Some friends purchased a golden retriever puppy during lockdown and are now realizing it was a bit of a mistake - teenager who really wanted a dog doesn't want to do anything with it, toddler won't leave it alone which really stresses it out, they haven't got time to train it as they're both working long hours so they're thinking of rehoming it and have offered us first refusal. I was brought up with collie dogs and always wanted a dog but never thought I had the right lifestyle to be able to care for a dog - was thinking we might get 1 in a few years when we're in a bigger house but now this opportunity has come up it's got us thinking why / why not?
Pros - we both work shifts so there's nearly always someone home and we have a 9 year old who's wanted a dog for the last 3 years and has been great when we've dogsat other dogs - sometimes for a couple of months so we do know how much work they are.
Cons - we're in a small house and golden retrievers are quite big and moult a lot and my partner does like a clean house.
How difficult is a 6 month old golden retriever going to be to rehome and what difficulties should I expect? It's been socialised with other dogs but certainly needs training to walk on a lead properly.
You'll be fine.
You know you've already decided too and know your just trying to back the decision up.
They always look happy.
In fact dogs generally do have an air of happiness about them.
hmmm, must be to do with being part of a pack, a trusted and adored member 😕
We've always had golden retrievers as a family (except for one bonkers Welsh springer) and my sister currently has two. We've always found them to be the most intelligent, empathetic, gentle, fun, and easy-going dogs imaginable. Yes, they're big, yes, they shed (regular grooming can help with that), yes they'll chew when young and up to the age of around two they're pretty bouncy. But they're great with my disabled niece and seem really good at reading people and behaving accordingly. They're also probably the easiest dogs I've tried to train (we take in canine companion dogs for disabled people). So, I'd say you'd have fewer worries than with many other breeds (assuming it has no physical issues with hips etc).
I know you'll end up doing brilliant walks with it!
(clearly not a Golden Retriever)but all dogs are ace!
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Getting our retriever is one of the best things we've done for the family. We have three kids who were five and seven years old when we got her. Three years later and she is the best behaved of our dependents!
Moulting isn't really a problem as we have wooden floors, quick sweep is all that's required.
She's a great trail dog too, although she does occasionally disappear when she catches the scent of a deer. She has always returned though...so far.
Golden retrievers are easy to train because they're food orientated - they'll do anything for a treat. Six months old is still young so training won't be a problem if you are consistent.
In fact dogs generally do have an air of happiness about them.
Our lab/springer cross has a permanent look of sadness about him. I think he's just disappointed that we haven't fed him since the last time.
Yes, do get a dog. They're ace.
Do it. Train, train, train and they will be a well rounded and loved member of the family.
Honestly you sound like the perfect hone for that pup.
I had one when I was a kid and he lived till the grand old age of 15.he was the most amazing dog. We did have a few hiccups like the time he ate the money our lodger at the time had left in the kitchen,ripping up the lino and eating my dad's library books but apart from that he was fab. He was such a softy and loved a bit of rough and tumble or a cuddle. He was extremely affectionate and it's been 20 years since he left us and I still miss him. Do it you won't regret it
Honestly you sound like the perfect hone for that pup.
This.
Dog's are dicks they take great pleasure in making you look stupid.
In the park a couple of weeks ago and Dave is playing ball. It's not fetch because he rarely leaves it. He'll bring it back then bounce around making me chase him.
Friend turns up with toddler Dave wanders over (Dave's bigger than kid) and drops the ball at his feet. Then plays perfect fetch for 10 minutes.
Get a dog they're great, but also dicks.
Daughters live in a small 2 bed bungalow, with a retriever. It's horrendous, you can't go anywhere in the house without hearing a tail battering of something, she comes home covered in hair, and it chews everything.
Put me right off!.
Everything else in your post sounds great, apart from the house bit.
Do it, if not for you but for the dog. At least you know it will have a happy life rather than run the risk it could end up on the merry go round of rescue centres.
Buy a decent vacuum cleaner for the house, and adapt. Promise you won't look back. If you love dogs you learn to put up with their side effects and besides, the pros always outweigh the cons.
It will take a lot of work to train a six month old dog if it has not had much discipline, but as mentioned above they do respond well with the right approach and it is very rewarding to see the dog respond. They really do enjoy working with you. I would strongly recommend getting some help with the training at least to start with if you have not had much recent experience. We have our third retriever who is now four years old and even though we could be considered experienced owners we put a lot of effort into training with a local trainer from when he was 12 weeks till he was nearly two and we don’t regret it. I know this must me harder under the present situation.
Get some help with the training. 6 months is just starting to enter the 'teenager' phase for dogs, where they know what they should do and decide to do somehtign else anyway - requires a mix of firmness and positive reinforcement (not telling off). Your 9 year old will need to be trained as well - no telling the dog'sit' 10 times and letting it get away without sitting, no feeeding from plates etc.
They do shed loads - this will either be fine as you will not really notice if you hoover a bit more, or drive you / your wife nuts. Hair also sticks to clothes etc as well. Keeping the dog downstairs can help with this last a bit.
Go into it with your eyes open and enjoy!
wwpaddler - IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
Your thread will be locked and you will be banned from the forum unless you post photo's of the dog in question.
😉
Great dogs. The only thing you have to watch out is for food. They seem to be perpetually hungry. As the breeder told us, they will eat until they explode if you let them.
They seem to enjoy sitting in puddles when ever i've come across them. That is the start and end of my knowledge on them.
Our lab/springer cross has a permanent look of sadness about him. I think he’s just disappointed that we haven’t fed him since the last time.
Hahaha, glad it's not just ours!
We had a retriever when I was growing up. From age of 7 to when I left home she was always there. She lived for 17 years! A truly wonderful, patient, loyal loving dog. The have brilliant temperaments, are awesome with kids and just lovely dogs. Big, hairy, greedy and daft, but awesome family pets.
It will be hard work but incredibly rewarding if you do take the time and care required. Joy of dog ownership will definitely outweigh the downside of the mess.
They seem to enjoy sitting in puddles when ever i’ve come across them
Haha - I've had family with flat coated retrievers and am well aware of the love of bog snorkeling!!
Anyone know how similar / different golden retrievers are to flat coated retrievers?
We have a golden retriever rescue. Ours is the smaller built honey coloured English retriever. Not the massive cream coloured type. Got her at 3yrs old now 10 yrs young. They shed a lot twice a year for 3 months at a time. Nothing like the Lab we had before. Not as obedient for one thing. Character they have in droves. They need two good walks a day. Can be strong willed on a walk ie they catch a smell of something then go deaf! They generally love water and mud, especially mud. Brilliant with children. We would have another in a heart beat.
Flickr no works.
We have a Golden Retriever Poodle Cross, a Goldendoodle if you will.
She has some GR traits and some Poodle traits both physically and behaviorally.
The love of mud and food and being very gentle and easy going are classic GR.
They are ALL good dogs. 12/10
Also worth noting that many goldens can be extremely dangerous and I should probably take it off your hands just to be on the safe side.
Big, cuddly, happy, (generally) good temperament, not as hyperactive as some other retriever breeds, moult like crazy, prone to cancer.
BITD thought I was buying a Golden Retriever but it was actually a hippopotamus in disguise. As has been mentioned, puddles and bogs were an attraction along with stagnant water and the dirtier the better. Would also lay in and eat poop from horses, cattle and sheep. Was known to lay in fox poo and decomposing hedgehog although the very worst trait was eating human excrement. An utter dustbin.
Vacuumed daily, kitchen and utility floor swept multiple times daily as the contents of the woods or forest dropped out of her coat despite being cleaned before arriving home. Had a habit of lying against the french doors meaning curtains became covered in fur. After exercise she would just lay down quietly although always had one eye and ear open.
When outdoors would take off following a scent and was totally deaf to recall. Regularly in Winter would break the ice in a pond or lake so she could swim, couldn't get enough of water.
Not really wanted another dog since and in fact when my son mentioned he was interested in getting a GR and was sounding me out for holiday cover etc., my response was 'no'.
Good luck with whatever you decide!
They are beautiful dogs. Sounds like it needs a loving home (I think your friends really should have considered this...)
We have a goldie and this made us both laugh
it was actually a hippopotamus
Ours is a lovely old lump, though - yes he sheds hair all over the place and makes bad smells and dribbles a lot, and is very very stupid, but he's also loving, loyal, playful and very easy to be around.
Nothing like our Border collie who was way more interactive and probably more 'rewarding', but also 500% more demanding.
@Dorset_Knob Does yours not do that then? We need pics!
They're a great breed but you need to be pretty chilled about the state of your home, imo.
Genuine question. How much are they charging you for the dog?
The reason i ask is that a customer of mine trains gun dogs for owners worldwide. He told me how owners pay him thousands for dogs to then ship them off as the complete package. It got me thinking how this might actually be such a good idea for dog and owner.
If they are giving you the dog then i would suggest you look for a trainer who can give it the proper chance it deserves. 1-1 training where he can be given a proper start in life in your household. £1000 spent on proper training would be such a good investment in a dog who will give you unrivaled loyalty.
We got wee Ethel almost a year ago now so might be in a good place to offer some up to date advice! She was our first dog and nothing really prepared us for a golden retriever pup. We'd done our research and settled on a GR for all the reasons everyone had said above (loyal, cuddly, good with everyone, chilled etc). However it is still super-hard in the first year with a goldie (which is why I wonder if your friends want to rehome).
Up to about 6 months - SO much nipping and biting and a bundles of energy. Really easy to train but always on her terms. By far the best and quickest learner in any puppy class she went to, but she would also get bored easily and just be desperate to play with other dogs or human : that loving/social side is a hinderance when it comes to training!
She's quite independent, which combined with some of the usual puppy/GR behaviors meant we were at our wits end a few times: she would give everyone cuddles except us, so the "positives" of cuddles to balance out usual "negative" puppy/GR traits never really balanced. She's still not super-cuddly with us but it's getting better since her first season weirdly. That's just a wee warning - not all GR are the same and you might not get one that's a big cuddlebug with you.
After 6 months they stop biting.. or their adult teeth come through and they bruise rather than cut! By 7 months there was no biting except when we were play fighting, and even then it was soft biting by her. We switched from "normal" obedience classes to gun dog classes and that made a huge difference in obedience - she thrived under a bit of discipline (sharp tugs of slip leads)! Our trainer bred G.Rs and said there's never one the same as another - and they've got a very sensitive personality so go into strops if told off too harshly!
Recall is still rubbish - if there's another dog or human, there's no meat product in the world that will make her come back. I'm hopeful it's just an age thing and if we keep doing the gun dog classes, she will come good. She's good on a lead though - not much pulling, or she takes corrections easily.
She's got bags of energy and a huge personality - she makes whoever she meets feel so special as she just goes over to them and sits at their feet looking up waiting for cuddles. She gets probably 2hrs+ exercise every day although mostly on the lead.
As for hair...OMG so much hair. We've got wood floors downstairs thankfully but still need to sweep/hoover a lot..there are sometimes tumbleweeds of dog hair rolling around! Currently awaiting a leather couch as our (year old) grey fabric couch is literally the worst colour for showing blonde dog hair ever!!
So...I would absolutely recommend a GR, but go in with your eyes open - not all are the same and it will be a huge heap of work to get a well rounded hound.
Obligatory pics from the last few weeks:
@Dorset_Knob Does yours not do that then?
Monty loves puddles and dead things, yeah. First walk I took him on, he disappeared into a hedge and reappeared holding a dead, decomposing bunny, and then I had to chase him round a field for 10 minutes trying to persuade him to drop it. (He ate it.)
Here he is with Biscuit the collie-cross (RIP), looking proud, taken above Gairloch I think:
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They always look like nice happy dogs but I think you need to get on top of training ASAP.
We’ve got quite a small dog (Cavachon) in comparison but we took her to ‘puppy parties’ at the vets to socialise her and then I took her to puppy training for a decent length of time.
She’s still a dog so she can be a proper dog idiot / dick, but generally she’s pretty well behaved. She didn’t like it when we had a baby and started barking / chewing stuff up for a while so we got in a dog ‘behaviourist’ who set some rules to follow and Molly quickly chilled out and she loves playing with our daughter now she’s nearly 4.
I used to date a girl whose parents had 2 retrievers - they were nice friendly dogs but they are hard work - they go out and get soaked and then mangle your house a bit....everything ends up wet and doggy!
So just be prepared for the work as well as the fun!
Token dog picture - you probably wouldn’t want a retriever to try this:
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Yes, the lure of dead things is powerful. Ours ate a decomposed fish at the beach, then vomited it up in the back of the car on the way home. Then we had to retrieve the fish's spine from her throat. Surprisingly big fish too (sea bass). But that's normal, I think.
Yes, the lure of dead things is powerful. Ours ate a decomposed fish at the beach, then vomited it up in the back of the car on the way home. Then we had to retrieve the fish’s spine from her throat. Surprisingly big fish too (sea bass). But that’s normal, I think.
I find that any kind of sick seems overwhelming attractive to our little mongrel - cat sick / Fox sick - you name it she’ll try eating it. Or poo. So gross.
Love the Golden pics especially as they both are the correct shade and have black noses too! Lost mine a long time ago but still think of her.
Also very keen on holding arms with his mouth - a little bit too strongly!!!
Ps - how do I post pictures?
Can't see any of your pics, boo. Sounds as though you've got your work cut out but, really, you need to be consistent with training. Do keep us updated.
You may be interested in a thread I started earlier, it features a GR who did make me laugh.
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/silent-woodworking-stunning-scenery-and-a-dog/
Here's Fred from the links above. (wwPaddler, grab the bb code from Flickr then post the bit ending .jpg from the https into the source of the picture editor).
He's a handsome dog.
Awww he's absolutely lovely ❤.
Recommend a slip lead (gun dog style with no elasticity). We found it by far the best way to make behavior corrections whilst out walking. I'd also recommend breed specific training classes if available : retrievers are a bit strange in that they are easy to train and respond to corrections but easily go into strops if pushed too far.. They will actually sulk! If there are any decent gun dog trainers around your area they should be able to help. Standard super positive-reinforcement puppy/adolescent classes might not work due to his age and the breed : the gun dog training style is a bit more structured with slip leads ("corrections" With a slip lead sounds soo cruel but it isn't!!).
Get used to him doting on everyone he meets.. That's one of the best and worst Goldie traits.. They absolutely adore everyone they meet and make people feel so loved, but that makes it a nightmare when some folk dont want to be cuddled..especially in these covid times!
More pictures please 😀
He looks just like our Luca at that age. Seriously, could be his twin. Any idea of the family tree? Where was he bred?
We found a double attachment lead harness and a lot of positive reinforcement the way forward with lead training. We chose the harness as our previous retriever developed some neck problems that the vet could have been exacerbated by a collar attached lead. It has certainly worked for us and he has learned that if both ends of the lead are attached he has to keep close with no tension in the lead, with only one end Attached he had more freedom but is still under control.
No don't get it you sound like rubbish dog people, out of interest what's the current owners details. 😁
Dog’s are dicks they take great pleasure in making you look stupid.
I had 4 golden retrievers over the years. One of them used to take great delight, when out for a walk, in taking a poo anywhere there was a crowd of people to watch him. Bus stops were a special delight for him, it seemed. My first used to enjoy peeing in or on shoes to welcome people to the house. Preferably in.
Oh, and that lovely picture up there ^^ of the dog on the stripy rug. That rug will need to be hoovered every single day, as will the rest of the house. The vacuum cleaner will always be broken because of dog hair. When you move anything in the house there will be a huge pile of dog hair behind it. (A pleasure to deal with when you are changing a washing machine, or such.) The house will always be filthy - I'm not averse to filth, and was living in a big house when we had ours, but, jeez, it was difficult to keep a clean house. Dirty footprints over every hard floor, and hair over everything else. Good luck! 😀
Hello Fred! He looks great and am sure he'll make a fine companion. Noticed the one eye open on the rug, bet his ear is too and not forgetting their acute sense of smell where food is concerned.
One of them used to take great delight, when out for a walk, in taking a poo anywhere there was a crowd of people to watch him. Bus stops were a special delight for him, it seemed. My first used to enjoy peeing in or on shoes to welcome people to the house. Preferably in.
That's shockingly bad behaviour!
@wwpaddler Fred is going to take over your life. You'll love every minute, except the ones where you could wring his neck. 😁
Congratulations.