Who has a golden retriever?

[texaschickmama]

Anyone that has a golden retriever could you please tell me about them, pros and cons. I also would love to see pics. My oldest daughter who is 17 has terrible panic attacks. Yes, she has an appt to go to another psyciatrist sp? I have been doing research on the calming affects of a pet and how these dogs can actually calm her to the point of the panic attacks going away completely. What do you think?

 

[MikelJohn]

My sister has a registered Golden Retriever that we grew up with. It is very old now. That has been the best family dog. He is wonderful. Very calm. Never tried to hurt anybody. And he is beautiful. I would recommend one. I raise Chocolate Labs. Some get very aggressive! Good hunting dogs and they keep strangers away from your house. But I wouldn't recommend one for a family dog. Golden Retriever is the way to go. Good Luck!

 

[texaschickmama]

I have a chocolate lab and black lab. The SWEETEST dogs. BUT my black lab is a killer, he kills anything that comes on our property. I love him dearly, and have always trusted him with my kids, but he hates other dogs, except Abby, my choc lab. He is going on 9 yrs now, so when he passes we won't get anymore labs.

 

[s6bee]

Dog are a wonderful therapy. I love the temperments of Goldens, but don't have one myself. The pros, loving, wonderful, generally speaking even tempered dogs. Cons, prone to skin problems, ear infections, shedding!! However, no matter what dog you get, if you get a pure bred, make sure you go through a reputible breeder. You can find your local kennel club and they can stear you in the right direction, or go to the American Kennel Club website to find one. Where do you live?
A dog in general would be helpful to her, so don't think a big dog is the only one that will do the trick. There are sooo many good dogs. I have Springers, but they are not for many people. Labs are good, so are mutts! Some of the best dogs are Mutts.

Stephanie

 

[MikelJohn]

Quote:
I have a black lab names "Abby." Funny! Very good dog. A chicken could sit on top of her and have no worries! But my Chocs! If they get loose, I will have a pile stacked at my back door when they get up! It's their nature. You can't get mad at them.

 

[MikelJohn]

Quote:
I have a black lab names "Abby." Funny! Very good dog. A chicken could sit on top of her and have no worries! But my Chocs! If they get loose, I will have a pile stacked at my back door when I get up! It's their nature. You can't get mad at them.

 

[texaschickmama]

You are right about the mutts. She has wanted a golden for a long time, so I feel if I get her something that she really likes and wants, she would bond with it easier. There is a full blood golden in the shelter in weatherford, tx right now. He is one yr and beautiful. His adoption is only $75. He was taken from a neglectful home. I just don't want to rush into anything, because this is a huge responsibility.

 

[MikelJohn]

Well, think about heatworm medicine you will need every month. And the cost of feed! If your chickens are protected from him and you can afford it, you will probably have a good dog.

 

[Cara]

I have what I call a Blackened Retriever. My husband calls her a Labradork

She's a cross between a Black Lab and a Golden Retriever. I got her from the pound when she was a puppy. She is a real sweetheart, and I use her for Search and Rescue. Relaxing she isn't though. She does calm down in the evenings when we watch TV, but she is the first up and the last to go to sleep. She's almost 2.5yrs old now, and shows no signs of calming down. She has never shown any kind of aggression, but she worries me around small kids because she is so rambunctious and affectionate. I don't think you could find a more trainable kind of dog. She is very smart, almost too smart as she always wants to do something, and she will do anything I ask of her if she knows what I want.

Another option if you have the space could be a Newfoundland. They also make great service dogs. Whichever breed you go for it's as important to find the right dog, not just a dog of the right breed. I'd look at personality before breed, although the characteristics you are looking for are particularly common amongst Goldens, some Golden mixes and Newfoundlands. I'd suggest looking in particular for calm, confident dogs. These can be found in rescues, but you have to look carefully. Shelters in themselves make dogs anxious, and anxious dogs won't do well with anxious owners. Good purebred dogs do end up in shelters, but more often there will be the poorly bred products of backyard breeders that people have bought cheaply and lost interest in. I got lucky that my dog turned into a good SAR dog, as I only intended to have her as a pet when I got her, but I think often times if you are looking for a dog with a specific purpose you are better off going to a good breeder who knows what they are selling you.

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

I have a Black Lab, a Chocolate Lab and a Golden Retriever. All three are great in their own ways. Our Golden is very sweet and gentle. My hope is to have her certified to be a therapy dog because her manorisms are great and nothing really shocks her.

I also have a Saint Bernard mix with Basset Hound (Go figure). She is also a great dog. And not to be left out our 15 year old Jack Russell terrior who helped to raise us and our 3 boys.

With any breed, there can be a bad egg, so choose wisely and go with your gut feeling.

See pictures of our dogs

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=4065-Other_Animals