Can anyone with experience comment on pros and cons? May consider getting one for companionship & watchdog duties.

Thanks

These days - Goldens are generally inbred and brain-dead.

Labs are not much better, but are lower maintenance.


Find a good dog - first.

Breed is way down the list.




GR

I grew up with a golden retriever as my best friend and partner in crime. I’ve since owned labs, a GSP and an English Field Cocker and they’re all awesome. My GSP (Kodiak) is the most loving and needy goofball, my English Field Cocker “Sky” was the most faithful and intelligent animal I’ve ever been around while my labs have been my constant companion.

You won’t go wrong with either Golden retrievers or Labrador Retrievers…choose one and they’ll capture your heart faster than you can imagine. They’re both the best and they’ll both be everything you want if you raise them right and treat them fairly. Goldens and labs don’t require a heavy hand and thrive when showered with love. I’ve seen guys ruin a great dog because their frustrations and lack of control lead them to discipline their dogs with too heavy a hand which breaks my heart. Seeing a loving and faithful friend cower when you reach to pet it is an indication to me that the owner has no business having the privilege of owning a dog.

I’ll never be without a good dog by my side or laying at my feet. I can be in a foul mood, mad at the world and my lab Kenai will sit by me while I pet her and I can feel my anger begin to melt. After a long day afield and after we both get cleaned up sitting with my lab in the evening by the fireplace reading a book or watching football with her by my side I don’t think anything feels more “right” in this world than that simple pleasure. I’d be lost without a good dog and the little things that make life enjoyable wouldn’t be as significant without a dog. I can go from being in a terrible mood to laughing hysterically at my dogs…..every dog I’ve had over the past 52 years has enriched my life more than I could ever imagine and every dog I’ve had has been as good as the last dog. I’ve never had one that suffered health issues nor have I had a dog that had personality issues. Everyone has lived a long full life and everyone has been without personality defects nor have they been neurotic or stressed, ie fireworks, kids, etc have always been embraced by my dogs…. I attribute their lack of neurosis to our simple and consistent expectations and not feeding or creating an issue by exhibiting and modeling our own neurosis for the dog. Crazy neurotic people produce annoying, barking, uncontrollable neurotic dogs.

Have had both and known many others of both breeds. Would think the Lab would be a better watchdog, but can be rather hyper. Goldens are wonderful affectionate dogs, but are more of the "Take anything you want, just pet me before you leave" mindset.

I love labs. Smart, loyal, obedient and loving.

Six of one, half dozen of the other

We've had three goldens, we love 'em. The main disadvantage is the longer coats. If this dog will be used for hunting, or spend a lot of time outdoors the long coat picks up a lot of burrs and debris. And they do have genetic issues. Our last two had cancer, and the last one had an eye disease that just became common in the last two decades, he lost both his eyes.

In standard Campfire form; Chesapeake.

Had labs for the last 50 years with two currently. Also have a golden that is my wife's. Goldens are pretty good but the amount of hair is prohibitive for me going forward. I'd take labs any day

Labs get a bad rep for being dumb, and many are, but the breeding is a big part of it. I have seen some incredibly smart labs. Goldens can be much the same....ie, the breeding makes a world of difference. This also goes for being a watchdog.

One thing about swamp collies (ie, goldens) is their long hair gets way, way more stickers and burrs in it. Both breeds shed which sucks ass but it is something a guy needs to accept if this is to be a house dog. Lab hair is shorter and doesn't seem to clump up when shed like golden hair seems to, which means lab hair gets everywhere and golden hair tends to be found in clumps, IME at least. I like both breeds, but there's ups and downs to them.

Well, I was thinking a Lagotto or maybe a flat coated retriever.

I love labs but my kids allergies don't do well with them so we went with wirehaird pointing griffons. They've been great but I still have a soft spot for labs. I always wanted one and planned to name him Zulu.

Bb

For those things my Labradoodle is better tempered than the Labs and Goldens I've had, though I love all of them. I had a Golden once that became vicious with strangers. I also have a Lab that won't even bark at a stranger. Basically she has never met what she considered a stranger. She does keep the whitetail out of the yard though.

My first birddog was nearly a Griff out of an Idaho kennel about 20 years ago. I had a deposit on a litter that ended up being smaller than expected and I wound up buying a Setter locally rather than waiting for another breeding. That Setter was an amazing dog. Whoa broke at 7 months old and obsessed with retrieving, high pointing frisbees, and doing blind retrieves on land. I’ve had Setter’s ever since.

I loved the second and now third just as much but neither measured up to that first one. I thought that I was a dog training genius. It turned out that the dog was the genius and I’m still an idiot😂

RIP Winston and Thatcher.

Griffs seem like great dogs. Had that litter been one pup larger I’d probably be a Griff guy.

As breeds go, both are awesome. Individual dogs within each breed can vary wildly. Even within the same litter.

Goldens are way too mild for me , I had one for 12 years and she was very affectionate but no watchdog or hunting dog. It did not bother me one way or the other. I lost her to Kidney Cancer and driving her on the last ride was really really tough.

The thing that I have come to love about labs is their drive to please. Shadow will do anything if she thinks it will make me happy. She loves doing a job that earns her praise. Go get the squirrel.



She loves opening her Christmas presents.



After she is is done eating her dinner, she will seek out the person that gave it to her and give them a lick. The damn dog feels gratitude. She's a very special one.

I vote Labs

If you’re looking for a good, smart, field bred Golden, I know someone who had a litter or pups about a month ago - if you don’t mind driving to Southern Ontario.

We had one Golden, raised from a pup. The most wonderful dog for kids and country outside living anyone could hope for.

Two attempts at adult rescues did not work out so well.

Same story for a couple labs we attempted over the years. They just could not learn what home was and was not.

If looking for a Golden today, I would contact these folks.
https://ponderaygoldens.com/

Labrador,but if the watch-dog/protection requirement is important,get a Chessie…

Being in the MS delta, flooded timber country I have had my share of solid Labrador Retrievers, mainly of British stock. Great home companions and working dogs labs are.

A few years ago my daughter begged us for a Golden Retriever, why I have never known. I was hesitant at first but I set out to find a true field bred golden from trial and hunting stock. I ended up buying a male from up in Wisconsin and sending him to my trainer for the better part of a year. He turned out to be one of the best dogs we have ever owned. Not only is he a beautiful red coated golden, he has a GREAT nose, solid drive, a strong desire to please, and fantastic house manners. Everything he does, he does with style and swagger. Truth told, he probably belongs in the upland woods the way he works naturally.

Show Goldens and true field Goldens are not the same...

I have had both. The longer coat on a Golden can be a chore getting burs out etc.

I favor labs. My yellow lab in my avatar is the best dog I have ever shared my home with.

We have Goldens, my family has raised and bred Goldens since just after WWII.

All Goldens aren't created equal, as they've basically broken down into:

Show/Confirmation dogs, big hairy, light colored, don't even meet the AKS breed standards in size, color etc. Generally lack drive.
Backyard breeders, who knows what you're going to get.
Field/trial dogs.

We do the latter. The ones we currently own (3) have multiple titles in hunt tests, tracking, agility and obedience all due to my wife's training ability. The biggest difference we see between labs is the tolerance for repetition. Labs are better at putting up with it, whereas sooner of later the golden will shut down. Other than that, get a good puppy from a proven line (AKC registration means chit) look at the pedigree and the titles the parents have along with health certs, and both breeds will work for you. Purely waterfowl, I'd lean towards a lab, but add upland and I think the Golden has a slight edge in the nose department.







Strictly watchdog, I'd pick another breed. Goldens are somewhat "kennel brave" which is a response to being cornered, but speak kindly and pet them, chances are good they'll help a burglar carry your chit out of the house.

Shoot the one in the middle.



Paulie

Lab.

I’ve had both and love both. Find a good breeder that produces what you are looking for and go from there. Both will sound the alarm when something is going on.

Not a better dog on this planet for companionship than a golden retriever. Juat prepare yourself. Youll get attached like its your damn kid or something

^This

I've had 2 and wouldn't consider any other retriever.

Keen sight, great swimmers, bold, great heart and strength. Great family dogs when well bred. Smartest dogs I've seen.

One of the best dogs I've had was a Golden/Yellow Lab mix.

The best watchdog I ever had was a lab, although the German shepherd was more intimidating. But we use our dogs mainly for bird hunting. Between me and my son, our dogs got over 600 retrieves last year. It's been a long time since I've seen a golden do much more than turn dog food into dog turds.

Well said.

See my sig line below. We currently have 3.

I have had both and truthfully, it is a tossup which one is best - I love both breeds, but my personal choice is a Lab. As Sakoluvr stated, getting the burrs and crap out of the coat of a Golden can be a Bitch at times, but my wife loves their softer coat. As has been stated multiple times here, go to a reputable breeder with a good reputation of producing quality dogs - it will cost you more but the quality and intelligence of the dog you receive is more than worth it.

That's almost a herd!

Thanks for the replies, gents.

The long hair maintenance thing would be a deal breaker for me. Maybe a lab mix is the way to go? If so, mixed with what? Sorry for my ignorance, I've never had a dog before.

I've had 4 goldens and 1 currently. My last one and current one I do/did not hunt. Of the previous 3, 2 were pet/show dogs stock and one field bred and they all were good hunters, but I brought them up that way. Still they need the nose and the bird drive.
They'll bark if someone comes to the house but once they're in, they'll help them carry your stuff out. The reason I didn't hunt the 2 was I had an English setter I hunted when I got the next golden and a pointing breed was a better fit for what I do. So my current one is a pet/house dog and he just got a buddy (pointing breed) that will be my hunter.
But IMO goldens are great dogs and if I was going to for sure hunt one, I'd look for a field bred. Think I just got lucky with the other 2, but the breed should have some hunting instinct regardless.
Labs are great, but again popularity resulting in indiscriminate and poor breeding has ruined them, so selecting a lab breeder from a hunting line and a healthy one is job 1. Cancer is up across the board, all mine went from it, but retriever breeds (and others) are prone.
Best of luck searching.