Do you own a lab or golden retriever? I have questions!?

Question

I was curious, what the difference in personality is between labrador retrievers and golden retrievers? There both nice dogs I think?

DO both breeds like to play, even as adults?

Tell me about them? Do you own one or both?

ALSO::::: What color do you like best on a lab between the yellows and blacks? Please dont say its about the dog not the color, I know this. I am just curious

Thanks for any help!! I will give 10 to whoever doesnt just throw some copied stuff from a website and gives me a real answer It would help a great deal if you answered ALLL these questions.........................

Answer 1

Looks like you've gotten some good info, especially from goldengal.

I own a yellow lab, so I might be able to add a bit more. I think goldens and labs are similar dogs in many way. People-lovers, friendly, playful. Both breeds like to play, even as adults. A lab down the street from me is 12 and she still likes to play even though her body isn't too capable anymore. She tries, but is slow and doesn't last too long. But the spirit is still there.

Both breeds are very smart but need training. If you don't give them something to do, they might develop bad habits. They need exercise. A lot of it. If you buy a lab, fyi, there are two types of labs. There are american style labs and english style labs. American style labs are used mainly for hunting and will have a higher energy level. You probably only want to get an American style if you want to hunt or play performance sports with your dog. Otherwise the dog may be too much for you to handle. My lab is an English style lab. They're the kind that win conformation dog shows. They're stockier, but still have a lot of energy. Enough for any normal person!

I have a yellow lab, so of course I am partial to that color! A good thing about having a yellow lab is that you can see ticks easily on the dog, and pick them off easily. Of course I use Frontline, that will kill the ticks, but I still like to take the ticks off her when I get back from a hike. I don't know how anyone gets ticks off a black dog!

BUT, a black dog will be more scary to people. No lab or golden is really going to be a security dog. They will bark though to alert you. But a black dog is usually thought of as scarier. People will be less likely to approach you or approach a house with a black dog in it.

About shedding, they both do it. My neighbor has a golden, and she thinks the golden hair is easier to clean up. She says that the golden hair comes right off the carpet with a vacuum, but that lab hair sort of sticks to her carpet and won't come up. Either way, you just get used to dealing with the hair when you have a dog.

I think a golden would need more brushing than a lab though. A lab hardly ever needs to be brushed, but if you brush it regularly you can cut down on the amount of shedding. A golden's coat needs a bit more attention.

Answer 2

I've only ever had retriever mixes as pets. Both the labrador retrievers and the goldens are wonderful pets and they are fun to play with even as adults. In fact, I prefer them as adults because they are kind of a pain as puppies. My last dog was a mix of both but seemed to have the golden retriever's personality. He was very eager to please and a quick learner. Once he was told not to do something or lectured about a behavior he made a conscious effort never to do it again. He started tearing our newspaper apart in the morning and my mother sat with him on our front porch and had a little talk with him about the newspaper and he never did it again. He was a phenomenal dog.

As to the color preference, I haven't found a real difference between yellows and blacks. I did find that the black labs tended to be a little bit more prone to naughty behavior (raiding the neighbor's yard and chasing cars) but I may have just had (and known) that sort of naughty dog.

My favorite dogs have been retriever mixes instead of purebreds. The last dog was half purebred golden retriever and half purebred yellow lab. One of the main reasons I love the mixes is that they don't have the hip and other genetic issues that some purebreds have. My dogs are so much a part of my family and me that I want them to be healthy and happy as long as possible.

One other helpful retriever hint is that they tend to get hotspots - I have found that instead of taking them to the vet's office, I try to treat it at home first. I trim the area around the hotspot with a pair of clippers being careful not to clip too close to the skin. After the hotspot is totally visible, I wash the area with some very mild soap and water. Then I let the area dry out and then apply aloe (you can get it near the sunscreens at the grocery store - just make sure it's pure aloe). I slather the aloe on for the next day or so and the hotspot clears right up. The meds that I had been getting from the vet's office took much longer to work and the vet visit is never cheap.

Answer 3

I have a yellow lab, and I know quite a few people who own labs of different colors, and all of them are very nice dogs with good personalities. I know a couple people with goldens, and they are nice dogs too. The biggest physical differences are goldens have more hair and our usually a little bigger. Both breeds love to play, go on walks and swim. They both also like to retrieve since that is what they are breed for, if you are not going to hunt the dog, I would suggest you teach it how to play frisbee or to fetch a hunting dummy. The dog will be happier that way. They are prone to ear infections, and some have allergies. My friends chocolate lad is allergic to corn, and so they have to watch what they feed her.
As far as color on a lab goes, I think the Chocolates and the Yellows are the prettiest, and I prefer the Chocolate color. Our lab is my hubby's and he wanted a yellow, and that is what we got. He is a gorgeous little dog too. I am not fond of the blacks just because they seem to be the most common color of the most popular pet or one of in the country.

Answer 4

I have a Golden Retriever and my best friend owns a Lab. They are VERY similar in personality. They both are very goofy, playful dogs. SMART to a fault. If bored they both can be destructive. Both need a lot of exercise and affection. Both have a lot of the same health issues except Goldens need more grooming maintenance and are prone to skin allergies.

As hunting dogs they love to sniff and explore. Both are wonderful family dogs, great w/ kids, cats, other dogs and pets. Watch for their ears, both tend to get infections and mites. Both breeds love the outdoors including swimming.

They don't really calm down till around age 3 or so. Kahlua (my friend's chocolate lab) is 9 and Summer (my golden) is 7 they both still act like they are 2!

They are WONDERFUL dogs - both breeds!

If I were to choose a color I would choose a black lab or a chocolate lab (chocolate perferably).

Good Luck

Answer 5

Hi I hope I can help!
Both Labs and golden have a similar temperament. Lab tend to be a bit more hyper than Golden's but not by much. They both shed so that is well know. Both need training.
Golden's tend to calm down at an earlier age than Labs. Golden's will be puppy like until about 18 months of age and then will be very responsive to their owners. Golden's do not reach full Maturity until almost 2 1/2 years old too. They need obedience training from puppy hood. so do Labs. Golden's can be bigger than Labs depending on the lines you get the Lab from.
Golden's tend to be more uniform in the size and conformation. If you get one from a very good breeder and not from Mr. Jones down the street!
Golden's love to play and swim, fetch, even do agility. They are very intelligent, and very loyal to their families. They do not make good guard dogs but will alert you to a stranger coming into your property by barking. Golden's will usually be very well mannered around other dogs too, training is a factor here.
Golden's do come in different colors from a very dark gold/red to a very light cream color.
Labs come in only 3 different colors, Black, chocolate, and yellow. Intelligence is not color realted in either of these beautiful dog breeds. That's were good breeding comes into play. With Labs I perfer the chocolate color. That's just me.
I can only tell you more about Golden's. I have been a former breeder of these dogs for over 20+ years and currently own 3 here with me. If my avatar was working you could see one of my Boys! I have owned Goldens for over 30 years.
Hope this helps!

Answer 6

I have a golden retriever....all dogs shed but i would guess that with a lab you wont notice it as much. If you go to the akc website, they'll tell you all about the breed. My golden likes to play...they are puppies until they are usually 2 or 3 years old...maybe even longer. I like yellow labs but thats just because i dont like the black color.....I always had goldens....just something about them. I have a friend who owns a yellow lab...loves him dearly as well. They are good with kids..if treated nicely. They want to be with you all the time...putting them in the yard does not work...they are miserable when left alone to long.
Good luck with whatever you choose...you cant go wrong with either breed....

Answer 7

Golden Retrievers are gentle and great family dogs. Smart too. The lab is going to be a spaz for 2-3 years, maybe longer.

Personally I like black labs. the sheen on their coat in the sunshine is breathtaking. Yes, both are going to play, goldens or labs. The lab though will be gung-ho for the next 12-14 years.

The main difference you are going to see is the fur. They both shed profusely, but the lab is going to be easier to vacuum up. The golden is long hair and you have to sweep and dustpan it.

Answer 8

I actually have not only a golden but also a black lab mix (Sheppard). Yeah the personalities are very similar. They both spaz readily are very loving and are relatively smart. My Lab is smarter probably because he's first gen mix. Generally labs and Golden's are very similar intellectually. Golden's tend to become a little more relaxed as they age and are very well known for being trained to be visitor dogs (visiting hospitals and nursing facilities). They are very family friendly dogs. They are both large working dogs and require a lot of exercise and attention in the form of love. Labs can be a bit more destructive when they are stressed or not receiving proper attention and care. The labs shed more but don't stink as badly as a golden does. I like my labs coloring.

Answer 9

Labador Retriever Colour; black, yellow and chocolate.
kindly, outgoing, tractable nature; eager to please and non-aggressive towards man or animal.

Golden Retriever-Rich, lustrous golden of various shades.
Friendly, reliable, and trustworthy.

Please consider adopting from a shelter or pound.

We have a beautiful labrador x Golden retriver, but made the mistake of buying her from petstore that breeds there own pets. She had operation to replace her crucel ligament when she 2 1/2yrs and has arthritis in both rears legs since 2 1/2yrs. She would have failed the RSpca Behaviour test as a family dog. She is just too excitable and tends to bite far too rough when she plays

Answer 10

All retrievers are pretty happy go lucky. Personally I like my flat coat retriever the best. He is bouncy without being too high strung. He can love on my without pawing me to death. He was much more receptive to training.

As far as looks I do thing both black and yellow can look great it really depends on the genetics in their line. Labs are so overbred that there are way too many bad breeders out there and you really don't know what you are going to get. Chocolate is much prettier than either.