Winter pics of Oz at the park today...

Thanks k9soul! Lots of more good info. I'm really drawn to that cuddly part. Murph and Oz really aren't. That's the thing I miss most about Maddie. Oz is a follower and likes to be near and keep track of you, but he won't lay right next to you for long periods being scratched or petted.

With all that Golden enthusiam, did ya'll have issues with leash pulling? How about being easily distracted? That's a huge reason why I think Oz has been so easy to train. He's very focused on me and not on a mission to see who he can go visit next. He loves people and other animals, but when I'm interacting with him, I've got his undivided attention. I've got this vision of me chasing my Golden around the training center as he goes to meet and greet everybody. ;)

How about doggy odor, in comparison to Collies?

Par...

Tommy has been bad at leash pulling, but he was not worked with when he was a puppy before I got him. He learns so quickly and tries so hard though to do what I want. I think if I had had him from a baby, he'd be a lot better with the leash. I once knew a golden that looked a LOT like Tommy, named Cody. He was beautifully trained to walk at a heal without the owner even holding his leash at all. There is a leash law in town of course though, so he did wear a leash, but he held the leash himself! She'd take him for walks, and he'd trot along happily at her side holding his own leash. It was the cutest thing!

Doggie odor I don't notice being any worse/better than my rough collies. I didn't think either the collies or Tommy has a particularly strong odor. When I gave the dogs a bath, I actually noticed more smell with Tasha, but then she tends to be bad about rolling in stuff, more than Tommy. Also her coat has more tendency to be oily than Tommy's.

I think they tend to be fairly easily distractable, but it's also easy to grab their attention back, and train them to be focused on you too. The fact goldens are used widely as service and guide dogs should probably attest to that. I think distractibility can go both ways as a pro or con. If Tommy takes off after a rabbit, it's easy for me to say "Tommy!!" and grab his attention back. It can work in reverse too though :p. It probably really has a lot to do with how much time is spent training and teaching, which I don't spend enough I readily admit. When I do though, I'm always impressed with his quick learning and happiness while doing so

Sometimes it can be funny watching Tommy's distractibility at work. Jogging happily with a ball or toy and suddenly seeing another, then watching him stop and try to decide which toy he wants, sometimes trying to grab both. He has this kind of rubber, three-lobed toy that's easy to carry and tug, and he figured out how to push it down onto one of his balls so that the ball gets trapped inside and he can carry both toys that way... LOL. This is a picture of him holding it (without the ball in the middle).

http://www.doordolt.com/~jfrank/Dogs3/tommytoy.jpg

If you like a cuddler I can almost guarantee a golden will make you more than happy in that area :D.

Hmm, trying to think of anything else that might be of interest. Maybe Julie will think of something I haven't thought of. If I do think of something else or if you think of more questions, I'd be more than happy to share what I know or have experienced :)

Daisy's the first Golden I've had also. From what I've noticed, she isn't really as "clingy" as some of the other ones I've met, but she has her moments when she's just a big cuddle bug. :D When she was a young pup, she used to ALWAYS want to be with you, whatever you were doing. But, I think since she's matured a little, she became more independant. :)

Molly doesn't have a body odor. She could go for months without a bath, and not smell at all. But I give her one anyway, because I like a clean dog. :p Daisy doesn't have one either.

Oh yes, and ear cleaning for goldens is a MUST. Since they have those "low to the ground, droopy" ears, bacteria can get in them and cause bad ear infections, which they're prone too.

Another thing is TENNIS BALL OBSESSION. I can probably sit at the most for 5 minutes, without her bringing up a tennis ball, or something; anything; to throw and go fetch. Even when she's outside in the backyard, she plays fetch with herself. She kicks the ball around with her paws, brings it back, and does it again.

As you also may know, they're very smart and easy to train. Daisy heels perfectly. She speeds up when I do, slows down when I do, and sits beside me when I stop walking/running. I could leave her out in the front, put her in the sit/stay position without a leash, walk away for a while, and she'd still be there. Of course, I won't try it out unless I have to. :p One of the reasons why I love them--their eagerness to please.

Daisy isn't vocal at all. She doesn't even growl/bark when her and Molly play. Molly takes care of that. :rolleyes: She's just a quiet, little girl.

You call those WINTER pics? ;) I'm sick of the cold, want to trade? :p

Very very beautiful...I just LOVE Oz's markings and those gorgeous eyes! Murph looks just adorable too!

Thanks again for all the info k9soul and goldenretrluver!
You guys are just a well of info. Lets me get a real good
feel for life with a golden. k9soul, that pic alone makes
me wanna go out and get one. What a character! :)

hey wolfq!

Well it's been rainy, gray and dreary the last two days, but at
least it's not cold I guess. So no trade.:)

Par...

Wow! Now you guys are making me think about getting a golden. I am constantly thinking about getting another dog but I just can't seem to make up my mind. I would love to have a playmate for Katie but I worry about her being an alpha dog which she definitely is and finding another dog that is a bit more submissive. I am constantly looking at the other breeds and trying to figure out what breed's personality would work best with Katie's. The more I'm thinking about what you guys have written and remembering back when Jordan the Golden came to visit with Katie I'm thinking a golden might be it. Jordan did seem to play with Katie well and also did seem to be a bit submissive when Katie wanted her way. Also I did notice that Jordan loved attention and did seem to want to follow us everywhere and was happiest when he was being petted and given attention. I will be giving this a lot of thought. I was thinking about a collie but now I'm leaning more towards a golden. I appreciate any advice or opinions.

Robin :)

Here are some pics of Katie and Jordan:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...4/faa747f3.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...c/faa74800.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...e/faa70a53.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...b/faa70a91.jpg

*Grins* I must warn you...goldens are very addictive. As people who love them say, "Golden Retrievers are like Potatoe Chips. You can't have just one". ;)

Molly is the alpha dog between the two of them. Daisy is submissive with her, and other dogs. Since Katie would be the "first" dog, and it's still her home and turf, I would assume she would still be Alpha. Goldens are layed back, submissive dogs, so I don't think that would be a problem. :)

But, honesty; they are not for everybody. Be sure to do research first!

Hm...with all this talk about Goldens, I think it is time for more Daisy pics. ;):p

I love my golden boy!! :D Tasha is the alpha here too. Tommy is perfectly happy with her having the leading role between the two. He's never shown the slightest sign of aggression towards any dog or person at all. I'd say they are probably one of the best breeds at getting along well with others, either human or other furkids.

Those pictures of Jordan and Katie are so sweet :) Jordan reminds me of Tommy too.

I actually think collies and goldens have some personality similarities, but my experience has been that goldens are more into cuddling (I know at least Tommy is, that boy can't get enough of cuddles). Both love to please and to learn. My collies learned so quickly, and so does Tommy. Rough collies definitely take more grooming, and heaven forbid they run through a cocklebur patch LOL. I have actually had that happen with my collies. :o. Collies aren't really very territorial but goldens are even less so. I think goldens are generally a bit more emotionally stable than collies overall. My Cody was pretty stable but Willie was very sensitive and easily upset by any change in routine. He was also ultra sensitive to my moods.

I really love both breeds, but if I were going to pick one or the other to add with an alpha, I would probably lean towards a golden.

Like Julie said, they are addictive! :)

Quote:

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Originally posted by K9soul
I actually think collies and goldens have some personality similarities, but my experience has been that goldens are more into cuddling (I know at least Tommy is, that boy can't get enough of cuddles). Both love to please and to learn. My collies learned so quickly, and so does Tommy. Rough collies definitely take more grooming, and heaven forbid they run through a cocklebur patch LOL. I have actually had that happen with my collies. :o. Collies aren't really very territorial but goldens are even less so. I think goldens are generally a bit more emotionally stable than collies overall. My Cody was pretty stable but Willie was very sensitive and easily upset by any change in routine. He was also ultra sensitive to my moods.

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Mine are the opposite! LOL! :p
Like I said, Daisy has her moments when all she wants to do is cuddle with you, but Molly looooves to just snuggle with you on the couch, and lay in your lap. Of course, she doesn't understand she's a 70 pound beast with hair. ;)
Molly's also very sensitive. She's been shy since we first picked her up at around 5 months old, but she's made dramatic improvements. :) When we first went to the breeder's house, (who by the way, sucked :mad: ) Molly was kept in a little metal cage with concrete, with a dog house in it. She wouldn't want to come any closer, and everytime we tryed to pet her, she flinced and went to the corner. :( Of course, we couldn't leave her there...knowing what her breeder did her then, or in the past. So, she came home with us. :D She also gets very, very, anxious if Daisy isn't in the room with her, or she's left alone somewhere. I was training with her today out in the back, and Molly was crying, barking, whimpering, and jumping on the glass door.
But, I agree personality is very similar.

Anyway...sorry for blabbing. :p

Brooke,
I'll try to get some new ones up of both of them this weekened. I've had Finals this week, so I haven't had time too. :)

Yeah, yeah...excuses, excuses, JuJuBa. :p;)

Quote:

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Originally posted by Moose
Yeah, yeah...excuses, excuses, JuJuBa. :p;)

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JuJuBa? Is that my new nickname? :p I don't even want to know where you got that one from...;)

I don't know...lol.

I was going to put JuBa...but saying JuJuBa was more fun. :p

I don't know where I got it from...I think I was going to say JuJuBean and stopped short...I must've been too lazy. :o

Tommy was an abused/neglected rescue, so maybe that is partly why he's so particularly cuddly and attached to us, though my husband has a friend with a female golden named Bailey, and he says when he goes over there for parties and such she is a lot like Tommy with how she wants to cuddle so much. :D

Cody was the most cuddly of my two collies, especially as he got older. Willie always wanted to be close and had his cuddling moods but not as much as Cody. On the other hand when I took them for walks, Willie loved to trot next to me close enough that his side pressed against my leg, and if there was a thunderstorm he was in my lap :rolleyes:

Quote:

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Originally posted by Moose
I don't know...lol.

I was going to put JuBa...but saying JuJuBa was more fun. :p

I don't know where I got it from...I think I was going to say JuJuBean and stopped short...I must've been too lazy. :o

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Haha, you really are a strange one. :p