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Which is the better breed: Labrador or

Golden Retriever?

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Art Abshire (Cage to Friends)

Raised, rescued and trained Golden Retrievers since
1998. · Author has 3.8K answers and 5.6M answer
views · Updated 2y

So which is better, a golden retriever or

Related
Labrador retriever?
Neither is better than the other!

Despite sharing the word “Retriever” these two are very

different and totally unrelated breeds. Having raised,
trained, and lived with both breeds over 60 years, I
have a rather firm base for comparison.

You can find countless narratives on the postive

descriptions, traits and reasons to possibly acquire
each breed. So I'm not going to bother.

However…

Here are some negative only (for me anyway)

observations regarding the two breeds that might help
in you deciding on your own.

(Note: there are ALWAYS exceptions).

LABS…

Labs are very energetic, even frenetic, far into

their adult years. Outdoors, this can be fun,
entertaining, and even useful to some. Indoors
or in a crowd it's more like an old Disney film,
but usually without a laugh track. Even when
trained not to jump or charge they can still
easily bowl over (and drag) end tables,
strollers, senior walkers, high chairs, Christmas
trees, picnics, entire birthday parties, babies,
toddlers, elderly, injured, infirmed, ill or merely
distracted adults...and have no idea it
happened. This is usually accomplished by
taking a flight path that slightly intersects that
of something or someone else. These
unintended Aikido skills can be distracting,
alarming, expensive and even dangerous
under the wrong circumstances. Labs are born
like this and have to be trained to be calm
when something suddenly catches their
attention or if they're just in a happy mood.

By the time Labs are 6 months months old that

thick muscle-filled tail (designed to steer and
propel it through water) becomes a freaking
softball bat indoors, around tools, antique
furniture, precious breakables and upon the
backs of your legs, side of your arthritic knees
and across your napping face. You may find
items of art or sentimental value being stored
in rental sheds for years at a time. I'll only
allude to the cacophony of Japanese drum
percussion they produce wagging against
doors, hollow walls, fridge, cabinets, couch
arms, Nana’s wheelchair and night stands at
0500 hrs.

Labs chew…a lot…and anything…up to three

years of age if not taught firmly what they can
masticate, and keep those items readily
available at all times. Tennis balls can be a
mental and material lifesaver…if you can ignore
being nudged eternally in the leg with soggy
velvet covered spheres.

GOLDENS…

Goldens require daily, at least weekly,

grooming. Unless they've gotten into mud,
skunks, or burrs, this is nothing more than
running a grooming rake with attention to the
base of their ears, haunches, tail, under the tail
and their feathers to prevent matting. Unlike
Labs, Goldens have a dense undercoat that
blows out at least twice a year with the
weather. If you deal with this yourself you'll
find, after an hour or so, that your Golden has
produced a whole other dog volume worth of
itself in potential pillow fill. I'd strongly advise
doing blow out grooming outside, in the open,
in the shade (you do NOT want to sweat,
unless you enjoy the Ewok look), on a windy
day, and facing UP-wind!

I cant stress enough that Goldens are bred to

be human bonded dogs (i.e. preferring humans
to canines). Thus, they do not handle being
chained, fenced or even left alone for great
periods of time very well. I've spy-filmed mine
when left alone all day and they mope… all -
day - long. So you may need to “care” them
out at a quality doggy daycare or have
someone you trust to dog sit if you'll be gone
longer than a normal work or school day. They
don't mope quite so bad, or act out, if they
have another animal companion.

Goldens retrieve…the weirdest things, at the

oddest of times (usually while I'm napping on
the coach or have gone to bed). I've had them
lay out before me (completely whole and
unmarred) wild baby bunnies, whole intact
giant slices of pizza, wild baby ducks, paint-
filled house brushes, toilet plungers, loaves of
bread, my mother in law’s intimates, a visitor's
bag of weed, and a law enforcement officer's
back up weapon. ALL in the most incredible
state of sogginess.

Golden have a long broad feathered tail that

gets stepped upon, slipped upon, caught in
cabinets, fridge and bedroom doors,
vacuumed up with dog still attached. This
invariably induces a startled response from a
muscular 75 pound dog that can literally lift
you off your feet during said response.

Goldens make rather large, lumpy, and ever

present toilet and kitchen sink rugs while you
are in attendance.

Goldens never grow out of the desire and need

for a woobie…and never has too many of them.

BOTH BREEDS...

The biggest negative with both breeds is that

they burrow derp into your heart but don't
bother to live forever. To make things more
difficult, they both gradually go grey, then
white, in the face, thus portending to you daily
(after 8–10 years) a hard, emotional - and
sometimes devastating - hole in your life
ahead.

(EDITING NOTE: I had an enormous amount of difficulty

writing this on my phone as it kept disappearing, thus
needing to be put in edit mode several times to
complete. I apologize to any who were viewing it in the
fetal stages.)

Edit II - Thanks for all your wonderful comments. Due to

our age and health, TJ (pictured below) is/was our last
Retriever (a Golden) who gave us over 14 incredible
years of pure friendship, loyalty, laughter, memories
and love. That was the morning of our last day together.
Our vet made a special visit out to our home to keep
him as comfortable and his passing as sweet and
peaceful as could ever be asked. We are so thankful for
all our canine kids that graced our long lives with their
all too short ones. We hope they felt the same, though
they would have shown their same love and devotion
for us regardless. We tried to always be good stewards.

Holly (field trial champion), TJ (6 mos old) and Danny

(multi champion show dog) taking a break during open
field training.

TJ with a goodbye kiss for Dad. His last day was an

exceptionally special and memorable one with just
enough energy to get about a bit and enjoy both the
weather outside and his loving family one last time.

My best boy.
133.4K views · View upvotes · View 15 shares

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Originally Answered: What is the better breed: Labrador or Golden
Retriever?

I guess both breeds are great.

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