I've always wanted a Golden Retriever some day. Talk some sense into me!

[ElspethFlashman]

A couple of years ago we moved to the countryside and since then I've been surrounded by Goldens on all sides! I reckon there's 3 within 200 yards of the house.

So that's brought my childhood passion for them flooding up again! I keep fantasising about getting one in 2 or 3 years time.....

Tell me it's crazy though. I need some sense kicked into me.

We live in the countryside surrounded by sheep and cows, but our walls are very low and are traditional piled stone. In other words, not too easy to raise and what height would they even have to be anyway?

We don't have a gate at the moment (literally no need) and would have to get one - but the gatepost are only 4 foot high! (and the walls are even lower).

So that's a problem. One of the neighbours has installed a dog run to keep her Golden in but she still has much higher walls. I think it's more to contain the dog in the garden when they go out on errands. In other words the dog has the full use of the garden when they're at home. But surely our walls are too low for free range?

On the plus side one of us is at home all the time, but on the downside we have kids who are still fairly young. I don't even know what age we would have to wait until. 8/10?

Oh and whilst we have a big house, Goldens are really big. Where would it even sleep?? Our utility is too narrow and that just leaves the playroom really.

On the plus side we're both good walkers but we used to have a JRT that needed an hour twice a day and tbh it half killed us. I don't know if we'd have the energy for that going into our 50s tbh. At the moment we each would do about 5/6km a day but that's all. I honestly don't think we could do more. There's a Goldie owner up the road who seems to be forever walking the dog, every time you look out!

Are these dealbreakers? Give me a kick up the bum and tell me we'd be better off with a toy breed!

They are so trainable, ours doesn't even eat his food in his bowl until we say he is allowed and he isn't slobbery at all. Any patch of water or mud though, he will definitely go and stand in it!

Mine is still a puppy but very calm at home and the bitey stage was confined to a month when he was very young. He doesn’t slobber at all but he is very hairy!

We have owned goldens for over 40 years- plus DH's family had one growing up. We have 1 now- but have had up to 3 at one time.
Yes they are very hairy and (especially if spayed) moult lots. You will need a top quality vacuum cleaner.
Yes they love swimming and mud - you can limit the damage by using a Mud daddy to clean paws and a drying coat when they are wet.
I have found the bitches easier than the males- smaller too.

Walking: ours have a 45min-1hour walk pretty much every day. But we have lots of space and are home most of the time so the dogs potter about pretty much free range.
If you work or have a small garden you will have to factor in dog walkers, doggie day care and extra "comfort break" walks. However if you intend leaving the dig on its own for more than a few hours every day, don't get one. Remember- an underemployed dog will go self employed and possibly eat your house

Training is absolutely vital- all ours start with puppy classes as soon as they can and most have continued with "dog class" (some agility some obedience) for over a year.
The more you put in, the better behaviour they have: but this is true for all breeds.

Retrievers are usually happiest when with their people- ours go everywhere with us (they walk well on leads and are well behaved). I have never used a crate or allowed them in the furniture. They sleep on their beds on the floor in our room.
The girls in the photo are 2 and 10 yrs, just because!

They don't all slobber, ours didn't. She had a very clean and tidy mouth. Talking of exercise, the clue is in the name. Ours loved to retrieve, so on the park you just needed to throw a ball for her until she was worn out.

I LOVE golden retrievers, to me, they are the best dog ever - their faces, they're loving nature I could go on BUT I could not cope with the hair.

They are the moultiest (made that word up) I have ever known. My sister has one and she has to Hoover 3 times a day (seriously).

They are just amazing dogs and i go gooey whenever I see one but I know the hair would be too much for me.

*their

Can I just tell you a few things about goldies....they love muck. If there's a muddy puddle, they'll wallow in it. If there's a cowpat, they'll roll gleefully in it. If there's a murky canal, they'll swim in it. If there's fox poo, they'll roll in it, then scoff it. Dead manky rabbit that stinks enough to make your hair curl...yep, they'll eat that. Disgusting creatures (but wouldn't have any other dog 😂)

We have half an acre of mature garden so actually we do have lots of space for pottering.

It's just the damn walls which are the problem. Our house was basically built in a former field and the old stone field walls are still there.

Could you put a higher secondary fence inside the walls? At least until the dog is older?

Grew up with a golden retriever. He kept all my teenage secrets, mended my broken heart. Never let me leave the house without a covering of blonde hair...
I would have loved a golden but could not deal with the hair, so I have black labs, and I swear, even with 2 of them, they make less mess.

@PuppyMonkey

Two big walks a day the absolute minimum requirement. More would be better.

They slobber a lot. They malt everywhere. They are mud magnets. You need to hose them down all the time in winter. Quite stinky.

They’re crazy and annoying as puppies. They’d be over your low wall first chance. Then they’d go off with the first person they met as they adore everyone.

They are big and lumbering and will knock your kids over.

Very bitey as puppies. Painfully so. Plus they think it’s funny to attack you comedy style in play. Not funny.

Mine has a surprisingly delicate stomach. If I don’t buy him really expensive food, he has horrendous runs and appalling farts.

Careful on walks, they are strong dogs who’ll have your arm off.

Not my experience at all.

Mine would never think of bothering to jump even a low wall (has to be encouraged over styles and into the car), doesn't slobber at all, and is happy with one long run around and one shorter walk per day.

And is careful as anything with my sisters kids (supervised, obviously)

Happytentoes actually DH is a Lab person and keeps saying "chocolate Lab" to me, but they don't have my heart the same way!

We have a big dog that doesn't need lots of walking each day. St Bernard. Big and cuddly, slobbery, loving dogs.

Grew up with golden retrievers, best dogs ever! As ever, they all have different personalities and temperaments so I would pick a breeder carefully (as with any dog) but our dogs weren't particularly mouthy pups as I recall, house trained really quickly and we're obedient and loving doggies. They never tried escaping our garden (we had low fence that my cousin's setter used to jump over when he came to stay) and whilst they enjoyed long walks in the country, they were also happy with a couple of shorter walks most days. These were intact males. Later we adopted an older bitch who was a delight although somewhat lazier than the boys!
The moulting is off the scale (although with 3 in the house, somewhat inevitable) they hoover up food like their Labrador cousins and are the most gorgeous and loving dogs.
Sorry, I'm not helping you here, am I?

I still desperately want one. But in a few years when the kids are more Independant and I have the mental bandwith to take care of one more addition!

I think I would definitely go for a female Goldie. Seems to be a bit of a difference from what people say.

One of our neighbours has a St Bernard, and it's amazing looking, padding along slowly. Definitely does not look high energy.

Gorgeous dogs get one
(not helpful I know)

Find a breeder and put your name down now then.
I have a 7 month old golden. They aren’t always chilled and puppies are puppies they need socialisation and training. Expose them so as much as possible. My guide dog boy was initially brought up in a tiny village and when he came to me at 6 months was terrified of traffic. Not good for a guide dog and despite loads of work he didn’t make the grade to go on to further training so I was allowed to keep him. He did mellow though but they are sensitive dogs. He passed last may. We have a 7 month old boy who has a sensitive tummy, no chicken/poultry and is hard work!. But kids love him and he’s a big soft lump. He has a big crate and a separate boundary bed in a 3 bed mid terrace both front and back are secure as he would be off on his adventures otherwise.

@ElspethFlashman

I still desperately want one. But in a few years when the kids are more Independant and I have the mental bandwith to take care of one more addition!

I think I would definitely go for a female Goldie. Seems to be a bit of a difference from what people say.

One of our neighbours has a St Bernard, and it's amazing looking, padding along slowly. Definitely does not look high energy.

Yes they are lazy, lounge around for a big part of the day. Don't need huge walks but you are guaranteed to never get back home quickly because you are constantly stopped 😂

I have a 1 year old golden retriever girl and two children who are 3 and 7.
We are an outdoor family anyway so ours gets lots of long walks. Although shes still happy with shorter ones if we are busy with work etc.
She sleeps downstairs on her bed as she's not allowed upstairs in our house.

Shes chilled most of the time but can be bonkers on walks, but she's just a puppy and still in training. She's calmer than most dogs her age mind you.
Shes not slobbery at all.
Her temperament is just lovely. Absolutely amazing with all people and dogs.
Really trainable too but you have to put the work in obviously.

I have had other breeds growing up but now iv had a golden id never get another breed. Shes my absolute best friend.

We are first time dog-owners who live in a London terrace and have a 7 yo female GR. We got her as a puppy from a reputable breeder. She is a lovely, gentle, patient, calm dog, as I believe most GRs are. I took a lot of persuading but am so glad we decided to get her. They want to make you happy, so are relatively easy to train, and great with children. She gets 2 walks a day usually about 45 minutes to an hour. Twice a year, for about a fortnight or three weeks she mounts terribly, but that is the only GR specific downside. If the hair doesn’t worry you, and you want a dog, GRs are wonderful.

Meant to say ‘moults terribly’!

I don't really care about the hair, we don't have carpets downstairs anyway.

I met a neighbour from my old house today who told me she was fostering a 16 year old Goldie who was an angel. I swear, they're everywhere! She told me they cost about 2k. I would expect that but I don't know if DH would!

God knows what breeders there are here in Ireland though, would have to do a lot of research.

They really don't need as much exercise as PPs are making out.

I've had both working and show type and their "thing" is that they just want human contact. If they have that they are happy.

Of the 3 I've had all have been fine left for reasonable periods of time

Hairy mud magnets? Yes
A bit crazy until they reach maturity? Yes

But the best dogs ever