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The doghouse

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Original poster

Lab or golden retriever i

40 replies

jodesxx · 16/07/2023 14:57

We are thinking about getting a puppy and it's between lab or golden retriever. We have decided on a female.

Our situation is we have a 14 month son, large garden but relatively small hosue. We are saving to build an extension though.

No more than 2 days a week the dog would be left for about 4/.4.5 hours. Some times it would be no leaving depends on partners shifts.

I'm just not sure which one is going to be more suited to us or if there is much difference

OP posts:
OpalescentFly · 16/07/2023 15:04

I would say wait until your son is in school and use the next 3 years to do all your research.

But I'd say the main difference is whether you want to sweep up lots of hair or mountains of hair 😂

IngGenius · 16/07/2023 15:53

Your son is quite young and labs and goldies are very big bouncy dogs for quite a while so might be worth leaving it for a bit unless you are aware of what you are letting yourself in for.

Sorry Goldies but I would always go for a lab - more intelligent, easier to train and just all round fab dogs. Self cleaning if they get wet and muddy. Dont usually have the goldie thing of just lying in puddles and mud. Goldies are not self cleaning!

Labs dont do the lying down and refusing to move thing that the goldies do, that alone would mean I would prefer to have a lab. A goldie is the dog I love to see but really happy to give it back to the owners!

Every goldie I know digs and digs and wrecks the garden - I guess some labs do but not any I have had.

Jongleterre · 16/07/2023 15:54

No.

Wrong dogs for your needs.

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 16/07/2023 16:01

I would consider waiting until your son is a bit older.

Toddlers and puppies are a challenging combination at the best of times, but labs and goldens are both big dogs and while they're adolescents, you end up with the difficult combination of puppy brain in an adult body.

There's a reason why so many rescues and breeders won't re-home to people with small children - and it's not just because they're being awkward. Puppies and toddlers are a difficult combination and you end up not really being able to give either the attention they need.

If you wait until your DS is at school, you'll have more time to devote to the puppy and your DS will be old enough to understand how to behave around the dog and that he needs to wait a few minutes while you sort the puppy out.

Cocolapew · 16/07/2023 16:22

I have a golden/ lab cross, she's actually a very good puppy but I have a lab/pointer cross who was an absolute menace when she was younger.

SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 16/07/2023 16:37

Another vote for leaving it for a bit. When our DC were younger we started looking for a rescue and nobody would rehome with a young DC. At the time I thought it was stupid. It's not though, they have to be supervised when they're together for years and that's a big commitment, no nipping to the loo and leaving them for a minute.

I really would wait.

Georgiepud · 16/07/2023 16:43

I think the fact that there are so few labs and goldies to rehome speaks for itself .... that they make excellent family pets. Yes, there will be the inevitable boisterous behaviour as a pup, but if you train it properly you can be in control and stop over exuberant play.
For me personally, labs tend to get fat and are not as good looking as flooffy goldens.

ApolloandDaphne · 16/07/2023 16:49

I wouldn't get a puppy right now. Our Labrador was a real handful as a puppy and I would never have managed with both her and a toddler. Our DDs were aged 13 and 18 when we got her and they found her hard to handle in the first few years. She is 11 now and an absolute treasure but we had to put a lot of hard work into getting her that way. Wait until your child is older before committing to a puppy. If you get one you won't be able to head off for an impromptu nice day out without factoring in what to do with it.

PrimalOwl10 · 16/07/2023 16:49

I'd say you have your work cut out for you having a toddler and a puppy. I'd personally wait until they are older.

ApolloandDaphne · 16/07/2023 16:50

Georgiepud · 16/07/2023 16:43

I think the fact that there are so few labs and goldies to rehome speaks for itself .... that they make excellent family pets. Yes, there will be the inevitable boisterous behaviour as a pup, but if you train it properly you can be in control and stop over exuberant play.
For me personally, labs tend to get fat and are not as good looking as flooffy goldens.

My Labrador is beauteous and not fat!

PuppyMonkey · 16/07/2023 16:55

My golden retriever was bonkers for the first 18 months, and not in a good way. Found the whole puppy days incredibly difficult, we almost gave him up. Nobody ever told me about the adolescent “let’s pretend to attack the human” phase. 43 kilos he weighs. Not ideal for a small child’s pet imho.

Knowivedonewrong · 16/07/2023 17:43

I've got one of each. Lab was a nightmare as a puppy. I seriously thought about giving her back to the breeder. She's 9 now & fab. My 11year old Goldie now was a perfect pup.
I'd wait until your toddler is older.

SpringIntoChaos · 16/07/2023 17:50

As @PuppyMonkey says, the whole 'let's pretend to attack' is NOT a fun stage!! And by 'pretend', whilst it's definitely not intended to hurt, it bloody does! Having a fairly large and boisterous puppy hanging off your arse with its teeth is no fun! And they can literally wipe a toddler off its feet in a second and cause serious damage! Again...it won't be intending to hurt, but man alive they are quick and come from nowhere!

You might think you'll cope, but I honestly spent many hours in tears, thinking I had made the most dreadful error after bringing my Lab puppy home! The 'puppy stage' is long...it was a good 18 months before he stopped being the biggest pain in the arse (literally and figuratively!!!)

Fortunately my kids were teens...I would genuinely have had to get rid of they'd been toddlers!

Seriously...think long and hard! Labs are great, but I would wait a few years!

Woeismeitappears · 16/07/2023 17:55

I have both! I have a 5yo Labrador and a 16 week old golden retriever!

both ridiculously clever and easy to train, golden digs for bloody England and already sheds like a demon. Labrador is MUCH more ‘on it’ constantly wants to play even at 5… the golden seems much easier to settle.

crate training was hell with the lab, easy peasy with the golden

mintbiscuit · 16/07/2023 18:04

IngGenius · 16/07/2023 15:53

Your son is quite young and labs and goldies are very big bouncy dogs for quite a while so might be worth leaving it for a bit unless you are aware of what you are letting yourself in for.

Sorry Goldies but I would always go for a lab - more intelligent, easier to train and just all round fab dogs. Self cleaning if they get wet and muddy. Dont usually have the goldie thing of just lying in puddles and mud. Goldies are not self cleaning!

Labs dont do the lying down and refusing to move thing that the goldies do, that alone would mean I would prefer to have a lab. A goldie is the dog I love to see but really happy to give it back to the owners!

Every goldie I know digs and digs and wrecks the garden - I guess some labs do but not any I have had.

Couldn’t have put this better myself.

Antoninus · 16/07/2023 18:05

I have a Goldie, daft as a brush, total food thief and dogs for England. They can be very boisterous as pups, ours was hard work. They also need a lot of exercise. Ours goes to daycare

Antoninus · 16/07/2023 18:05

Digs that should be !

PowerTulle · 16/07/2023 18:07

Labs are absolute sharks when they are puppies and through teething. Notoriously bitey and although they don’t mean to hurt you they will. I imagine managing that would be hard work with a toddler on the floor.

ladyvivienne · 16/07/2023 18:13

Neither. You're not in the right situation to have a large dog.

YourWinter · 16/07/2023 18:21

Oh god don’t, can’t you see why it’s awful timing and desperately unfair on your child and on a big, clumsy puppy? Dogs don’t train themselves to be polite and well-mannered any more than children do. Wait until a) you actually have time for a puppy / adolescent / young adult Labrador, wait until your child is old enough to understand boundaries and how to respect the dog’s space. And old enough not to leave anything in the floor that the puppy can pick up. This is not the time.

pollykitty · 16/07/2023 18:27

We waited until our daughter was 5 to get a lab and she was still too young. He is the sweetest dog ever but accidentally bit her (not hard) many times when he was young while playing, not to mention pulling her over when she tried to walk with him and knocking her down. We taught her to let go of the lead if he decided to take off (male labs are notoriously difficult to lead train) She never complained because she loves him so much and he would never intentionally hurt anyone, he is just a big strong boisterous dog. Having said that, I think make digs are more stubborn and difficult to train so you might be fine woth a female.

NoLongerATeacher · 16/07/2023 18:46

Sorry Goldies but I would always go for a lab - more intelligent,

IngGenius - Goldies are considered the 4th most intelligent dog breed as opposed to Labs who are ranked 7th. I have 2 goldies - both super intelligent, easy to train and super chilled. My sons lab has been a nightmare as a puppy, completely food obsessed and no where near as loving as my boys.

However, I would echo others and say I think you should wait OP until your child is at school.

CatkinToadflax · 16/07/2023 19:06

We have one of each and they are fairly similar in terms of hairiness, biddability and intelligence. They were both <incredibly> bitey as puppies though. They both also seem unaware that their tails are big strong thwackers that are quite capable of sending things flying. I echo PPs that it would be best to wait until your child is quite a bit older. They are the most wonderful dogs though.

Azaeleasinbloom · 16/07/2023 19:13

I have had both and currently have 2 labs. Labs in general are smaller, and less hairy.
My ideal would be a lab/ golden cross. You get the willingness to please of the lab, with the (slightly) more laid back personality of the golden - hopefully.

But.. they are both on the clumsy side which is not great with little ones.

IngGenius · 16/07/2023 19:29

NoLongerATeacher · 16/07/2023 18:46

Sorry Goldies but I would always go for a lab - more intelligent,

IngGenius - Goldies are considered the 4th most intelligent dog breed as opposed to Labs who are ranked 7th. I have 2 goldies - both super intelligent, easy to train and super chilled. My sons lab has been a nightmare as a puppy, completely food obsessed and no where near as loving as my boys.

However, I would echo others and say I think you should wait OP until your child is at school.

Yay but that was by Stanley Coran n 1994 what does he know Smile