Question for golden retriever owners?

Rule of thumb on colour

Usually they will darken to match the colour of their ears.

Are they hyper? Usually. It varies from dog to dog but they are very active and for goldens they stay puppy like longer than other breeds. Often males are more active pups than females. I don't know why but the golden I have now was mellow but she was a chewer. Other goldens I've had were far more spastic than her, but not chewers. It's a roll of the dice, but it seems you are aware of the risks.

Quick learners? Goldens really really want to please you. So learning, performing etc. just to get their tennis ball or hear good dog from you is enough. They love to please. As far as house training they catch on fast, as do most big dogs, but it is an issue of bladder control. Just remember even though your pup is large doesn't mean it's grown up. So don't expect her to "hold it" for hours just because she's big. A pup is a pup no matter what the size.

Yard.

I have had many goldens and only 1 needed a huge yard. In fact he was too much for me and ended up on a ranch. Mostly they are happy to be with you, walking, driving, whatever. My brother has 2 goldens and lives in an apartment. They are doing just fine. It boils down to the individual dog.

I have a big yard with a tiny fence. My lab jumps the fence my golden would rather be inside on the sofa.

Additional thoughts.

Goldens SHED ALOT!!! It's a pain in the butt.

People assume all goldens love everyone and will walk right up. Goldens are tolerant of most people and most animals, but they still protect what's their's so don't buy into this stereo type of the breed. Treat your dog like any other dog and use common sense.

If you ever think about breeding, remember goldens have huge litters. 10-13 pups is normal and it is really hard to home that many pups.

Get a good vacuum and a variety of dog brushes. Have fun with your goldie. They are great dogs!!

Their coats change a bit. But nothing drastic. They say if that the color of the pups ears will be the closest to it's adult coat color... This was true with my golden boy.

They tend to be semi-hyper... But not at all to being the most hyper. They are just big with quite a bit of energy. And yes, like all dogs, they chew. And they'll chew even more when they are bored. They can be extremly destructive if they're bored, so you'll want to spend LOTS of time with this dog.

They are quick learners. Very intelligent. And very eager to please. Benny was completly housetrained by 4 months. Hasn't had even an accident since 5-6 months. And yes, they LOVE people. Especially if you socialize them properly as pups. They just can't get enough attention from anyone lol.

I do not have a fenced in yard. I live in the country. A very rural area, with a very large back yard, and a tree line at the end of that back yard. We started out strictly on leash outside, then when we took it off, we stayed right there with him... Teaching him that the road was bad, and when he's outside the car, they are bad too. So now that he's older, and well trained, I don't worry about him running off or going in the road. He doesn't. And he won't. The last thing he wants to do is upset his mommy... And then the second to last is get in trouble. He just knows better.

I wouldn't say it is okay for just anyone to 100% trust their dog like that.. It could lead to doggy death :(... But in our case, I've been working hard with him since he was 6 weeks. I know him. I know he won't get in that road. He'd much rather travel in the back woods and find the pond.. Which he is allowed to do. lol

Walks and play is good.. But as she get's older, she'll need much more. 3-4 hours of playtime.

Benny is 18 months old.

At 6am, we go on a 45 minutes walk. Then I go to work.

At 5 pm, we go on a hour and a half walk.

When we get back, we do at least another hour of hard play in the back yard. LIke fetch and such.

Then another 30-45 minutes walk around 7-8.

So, it takes quite a bit of time to exercise the large boy...

But if you get one, you will enjoy her :). I can tell you that much! http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae132/RockstarM...

My dog, Delaynee, darkened from when she was a puppy, but then again she was also the darkest of the litter. Some dogs may lighten or stay the same.

Her pic:

http://s406.photobucket.com/albums/pp145/Emura_sch...

http://s406.photobucket.com/albums/pp145/Emura_sch...

She has gotten lighter as she gets older. She is now 13

They are quick learners but that also means that they need lots of discipline right away, because if they get away with something then they will try it again and again and again (Delaynee used to steal food from the counter, because we didn't catcher right away she got away with it sometimes and it took awhile to fix). No they are no friendly with everyone. They need to be socialized. Delaynee was somewhat socialized as a puppy and if we are with her she is fine or if she is in the yard, but if she has a bone or something and doesn't know you (or you try to handle her and she isn't in the yard (like when she used to escape by chewing through the fence) she was aggressive. She has bitten me before because she was bone/toy aggressive which was eventually corrected but again it is up to the individual dog and how they are socialized and trained to determine if they are good with people.

We had a good sized back yard growing up and are now on 5 acres of land so it has been good for us and our two dogs (other dog, Katy, is a lab mix). They do need plenty of exercise to keep from getting over weight and they have a lot of energy so an hour walk a day plus play time is a good thing to do.

They also need to be groomed regularly because of their coat. We take our dogs to petsmart (you can do it yourself we just don't have the time to do it) and they shed, a lot (again why they go to petsmart and get the furminator treatment) so be prepared for that. Overall if properly trained and socialized they are great dogs to have, very sweet and loyal. Oh and anyone who says they are not good with kids is delusional. I got Delaynee when I was 5 and she has been a great dog.

Yes, my puppy was cream colored when I got him. he is now a nice shade of medium gold with cream "feathers". Golden Retrievers do not get lighter in color with age, only darker.

Correction: When they get old, they lighten up a little, especially in the face area. But PUPS only get darker.

Yes, they are big chewers and are known for their tendency to eat EVERYTHING. Keep anything you don't want destroyed or sometimes even swallowed out of reach! I would highly recommend buying some bitter spray deterrent.

They are extremely friendly! Worst guard dogs on the face of the earth! My boy gets sooo excited to see ANY living creature! Even strangers are his "best friends". They are fairly easy to train, as they listen well and are eager to please. My Golden too a whopping 4 months to housetrain though! He was VERY slow learning that.

I do have a very large yard, and my golden loves running around the back yard. It's fun to watch him, he'll run lap after lap of the yard. They need LOTS of exercise! I'd say at least 2 hours a day, more would be better. They LOVE to run.

They are great dogs and I just adore mine! I have 3 dogs, he is my youngest. He's 12 months old and a total clown! He makes me laugh at least 5 times a day. Very silly.

Thought I'd add some pics of my boy:

http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p13/holly-911/?...

http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p13/holly-911/?...

Puppy pic!

http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p13/holly-911/?...

No their colors dont change.

Yes. they are chewers and quite hyper might consider another big dog to keep her busy

they are easy to housetrain and normally get along with everyone

No it is actually really small but it works out for her. yes playtimes and walks are enough exercise

Companion dogs. dont spoil them and try to train them early

brush him once a day or when ever you can thats going to reduce some of the shedding the smell ?? like the smell of the dog ? give him a bath once a week or once every 2 weeks .