Differences between a Labrador and a golden retriever, male/female?

[GreenBox1]

Is there a big difference between a golden retriever and a labrador?
We had a golden from age 4 so missed puppy stage until age 13. The hair is unreal but in general he was a lovely dog. We are looking at a lab or golden. Are there many differences? Is there much difference in male or female? I found a labrador breeder im really happy with but I intended on getting another golden so now im unsure.

I have had many, many dogs - four of which were Labs, one - the current dog - is a GR.
The difference between the two can be succinctly summed up by that famous meme -
My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, (the Lab), My name's Jeff (the GR).

My boy Lab was the most intelligent dog I've ever known. We had help from a trainer, in the early years, who upon first training him exclaimed ' Wow, he's Collie quick'. And he was. Could train him to do anything you wanted and he'd learn it extremely quickly. My GR is not that. 😂But he is adorable and does something every day to make us all laugh. But I think it's more down the individual dog than the breed a lot of time. My GR loves everyone and thinks that they will all love him - and they do usually do, to be fair. I agree they never seem to mature vs Labs.

Male vs Female. My girl Labs were all very affectionate but also independent, more likely to wander off and do their own thing. My boy Lab was much more focused on his people but could settle on his own too. My GR boy rounds us all up and can't settle if one of us is upstairs and the others are downstairs, he likes to be able to see us all at the same time. My girl Labs would spend evenings, in front of the fire, in the sitting room with us. My boy Lab would be next to me on the sofa. My boy GR is fully on my lap, and about 1cm from my face.
Again, could be the individuals, but all my females (of whatever breed actually) have been more independent than the males.

Personally I think Golden Retrievers are more challenging to train
Not in my experience - they are highly intelligent and don’t even really need food treats - they’ll do it to please you.
That's not necessarily a given. The more time you spend around Golden Retrievers, the more you will realise they are actually incredibly stubborn as a breed but also have the tendency to wanderlust where they get to exicted to listen.

They also tend to be more easily distracted - again because of the slow mental growth they have.
Nope mine completely focus on me - I took slow mental growth to mean low intelligence bit if slow to mature - not really seen that either.
Again, the more time you spend around Golden Retrievers, the more you will realise they are actually incredibly stubborn as a breed but also have the tendency to wanderlust where they get to excited to listen which is precisely what @Dunnocantthinkofone has alluded to.

Golden Retrievers are little bastards as puppies - mine grew up with our granddaughter and never once hurt her or nipped her. I could never have left the black lab alone with her he would have turned. I don’t know maybe it’s because I’m retired and I had the time to invest?
I would be wary of thinking that way. Lots of people have lots of time to invest and still struggle. It's more likely you just got lucky with both of your puppies rather then investing more time than others.

All puppies are rough. But Golden's are up there with GSDs/Malis and Collies when it comes to teething. Labs are rotten as well, but not as bad as they're not typically as manic
I think this is the one I mostly disagree with - you cannot put a soft mouthed GR in the same category as a GSD or Malis!! My sons black lab was way worse as a puppy.
With all respect, you've said yourself you've had four golden retrievers and what...one black lab? You really cannot say you know the breed at all. You absolutely can and should put the GR in that category. Just because their bite force isn't as powerful doesn't mean being nipped by a young puppy does not hurt. The amount of Golden's I see being re-homed because of 'nasty' bites on children - often resulting in an A&E trip - is insane. Easily 90% of all Golden's I help re-home have bitten young children hard enough that the family have decided once is enough - and it's straight to us to re-home the poor buggers. When they are young, and particularly the adolescent males who seem to have a distinct lack of understanding about their bite force, their bite (due to reactivity or sheer excitement) can be incredibly painful.

But they're rough - did you see my photo 😂😂 If you could ever trust a dog around a child it would be a GR ( you can never trust any dog 100%) Rough? That’s too strong 😂😂

Honestly, and I don't mean to say this nastily, but you cannot really claim to be certain about a breeds behaviour until you have had multiple - easily half a dozen ideally not more - iterations of that breed. And you easily lost any credibility you had with that statement.

Perhaps I'm a humourless old cow (easily possibly) but I really don't find it amusing when people say 'if ever there's a dog you can trust around a child' it's a Golden Retriever'. Personally, I don't sell golden retrievers to families with young visiting children or young resident children, for the exact reasons I've listed above. And most of my local breed club are the same. I see easily a dozen, if not more, Golden Retrievers being re-homed a month through my breed club rescue. Most of them? Young and with a bite history on young children. The most recent one had bitten a child on the face.

Separately, and I don't want to sound like a dick, both the dogs in that photo look quite chunky. Possibly the camera angle, but the darker one in particular is really large.

the more you will realise they are actually incredibly stubborn as a breed but also have the tendency to wanderlust where they get to exicted to listen

Oh this is so much my experience with my GR. What I said before was (a teensy bit) unfair. He is intelligent - he can have flashes of brilliance that astound us all, but yes, he is stubborn. We recognise in others of his kind, when out on walks, the GR slump to the floor and refusal to move if there is something they're more interested in, and always give a knowing nod to the owner. But the biggest thing that rings true is the 'too excited to listen' - this is particularly true if food is involved as the reward. Technically food should work with him as the reward, because he's obsessed with it, but where with my Labs it always worked, with him it often doesn't because his focus is laser on the food to the exclusion of all else.

I am on my 4th bernese mountain dog so I know all about fur shedding but it's nowhere near as tricky to deal with as a golden retrievers. My parents had GRs and the fur seemed to attach itself to everything- the bernese fur is wispy and floats around more.

I personally don't like the feel of a short haired dog like a lab. I need long fur, and lots of it. How do you feel about short hair yourself?

@TheHungryHungryLandsharks , I have to say I always like to read your responses on GRs because I'm relatively new to them (he's a rescue, 6 years old but we've only had him from 4) and not as experienced as we are with Labs. It's useful and a learning curve, so thank you.
I also have to say though, he came to me at the right time in my life, middle age and children all gone to Uni/moved out of the home, so I have the time and patience and maybe a touch of soppiness to cope. Up til now I expected (and got) my dogs to respond to training and do what I want/expected, when I wanted/expected. And they did. This doofus though, I look at and forgive every fault with an AWWWWW. My husband (who didn't want another dog 😂according to him) has taken to calling him 'my darling boy'. 🙄

With the exception of certain 'nanny' breeds, I don't think there is ever really any 'bad dogs', just bad owners.

The rescue staffy/greyhound cross I had at the same time as exMIL's retrievers was a saint compared to them, never mind her parents' collie. Mind you, he was also absolutely subservient towards the cats, but never seemed to have a teenager phase at all.

However, my judgement of how easy (or simple?) dogs may be somewhat skewed as I'm a Beagle person through and through. Once you've had one of those, it takes a hell of a lot to shock you...

Thanks everyone! There's so much to consider so im definitely not going to rush it. Our golden retriever passed away in April and im still finding hair and I can't say I miss all the hoovering. So I suppose a lab seemed like a good alternative but maybe not if they also shed lots😂
Our golden was lovely, maybe a little nervous. He slept in the kitchen but wouldn't come into any other rooms. When he was a puppy he slept in an outdoor kennel and wasn't allowed in the house only the porch so I think it was to do with that. I dont think he had much training and we couldn't get recall nailed at all. But he had the loveliest temperament. Im quite nervous about the whole puppy thing in either breed and before we commit want to know that we can cope!!

@TheHungryHungryLandsharks yes you did sound like a dick and that was quite hurtful when I’d thought I’d actually been respectful to you in acknowledging you are clearly an experienced owner.
For the record my ‘dark’ one which you could not recognise as working breed is 26Kg - well within the limits for a 6 year old working breed male. My show one is 36kg - so yes a little over weight but vet not that worried and he fluctuates wildly and has put one over the last week obv due to reduced exercise.
saying the more you are around GR you will realise - Jesus I’ve had them for 25 years - have many friends with them and am in contact with all the GOOD breeders I bought from! Very condescending.

Anyway that’s the end of that and I had only wanted to give my opinion/ experiences to try to help the OP.

I have found this thread very interesting!

OP, my black lab sheds a bit but I actually haven’t found it that bad. In fairness, my house and furniture are quite dark so you can’t see it all that much but even at the height of his shedding, I found most of it didn’t stick to anything and just lay there so very easy to hoover up. He is a working line, but is very relaxed in the house. His only real dickish moments involve seeing other dogs or getting too excited when meeting humans but he is only 14 months old so I think that’s to be expected. Even this week he has coped very well with having much less exercise than usual because of the heat and has still been calm in the house.
I assume this is just his personality, when we picked him out he was by far the calmest of the litter - preferring to hang back and watch what was going on while the others came and land sharked the hell out of me 😂 I know that some of his brothers have been a little more difficult than him, one destroyed his owner’s sofa! Mine hasn’t destroyed anything of note. I have only had one dog though so I don’t have as much experience as others and I think maybe I just got very lucky!

@NoLongerATeacher I didn't mean to offend you. But I also wasn't being condescending whereas you were.

Your dogs are not the rule. They are the exception. And unfortunately, by saying things like you have you may inadvertently encourage people to buy dogs they are not equipped to handle. All dogs have their behavioural flaws.

No breed is perfect. It's important people are honest and open about that. That's all I have done. Been honest about the behavioural challenges the breed are prone to, based off my experience with the breed and being active in the 'Golden Retriever world.' And, unfortunately, they are experiences that multiple other people on this thread have also recognised and agreed with.

Goldens are the best dogs in the world. I have had them for over 35 years. All mine were toilet trained in a few days, super clever, understand nearly everything you say, life with a golden is a privilege and joy. Lost my boy in November and still grieving hard.

Similarly, we've had 4 Labs, and I don't recognise the descriptions of them either.

I've known and loved many dogs but am a 1st time dog 'owner' to a nearly 3 year old male black lab..

I think breed generaliisations have a great deal of truth to them. Most labs seem to be water loving, food loving, sociable, intelligent, trainable, adaptable, need a lot of exercise, good natured, fun loving, responsive, extraverted, resilient. It makes sense when we look at what they were bred to do. These traits all apply to my lab.

But beyond that there's so much variation and individualism, isn't there?

Everyone who's loved dogs knows that each individual is so inherently unique and of course completely irreplaceable.

My dog, who Ive had from pup, ticks all the lab boxes, but still wasn't at all what I expected from a lab. He's independent, strong willed, not very cuddly or physically affectionate, and didn't arrive with any inherent desire to please me. Sometimes when I stroke him he looks at me like I would look at a cow who caught up to me in a field to lick my hair. Like 'what on earth are you doing to me and why?'

It took me a while to really understand him. To.learn that his instant responsiveness and love of training can look a lot like biddableness (even if not exactly a desire to please me). That his persistance can be used for good as well as mischief. I learned how to encourage his calmness and patience. That beneath his boisterous independence there's surprising sensitivity, a dog who nose bops my face (albeit alarmingly fast) when I cry. One who enjoys HIS sort of cuddles (one arm loosely around him stroking his chest, him leaning in looking up adoringly). I've learned to recognise his remarkable memory. How if he acts out of character it invariably links back to something that happened days before. How much he adores everyone is plain to see. The ways he makes it clear I'm his person are more subtle. But they're unmistakingly there now I know him as well as I do.

So even though breed stereotypes do seem to have a great deal of truth to them, there's so much variation between individuals too, huh. And maybe it's that variation that we really fall in love with. If I ever have another lab they may be cuddly, affectionate, want to please me. But they'd never ever ever be him. He's my dog, my best friend and I wouldn't change him for the world. The ways he differed from my expectations taught me more about dogs than the ways he's a more typical lab.

He does shed a lot of fur at times but his coat is otherwise so easy to manage. A 2 min quick brush and hes good to go. Mud falls off him.

You've asked about puppies... I've fostered both breeds as puppies, both had to be rehomed because their families weren't willing to put in the effort able to cope with the biting. All puppies bite, the bigger breeds are simply harder to fight off.

A Golden puppy is essentially a living, breathing plush toy that has been possessed by a demon. Overwhelmingly cute. Their teething phase is pure psychological warfare because they don’t just bite you, they look you dead in the eye with a tragic, tearful expression while doing it, making you feel like you are the one in the wrong. In terms of emotional stability, a Golden puppy has absolutely none. If you step into the bathroom and close the door for five seconds, they will sit outside and sing the song of their people. If you use a slightly stern voice, they look at you like you just shattered their entire universe. They require constant reassurance that they are still your favorite, otherwise they lose the will to live (or spiral into total craziness).

A Lab puppy is like a missile with zero steering capabilities. They are just pure, infectious fun. No malice, 100% destruction. Their daily objective is to body slam into every object in your house to see which one breaks first. They have no concept of pain or self-preservation, so if they miss a jump off the sofa and face-plant into the floor, they will just bounce right back up and try to eat it. While a Golden puppy gently chews on your shoelaces, a Lab puppy will swallow all your socks, three batteries, a plastic flowerpot, and their stomach will just process it like a luxury meal. You will spend the first eight months of their life sprinting across the garden screaming "WHAT IS IN YOUR MOUTH?!". SO SO FUN, though.

On my forth golden girl and wow she's been harder work than the other three put together. But they were all show lines and my current girl is working line. Massive difference in energy levels but she's now almost 2 and is starting to calm down. All have been velcro dogs, all watch you in the bath and always happy to see you even if you've only popped out for 5 minutes. You can't beat their temperament and kindness and are surprisingly really sensitive. I'd love a lab but will probably always sway towards a Goldie. They're so special, loving and loyal. As puppies they ruin your garden, steal socks and are so goofy, love mud, hate baths but swim in the smelliest pond they can find. Hoovering is a daily task and they can have quite delicate stomachs. All have been amazing with children, have to sleep by your bed and just seem to know when you really need some extra comfort x

No experience of goldens, just labrador. Ours is a total delight. She is such a gentle giant and still quite a big baby at 2 and a half. She loves everyone, is placid and quiet, and chills nicely in the house. Everyone who meets her tells us what a sweetheart she is and even though we're biased we do agree 🤣

But she is quite sensitive (big occasion = grab anything in sight to cope with situation), a bit needy (follows me around everywhere), and very submissive (we've seen her allow our friends' dogs to take her own toys away from her and even out of her mouth)

Because she is naturally sensitive, her teenage phase was hard. She needed plenty of mental stimulation, had terrible impulse control, and had to be very consciously taught to settle. She is much better now but I don't think we will ever stop giving her "jobs" to do as that keeps her fulfilled on a day to day basis.

Poster above said "Goldies are very easily misunderstood though. Almost always their version of ‘slightly stressed and kinda know I’ve done something wrong’ is to hype up and act like an exaggerated clown. Rushing around, jumping, mouthing - generally acting like a tit"

We found this was our girl in teenage phase to a T. For example we used to think her rushing up to other dogs was being overly social, it wasn't - it was immature nerves and trying to get in there first to assess the situation. Now she's matured we see she actually doesn't want to be bothered or approached by other dogs and funnily enough only really likes interacting with other labs, spaniels or goldens.

Although she has matured significantly, I think some things will never change. She is still a complete gorb around food, we also have our Shark out min. twice a day due to the shedding, and she still has the occasional tendency to blow off her otherwise excellent recall when she catches wind of a pile of deer/fox/badger shit to go and roll in.

Oh @SoLongMae ; you have reminded me of a significant difference between my male and female labs. Male dog - catches a whiff of something - eats it. Female dog -rolls in it.
both are 🤢

I love your description of Labrador puppies 😍