# What is the personality and temperament of the average golden? what is yours like?



## itried (Jan 6, 2013)

The majority of goldens I know personality wise are very sweet, loving, and huge goof balls. As for obedience, they are very eager to learn and intelligent. As for the goldens being number 3 on the list of biters it is probably due to bad breeding because the dog is so popular. It also depends on how well the dog was trained, you can have the sweetest dog in the world but it all depends on how the owner trains them. Most goldens that come from a reputable breeder will be very sweet, loving, and obedient if trained correctly.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Average? I don't know. There are a lot of carelessly bred dogs out there.

What is the personality _supposed_ to be? Outgoing, stable, loyal, friendly, and intelligent, and that holds true with amazing consistency among properly bred Goldens.

As far as being on this or that biters list, I don't know if that has to do with the popularity of the breed, the temperament changes that come along with careless breeding, the natural mouthiness of retrievers, or the fact that people let children absolutely abuse Goldens because they think they're bombproof dogs.

They're certainly mouthy as puppies and adolescents—and that seems to persist to adulthood if you don't teach them what's appropriate to mouth and what's not. But all the Goldens I've known, even most of the badly bred ones, have been very, very slow to bite and very inhibited (i.e., using the minimum force necessary to get the thing they're afraid of to stop happening) when they finally do.


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## Nairb (Feb 25, 2012)

I've yet to see this "list" showing Goldens as the #3 biter. A co-worker told me they were #2. Haven't seen that one either. 


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## itried (Jan 6, 2013)

Nairb said:


> I've yet to see this "list" showing Goldens as the #3 biter. A co-worker told me they were #2. Haven't seen that one either.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


I remember it being mentioned on an episode of dogs 101 featuring Golden Retrievers, but I also tried looking it up online and have yet to find any list with them on it.


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## Nairb (Feb 25, 2012)

kikisdeliveryservice said:


> I remember it being mentioned on an episode of dogs 101 featuring Golden Retrievers, but I also tried looking it up online and have yet to find any list with them on it.


I've looked for it too. All I find are lists with pits, Rotts, wolf hybrids, and GSDs at the top. 


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## itried (Jan 6, 2013)

Nairb said:


> I've looked for it too. All I find are lists with pits, Rotts, wolf hybrids, and GSDs at the top.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


Found it, it was mentioned in the video by animal planet on golden retrievers
Dogs 101: Golden Retriever : Video : Animal Planet


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## Gwen_Dandridge (Jul 14, 2012)

So what list is this being taken from and who is the group that asked for it? Is this data from vets or data from local authorities in a specific area? 

I was once told that cocker spaniels were the most likely of the breeds to bite. I then researched that and found out it was a myth put forward by pit bull owners. 

I did actually research a bunch further then that and did multiple data tallies. What was interesting was that different studies focus on different issues, bite by the numbers, bite by severity, where different breeds bit.

Pitbull went for the back of the neck. Labs, I believe, went for the face. I would have to relook, as it was a couple of years ago. A survey of Vets I checked named rottweillers first as mostly likely to bite. Oh, and, some American Bred Cockers do/did tend to bite in after the 1950's.


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## Maddie'sMom2011 (Apr 26, 2011)

Maddie's on my feet right now.


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## Nairb (Feb 25, 2012)

If the cocker next door is representative of the breed, it wouldn't surprise me if they were high on the list. 

While I'm sure there are some out there, I've never personally been around an aggressive Golden. I've been around several that are were extremely mellow. One in particular about a year ago....a two year old female who works as a therapy dog in her owner's pediatric practice. At the time, I was undecided on the breed of dog I wanted. My decision was made after meeting that dog. 


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

hmmmm, I think this explains EVERYTHING:

Guilty Face Dog - YouTube


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## Iampuresol (Dec 1, 2008)

Nairb said:


> I've yet to see this "list" showing Goldens as the #3 biter. A co-worker told me they were #2. Haven't seen that one either.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


I heard it on dogs 101 show I think it is discovery channel? I don't believe they are they just look so darn sweet.


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## Nairb (Feb 25, 2012)

Iampuresol said:


> I heard it on dogs 101 show I think it is discovery channel? I don't believe they are they just look so darn sweet.


I watched the Dogs 101 clip that was linked above. They definitely said that. You would think there would be a link somewhere to the study. I'm calling B.S. on Dogs 101. 


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

My Golden: big sweet cuddlebug, could not hurt a fly, funny, mama's boy

All of my goldens have been like that.


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## MillionsofPeaches (Oct 30, 2012)

well, we just got our dogs a little over a month ago, a puppy at 7 weeks and 9 months. OMG they are so chill. I love them and I'm nearly addicted to them. Sometimes they will get a wild hair but usually they are just laying around with me while I am doing stuff around the house or watching TV. BUT what I love is that the minute we go outside they are up for running, chasing, fetching, swimming you name it! I love that. I wanted a dog that was mellow and cuddly inside home and then athletic and ready to learn outside of the home. My two are just that. And my older one, she would be inside my skin if she could. She is so affectionate.


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## kjohnstone82 (Sep 24, 2012)

Jasper is a loveable goofball! He is the soppiest dog I have ever known, he is super friendly and LOVES kids, they are his fav as they all give him so much attention. 
As a puppy he was very bitey (through teething) but they soon learn that they cant do this and also learn what pressure they should use when playing (if that makes sense). 
I also have a cocker spaniel and in the 4 years I have had her she has never once nipped me or anyone else. Princesses dont do that


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## DisneyFan (Jun 29, 2012)

My golden was also the sweetest girl. She was so loving and gentle. 

Do you think that possibly those dogs that bite were raised in an aggressive home environment or is it just poor breeding?


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## Gwen_Dandridge (Jul 14, 2012)

I've had two goldens now. Both have been very devoted, sweet and smart.

Both of them, as puppies, seemed to made an attempt to figure out their place in the workings of the household. It's interesting to watch.

They are very trainable, need lots of exercise, like to be with people. Both of my dogs have liked children (even though I don't have any at home anymore). 

Maddie was super mouthy at first (about three months). Amber never harmed anything that was ours. She had an understanding of what was hers and what wasn't. What toys were hers, she killed, if they weren't hers, she left them alone.

They always have a pleasant expression on their faces. Amber grinned more then Maddie does. Neither dog like it if Josh and I hike apart. They both have run back and forth between us trying to keep tabs on both of us. Amber would cry.

Amber had extensive rules for life. Ball chasing: you had to throw at least two ball or it wasn't time to go get them. You had to throw the balls far enough. Three balls were preferred to retrieved (she looked like a hammerheaded shark returning with those balls).

Maddie isn't interested in balls at all: sticks are paramount, frisbees some, and birds super.


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## TheZ's (Jun 13, 2011)

The Breed Standard for the Golden Retriever specifies:
_* Temperament *_-- friendly, reliable and trustworthy. Quarrelsomeness or hostility towards other dogs or people in normal situations, or an unwarranted show of timidity or nervousness, is not in keeping with Golden Retriever character. Such actions should be penalized according to their significance.

Both our Goldens have been friendly, loving dogs. Zeke who was from field lines was very high energy, athletic, intelligent, lots of drive and very mouthy as a youngster. Zoe's a calmer, more mellow type, not mouthy, everybody's friend. She's often greeted by people saying "You're so beautiful" but she's also pretty intelligent.

I was surprised recently to find that a "dog bite" technically includes scratches that draw blood and what most people would consider mouthing if the teeth scratch the skin. With this definition it doesn't surprise me that there are supposedly a lot of bite incidents with Goldens


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## Nairb (Feb 25, 2012)

TheZ's said:


> The Breed Standard for the Golden Retriever specifies:
> _* Temperament *_-- friendly, reliable and trustworthy. Quarrelsomeness or hostility towards other dogs or people in normal situations, or an unwarranted show of timidity or nervousness, is not in keeping with Golden Retriever character. Such actions should be penalized according to their significance.
> 
> Both our Goldens have been friendly, loving dogs. Zeke who was from field lines was very high energy, athletic, intelligent, lots of drive and very mouthy as a youngster. Zoe's a calmer, more mellow type, not mouthy, everybody's friend. She's often greeted by people saying "You're so beautiful" but she's also pretty intelligent.
> ...


Could be, but I've looked at many of those statistics. None of the ones I've seen have Goldens near the top. Perhaps I'm not looking in the right place.


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## kjohnstone82 (Sep 24, 2012)

claudia m said:


> hmmmm, i think this explains everything:
> 
> guilty face dog - youtube


brilliant!!!!


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## TheZ's (Jun 13, 2011)

I'm pretty sure I have seen some sort of list of bite incidents by breeds that had Goldens near the top but as others have observed it's not very meaningful if no further information is given as to severity, adjustment for the number of dogs in each breed, source of information etc. I was surprised when I saw it but there's a lot of misleading statistical information out there on many subjects.


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## newport (Aug 8, 2011)

I adopted Lola at 11 months. She is my first Golden Lola has been nothing but sweet and very mellow tempered. Happy- non aggressive( unless you are a squirrel or a neighbor cat!). When I clip her nails- she does not like it one bit- but she lets me do it. Sometimes she will put her mouth around my arm to let me know she does not like the clippers... and I guess that is a sign of being naughty..... but NEVER has she used any force with her teeth- she only uses a soft mouth.


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## MyLady Heidi (Jan 16, 2013)

My dogs are only 6 months old, I have two sisters, one is pretty mellow yet becoming more vocal the other more of an attention hound, she always has to find things to bring you. Never leave a scrap of paper around because they will find it. Both my dogs are still submissive to other dogs, I wish they would stand up for themselves more. They are both beautiful and amazing dogs, never bit anyone beyond playing and have unique, individual personalities. If I had to choose again would I pick a golden, probably not, I perfer small dogs that you can pick up, but am I in love with these dogs, completely.

Edited I didn't mean to imply I wouldn't choose these dogs if I had to chose again now, I meant in the future, if I ever got another dog it would be a Pom, I have back problems now and lifting my two big babies is pretty hard on my back. Plus I just think Poms are so cute.


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## Nairb (Feb 25, 2012)

MyLady Heidi said:


> My dogs are only 6 months old, I have two sisters, one is pretty mellow yet becoming more vocal the other more of an attention hound, she always has to find things to bring you. Never leave a scrap of paper around because they will find it. Both my dogs are still submissive to other dogs, I wish they would stand up for themselves more. They are both beautiful and amazing dogs, never bit anyone beyond playing and have unique, individual personalities. If I had to choose again would I pick a golden, probably not, I perfer small dogs that you can pick up, but am I in love with these dogs, completely.


Just curious....if you prefer small dogs that you can pick up, what made you decide to get two Goldens?


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## MyLady Heidi (Jan 16, 2013)

I wanted ANY dogs, this was my boyfriends first choice and opportunity came knocking when my bf's mom worked with he breeder. I have never had a puppy in my life, that I got to keep, it was all I ever wanted as a child was a puppy. So when this opportunity came I jumped onboard. But I just adore Poms, one of our bartenders has two and seriously I wanted to steal the one she brought to the bar one day, I fell in love with he breed. I am more the frou frou dog type if true be told.


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## Heathhanly (Jan 10, 2013)

I've had two Goldens a neither have ever been biters. Goldens are bred to carry dead birds ( shot by hunters) in their mouths without damaging them. They have very soft mouths, one of mine would carry on egg in her mouth without breaking the shell ( or eating it). In my experience Goldens are very gentle, biddable, anxious to please and the best possible dog. They are very sociable so they are a house dog and they like lots of human company. They also like, and need walks, and respond very well to obedience training. My first Golden grew up with my four children, she was unfailingly gentle and loving with them. I have had several other breeds (beagle, cockroach spaniel, springer spaniel, poodle - cross) and give me a Golden any time - hope this helps


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## Heathhanly (Jan 10, 2013)

* see above post - cocker spaniel - not cockroach spaniel - apologies to cocker spaniel lovers


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## Tayla's Mom (Apr 20, 2012)

As a puppy Tayla took being mouthy to the extreme. Yes, I've been "bitten" and so has my husband, but it also depends on what you consider being bitten. She has never had teeth sink in, but her teeth have torn a lot of skin. She is now 14 months old and she has gotten 95% better. When excited she will sometimes use her mouth in inappropriate ways, but we work on that every day. She is exhuberant and LOVES her ball. She is rarely without it and is constantly shoving it at you to toss. She hasn't gotten to the snuggly state yet or at least she is rarely snuggly because there is always someplace she is running off to. Her sleepy snuggly time is around 2:00 in the afternoon, unfortunately I'm usually at work then. By the time she is 2 I think she will start to pace herself better and be the dog most people think of when they think of Goldens. While I wouldn't have another puppy, I would not hesitate to get another Golden. All of mine have been rescues of some sort, even Tayla who we got at 4 months.


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## MercyMom (Dec 19, 2011)

The average Golden should be very friendly and sweet natured with not a mean bone in his body. My girl Mercy is boisterous! She is hyperfriendly jumping on people, yet she is also spooked by certain things. She barks loudly like a watch dog when she is outside. She's one of the friendliest Goldens you will ever meet, but she is also tough. She is a big wonder woman! She is as strong as an ox! She had resource guarding issues when she was a younger puppy, but is over them now. She can be stubborn with commands, but she is very smart. What you said about Goldens being the number #3 biter doesn't surprise me. It is saddening though. Aggression in Goldens is becomming an epidemic. It appears that Golden Retrievers might not be the stable dogs they once were. They are terribly overbred. This is why purchasing a Golden only from a reputable breeder that carefully selects their breeding stock is important. They also need a leader they can trust and lots of exercise, mental stimulation, and affection to be happy.

I have had thoughts of getting a Newfoundland as my next dog, since they are so sweet and calm despite their size. I was reading up on them and found out that they have a lower energy level than Goldens. I pet one at a dog show recently, and he was a sweetheart. I am also considering a GSD. There are plenty of aggression problems with them, but if you find the ones bred to the SV standard from Germany, they are most likely to be more stable, reliable and predictable as well a fearless protectors. Yes, they need lots of exercise also. They are also quite friendly and affectionate, but not overly so. But knowing me, since I adore Goldens so much, I will probably still end up with another Golden.


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## Wendi (Jul 2, 2012)

It was discussed on this forum a year ago http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/golden-retrievers-main-discussion/91597-3-bite-list-3.html

I looked up the "National Bite Parade" nothing comes up. Did this guy just make it up? Every list I could find didn't even have Goldens on it.


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## Wyatt's mommy (Feb 25, 2011)

I have been around goldens for 30 years and have never come across an aggresive one. Perhaps it is because all the ones I have come across or know live in wonderful loving family homes. I believe you can make any dog aggressive if you really want to.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

No, he has never bitten me in the way you are asking. Nor has he has never growled at me or in any way ever made me feel afraid.
He has barked when cars have pulled up in our driveway or at sounds coming from the woods behind our home or at people approaching our front door.


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## Bentleysmom (Aug 11, 2012)

Bentley is a loving, goofball, drama queen. He's the comic relief in my house. He makes me laugh everyday


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## love never dies (Jul 31, 2012)

I love my golden. He was very mellow. He was very quiet. He did not bark a lot. Sometimes, I thought he never knew how to bark. He was easy to take care. He was friendly with all animals and humans. He loved humans more. He got along well with my love bird. I love him the most because mostly of his gentle temperment and personalities. I miss him forever. He stole my heart.


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## M. K. Clinton (Mar 5, 2013)

Tucker is the sweetest, most loving and patient dog ever! When he has to get medicine in his ears, he will come lay his head on my lap and let me put drops in them. He tolerated my basset Hound as a puppy, gnawing and crawling on him. He smiles, actually smiles, all the time!


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## SammyinBC (Feb 19, 2013)

Our adopted golden sammy - who didn't have much "people time" until we got him at 1 1/2 years old is an angel. We expected that we would have to do some hard work to fix a possibily 'broken' dog.

He's been just great right from the start.. from day one meeting him, he has been loving and sweet.. he follows me around like a shadow from morning to night.

I sometimes feel bad about getting out of my office chair to get a glass or water or snack. At night he sleeps at the foot of the bed, in the morning I go into my office, he follows and lays down - i get a drink or a snack from the kitchen.. he follows, lays down.. I finish getting a glass of water.. he gets up and follows me back to my office and lays down again. 

We play tug sometimes with a rubber chicken.. sometimes he gets really into it and will mistakenly bite -- but the second he feels skin or I say HEY he stops. He gets along with our cats now even. As I type this he's sleeping 2 feet away from our cat.

At the dog park.. he's much more interested in people then dogs at first. He'll spend his first few minutes going from person to person to say Hello. 

We're going into month 3 soon that we have had him. He owns both our hearts.. 

Sammy is 103 pounds now (from 107) and he's getting vet ordered walks and food recommendations. I doubt he would meet the breed standard -- He's huge. not just fat huge, but his paws and just his structure itself is quite large. Our vet would like to see him down to 90ish pounds eventually.. but still, thats big for a golden.


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## Hina (May 31, 2013)

I would describe our 10 week old puppy as Active, Excited, Playful, Friendly, Intelligent and Attention-Seeking. I used to call her "Drama Queen", but she is more like my little princess now


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## Wyatt's mommy (Feb 25, 2011)

tippykayak said:


> What is the personality _supposed_ to be? *Outgoing, stable, loyal, friendly, and intelligent,* and that holds true with amazing consistency among properly bred Goldens.


 
I already commented on goldens being aggressive. But I just wanted to comment on the fact that the above comment is every bit of my Wyatt with an added goofiness which makes me laugh daily.


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## Outbound1 (Apr 29, 2013)

I read that goldens were number 3 simply because they are so popular - there are more goldens out there, which means they are more statistically likely to top the list. Can't imagine my little angel biting anyone


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## robinrd (Oct 30, 2012)

My golden will be a year old the end of June and so far he has been a sweetheart. He gets excited when someone new comes over so we have to keep him from jumping on people, which is getting better as he's getting older, and he loves to meet new dogs too.
As far the breed being on the biting list, I also think there are a lot of ignorant owners out there too. Ive seen people let their kids do whatever they want to their dogs or cats and are not taught how to respect animals. Also, there are people who get dogs and they are left outside with not much human interaction.


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## Wyatt's mommy (Feb 25, 2011)

Maybe they were referring to the landshark phase. If so, then yes they are little biters.


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## kelsey2664 (Jun 4, 2013)

Iampuresol said:


> What is the personality and temperament of the average golden? what is yours like? Age? ever been aggressive or bitten you? I heard Goldens are number 3 on the list of bitters is that true?


My golden, Oscar, is a very happy but hyper dog which can sometimes be a problem due to his size. He's extremely playful and is always going around with a ball in his mouth! He is 5 years old and has never once even growled at me or my boyfriend. We can take his food, toys, or even something from his mouth and he never even flinches. He has an excellent temperament!


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## Jen & Brew (Oct 11, 2012)

Before getting a golden I was torn on two breeds, the GSD and the Golden, I did my research on both breeds and due to my busy active household with people and kids consistently coming in and out and a street full of kids and small dogs I decided to put a GSD on hold and go with my gut and get a Golden. I too heard that they were #3 on the bite list but after more and more reading and talking with people about goldens, I went out and got Brew. 
Brew's personality... He's a DOLL!! He's loving, snuggly, SO gentle so smart, he adores everyone, at the dog park he's a social butterfly. Some friends of ours just got a baby lab puppy, Brew LOVES her, he lay's down and lets this little monster flop all over him, he simply adores her. 
However he also has a side to him that I have to trust. There have been a couple times now where he will growl and raise his hackles at strangers and other dogs. It's like he knows that there's something not right about them and he won't have them coming near himself or any of us, and I have to trust him on it, because I know how social he is, it's like anyone can approach him, there's just that odd time that he gets a bad vibe from someone. 
So as for aggression, I haven't seen any, but what I have seen I wouldn't call aggression, I'd call it intelligence.


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## EmmaandMoose (May 3, 2013)

Moose, my golden and lab mix, has always been very calm and well behaved. He loves people but is not one to beg to be loved. He is 6. When I take him to the dog park, he prefers chasing after a ball.
Emma, on the other hand, is my 7 month old Golden who is very much so a puppy. She loves to play, chew and is always sitting by my feet. She has her head laying on my knee right now. She LOVES other dogs but even more so people. At the dog park she will play with other dogs but only after she gets enough loving from all the people. 
They are two completely different dogs but work very well with one another.


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## goldensrbest (Dec 20, 2007)

Each one of the 5 goldens I have had in my life, are a blessing for me, each a little different from one another, they have personalitys, NONE has ever tried to bite.


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## Arggg (Jul 4, 2013)

Biters? I think it must be a misunderstanding. Goldens tend to be "mouthy" and like to "retrieve" things, even people's hands. That could be misconstrued as biting. My first golden like to hold people's hands very gently in her mouth, or grab the edge of their shirt. She never bit down. It was her retrieving instinct. It scared some people.


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## Walnut_the_Nut (Jan 25, 2012)

Walnut is best described in 2 words. 

*clever goof*

He analyzes everything, patient, great with little kids (we're in a condo, so we bump into many kids who scream and poke him in the eye). He's also super quiet (no growls, no barks, nothing...it's annoying actually). 


*The bad*
He has never bit anyone, but ALWAYS like to play with his mouth wide open. I usually need to shower after "wrestling" with him, because my arms are covered in slobber. 

He's also a messy eater and drinker. He'll take gulps of water, and walk around with water STILL IN HIS MOUTH. This translated to a trail of water on our hardwood. :no:


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