Top 8 Essential Facts About the Goldador Retriever
Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers are two of the most popular pet breeds today. What happens when you cross them, however? Aren’t these two breeds related anyway? Does the Goldador cross retain its parents’ properties and does it work as a family pet? To find out, let’s go over the 8 most important things to know about the Goldador Retriever.
What to keep in mind about the Goldador
For many people, Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers are basically the same dog, just with different hair, just like long-haired dachshunds and short-haired dachshunds. If that was the case, does their cross really need a different name? Isn’t it just a “medium-haired Retriever”?
Not at all. For starters, Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers are two completely separate dog breeds, originating from different parts of the US. They are both called “retrievers” because that’s the profession they were tasked with on the field, not because it’s a family name of sorts. The fact that the two dogs share quite a few physical and behavioral features is simply a function of them being bred for the same type of work.
So, just like the Labrador and Golden Retriever breeds are different from one another, the Goldador Retriever is a separate crossbreed as well. Let’s go over its main characteristics below.
1. If you want a calmer Labrador Retriever, the Goldador is just that
The main – or pretty much only - behavioral difference between the Golden and Labrador Retrievers is that Goldies have a calmer and more relaxed personality while Labs are much more boisterous and energetic. So, if you have a strong preference for one or the other, it’d be better to just go for that purebred dog.
However, in regards to the Goldador, these two behavioral traits combine pretty well to form a crossbreed that’s energetic when it’s time to go out and calm and tranquil at home. Of course, some Goldadors can be more active like their Lab parents or more laid back like a Goldie. In either case, however, they work beautifully as a family pet and you can usually tell which way a Goldador is going to lean by looking at the pup’s behavior in the litter.
2. These dogs are as social and outgoing as their parents
If you want a dog that won’t bark at your guests or be aggressive toward strangers on the streets and other dogs in the park, the Goldador is a good choice. Do keep in mind that this doesn’t mean that you can skip the socialization step of your pup’s upbringing. Getting a Goldador pup used to seeing other people and dogs early on is still important.
However, such straightforward socialization should be much easier and more effective with a Goldador than with various other dog breeds. As long as you go through that step, you’ll get an open, outgoing, and friendly dog that happily meets new people and animals.
3. The Goldador is an excellent dog for families with children of all ages
Speaking of the Goldador’s social tendencies, these dogs are not only good with other dogs, people, and even non-canine pets, they work well with kids too. Whether you have a teenager, a pre-teen, or a toddler, a Goldador can be an excellent companion to your child.
Naturally, this doesn’t mean you should just let your baby and the dog interact freely right from the start. The two will need to be introduced properly and carefully, and supervision will be needed for quite some time. That’s true for all dog breeds, of course, as both the dog and the child need to be taught how to interact with each other.
Once that’s done, however, a Goldador is more than social, smart, and gentle enough to be a near-perfect dog for a household with children.
4. Smart and trainable, this is a true retriever breed
Naturally, as a cross of two wonderful and renowned retriever breeds, the Goldador has exemplary intelligence and an easily trainable character. These dogs have a strong instinct to please, they lack the dominant nature of many guard dog breeds, and they are more than smart enough to learn and complete the most complex of tasks with minimal effort.
Some obedience training is still required early on, of course. As with socialization, obedience training is a must for any breed anyway but it goes much more smoothly and easily with retriever breeds like the Goldador.
This high intelligence doesn’t come for free, however. Goldadors will need frequent mental stimulation and exercise in addition to the physical exercise we’ll talk about below. This means lots of interactive dog toys, lots of social playtime, as well as command training even just for the sake of keeping your dog mentally active.
5. You should still be ready for lots of time outdoors
Speaking of exercise, a Goldador will need lots of it. Even if your mix’s personality resembles that of a Golden Retriever and is pretty calm overall, about 2 hours of outdoor exercise time are still a must. Ideally, that should include two separate outings, jogging to and from the dog park, and lots of playtime there.
In addition to those two hours, your dog will also need some time spent playing in a nice and fenced backyard. If you don’t have one, you’d do well to spend even more time outdoors, either playing in the dog park or jogging. Weekend hikes are also welcome as is swimming. Add some indoor playtime in the living room and you’ll get a physically and mentally fit Goldador.
6. These dogs are quite large
Fortunately, Golden and Labrador Retrievers are very similar in size. This means that the Goldador’s size is very consistent too and you always know what you’re getting. And what you’re getting is one pretty large dog. The average height at the shoulder of an adult Goldador is 22 to 24 inches (56 to 61 cm) and the average weight of a fit Goldador is 60 to 80 pounds or 27 to 36 kg.
This is well in line with other “large” dog breeds and it means that both you and your home need to be ready for such a large dog. So, if you live in a small apartment or your home is overly cluttered and has tightly arranged furniture, it won’t be comfortable for a Goldador.
7. The exact coat type of the Goldador can vary but there will be lots of shedding either way
Labs and Goldies have different coats – one is short, the other is relatively long. Both are double-coated, however, and both shed a lot. So, you can very much expect a Goldaldor to shed a lot too, regardless of whether it has a longer or shorter coat. This means that daily brushing is recommended to minimize shedding, especially around spring and autumn when dogs blow their coats.
A monthly or bi-monthly bath is also a must, depending on how dirty your dog gets outside. Chew toys and/or toothbrushing is important as well, as is ear and eye cleanliness. One thing that may be less necessary than it is with other breeds is nail clipping as a Goldador should spend so much time outside that its nails file naturally while running around.
All these grooming issues aside, a Goldador’s coat should be soft and pleasant to the touch, and it can be yellow, goldish, reddish-gold, brown, or black.
8. When bred properly, these dogs ought to be quite healthy
Both Labs and Goldies are pretty healthy breeds despite their popularity thanks to responsible breeding. Puppy mills and pet stores are still a factor, however, and they continue to contribute to the spreading of dogs with back hereditarily-passed diseases.
So, when buying or adopting a Goldador puppy, it’s important to make sure that it comes from good stock. This alone can make sure that your dog lives a long and happy life of 12 to 14 or even more years. Of course, good care, quality food, and ample exercise are still crucial. Get a healthy pup and care for it well and you should easily avoid the most common health retriever health problems such as:
All in all, the Goldador Retriever is a true heir to its two famous parents. Carrying on a lot of the fantastic qualities of both Labrador and Golden Retrievers, the Goldador is just as good a family pet as they are. It is less common to see a Goldador as a gun dog on the field because it’s not considered a “purebred dog”, there’s nothing that’d make the Goldador a bad pet by any estimate.
The only things to note when getting a Goldador are whether the dog is properly bred and what type of coat it has. And, of course, the always-important question of whether you’re ready for such an energetic, interactive, and physically active pet.
