Question about labs/golden retrievers from a total novice

[puppythoughts]

Hi I hope it's okay to post here. I am contemplating whether a dog would be a good idea for our family. We currently have one older cat who is generally placid and a bit daft. Very loving and cuddly. We have considered adding a dog to our family for many years but various things have got in the way over that time. I have always wanted a Labrador, though I also adore golden retrievers. Now my understanding is that these are two different breeds and that goldies are larger? I have tried looking at breeders but many say "Labrador retriever" and this has me confused. Does it mean a cross breed? Or are they the same breed?
Any advice on either breed would be gratefully received as I want to be sure I've done the research rather than jumping in too quickly, I'm trying to put the potential pet's needs first rather than the excited urge to just go get a puppy. Any help would be very kind. TIA. 🐾

Labrador Retriever is just the full breed name. It doesn't mean it's a cross.

Golden retrievers are larger on average but there's considerable overlap, a large labrador could be bigger than a small golden retriever.

Oh that is helpful thanks. I didn't realise there was a bit of crossover in terms of size. So is Labrador retriever a lab or is it a golden retriever? Sorry if that's a silly question I just want to be sure I look at the right breed for us

A Labrador retriever is a lab, different to a golden retriever, or Goldie.
We have a lab. They are absolutely beautiful, loving dogs. I think the temperaments are similar. If you want a slightly less bouncy/more chilled type then the English type of labs (big boned and chunky like the Andrex puppies) are great. Or the slimmer, more energetic American type are good if you want to go running with them. We have an English and he's active and loves his walk and a ball but is also happy to curl up on the sofa (preferably our laps!)

NB when we tried running with our lab it was a hard no from him. He likes to run around after a ball, but when we're walking he likes to set his own 'sniffable' pace!

Golden retrievers also vary in size because you've got the show type retrievers that are chunkier with a bigger head, and working strain retrievers.

This may be helpful @puppythoughts :

https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/gundog/retriever-labrador/

https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/gundog/retriever-golden/

Both are gundog breeds which means they can be very mouthy - they are bred to retrieve birds and have the natural urge to hold something in their mouths.

Best advice I can give you is to look at your lifestyle and consider a dog that will fit alongside it. Retrievers need a lot of exercise, lots of training (although they are usually food orientated so training should be relatively straight forward) and therefore you need lots of time to provide both. Otherwise you could have an unruly, mouthy, strong dog on your hands.

I found the shedding is worse on a Golden retriever!!! They 'Poof' hair as they walk 😂

I have a red lab retriever and perfect size for our family. She's 8 now but been great from day one fitting in

I was brought up with golden labs .. they are lovely dogs .. the Labrador retrievers usually have longer fur .. they are all lovely natured dogs ..
Ive inherited my dads black lab/Newfoundland cross who us huge but as soft as butter ..
English labs as stated by a pp tend to be a bit chunkier .. the hair loss from retrievers though is insatiable!

There are seven retriever breeds, of which the Labrador retriever is one.

The name is just usually shortened.

Can't speak too much for Goldies as I've never had one, but with labs you need to be aware that there are working lines and show lines.

As a vague guide, but not a hard and fast rule, shows are shorter and chunkier.

They also have less drive.

Even within working lines there's a big range in drive levels.

Labs are absolute twats for the first couple of years and have nippy teeth as puppies (sharkadors)
But once they calm a little they are brilliant.

There's a saying in the gundog world - labs are born half trained but spaniels die half trained.

As discobeat said they’re both retrievers Labrador retrievers and Golden retrievers are two different breeds. (There are 2 different types of Labrador, working/American or show/English). I grew up with a Goldie and I have a Lab now. They’re very similar in temperament. Both loving family dogs. You only have brush past a Goldie and you’re covered in hair so we went for a Lab. We have an English Lab, she’s not as high energy as a working lab. We couldn’t run with her, she’s very lazy at home but loves her walks.

I’ve got a chocolate lab from a working gun dog line. Absolutely lovely!! Great with our kids and easy to train. Sheds a bit, mouths things a lot, will bring you every item that is in his reach in case you’d forgotten it. Having said that, he is not food driven, wants treats/cuddles but can be in the same room as us when we’re eating and won’t beg for food. Thoroughly recommend :)

@AnCùDubh labs are born half trained but spaniels die half trained 😂😂

Aw yours sounds like mine!
We chose a lab for the same reason - Golden Retrievers' moulting is insane!
There is a lot more hair than I expected with our lab but we can keep on top of it with weekly brushing, regular desheds and daily hoovering

Labs make amazing family dogs but be warned they are absolutely twats for the first 18 months, so be aware if you're thinking of a puppy. Tbh there are lots of lab oriented rescue centres that you can get one from which will be fully vetted and most are past the puppy twat stage.

Make sure you read up on working and show line dogs and decide which one you can best cope with. Personally I would recommend going with a show-line for your first dog as they tend to be calmer and easier to manage.

Both are lovely breeds but they do shed a lot and need a lot of input and stimulation, especially in the first 2-3 years.

Thank you everyone who responded, I've just had a chance to come back and look at the thread. You've all been so helpful and I really appreciate everyone being so nice and not making me feel silly for not knowing the difference. Thanks so much!

Only one spaniel I ever had broke that rule!

I grew up with golden retrievers and a yellow lab.
lovely family dogs, very fond memories. However I vowed I would never put my children through the teenage years of black tights and masses of white dog hair 😂so as an adult I got a labradoodle and she was just perfect.

Those saying labs are twats for the first couple of years… so are golden retrievers, my 21 month old is a case in point. I love him but am looking forward to him maturing.

Can I ask in what way are they twats as puppies? I know our cat was a twat as a kitten so I remember that well but wondering what the twat stage is like with a puppy as may be different. The biting bit makes me a little nervous as I worry how the kids would be with that, or is it not as dramatic as I'm imaging 😄

We have a 3 year old black lab and whilst she wasn’t a total nightmare, she did seem to pick on my youngest the most. She would chase him trying to nip him. He was 10 so not very young. It took lots of training of both of them (him not to run) but it didn’t last all that long. She did chew lots of things if we weren’t careful and even now can be partial to socks but mainly so we will get her to drop and give her a treat! We do also find sticks and sometimes stones all over the living room as she loves to bring them in. But she is fine to be left and doesn’t bark and has pretty much stopped chewing, so can’t complain!

The puppy teen years are tough I’m on my second retriever but boarded guide dog pups so had many labs/retreiverss/gds and they can just be a bit nuts. My own retrievers though if washed, bathed and groomed it takes the shedding down but it’s hard work as they are big dogs, lots of hair, numb arms

I had a solid retriever before ex guide dog he was huge but my current boy is what my sister would call a fine retriever slimmer face and less stocky than some. He’s overdue a good brush bath and groom though, it’s a thought to do but makes the hair so much less once it’s done, the labs shed too but not the same. I find them smellier for some reason, especially when wet they set my eyes off too so have to wash my hands after fussing them. They have lovely faces, big kind eyes , I love dogs though so am bias. Retriever is it for me though, mine have just been such big soft lumps they are strong and stubborn but loyal and cuddly. Intelligent too, mine picked things up really easily. Most breeders will let you visit and meet their dogs too, we visited lots before this boy we have now. Good luck

We have a Lab and he's the joy of our family's lives ❤️ He has no boundaries though and he totally hogs the bed, but we don't mind. Just ensure you insure it from puppyhood. Our boy was at the vet every second week as a puppy, because he'd always be flying around, being a real goose, falling down the steps etc. Also, his puppy/teen years were fine. I can't remember them being bad anyway. He's just so loved, we just put up with it, I suppose ❤️

If you're a first time owner I'd see if you can get a failed guide dog rather than a puppy. They have a mix of labs, goldies and lab x goldies. That way they are past the worst of their twatishness and are a known quantity.

Weirdly despite my goldies having been much fluffier than my labs, my labs were far worse for covering me in hair.

Personally I find goldies tend to be less boisterous than labs when younger. My goldies have all been smaller than my labs.