Do Golden Retrievers make good family pets?

[animallover22]

Hi, does anyone have any experience with Golden Retrievers? What are they like with cats,dogs,small furries?

animallover22
Your circumstances changed and the impact was a dog having to accept being left for 6 hours or more. You're saying it's find because they're just adaptable and they had to get used to your lifestyle. That's essentially expecting a dog to suck it up.

To have a new puppy and even consider leaving them for 6 hours does suggest that your approach is that the dog fits in with what suits your lifestyle rather than ensuring your lifestyle can give a dog what they need.

I don’t find the idea of a dog being rehomed because it can’t cope with being alone for six hours at a time (and the owner is allergic) very “lol”. Maybe if you do it’s best you don’t get another dog at all.

That changes things.

You can't leave a dog, or indeed a puppy, for 6 hours.
Please don't get a dog until you can give her the attention she needs.

You have allergies?
A retriever is not the dog for you.
Any poodle cross is not guaranteed to be non allergenic.

You cannot leave a puppy on its own for hours at a time and expect it to grow into a well behaved well adjusted adult dog.
And adult dogs shouldn't be left for over 4 hours, unless it's an unavoidable exception.

I'm sorry if this isn't what you want to hear.

@Wolfiefan If you read my message then you would understand that I wasn't saying 'lol' at your comment.

I have to leave my dogs sometimes. We built up to it as I knew there was a chance it would happen at some point. However it never happened for that length of time when they were puppies. It's too long.

@MrsMozartMkII We would never leave her that long as a puppy, she almost always had someone there.

Sorry, I think I must've misread your posts - are you not planning on leaving the puppy for approx 6 hours a day, 3 days a week?

@MrsMozartMkII No sorry I think I confused everyone. I would have to leave it for up to 6 hours if I couldn't find someone to come in. However if I can't find someone then I wouldn't get a puppy because 6 hours is way to long. That would be literally be neglect.

You can’t leave an adult 6 hours. You can’t leave a puppy at all.

@MrsMozartMkII If you look online the majority say 4-6 hours. You also have to build up a bit of time for a puppy to be alone to prevent separation anxiety. I only mean an hour or so to start with.

Sorry @MrsMozartMkII, that comment wasn't meant for you

4-6 hours is based on the dog having to hold their bladder etc and it being bad for them to hold it longer.

It doesn't mean take the upper threshold for toilet breaks and decide that's fine to leave them for 6 hours a day half a week because it's convenient for the owner.

To be honest you're probably going to get a dog, leave it for long periods of time and then decide the dog is totally happy with it anyway so it's almost pointless anyone giving advice on here.

@LolaSmiles *puppy
If you read my comment then you would realise that I wouldn't be leaving the puppy for that long. You can't expect every owner to give their dog attention 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It's not good for the dog or the owner. It's a pointless forum because people don't listen. Go onto Dog Friendly UK on Facebook, you'll realise that there's more people like me who can't give a dog all their time.

@animallover22
Do you know anyone with a GR who you could look after for a weekend to see how it would fit into your life and see if you were allergic?
Being realistic a 2-3 year old GR will need minimum 2 hours walk a day, but would benefit from longer. A one hour walk will not be enough and you would probably end up with some annoying or destructive behavioural issues, and a big bouncy giddy dog. My labradors behaviour was noticeably different when he hadn't been walked enough. But now he is 8 he is quite happy with a 1 hour walk, can you honestly fit that in?

If you read my comment then you would realise that I wouldn't be leaving the puppy for that long
I did read it, and I haven't said you're leaving a puppy for 6 hours. I've said you're still willing to get a dog and leave it for 6 hours if you can't get someone to come in.
You can't expect every owner to give their dog attention 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It's not good for the dog or the owner.
The very fact this is your response to people questioning someone who has left dogs alone for a long time and is thinking of doing the same is quite telling.

Nobody on this thread has suggested a dog can't be left at all.
Nobody on this thread has said a dog should have 24/7 attention.

Just lots of people think that getting a dog knowing they're going to be left for long periods isn't fair on the dog.

You clearly think otherwise.

@LolaSmiles You clearly haven't read my comment.

I think that as a breed they can get very big, they like a lot of exercise, and they eat ANYTHING.

I don't think you should get a dog OP.

6 hours alone every day I don't think Is nice for any dog.

I think it would be understandable (but still not very good) if you'd had a dog a while then work circumstances or something changed and you weren't really left with any other option and the dog seemed to adapt okay.

But to knowingly buy a new dog knowing that it'll be left for up to 6 hours a day, no I don't think that is very nice personally and I think you run a real risk of a trashed house or neighbour tension from howling and barking.

This is ridiculous.
You've had a previous dog and left it for 6 hours a day, sometimes more.
You think it's fine because dogs can just be adaptable and it depends on your lifestyle.

I've not said you're going to leave a puppy that long, but you're still saying it's fine to leave a dog that long because online advice is 4-6 is the maximum for toilet breaks for dogs (so not what is right for the dog's wellbeing).
Your response to being challenged is to say "yeah well nobody can do 24/7 attention and on Facebook there's lots of people like me".

Another thread came up today in "active" with someone who also thinks it's fine to get a dog knowing they'll not be around and then wonders why their puppy is put out. They also maintain that they have to work and needs must. I'm not surprised there's loads of people on Facebook all congratulating each other for doing their best and telling each other it's just fine to leave their dogs for ages, as the alternative means realising they're not being fair.

@LolaSmiles It's called living in the real world. Yes I googled it but no it doesn't mean that I'm going to leave it that long. Second of all I haven't said that I'm going to get a golden retriever and third of all I don't know if I'll be getting a bloody dog yet!

Goldies are generally happy as long as they are with their humans. Ours doesn’t much care where we are or what we are doing as long as he is with us, he’s very adaptable from that point of view
They are not a breed to be left alone for long periods ( mind you I dint think any breed is really) and if it’s going to be over 4 hours our boy goes to daycare.
He’s very good and I probably could leave him for longer but I won’t