Golden or Lab

[alexa009]

I have both Lab and Golden Retrievers and they are so different in personality based on my personal experience. The golden retrievers tend to be more hyper and the lab is really laid back. My male golden retriever however enjoys fetching and had fetched a hurt bird once. Of course this trait is a common hereditary in retrievers but I think they were more specifically bred into the golden's genes.

 

[Melky]

As far as Skijoring your Husky, Alaskan Malamute and Siberian dogs are ideal for pulling. It does say here that Golden’s and Labs could probably enjoy this sport as well but they are not first on the list. See link. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skijoring

In Alaska the ideal dog for sledding and endurance was a medium weight Husky male. Light enough to be fast and strong enough to pull with endurance. These are usually the iditarod dogs. You may have to narrow down most desirable traits, sporting activity, and if want to show or not.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Aussies would be great with dog agility but have a lot of herding drive and are very active dogs. Require much training as very active. Again grooming needs because of hair. I don’t have a lot information for ya on Aussies. Good Luck! Let us know what you choose and picks when do.

I do, Aussies are stubborn pushy dogs, with strong personalities. They can be joy or a pain in the butt, actually mine are both. Aussie are bred to move cattle independently of human directions, so they are smart, and forward dogs.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Thanks everyone for all the info!! They both definitely seem like amazing breeds which makes it very hard to narrow down. Having said that, the hair is a big reason why I am somewhat leaning more away from the Golden and Aussies. I don’t mind brushing and grooming but I feel like it is constant combing all the undercoat out. Plus the fact that they drag mud and debris in and would likely require a bath after every hike which doesn’t necessarily appeal to me as we have lots of cranberry bogs, muddy fields, beaches, etc. and I can just picture all the debris now. They do seem like amazing dogs though. But Labs just seem to have more of a wash and wear coat and the mud can be brushed out once it dries. Having said that, Labs do shed absolutely ridiculous amounts which is definitely unappealing but they seem like great dogs. Our last Lab shed like crazy and was a big roamer (though he was also allowed to roam by my dad, I was a kid and didn’t know better) but he was yellow so his fur wasn’t as noticeable, at least to me. Our current dog is a Black Lab/Great Pyrenees mix and also sheds like crazy but being black and slightly longer fur, his fur is much more obvious. He has mostly a Lab coat, not really long like the Pyrenees or having feathers or anything but it is longer along his back and he has a bit of a “mane” around his neck. With Poodles, they seem like amazing dogs, though I have only met one, but the expense for grooming is definitely a negative. However, on that same note, the no shedding thing is definitely a major attraction. Aussies seem amazing too but again with the fur and I do worry that their temperament might be a little strong or not as dog and people friendly.

As for skijoring, yes Labs and Goldens aren’t the typical breeds for it, but any dog can do it as long as they are over 35 pounds. Actually, Malamutes I don’t think are very common for it because they are so big and slow. They are good for typical dog sledding but skijoring and bikejoring are typcially faster sports so Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Huskies, and mixes (husky mix or otherwise), more sprint type dogs. I have done a lot of research into the sport as well as all the breeds I want and huskies (Siberian or Alaskan) are actually one of the breeds I want eventually but I don’t think I want to deal with the stubbornness or the energy level right now. Therefore, considering other breeds. Lots of breeds do it including all these ones as well as GSDs, pointers, etc. That said, it is not a major deal if the dog doesn’t want to or can’t skijor because I mostly just wanted to try it for fun, I wouldn’t want to race or compete or anything. So if it doesn’t like it, that’s fine. Just figured it could be a fun hobby and a good way to burn off some extra energy.

As for the other sports, that actually is my narrowed down list I’ve also thought about rally, dockdiving, herding, barnhunt, flyball, bitework, tracking, etc. Like with the dog breeds, my sport list is also very long.

Decided I don’t really care for any of the other sports and ones like flyball, are way too chaotic and loud for me. Even dockdiving seems chaotic and loud and I’m not sure it’s for me. Though of course most retrievers would be very good at it. I think my absolute 100% for sure sport is nosework. Agility is also fairly high on that list as I have always wanted to try it but it is a lot to learn and can also be loud and chaotic and many poorly behaved, obnoxious dogs, so I am not 100% sold on it but I would likely try it. It does typically require a higher energy, higher drive dog which I am not sure I want, although I do want enough drive to want to train/work. Obedience seems rather boring but rally seems like a lot to learn too. I mostly just want a companion that loves learning/working/training and can hike. But be well behaved in public.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Why not get the best of both? LOL
We have a Golden Lab mix. Mom is a golden, dad is a lab. She's amazing!

She’s gorgeous!

 

[ShrekDawg]

I have 2 Goldens a male and female, if you have kids there is no better breed. I raised mine since young puppies, both train super fast, the gentlest breed I have ever seen. Mine are hopelessly devoted to my children. My male golden would let my daughter use him to crawl all over and as she was learning to stand she would grab his long main and pull her self up to stand and he would not move until we moved her or she got down and crawled away so he wouldn't knock her over. The down side is the hair they shed ALOT and bring everything from outside in attached to them. All that love they are by no means guard dogs, mine will rarely bark. Well only my male will bark and that is if someone knocks at the front door because everyone we know comes through the garage to the mud room so only strangers come to the front door. I always joke that if someone ever did break in that all they had to do is say "Hey Buddy" and he would be instant friends and show them to the valuables.
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Awww gorgeous dogs and definitely seem amazing with your kids.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Guess I will just put a word in for shelter dogs... LOT's of GOOD and PURE breed dogs available...

To ME... ALWAYS a worthy investment... Take the time, visit MANY shelters... and go back.

I also LOVE bird dogs or hound types.

Well.. I love them all.. and try to have an idea in my mind... but let fate lead me to that ONE connection.. Not just jumping at the first one that might work... I can't rescue them all... but ONE can rescue me. No regrets!

Good to see you around Kdog!

Definitely no issues with rescues, love them and probably will have one in the future, but I think I want a well bred one from a breeder this time but idk. That said, most show Labs are so short and fat these days and most field Labs aren’t Labs to me so I may keep looking at shelters/rescues, they may have a slightly bigger Lab. Although it can be hard to tell how big puppies will be and I think I want to train a puppy, or at least a fairly young dog.

But our first Lab was somewhat a rescue so to speak, got him at 18 months old from a family that couldn’t keep him (he was way too active/hyper and the kids were scared of him, especially their special needs son, and he was amazing. Was a terror for the first while, ate my grandma’s fur hood off her coat, stole an entire ham of the counter one tkme (our dinner. We had to go out that night. Dog was fine, just drank a lot of water for about 3 days straight), needed to have the ball thrown for like an hour every morning before my dad went to work just to make him manageable for my mom, roamer, etc. but he was an amazing dog and awesome with all of us kids.

My brother and his fiancé adopted a dog in February and then a second one in September. First one was supposedly Border Collie/Pyrenees and 12 weeks old but we think they only said BC because of coloring. DNA test FSIL did said Great Pyrenees, Lab, Boxer and 25% something else, she’s very smart but not super affectionate and definitely has an independent, stubborn streak. Other one is “Pyrenees/collie” (different rescue) but we think some sort of hunting breed, they plan on doing a DNA test for him too. He is very sweet, cuddly, and much more people oriented. He is now 6 months old, born in June, and the other one just turned a year old. Anyway, point being, both are fabulous dogs, and I plan on trying nosework or agility with Libby, so I know you can definitely get some absolutely wonderful dogs with rescues, but I do want to try a reputable breeder this time around just cause all our dogs have been from kind of questionable sources. Gator is basically a BYB. They were nice enough, small little family farm in western MA, and provided a lot of info with him, but he was raised in a stall outside, and I don’t know if they did health testing. They also had a Lab litter on the ground at the time we picked him up, recently born, so the whole thing was kind of weird. He also has had a lot of health problems though that could be related to how early we neutered him. Then of course Bailey was from a family, he could have been from good breeding but no way of knowing and he was a very large Lab. Libby and Franklin are great dogs and very healthy so far and they definitely could do the sports I want and they go hiking a lot so should maybe should pay closer attention to rescues. But most also require a fenced yard and come either already neutered or require neutering, usually too early. Libby was fixed when they got her at 12 weeks. Franklin they let you wait but prefer by 1 year.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

just cause all our dogs have been from kind of questionable sources.

Nope... they ALL came from God.

Sorry, I couldn't resist that one.

Sound like you are mentally in good place and looking for a fine dog to bring you along and keep ya toeing the line and having healthy outlets.

I currently THINK breeder dogs will never be for me again... But chickens have certainly taught me that my thoughts (and needs) grow and change ALL the time. While I do agree that spaying and neutering save lives... I also unfortunately agree that there seems to be some issues with being done at too early of an age. However requiring a fenced yard... not a bad idea. Are you not planning to have a fenced yard?

Ah to be young and full energy again like you!

I do love Pointers, you mention. Also agree about a wash and wear coat being nice. How exciting for you to think about so many possibilities! I look forward to pics that will make out hearts explode with joy for you and your companion!

 

[ShrekDawg]

Nope... they ALL came from God.

Sorry, I couldn't resist that one.

Sound like you are mentally in good place and looking for a fine dog to bring you along and keep ya toeing the line and having healthy outlets.

I currently THINK breeder dogs will never be for me again... But chickens have certainly taught me that my thoughts (and needs) grow and change ALL the time. While I do agree that spaying and neutering save lives... I also unfortunately agree that there seems to be some issues with being done at too early of an age. However requiring a fenced yard... not a bad idea. Are you not planning to have a fenced yard?

Ah to be young and full energy again like you!

I do love Pointers, you mention. Also agree about a wash and wear coat being nice. How exciting for you to think about so many possibilities! I look forward to pics that will make out hearts explode with joy for you and your companion!

Lol no it's okay, I liked that one. It's true

And yeah, I'm trying to. I've been walking and training my brothers dogs and I like that plus have just always liked dogs so I think I want to be a dog trainer, although now I'm not really sure, probably not much money in that. but I want to at least try.

I can understand that, breeder dogs aren't right for everybody just like shelter dogs aren't for everybody. I kinda think people should just get whatever works for them, which is different for everybody. But yeah, chickens taught me that too lol should probably get some replacements soon since mine are starting to slow down at 3 (could never get rid of them but just mean younger ones to up the egg production) but my coop isn't really that big and I go back and forth on expanding it or not, adding more or not, but especially what breeds (I want a million and different colors/varieties) and whether to buy more chicks or wait for a broody and try hatching lol

But yeah, spaying and neutering is definitely important but so is education and responsible ownership. With proper management of intact animals, they won't be out there causing or having a million litters, but of course intact animals are a lot of responsibility and work to manage that most people aren't equipped to handle so I think for the average person spaying and neutering is best but I wish they didn't force it and so young. I think the risks of early spaying and neutering are not yet fully known or understood but thankfully more research is being done every day and more people, including breeders and vets, are being made aware which is definitely a good thing. Hopefully more people are made aware because there really are so many health risks associated with it.

As for the fence thing, yes I do think having one is a good idea but I don't think it should necessarily be required or that not having one makes you a bad owner, you know? Like I don't think it should be the only consideration or whatever, which it is for a lot of rescues and breeders alike. They turn you down just for not having one. Which I get, they don't want the dogs to escape, and certain dogs absolutely need it and for them it should be required, but I don't think every dog necessarily needs one or that having one makes anyone a better owner. There's people without fences who let dogs roam or dogs who get hit by cars, yes, but there's also people with fences who just turn the dog loose outside for a while and ignore it, or dogs who can scale a fence and escape. We don't have a fence here and it's 2.6 acres so would be expensive to fully fence. We could just fence the yard part (we are slightly set back in the woods) but even the yard is huge. We've been thinking about just fencing the back though but the back is relatively small compared to the front. But I plan on going outside with the dog, only letting out supervised, never just turning it loose, and we have a ton of different places to walk around here (a couple neighborhoods, couple loops on roads of varying lengths, cranberry bogs, ponds, field/walking trails with beach at back, etc. and actually possible to walk to all of those places within minutes from our house) and hiking (town and state forests nearby and beaches) and the yard is big enough to do tons of dog training in and lots of extremely long distance sit and down stays and recalls for exercise or just regular fetch, I could stand in the backyard and throw to the driveway (well, might need a tennis racket or launcher to assist with that lol) or drive the car in laps around the yard with the dog chasing it aha point being, it would get plenty of exercise and attention. Probably more than the average dog. Especially since I would likely be training it for two sports. Plus my brother and FSIL live just a couple miles down the road with their two dogs and a large fenced yard. So anyways, veryyyyy long story short, I can see how fences are useful, our old dog used to roam and got hit by a car once (but he barely got injured and lived for two more years after that), but I would never let my dog roam. I was a kid and didn't know better and tbh I think they mostly did it cause he was so high energy. I would give next dog an outlet for that energy. Current one is on a long rope when outside but I don't like that, do want to fence at least a little part of it. But our yard is too big. But that said, maybe the fence thing is just to weed people out? So maybe if I told them all my plans they might still consider me once they saw how much time and attention I plan on putting into the dog.

And I'm not that full of energy lol been pretty lazy lately lol mostly just sitting around doing nothing, think I've been in like a bit of a funk since I graduated or something, idk, but I'm trying. Not that young either, turning 25 in March lol

but yeah, Pointers seem like great dogs. Don't think I could handle the energy level though lol maybe the english pointers/just "Pointers" are calmer though? I hear the GSPs are like insane lol but yeah, I love wash and wear coats. Prime example, I took both dogs to the field a few weeks ago, field was all wet and muddy from all the rain we've been having, but worse was that the tide at the little beach at the back of the field was VERY low, water way far out, so of course the dogs ran way out, all through the muck and mud, sank in a little bit (finally called them out so they wouldn't get stuck) and of course the little one not only ran through the mud but LAID DOWN in it when he first got out there. so of course they are COVERED head to toe in black mud, sand, and salt. And wet. Anyway, Franklin (long coat, Pyrenees mix of some kind, possibly collie or sporting breed), took FOREVER to bathe out and I STILL didn’t quite get all of it, was hard to get his underbelly and between legs and such, still could feel some sand, but he is scared of bathes and I got him mostly clean so I wasn’t going to shampoo him a second time. Libby (Pyrenees/Lab/Boxer, but very short coat, shorter than a Lab but longer than a Boxer, it’s grown a bit thicker recently but very short/against the skin, don’t think she has much undercoat, way shorter than Gator’s fur) was just a very quick bath and a brush. Really she probably didn’t even need the bath, they can often just brush mud and dirt off of her once it dries, but she stunk so she got a bath lol it’s the stinky marsh/bay mud. Anyway, point being, that short coat is much much MUCH easier to deal with.

But yes, so many possibilities. Too many. Can’t decide. Lol but awwww thank you!!

 

[No More Empty Nest]

Thanks everyone for all the info!! They both definitely seem like amazing breeds which makes it very hard to narrow down. Having said that, the hair is a big reason why I am somewhat leaning more away from the Golden and Aussies. I don’t mind brushing and grooming but I feel like it is constant combing all the undercoat out. Plus the fact that they drag mud and debris in and would likely require a bath after every hike which doesn’t necessarily appeal to me as we have lots of cranberry bogs, muddy fields, beaches, etc. and I can just picture all the debris now. They do seem like amazing dogs though. But Labs just seem to have more of a wash and wear coat and the mud can be brushed out once it dries. Having said that, Labs do shed absolutely ridiculous amounts which is definitely unappealing but they seem like great dogs. Our last Lab shed like crazy and was a big roamer (though he was also allowed to roam by my dad, I was a kid and didn’t know better) but he was yellow so his fur wasn’t as noticeable, at least to me. Our current dog is a Black Lab/Great Pyrenees mix and also sheds like crazy but being black and slightly longer fur, his fur is much more obvious. He has mostly a Lab coat, not really long like the Pyrenees or having feathers or anything but it is longer along his back and he has a bit of a “mane” around his neck. With Poodles, they seem like amazing dogs, though I have only met one, but the expense for grooming is definitely a negative. However, on that same note, the no shedding thing is definitely a major attraction. Aussies seem amazing too but again with the fur and I do worry that their temperament might be a little strong or not as dog and people friendly.

As for skijoring, yes Labs and Goldens aren’t the typical breeds for it, but any dog can do it as long as they are over 35 pounds. Actually, Malamutes I don’t think are very common for it because they are so big and slow. They are good for typical dog sledding but skijoring and bikejoring are typcially faster sports so Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Huskies, and mixes (husky mix or otherwise), more sprint type dogs. I have done a lot of research into the sport as well as all the breeds I want and huskies (Siberian or Alaskan) are actually one of the breeds I want eventually but I don’t think I want to deal with the stubbornness or the energy level right now. Therefore, considering other breeds. Lots of breeds do it including all these ones as well as GSDs, pointers, etc. That said, it is not a major deal if the dog doesn’t want to or can’t skijor because I mostly just wanted to try it for fun, I wouldn’t want to race or compete or anything. So if it doesn’t like it, that’s fine. Just figured it could be a fun hobby and a good way to burn off some extra energy.

As for the other sports, that actually is my narrowed down list I’ve also thought about rally, dockdiving, herding, barnhunt, flyball, bitework, tracking, etc. Like with the dog breeds, my sport list is also very long.

Decided I don’t really care for any of the other sports and ones like flyball, are way too chaotic and loud for me. Even dockdiving seems chaotic and loud and I’m not sure it’s for me. Though of course most retrievers would be very good at it. I think my absolute 100% for sure sport is nosework. Agility is also fairly high on that list as I have always wanted to try it but it is a lot to learn and can also be loud and chaotic and many poorly behaved, obnoxious dogs, so I am not 100% sold on it but I would likely try it. It does typically require a higher energy, higher drive dog which I am not sure I want, although I do want enough drive to want to train/work. Obedience seems rather boring but rally seems like a lot to learn too. I mostly just want a companion that loves learning/working/training and can hike. But be well behaved in public.

My daughter did agility with her rescue mixed breed dog. She is a very laid back dog. Any dog can do agility, they don't have to be fast enough to compete. All sizes and shapes can do agility. It's really fun and increases the dog's confidence and makes a strong bond with the owner. They also end up very well trained because they have to be able to stay until told to start the course have to watch the owner to see where to go next, all off leash. That said, her dog is now too old for some of the obstacles so she does nose work and loves it.