black lab/golden retriever mix puppy (labs, training, adopt, chew) - Dogs - - City-Data Forum

dkash · 12-12-2013, 10:39 PM

I'm about to adopt a black lab/golden retriever mix puppy and I was hoping I can get some feedback in terms of personality, size, and temperament. Only 3 puppies left, 2 boys and one girl. One of the boys is more shy, and the other is more playful. These puppies have the long hair of golden retriever and the face of a lab. As of now I'm not sure which one to get. What I care the most is for the dog to be happy. Thus I'm trying to see which one of these puppies is a better fit given my life style and schedule so that the dog would be happy and have the right environment. Your feedback and suggestions would be greatly appreciated

TheotherMarie · 12-12-2013, 11:03 PM

In 2002, we adopted the same mix. He ended up looking like a black golden retriever, a very handsome dog.
He was a puppy until he was about 3, and then he settled down a little bit. He was just full of energy until he was about 8. We walked him twice a day, and played ball in the backyard a lot.
He ended up being a big, very tall, leggy, muscly dog, and he stayed around 120 lbs for most of his life. Strong, strong dog.
When he was a pup, he was very shy, and he bonded first with our other dog. He didn't really bond with us until he was about 5.
In order for your dog to be happy, he or she will need a lot of exercise.
They are very much "people" dogs. Our wanted to be with us all the time.
He learned quickly, and was our gentle giant. Loved people, especially kids.

dkash · 12-12-2013, 11:55 PM

Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate your feedback. I wouldn't think they would grow up to be that big. Based on your feedback, I'm wondering if the playful puppy is going to be more hyper and have more energy than the shy one. With my work schedule, walking 2 times even 3 is going to be ok. I'm Just worried if the dog is going to require more walks than that or more exercise. I'm thinking adopting the girl might be a good idea since generally speaking female dogs are smaller than males And I'm assuming they might be less hyper, no?

gizmo980 · 12-13-2013, 12:01 AM

How shy is the shy one? If he's the skittish and nervous type, I'd be more inclined to take the playful one - as those other traits might turn into fear-aggression, or lack of bonding with his human. If he's just more reserved but still engages with you (seems interested in your face/voice, follows you, etc), then I would go for him.

When I adopted my dog at the pound, he was in a litter with two girls... one girl was skittish and uninterested in me, the other was TOO playful, and the boy was quiet/shy but sat on my lap with loving looks. I chose him, and for 8 years now he's been a wonderful companion. He does have aggression issues with large dogs & puppies, but aside from that has been fairly trouble-free. Of course, I cannot assess your potential puppy's personality over the Internet, so hopefully my sharing this story helps a little. Good luck!

P.S. If and when you do get the puppy, I hope you know it's a requirement to post photos here.

TinaMcG · 12-13-2013, 07:18 AM

We have that mix and she is a spectacular dog! We had her breed DNA tested, and she came up lab and Golden mix, with a number of other breeds way back in her lineage. We strongly suspect the girl we had before was also a black lab and Golden mix because our Karma is the spitting image.

How the puppy turns out in terms of temperament and personality can have something to do with genetics, but I would argue that it has more to do with you. I have always maintained that love is the best training tool and the biggest influence on a dog's development. Sure, training and setting boundaries are extremely important, but consistent love and an acceptance of who your dog is are key.

Our Karma came ot us as a 7-month old pup who was picked up as a stray in SE Kansas farm country. She was a crazy and playful puppy who chewed things, got into trouble and wasn't housetrained. That was a year ago. She has grown into SUCH a lovely young lady, so loving, loyal and cuddly. I don't think we could love her more than we do.

You don't say how old the puppies are; I assume theyr'e very young, right? Frankly, I think this is such a solid and wonderful mix that any one of the pups would be a great choice. And Gizmo is right -- it's the law that you must post photos!!

willow wind · 12-13-2013, 08:16 AM

The puppies will grow to be either the size of the father or the size of the mother. They generally don't meet in the middle. Without knowing that who knows how big they will be. Look at the parents, it should give you an idea.

For the average pet owner, it's usually best to pick the middle of the road puppy temperament wise. The in-your-face, jumping all over the place puppy is often a very energetic handful as an adult. The shy puppy may still be shy as an adult. Shyness has nothing to do with energy so may still be very active as an adult. The puppy who is interested in you, will follow you around, who can sit still for petting and likes to cuddle, but not wild and crazy and pushy is often the best choice.

As far as what fits your lifestyle, you're picking a dog from a working/gun dog background. They are designed to be pretty active dogs with a long puppyhood and adolescence. If you want a couch potato, this may not be it or at least not until very, very much middle aged.

Questions, how long will your walks be- 15 minutes, 45 minutes, etc. Do you have someplace the dog can run off leash daily under supervision, like a securely fenced yard or a dog park ? This is because just leash walking may not be enough. For many breeds, a half hour stroll is just a warm up. The dog needs to get up to speed and run . Not so much with a wee,tiny puppy, but as the dog grows, it's energy needs greatly increase.

This is especially true if the dog is going to spend a lot of time crated or otherwise closely confined during the day. Puppy is going to have tons of pent up energy that needs to be worked off. If you don't exercise the dog, the dog will exercise itself by bouncing off the walls and over the furniture, etc.

As far as which sex to choose, it doesn't matter, except that, yes, a female may be slightly smaller than the males. The sex of the dog has nothing to do with energy level or loveability.

Good luck with your new puppy.

dkash · 12-13-2013, 09:51 AM

I really appreciate all of your feedbacks and replies. This is the picture I took last night. It's not a great one but I'll post more. I'm still not sure which puppy to adapt but your replies and feedback are very helpful and I thank all of you for that

dkash · 12-13-2013, 09:54 AM

How do I post pics taken by my phone?

dkash · 12-13-2013, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willow wind

The puppies will grow to be either the size of the father or the size of the mother. They generally don't meet in the middle. Without knowing that who knows how big they will be. Look at the parents, it should give you an idea.

For the average pet owner, it's usually best to pick the middle of the road puppy temperament wise. The in-your-face, jumping all over the place puppy is often a very energetic handful as an adult. The shy puppy may still be shy as an adult. Shyness has nothing to do with energy so may still be very active as an adult. The puppy who is interested in you, will follow you around, who can sit still for petting and likes to cuddle, but not wild and crazy and pushy is often the best choice.

As far as what fits your lifestyle, you're picking a dog from a working/gun dog background. They are designed to be pretty active dogs with a long puppyhood and adolescence. If you want a couch potato, this may not be it or at least not until very, very much middle aged.

Questions, how long will your walks be- 15 minutes, 45 minutes, etc. Do you have someplace the dog can run off leash daily under supervision, like a securely fenced yard or a dog park ? This is because just leash walking may not be enough. For many breeds, a half hour stroll is just a warm up. The dog needs to get up to speed and run . Not so much with a wee,tiny puppy, but as the dog grows, it's energy needs greatly increase.

This is especially true if the dog is going to spend a lot of time crated or otherwise closely confined during the day. Puppy is going to have tons of pent up energy that needs to be worked off. If you don't exercise the dog, the dog will exercise itself by bouncing off the walls and over the furniture, etc.

As far as which sex to choose, it doesn't matter, except that, yes, a female may be slightly smaller than the males. The sex of the dog has nothing to do with energy level or loveability.

Good luck with your new puppy.

I go running almost every day and there is a park very close by to where I live. So our walks are going to be about 40 min. I also go hiking (modest slope trails) so that's another plus for this dog. Since I live in LA I go to the beach at least once a week when the weather warms up a lil and since golden retrievers and labs love going in the water, I assume this mix will also follow the same trait. I'm willing to get him/her a trainer when he/she becomes about 5 months old so that he doesn't develop bad habits and for me to learn more. .. These puppies are about 6 weeks old. ... another thing is that their paws are not too big so I'm assuming it is less likely for them to grow up to be more than 80 lbs. The lady said they will be about 50 lbs but I find that very hard to believe, no?

jaypee · 12-13-2013, 10:40 AM

I adopted a shy runt girl and she turned out to be quiet, docile, and very patient with kids if that's the temperament you want. She did have her wild puppy moments until about 2-3 years old. She grew up to be ~65 lbs .. probably should be at 60lbs.

Her sister was an active puppy and was adopted by another family nearby so I was able to see the differences -- she was more athletic, gregarious, and alot more vocal about everything.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.