Golden retriever or lab?

[BMWL]

We have made the decision to get a puppy in the next couple of months.
We love both golden retrievers and labradors, but are unsure which one to choose.
We have a large garden, so plenty of space for the dog to run around. One of us is always at home, so the dog won't be by itself for too long during the day. Both very active so it will get lots of walks/runs.
Just wondering if you have either, what pros/cons do you have with the breed?

Thank you in advance

I have a Goldie so am totally biased. Goldies are hairier but the hair kind of floats around and brushes off easily whereas lab hair sticks to things. Labs are generally greedier and based on DDog and his Lab friends/Goldie friends of the same age Goldies calm down much faster and get out of the puppy stage more quickly. Goldies seem to chew less.
This is of course a generalisation (apart from the hair thing)

Goldies all the way! Dp has a lab, and while he is beautiful he’s still completely bonkers at 7. He’s very biddable, but selectively deaf, especially when there’s mud/water/poo to be rolled in!
All the goldies I know calm down a lot by 2/3.

I have a lab - the best dogs ever. GR coats need some serious maintenance. They are lovely too, though.

Marking my place as we're in the same boat and I was going to stay a thread asking the same! I'm leaning towards a goldie. Though I'm wondering if our space is big enough for a dog, we have a good size two bed with a 30ft garden. I know people have big dogs in much smaller but I'm trying to be realistic and wondering if it is enough. We would be taking it out a lot though.

I think they are quite similar dogs, so you can't really go wrong. The coat is a big difference with the Golden requiring more daily grooming for their longer coat but Labs do shed a huge amount ime and you need to keep that under control with the Furminator. Labs I think are a bit more bouncy and Goldens a little softer and more sensitive but that can also vary with individual dogs. For either dog I would look for a really good breeder and be especially careful of health conditions. With these dogs being so popular there will be some bad breeders out there so do your research.

I love both, but I’ve never had a retriever

Labs are brilliant but hard work and I would absolutely recommend proper puppy training! They also chew so be aware!

If you are getting a puppy then please ensure it is from a proper breeder with papers and health checks. Labs have some health conditions which are passed down such as hip dysplasia and eye problems. Both of mine were lovely dogs (given to us as owner no longer wanted and sisters from the same litter)

I would say lab, but in all honesty I would look for breeders of both. You want a puppy in next couple of months, so you'd need to find a breeder with pups just born/about to be born. You absolutely should be very choosy who you buy from. Health checks, name of sire/see sire, KC reg name of bitch and see her with pups when they're old enough. Check breeding coefficients (available on KC website, as are health tests). Do not be rushed into deposit until all these are met, inc. Meeting your pup. This should be possible now. We've been to see ours in the breeders garden.

With your short time scale it will be hard to find a pup that is from a good quality breeder. Plus you'll need to shop around to avoid price inflation. Hence look at both breeds. We were on a waiting list for 2 years because we found our perfect breeder and just missed out on her previous litter. It was worth the time wait because otherwise it would have been more stressful finding another just as good breeder and not settling. She is a gorgeous pup, so has 're affirmed our wait was worth it.

If you're not absolutely set on a puppy, register with breed specific rescues, you never know what they will have needing a new home.

Goldies are lovely, but one or two lines have problems with resource guarding, so choose your breeder carefully. Labradors are super dogs too.

There’s a bit of a size difference, ime. Have had both. Loved both. Depends really if you like hair in your soup ? Do you like to wear black?

Goldie hair is very fine and floaty; with Labs it varies by colour. My 2 black labs shed profusely but it doesn’t float.
Agree with PPs that goldens tend to calm down faster.
Have one of each!

We have a black labrador. There is a reason they are so popular no one tells you about the hair before you buy one.

Both lovely dogs, but make sure you research for health issues/screening and get a healthy pup with a good temperament. It is quick and easy, too quick and easy, to find and buy a labrador, but do not buy in haste as you may regret later.

As they are a medium/large breed everything is much more expensive, good insurance is expensive but necessary, vet prescribed worm/flea treatments and many vet procedures cost more etc. Our insurance is currently £54/month for a 7 year old lab, £11/month for vet health plan, then add on a good food and dog walkers if you work FT.

Both lovely but I would go with a lab as I'm biased, they're less hairy and imo more athletic (if you go for a working type)

My lovely gr never calmed down - he was an eternal puppy. He was a very loving dog, bonkers but not a mean bone in his body. He never once in his whole life growled.

The hair I do concede is a problem... three pet vacuum cleaners were destroyed. The Hoover pet hair one actually caught fire! No meal is complete without several hairs stuck in it, and every outfit accessorised with a thick hairy border (not to mention a trail of slobber). Ah, happy times...

I would actually suggest contacting stud dog owners (look on a site called Champdogs). They will tell you with whom their dog has done the deed or booked to do the deed so you can then then be a bit ahead of the game. Puppies from good breeders are mostly all booked well before they are born.

I've had both. Currently have a Goldie and god the hair!!!! Also they adore wallowing in mud. Which is mostly funny rather than a pain. We live near the coast so there's always a bit of sea we can pre wash him in.
I'd say the Lab was greedier and more food driven (tho only marginally). Food helps with training but also meant the Lab was a dreadful food stealer. Right til the end we couldn't walk away from the table without leaving someone to guard it!
In essence tho they're both great breeds who will cement a place in your heart

Have had several Golden Retrievers, and they are brilliant family dogs, but the hair is constant.

Get a hip score for both mom and dad as they are very prone to hip dysplasia, and as a very popular breed research a reputable breeder.

Also, get pet insurance from the beginning...

I'd go GR but then I've got one, so am biased!

The hair is constant but it's not greasy like my IL's labs seems to always be. (And not due to us washing our GR, she probably only gets a proper bath three times a year!)

She also calmed down quickly, she went from puppy to old lady at about two years old and is still the same at seven. We always say she's been really easy because she's quite stupid. She's just intelligent enough to train but not clever enough to wonder why she's taking orders which so far has worked well! Also has the patience of a saint and has been amazing with our two children from the baby stage up.

Best dog in world is a lab x goldie! I maybe biased!

Mind you, if I could ever get hold of a fox-red lab I'd be seriously tempted.

Lab.

I have one so am coming from a biased POV but generally their health is better. Both are gorgeous breeds but labs tip it on the health front. On average goldies suffer higher rates of joint dysplasia and cancer than labs.

Obviously you still need to do your research, buy from health tested parents and check the results are genuine and check that it has the sort of temperament you want (what are the parents like? Very active? Calm? Excitable?) Don’t just buy ‘a lab’, do your reading, understand what you’re looking at.

A goldie!! Labs are prone to eating anything and everything!

Whichever you choose make sure you get one from a credible home breeder who pays for hip scoring and DNA testing. They are prone to problems.

My lab doesn’t eat anything and everything. He may well be an anomaly but not all labs are the same in that respect.

Don't do it!!! Only half joking, my labrador is 10 months old just now and is so much hard work he doesn't listen, he won't go for long enough walks that he needs, he behaves like a naughty toddler. Im putting the work in to train him he's such a lovely dog apart from this. He's just a crazy load more of work than expected after loads of research on the breed and an experience of owning dogs.

@mychitchat mine is the same age. He loves food but he doesn't snap or anything. Just follows me. All the time.

I'm biased OP, but my vote is lab. Mine isn't mental (thank God) but he is always hungry and always dying for a swim.

I agree with the reluctance to go on a walk, but he is more agreeable to a walk than our neighbours GR 😂😂

Mine is calm but I specifically looked for a litter from a calm mum to increase my chances of a dog with a calm temperament.