. They are very oral, and prefer something in their mouth more than most other breeds. They are, in a word, ‘mouthy’. If you don’t teach them as pups not to do so, they will try to hold your hand in their mouth, which can unsettle visitors.

The mainstream breeders‘ coat for the breed has considerably lightened in recent years. Now you find a lot of cream and tan ones. But the traditional coat when we started was closer to a golden orange. Very different dogs, too.

The traditional Golden is smart as a whip, almost majestic in disposition, and a first-class hunting animal. They also would have lifespans going out as long as 15 years. That is very good for a large breed.

Today, you need to be more careful about getting a ‘sweet nothing’. Still a good family pet. But not a Golden in the traditional temperament. They also don’t live as long, and you are lucky if they go 11-12 years. Unless you have a solid pedigree, keep an eye on the hips as they get older.

If you have kids, it’s still close to a bulletproof breed. An ideal family dog. I remember my then 3 year old son riding our first one like a horse while whacking her over the head with a whiffle bat. The dog took it with a smile until we could get him off.

But another time when he was about to hurt himself, she mouthed his wrist to pull him away from trouble. He claimed that the dog “bit” him. Mrs. Columbo gently told him that if this dog really bit him, he would be missing a hand. That dog was an exceptional animal, and even displayed some guard behavior for the family if I was out of town, which is unheard of in that breed. Normally, a Golden will lick an intruder to death.

Goldens take a long time to settle down, and many will behave like puppies and high energy knuckleheads until around age 5. Then you will have a big rug on your hands.

These dogs, like many others, are fine with crate training. It is their inside ‘dog house’ or den, and where they can go for peace and safety in a busy house. So I wouldn’t view it so much as a cage. Many actually like it. Crate training is also good for house-breaking them as an alternative to paper training.

Goldens can have an exceptional coat, but it will depend on the diet. I won’t recommend a particular food except to say I know what works with ours. I would also invest in a very heavy duty vacuum cleaner. We now use reconditioned Kirbys with special ‘pet’ brushes, as a $100 department store machine will barely last 1-2 years before burning out.

If you teach your dog nothing else, teach it to sit, stay, “down” and to “heel”. Nothing is worse than a totally undisciplined, out-of-control, high energy 80 pound dog. Especially around visitors.

The best of luck with your new family member.

Thank you so much for the great insight and information! I truly appreciate it and I would say you are spot on with everything you said in my experience so far. This is actually the second Golden we have had but this is our first one that’s still considered a Puppy by most (1yr 2 months). He is exactly as you described as being “mouthy” but we are working on that. He seems to love us already, after only a week lol. We sure love him!


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@Pmaynard19 your retriever is beautiful.
We have had 2 Goldens, both English Confirmation types. The American Field Goldens are darker and a bit more “birdy”, while the English ones are a bit calmer.
She my baby.
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Smart doesn’t begin to describe her. High IQ & EQ.
She’s spoiled.
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Okay, not a dog owner but in the very first picture I am drawn to the other dog in the photo. Looks much older and here is the new dog in the house. I swear I see an expression on the smaller dog of mild concern / suspicion regarding the new addition. Looks as if it is thinking, "Hmmm, is that cream colored companion here to replace me?"
 
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