Are Golden Retrievers Good for First-Time Owners? The Honest Answer

The Golden Retriever is the dog people picture when they picture a family dog: patient, soft, eager, clever, happy. Ask a trainer for a good first dog and it is on the shortlist every time. Most of the reputation is earned. Here is the rest of it.

What makes them a good first dog

• Temperament. Gentle, social, biddable, and famously good with children and other dogs. A Golden wants to be on your team, and forgives a beginner's mistakes.
• Trainability. Food-motivated, people-motivated and quick. Recall, sit, loose lead, settle: all achievable by someone who has never trained a dog, with a class and some patience.
• Predictability. A well-bred Golden is a known quantity. Few surprises in temperament, which matters a lot for a first dog.

What makes them a hard first dog

• Company. Bred to work beside a person all day. Goldens cope badly with being left, and separation problems are among the most common reasons they are given up.
• Energy. A working retriever underneath the soft coat. An adult needs one and a half to two hours of exercise a day plus something for the brain, for twelve years. A bored Golden chews, digs, barks and pulls.
• The coat. A double coat that sheds all year, blows out twice, mats behind the ears and in the trousers, and needs brushing several times a week. On everything you own.
• Size and enthusiasm. Thirty kilos of joy launched at visitors. Jumping and pulling need teaching early.
• Health. Hips, elbows, allergies, ear infections, hypothyroidism, and one of the highest cancer rates of any breed; around six in ten Goldens die of it. Insurance is not optional.
• Softness. Goldens take harsh handling badly and remember it. A first-time owner who reaches for corrections gets a dog who shuts down.

Show type or working type

The heavier, paler, calmer show type; the leaner, redder, quicker working type with more drive. Both are Goldens. Ask which lines you are looking at and be honest about your energy.

The questions to ask yourself

Is someone home most of the day, or can you arrange company? Do you enjoy an hour or more of walking every day, in every weather? Will you brush a dog several times a week for twelve years? Can you live with hair on everything? Can you afford good insurance for a breed that meets the vet?

Five yeses and a Golden could be the best first dog there is. Two noes and you will both be happier with a different breed.

If you go ahead

Buy from a breeder who health-tests: hip and elbow scores, clear eye tests and a heart check. Or adopt an adult whose temperament you can see. Insure before the first vet visit. Read the first thirty days before the puppy comes home, and the alone-time guide before you need it.