Retrievers

[Autumnpumpkin]

Labradors and Golden retrievers as adults, how much exercise do they really need? We are a family who have owned a dog before but sometime in the future we would like to add another dog in to our family.
I'd really like to be 100% sure we would be able to give the dog enough physical exercise. I mean out of the house walking across fields, is it 1.5/2hrs daily and longer at weekend? Does that sound about right or in reality do they need more?

Depends if they’re working/show lines first of all. And they’re clever dogs, so it’s not just physical exercise but mental stimulation as well. Plus the more you walk a dog, the fitter they become so the more exercise they need.

A good 45 mins twice a day, with scent/retriever work, recall training etc should be plenty. You can always add in more if needs be.

For mine, she gets 40 mins of running around the yard, 1-2 hours of walking on/off the lead per day and a long 2/3hr walk at the weekend. She is out of working parents and has a lot of energy, to help I am also doing gun dog training with her as mental stimulation is so important.

My previous lab was happy with yard time plus a 40/60 min walk daily but she had show lines.

Thank you both, yes I'd thought of the mental stimulation and the grooming, it's more just the actual physical exercise that I want to be sure I have enough time for.
Do you have Labs or Goldens?

I've had a Lab and now have Golden Retrievers.

In my experience they're really quite different breeds, particularly in terms of exercise. Our Lab could walk forever, and really 'needed' a good walk every day otherwise he'd get antsy. My GR's love a good walk, particularly if it involves water, but are happier with a much shorter walk, and if it's raining, really can't be bothered at all.

My Lab had a really strong food drive, whereas my GR's are not so food motivated. Both breeds need company and really enjoy human stimulation. Both breeds very trainable.

I had a golden retriever from show lines who could run/walk for hours and not be tired. He need two hour long walks a day otherwise he'd be destructive out of boredom. Looking back now he would have benefitted massively from mental stimulation.

But generally, a show line dog will be calmer.

We are actually leaning more towards a Golden retriever but to be totally honest we dont seem to be able to settle on a breed. We have definitely researched a few but every so often I read something or someone posts with bad experiences and I start to second guess myself.

We have owned goldies for 40 years.
Personally I prefer bitches to dogs- I think they are more gentle and are a bit smaller.
The amount of exercise varies: our current 8 yr old has 40-60 mins a day if mostly off lead walk. We work from home, so she's not left much and potters in and out whenever she likes. It's raining so she is currently asleep by the fire! Some of the others, especially when younger have been better with two walks, morning and late afternoon if say 40 mins plus and another of 30mins.
They have all enjoyed "training " sessions which I'm sure they see as treats for tricks.
Although they are ok with being left, if you intend leaving them all day regularly they can get bored- years ago we had one young lad (both working then) who was very destructive and chewed door frames and ate plaster- we had to arrange day care for him.

Goldies love to be with their people- doesn't matter what you are doing, they want to go, even just for the car ride.
They are gentle dogs, but you do have to train them as they are also big and strong- if they jump up they can knock over a child or old person and if they pull on the lead they can pull you over.
Mine have also been very focused on food- it makes training easier as most will sell their souls for liver cake or dried sausage!
The main disadvantage of them is their addiction to mud, water and rolling plus the thick always shedding coat.
This is our girl yesterday- it's fox poo and mud btw. She looks miserable because she knows she is going to have to have a bath!

Thank you! Lovely picture!
This fills me with hope, I've always wanted one but have gone around the houses looking at other breeds because I always thought I wouldn't be able to give them the life style they need to be happy but actually I think it is achievable.
I work a term time only job and part time at 3 days. My husband works mainly from home, on days where he needed to actually go in to work and I was also at work we have family that would help us luckily.

Sorry mine is a lab, well both in my bit above were labs.

I do feel that dogs, whatever the breed, do somewhat adapt to their family but their underlying breed characteristics will still be there.

I think mine could go on for hours, and does when we are out beating, we'll do around 8-10 miles, in quite thick cover but she absolutely loves it!

Regarding GRs and hair, labs are just as bad, it's not not as long!

Whatever breed you choose, just make sure that you get them good on the lead and recall, they are way too big to be pulling you along for an 1 hour walk!

When we are not in lockdown we can easily spend all day outside on the weekends. As a family we do love to be outdoors, whether its walking on the beach or somewhere like a national trust property (not going in the property but we love walking around and playing in their grounds)
That's interesting about the hair and Labs been just as bad. We are used to a dog that needs to go to the groomers but I might have a go at teaching myself this time.

We’ve got a 5 month old golden and I would just say, seeing as you’ve put about being outdoors all day on weekends-when they are puppies, you can’t walk them too far because of their growing joints so just have a plan for what you would do during the puppy months when they can’t be out running around all day.

Ours is from a show line and my friend who has one from a previous litter says her 4 year old needs 1 hour minimum a day but also sleeps a lot when in the house. With her previous golden they did an 8 mile hike once and he slept the whole of the following day!

Thank you, yes this is something I've heard but I've also read a lot conflicting information on this so it is definitely something we will look further in to and yes we have said this ourselves. We are lucky to have places nearby where the children can still run off steam/play on a park while we could sit and watch which we hope will be good socialization for puppy.

@Autumnpumpkin yes we have taken ours to the park and sat on a bench while the darlings have played on the equipment and that’s been good for socialisation as you say. What I have found a bit difficult though is that apparently pups need 18-20 hours of sleep a day but mine won’t sleep when out and about like that so I’ve still had to limit time out of the house with her if that makes sense! It’s kind of been one of the few benefits of lockdown and all the cold snowy weather that we haven’t been able to or wanted to have full days out!

2 labs here; they average 2-3 hours per day on & off lead. But I think that is because they are used to that amount of exercise.
They stimulate each other and generally have a mad half hour in the garden each day.
A 40-45 minute swimming or retrieving session at the beach will generally suffice instead of a long walk .
When I had just 1 we did 3 hours a day, including running and retrieving and he just kept going, but he was never antsy and I think he just did it to please me.

In general then would you say that Goldies will take as much or a little as you want (within reason of course!) Again in general that Labs maybe need more physical exercise?

Those with Goldies, how often do you brush? I have time to do this every day but does it need to be done every day? What about groomer visits or do you do these yourself?

Thanks again for all the info, it's so helpful.

I have a Goldie and brush him every day, though I know some people do it less often. He's only 10 months so he's still getting used to being brushed but if he's in the right mood he likes it well enough. I find if I leave it too long in between brushing sessions then he gets knots build up and once to my absolute shame I had to cut a piece out of his fur that had gone sort of matted.

@knitajumperfromthat thank you for replying. How have you found him as a puppy? Any harder than any other puppy would you say?

It's difficult to say really Autumn because I'm not hugely experienced - we had a lab previously but were working then (part time and wfh but even so out of the house more) so saw less of him. This one has been very difficult but then because of lockdown and wfh, we have been here all the time with him and I also did a lot of preparation and research this time so ironically my expectations of myself were higher and so my fails have seemed bigger! Overall he hasn't been easy though he is getting better now bit by bit.

We brush ours every other day but her adult coat is only just starting to come through. I think the more you keep on top of the brushing the better the shedding in the house so it makes sense to groom as much as you can from that point of view.

Regarding the exercise, I think generally working lines tend to need more than show lines. Ours is from a show line although there is working blood in the heritage. My friend has one from a previous litter who is now 4 and he sleeps loads in the house but once out, loves a good run around and the signs so far seem to be that mine is similar.

I would say though that goldies are known as land sharks when they’re pups and we’ve certainly had a terrible time with biting but that does seem to be easing a bit now (touches wood!). But they’re so motivated that other training is relatively easy. I believe that’s also the case with labs.

Yes that does make sense then!
We have not really found a breeder just yet but I think we will look for a show type or maybe a show with a little bit of working.

We groom our big girl every day when she's shedding, much less often when she's not. We take her to a groomer (well actually a Goldie breeder/shower) a couple of times a year which makes her shed far less.
Our pup doesn't have adult hair yet.

Our puppy is 20 weeks so through the toilet training and (mostly) the chewing phase. She's been a typical puppy, no better no worse, very trainable though that depends on what you get. She gets away with murder though as she's so cute.

Nothing to add but we’re on a waiting list for a GR for summer and I’ve found this thread helpful.

@luubyluu thank you! Your right they are so cute. Couple of times a year is a lot less then I was thinking so that's good to know.

Ah @GodlieFawn I'm glad you have, good luck with puppy!

I'm on my 3rd golden now. Best dogs ever!

Generally they don't need as much exercise as people say. All of mine have been happy with an hour a day (plus access to the garden obviously) preferably with most of that off lead. But will also happily walk all day at the weekend.

On a few occasions they've had to make do with a quick walk on lead round the block .

They behave in the house exactly the same no matter how much exercise they get that day I.e. snoozing, eating and being a big cuddly affectionate teddy bear 😅

@iremembertheelderlykoreanlady they really do sound like they would fit in so well with our family!