Golden retriever puppy?

[Gemmahearts94]

Anyone the owner of a golden retriever? We have 3 children 9, 5 & 2.5

we're thinking of adding a dog to our family in January (my sons 10th birthday)

it's a big birthday and he's always wanted a dog, and I think it's the right time for our family. Happy to wait for my son's birthday to come around because it'll just make his year.

are they good family pets? I have plenty of time to spend with them I work evenings and partner works days. I'll only have my youngest home day to day other 2 will be at school. I know it'll be a challenge to start with but is it a bad idea?

Do yourself and DH want a dog ? There is no point in getting a dog just because a 10 year old wants one, it's a 10-14 year commitment.
Have either of you owned dogs before or had one as a family pet when young?

It is literally the worst time of the year to get a puppy. Cold and dark. You’ll need to teach it toileting outside, you might be outside two or three times a night. Training and socialising in winter, what a nightmare.

GR are amazing dogs but you have to be happy with dirt and hair. Lots of hair. Positive training. They also don’t know their size so can knock a young child over with a happy tail wag. Crate training didn’t work for us at all. Lots of exercise, mental and physical. They live for their people and aim to please, you can’t leave them for hours on end.

I have a goldie. They are fantastic if you really want a dog. They shed everywhere so you can't be too houseproud or care about your clothes much. Having a dog in general means you can't ever be spontaneous again with regards to holidays/days out but I'm sure you have considered that. Mine has decided she no longer wants to travel in the car so we can't even go on dog friendly holidays in the UK anymore.

Not with a toddler. Retrievers are huge and bouncy puppies. They are also very mouthy (bitey) and need a lot of input as pups. (Toilet training is taking them out every half anhour and after eating, drinking, sleeping, playing and at the first sign of any squatting!)
You need to research the breed. Find out what health tests are needed. Contact the breed club and and find a decent breeder. Then you need to wait. Good breeders won’t have pups available all that often. (Bitches have two seasons a year. Good breeders don’t have lots of dogs and don’t breed too often from the same bitch.)

Puppies are very hard work and I mean pull your hair out, question your mental state kinda hard.
I have a year old working cocker spaniel.
A high energy breed also, like the golden retriever.
I don't have any children and I STILL go to bed exhausted.
I've cried a lot in past ten months it has been hard work. People can tell you how hard work they are but it actually isn't until your being nipped (hard) out in all weathers and just dealing with their absolute obnoxious behaviours. I'd like to say it gets massively easier at this point but it doesn't - it gets worse their previous impeccable training goes out of the window and they revert back to being boundary pushing bastards 😂
HOWEVER
He is great in other ways and I can see the dog he is going to grow up to be. He still pushes me.

What I am trying to say is do not underestimate the commitment and hard work it takes to raise a puppy into a well rounded dog

As well as all the other advice re. ensuring a puppy right for your family and making sure you buy from a good breeder, rather than a clever marketeer/puppy farm, and that you know what health tests are needed and what acceptable results are ...

Bear in mind that Golden Retrievers are one of the breeds where there is very much a working and show type split, with major differences in appearance and (more importantly) energy levels. If you do proceed with a GR, you need to work out which of these you want.

I have a golden retriever and are prbably in the minority that id say i don't love the breed (of course love my dog, but he is HARD work)

• They are large, and have no idea about personals pace or awareness. Loads of cute videos going round, but in reality we have to keep him in the kitchen away from our toddler as he just knocks her over all the time.
• They shed like nothing youve ever seen. I hoover twice dailya nd still find hair everywhere.
• They are prone to seperation anxiety (which mine has) - He has destroyed so many things I can't even name, spent £££ on behaviourilsts for none of it to work. He reguarly poo's on the floor (not medical, out twice a day for an hour each time) - hes not a puppy either.
• Large strong breed so can be difficult to walk.

Overall - i think they are very difficult breeds. He is a big softie in many ways - but has many many downfalls.

They are fabulous family dogs but difficult as puppies (and they are slow maturing) so you need to have a lot of time and energy to commit to it. Also when adult they need about 2 hours of walking every day.

I agree that it's better getting any puppy in summer as you are going to be going outside every 30 minutes for the first few days until they understand that's where to do the toilet (don't use puppy pads!)

They are easy to train and eager to please and are just such a loving, happy breed. I am biased but do think they are the best breed of dog ever.

The only negative is the hair. It's everywhere and in every bit of food somehow even with daily hoovering!

Okay thankyou, for everyone who dosnt think golden retrievers are a good choice, does anyone have any recommendations of a breed that would better suit?

You need to accept that there will be hair, so much hair, even in the oven, even in your bra.
If you don’t enjoy cleaning don’t get one, accept that there will be hair everywhere.

As a puppy, they bite and there will be blood teeth like razors and it hurts and it’s normal. They will chew, challenge, ruin things, probably your favourite things. They’ll knock your children over and think it’s funny- they may not even notice they’ve done it- yes of course you’ll train the dog but accept it will happen. There will be pain.

Mine was unhinged in his behaviour. He was a bugger, took alot of training. He costs so much money- has had two operations and takes daily medication since age 6.

Saying all that I bloody love him, he was 5 when we had DD so had calmed slightly. However he has personal space issues and as much as he loves her, there are accidents. He gave paw, this resulted in scratches, which bled. He can still do it now, because he drags the paw off. (Yes his nails are trimmed, but he’s a dog so).
He has sat on DD trapping her and she’s had to wiggle out from his massive derrière- plastered in hair.
He doesn’t care about fireworks, always ok to be left alone for 4 hours.
Mine is show but still required a ton of exercise, an hour before work, lunchtime dog walker, hour or two after work including off lead.

The best, most loving dog I have ever had and I’ll ever have another like him.

But a lot of hard work and a ton of money- DH called him the “slot machine” or “hair bastard”. Affectionately of course.

Have you considered a stuffed toy? 😉😂

All puppies and breeds will be hard work, a smaller breed will be exactly the same just not so much ‘damage‘. I would be concerned about a 2.5 year old personally. Any puppy will teethe and will likely pinch toys. Are you ok to accept a pup will likely bite your child and that it’s normal or will you jump to rehoming.

Have you had dogs before? Many places aren’t dog friendly (parks etc) who will have the dog or will you come home after 4 hours?
You need to factor all these things in, kennels are expensive, so are vet bills.

Growing up I had a JRT and can’t recall him teething for long, neighbours have a dachshund and she doesn’t seem chewy either- but they left her with the breeder until 18 weeks- so not quite a puppy either.

I had them growing up. They are gorgeous lunatics, you'll never wear anything without dog hair on it ever again, food obsessed, and very bouncy big puppies who take a long time to grow up. Realistically your toddler is going to get knocked over sometimes (maybe you too!), but I've never met a goldie who wasn't soppy and kind hearted. You'll regret getting a pup in winter when you are standing outside for the 3rd time that night in the freezing rain...

In order to know what suits you it’s important to think about what your life is like. How much walking and training and grooming can you do each day? What traits could you/could you not cope with?

My sister is a dog groomer by trade and our house looks onto a massive green, so walking isn't an issue. My granny has trained dogs since she was a child and competes at crufts. I have a lot of doggie people around me for support and guidance, preferably id like a family dog, a big softie, not a tiny breed, don't want to be tripping over them, (chiauaua, yorkie, pug)

a medium breed is probably better, someone that can snuggle up on the sofa in the evenings, run around with the kids, I love the look of GR's but I'm open to ideas, just a furry best friend really

All dogs have different personalities but my brother has a Goldie and he is HARD work, needed lots of 1:1 training, he isn’t good with children and while I don’t believe he would bite, he will snap. Also they are so big that they can easily pull you over on a lead. They love their dog but he has changed their lives alot.

We have a cockapoo, he is extremely soft and loving, I would never completely trust a dog with my babies but he is very very gentle and takes treats from them very softly… he steals socks and did need additional recall training! Some cockapoos struggle with anxiety and don’t like to be left, ours is crate trained and doesn’t have this issue but I hear it’s common.

I have one. She's fab. But get a older rescue.

We have a golden doodle, he is the best and may suit your requirements. He is almost 3 now, is a complete softe and doesn't shed at all.

He is food obsessed, eager to please and very chilled in general.

I’m not sure I would want any kind of puppy around a toddler as obviously they won’t be trained right away and might bite or knock them over. I adopted an adult golden retriever who already has some basic training and he’s been great with my young son and I’ve had no problems with him. There aren’t many adult goldens available though so that might not be an option for you.

Omg stop, you've sold me, they're beautiful!

Best dogs ever, we have a 2 year old female. Total food hoovers, ours loves water and would rather swim than walk, loves sitting on you and digs bloody holes all over the garden !!

I love my goldie so much, but definitely get a pup in summer, it makes all the difference for toilet training! My youngest was 3 when we took our pup home and she quickly learned how to behave around her, my goldie is nuts but has yet to knock any kids over 🤔you just have to be prepared for having a large puppy for 2 years and all the hair... All the hair...

Have a look at 'rehoming our dog' thread in The Doghouse.

Sounds like you are clued up and have support but all that on the thread is worth bearing in mind.

As to getting a puppy in January - that would be brutal in terms of house training. And with kids including a toddler? ( shuddering at the prospect.)

As you may know, GR s and labs can be slow to mature also. I would personally also be wary of 'doodle' cross breeds. They are very cute looking but you run the risk of a worse of both worlds scenario.

I'm a single parent to 3 kids, 10,8,5. We got our lab x golden retriever a year past January. Not going to lie it was a hard adjustment. But now we're nearly 18months in, I wouldn't change him for the world.
He's a big dog yep, his hair is everywhere all the time. But he has the best relationship with my kids, they've gained so much confidence with him. He trained really easily. And is the most laid back lump. I had puppy regret for a few months as I found it so hard juggling everyone on my own. But now we've found our stride and our routine it's just the best.
He protects us, just gives the most amount of love.
Teething didn't last long, he toilet trained quickly.
I'd say go for it. It may be hard but you won't regret it I don't think.

We have a golden retriever puppy - I would absolutely not feel comfortable having her round a 2.5 year old and vice versa. They are incredibly hard work, especially in the first few months and you really do need to be able to dedicate a huge proportion of your life to them, something with young kids you just won’t be able to do.

I think golden retrievers are amazing family dogs! Albeit we had our first daughter when the dog was nearly 4 so not through the puppy stage. The dog has always been so gentle. The hair and dirt is the only downside and I am happy to put up with that for her lovely temperament