# lab vs golden



## sophiesadiehannah's mom (Feb 11, 2007)

ok, just wondering the differences between these 2 breeds.


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## Thalie (Jan 20, 2008)

I have one of each but I am not sure at all they are good representatives of their respective breeds. 

As pups, they were pretty similar as far as energy and playfulness. As adults, Spip (the Lab) is more settled and serious but more territorial while Flem (the Golden) is very cuddly but prey driven. I do not know how much of their difference can be attributed to breed or origin and how much can be attributed to their own individuality and the way we raised them but all in all they make a really good furry family and a fine combination.


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## Golden_Lover (May 10, 2009)

Well I have heard that labs are more energetic/hyper, need more training and shed more. I was considering getting a lab/retriever mix but not so sure I want one a dog that is more energetic than Charlie!


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## Heidi36oh (Feb 27, 2007)

My Sadie(the lab) is a very serious girl, she is very good, always has been. She was never any problem even as a pup. 

The Golden are more on the goofy side, always up to something, as for the shedding, Sadie is the biggest sheder in my house, but I love her!


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## Abbydabbydo (Jan 31, 2007)

My Finny lab, is the goofball, unpredictable hound, while Abby is the lady in waiting. It's a personality thing. Labs and goldens have a lot in common and get along great together, in my experience.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

My lab/golden is much more stubborn than my goldens. She thinks for herself while the goldens want me to think for them. She is extremely smart and can be manipulative, but is as sweet as can be. Of course, this could just be the difference between females and males. LOL. Oh, and she can beat you to death with her tail!


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

I've been around many Labs but have not owned one. Each of the Labs I've encountered was much more intense and focused than my Goldens. They preferred swimming or fetching a ball, always to the point of exhaustion, rather than playing with either my Sam or Ike.
That said, they were very friendly and very smart...and yes, their tails will knock you over.


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## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

Loved my old golden, but she was a shedding machine and pretty high strung. I know, this sounds like a description for a lab. I've only owned my labx for 5 months, but the shedding has not been as bad......so far. And he is not hyper, but he is a lab *mix *so they may have something to do with it. Plus my golden was a female and the labx is a male. Next time I adopt a golden, I'm going to try to find a male. Love both breeds.


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## anniekc (Jan 29, 2010)

Labs love their food and exercise, Goldens love their play and people. We have two males labs and have always had a Golden "for me". Labs are pretty independent, very loyal, but they don't have the velcro attitude that Goldens can get. As sexist as it sounds, I think of Labs as being "Men type" dogs, and Golden's are more feminine. (?!) 

I love my big shedding lab boys, and my personal experience has been that labs may become over run with benign fatty tumors as they age, but they don't have the high cancer incidents that we keep finding in our Goldens. Both are pretty wonderful!


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## JimS (Jan 2, 2007)

Biggest difference: Labs don't get wet dog smell after they've been swimming. Goldens do.


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## HovawartMom (Aug 10, 2006)

I like them,both!.
Always thought,they were pretty smilar in character!.
I do prefer the golden over the Lab cos of their fluffyness!.
I've always preferred long-hair dogs to short hair breeds!.


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## spruce (Mar 13, 2008)

our lab, Sadie is totally different from our last female lab (Sara) - Sara would do anything for us, Sadie wants us to do everything for her. Sadie is my 4th lab & totally different from my others. Two labs I lost to cancer (l at 18 months, Sara at 5.5 yrs)

my personal, limited experience that labs are more athletic, "fun"; the goldies more dedicated to their people. We really enjoy the combo.

plus, our lab Sadie was the lst of us who really was attracted to Goldens - when she was a pup that's the dog she'd always find when we went camping, etc.


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## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

I am going to be blasted for this one....I love Goldens, I don't care for Labs. All my life growing up, my mom (not a dog person) would only let us have a dog if it were a black lab. The ones we had for whatever reason were not real smart and lugs. They had some kind of oil in their coat that made them smell of rancid oil and had to be bathed frequently (mind you I haven't had a lab around for about 30 some years).

When I moved out, the first thing I did was get a German Shephard and began showing them in the breed ring. Then when my boyfriend at the time wouldn't let me take my GSDs out hunting (for whatever reason) I decided to get a retriever....anything but a lab. It was between a Flatcoat and Golden. Golden won out and the rest shall we say is history. 

Now in all fairness, I have seen a lot of nice working labs in the field when training with my group, and of course at the field trials and hunt tests I've been to. But I have not seen a lot of inspiring Labs in obedience. (Not saying that they aren't out there, just I haven't seen them)

Maybe my experience growing up clouded my mind in regards to the Lab, but it is what it is. I don't begrudge any of my friends who have one or two, but for me and mine, they shall be Golden!


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## spruce (Mar 13, 2008)

just read the thread on stuffed toys -- my labs (even as pups) never demolished the stuffed toys like goldie Bridger (even at 2+) does - but Sadie ate all my shoes


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## Retrieverlover (Feb 8, 2010)

I love my labs  I havent really been around Goldens that much so I can't really say anything about them.

More Labs-More Fun is my motto these days


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## scottbldr (Aug 29, 2009)

I always loved this quote in the Tom Davis book "Just Goldens": 

"If Labs were people, they'd be surgeons, accountants, attorneys, and CEOs - successful, yes, but a little, um, predictable. "Goldens, in contrast, are right-side, Type B dogs: imaginative, mellow, enemies of routines ... quirky, fun-loving, and full of surprises. You'd want a Labrador to handle your money, but you'd want a Golden to throw your party. A couple of hours into the festivities, it's the one wearing the lampshade."

Generalizations of course as each and every dog I've owned had/have distinct personalities. My black lab rescue was totally focused on me and tennis balls. By the time we obtained him he could no longer hunt because of heart disease but you've never seen a dog get so excited at the sound of shotgun being racked  A hard working, stoic boy with a kind soul that loved his food and is missed every day.

Robert


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## MillysMom (Nov 5, 2008)

We had 3 labs at different points growing up. The first was a rescue (her owner's husband died and the owner was going to an assisted living community) named Tessa. She was brilliant and huge (bigger than any male lab I've seen - we were told she had Canadian blood lines). Tessa was the ultimate family dog - perfect with kids and super gentle, but very territorial. If we were in the yard and my parents were in the house no person or dog would get in the yard, but if my parents were present she was as sweet and loving as can be. The next was Rex and he was very high energy, but it worked well because we lived on a farm. He was insanely easy to train if you were teaching him to do something physical - my brothers and I taught him to pull us in a wagon in an afternoon (complete with steering and brakes). The last was Lady, she was from field lines, and while she was puppyish at times and high energy she was a total love bug. Except for Rex they all seemed a lot like my Golden, but a bit easier to train and more driven. Milly is a bit more playful and less total drive focused.


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## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

JimS said:


> Biggest difference: Labs don't get wet dog smell after they've been swimming. Goldens do.


That's my experience as well. I've only bathed my labx once in the 5 months I have owned him whereas with my golden, I had to bathe her once a month. 



DNL2448 said:


> I am going to be blasted for this one....I love Goldens, I don't care for Labs. All my life growing up, my mom (not a dog person) would only let us have a dog if it were a black lab. The ones we had for whatever reason were not real smart and lugs. *They had some kind of oil in their coat that made them smell of rancid oil *and had to be bathed frequently (mind you I haven't had a lab around for about 30 some years).


No blasting on my part as we all have different experiences and opinions. But mine does not smell, even after swimming. Maybe my sniffer has gone to pot as I've aged.


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

From being here on GRF for years it seems goldens vary as much as all dogs do in general. I think it definitely depends on breeding for temperament and health. In fact the five goldens I have had over the years had very different personalities. Some were hunters, others weren't. Some were more cuddly (the males) Some chewed, Selka and Gunner have never been chewers.
They have all been avid retrievers and wonderful family members.

My sister in law has had three labs. They were all gorgeous sweet boys but they slobbered worse(which smelled horrible) than a St. Bernard and shed as bad as my goldens by far!

I am a golden person for life. But I will always check out and be very specific about their breeding and personality.


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## hgatesy (Feb 14, 2007)

My lab is far more intense and focused than my Goldens... he is more energetic and he would play fetch until the point of exhaustion if I continued to throw the ball. My guy can be stubborn and is far more independent than my goldens. He has more muscle mass...meaning he's MUCH stronger. I think he sheds worse than both of my goldens combined... or at least I notice it more since it tends to lay everywhere instead of collecting in to nice little dust bunnies in the corner.


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## MILLIESMOM (Aug 13, 2006)

We have had two of each. Our first lab was English bred,black very stocky. He was a good dog, devoted to my son, they grew up together. Ralph lived 14 yrs. He was a typical shedder. Very smart and easy to train.

Our first Golden was a stray that showed up in our yard at 8 weeks old. No one ever claimed her. She was a big girl in her prime 85 pounds. I bathed her once a month through the winter. In the summer she swam a lot. She would stink if she got into the mud. She shed pretty good too. Her temperment was very sweet and she was very smart and a quick learner. She was not a barker. She was also a cuddle bug. 

Our second Golden was a partner for our first. We got Millie for a companion to Brandy. Millie was a 63 pound spitfire. Nothing escaped her watchful eye. She was the best watchdog we ever had. She was a cuddle bug also, actually would wrap her paws around you and put her head on your shoulder giving you a hug. She did not have a smell only if she got in the mud also, which was not very often she was kind of prissy and would walk around the puddles and the mud. Very smart! Never missed a trick and was a quick learner.

Pearl is our lab/Golden mix. She looks like a purebred field lab. 63 pounds of lean muscle. We adopted her as a companion for Millie when Brandy passed. She is very clean and only sheds a lot when she is blowing her coat. Her coat is like a seal's. Very flat and short. No smell at all. I do not have to bath her a lot. She is also a cuddle bug and often gets up and sits between John and I when we are watching TV. She is extremely intelligent. A very quick learner and often thinks things out on her own when we challenge her. I like both breeds and like having one of each at at time. Sorry so pic heavy but as you can see no matter Golden or Lab we love our dogs.


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## goldengirl09 (Jul 23, 2009)

If you're having trouble deciding, it might be a sign that you are meant to get one of each : )


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

The labs I have met/known have been very energetic and driven. Very. The Goldens I've known seem more laid back. 

They both have the same "ooohhh I love people so much" personality.


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## marshab1 (Aug 28, 2006)

My uncle has always had labs so I was around them a lot growing up. They were family friendly energetic dogs. Some were very smart, others not so much. The contest for all fo them though, the tail can break things. he had one whose tail broke a mirror hanging on the wall, they came home to blood on the walls, carpet, etc from where the mirror cut his tail, though he was fine. I loved cuddling with the labs when they would let me, but sleeping with them was not possible becasue my allergies would act up and I'd be sneezing with red eyes and nose.

Tinkerbell is the first golden I have spent more than a few hours at a time with. Got her because her tail wouldn't generally break things, just sweep them. I can sleep with her no problems, don't even need allergy meds. And she does not smell. Just had her bathed today it had been 4 months since her last one, and it wasn't cause she smelled, but becuase she seemed to be shedding a bit more than usual and that usually helps get rid of a lot of loose fur.


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## Maya's Mom (Apr 13, 2009)

I had two labs growing up, and now have a golden. In my experience, my labs were more one-person dogs, while my golden is a love-everyone dog. My last lab was a total velcro dog, extremely attached to me. She liked other people, and was extremely friendly, but not at anywhere near the level she loved me. When we had to leave her, you could really tell she missed us (not separation anxiety, but just not nearly as happy). Maya, on the other hand, is in love with everyone she meets. She seems equally attached to me and my husband, and is also perfectly happy to be left with someone else for a while. When we walk, she gets the wiggle-but wag anytime a person approaches, starting when they are quite a distance away. Maya is more intelligent than either lab, and also a little more manipulative. My labs were extremely eager to please, while Maya is eager to get a treat. Maya is higher energy than my last lab (I'm not sure about the other lab because I wasn't born yet when she was a pup, so I can't compare.) All dogs loved to cuddle and be with people. 
It seems to me that they have very similar personalities. Growing up I always heard how goldens were much more hyper than labs, while on this forum people say that labs are much more hyper. I've also heard different people describe both breeds as more/less intelligent, more/less focused on retrieving, etc. I think it may largely depend on the individual dogs you have experience with when you make your judgments. I think there is quite the range of personality in both breeds, and it is probably a similar range. They are both great breeds. I think the biggest difference by far is coat. My labs were much easier to keep clean than Maya is with her long hair. She is always getting covered in mud. I also thought that Maya sheds more, but maybe it's just because the hair is so long and makes those giant furballs all over the house, while I didn't notice the black lab hair lying flat spread over the floor as much. Either way, they are both really great breeds and I love them both.


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## nellie'smom (Dec 27, 2007)

All I can say is that My Nellie is a mix of both and I couldn't ask for a better dog.  She's great! She is more laid back, and calm at times, but she can get her spurts of hyper-ness.  Loves to play ball and is my shadow. Now my sister has a 15 week old chocolate lab pup, and she is hyper, but she's just a pup. I love both the breeds, I have to admit I would have a hard time choosing between the 2! LOL!
I just love her to pieces!


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## Kelmel (Apr 7, 2009)

I use to think that Labs were more driven then goldens, until I got Morgan. She is a golden, who will retrieve until your arm falls off. I have never had a more focused ball retrieving golden, my past goldens were easily distracted. So, now all I can say is that it probably depends on the individual dog. There are probably goldens that act like labs and labs that act like goldens.


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## Charlie06 (Feb 10, 2007)

I don't have a purebred lab, Howie is a golden/lab mix and he has SO much more energy than Charlie. Charlie will play fetch once or twice and just wants to explore after that. Howie would play fetch all day long if I'd let him. If he had to choose between his ball or food, his ball would win out every time. Howie is way more affectionate then Charlie too. Charlie likes to lay by himself while Howie must be right next to you.


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## randomBvR (Dec 26, 2013)

anniekc said it best "Labs love their food and exercise, Goldens love their play and people"

Goldens are much better dogs. But of course you're going to hear that on a Golden site


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## Shellbug (Nov 14, 2013)

I love all the pictures. Such great dogs


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## Apesan (Aug 23, 2013)

I've had both breeds and they are both wonderful.

Biggest difference that I could see:

When a person walking a lab meets a person walking a golden, the lab says hi to the golden first. The golden says hi to the other person first.


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## golfgal (Dec 31, 2013)

I've been mostly around labs, goldens or lab/golden crosses. They both shed but their coats are different, hence shedding seems to be different too; short, wiry hair versus longer hair. Can't say I came across a rancid, oily smelly lab like one poster so perhaps that was unusual. 

Best quote I heard was: labs you tell, chessies you ask and goldens you negotiate. 

That seems to be quite true. While both are trainable, labs appear to more willing to be trained versus goldens seem to be more in the 'show me the money' camp along the lines of "but why?". 

Both can be people first or dogs first dogs and seem to be just as friendly. Golden smiles and head do come across a lot friendlier than the labs, imho. While I love both, I think my favorites are the golden/lab crosses although you have no idea which personality will come through more. Rosco my current cross is all golden in personality so definitely more on the willful/stubborn side. His sister, is all lab in personality. He's wary and takes longer to do things, she's a daredevil. Both of which can be found in goldens or labs. 

Still my two favorite dog breeds and I don't think you can go wrong with either or one of each.


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## alphadude (Jan 15, 2010)

As far as I'm concerned the only real difference is the coat. Obviously individuals of both breeds will have varying personalities.

It is generally accepted that Labs are more athletic than goldens. Again, I'm sure that varies with the individual dogs. From personal experience, I have a 6 year golden that would beg to differ and has NEVER met a lab, of any color (and he's met scores) that he didn't_* spank*_ physically in *any* activity whether it was speed, jumping, catching, swimming, stamina, etc. Then again, I'm not sure it's a fair comparison because IMHO, he's pretty much a freak of nature that is in a superb state of fitness. 

Just last week, he was running circles around a pair of 2 year old Labs (one yellow, one black), we met at the beach to the point that even their owner commented on it.


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

Good answers in this thread all. My parents want me to get them a lab, and they have been asking for years now. There is something about labs I don't like I guess, because I'll take a golden over a lab any day of the week.

Funny because I did get my parents a Pomeranian puppy, and they LOVE him! It's also funny that I love little Skunky too lol. I have never been a fan of toy breeds, or Pomeranians but after getting Skunky I really do like the dog/breed. There is something different about having a toy breed dog!

Now, a Pomeranian won't replace my golden or Brittany type dogs...but they are a great addition to the family nonetheless. They just need to be trained, and don't let the little guy control you, and everything will be fine.

Good times, and I might get a lab one day just to see for myself. And all the feedback here has given me some good info to work with


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## Ruby13 (Dec 28, 2013)

We have a very large white (supposedly yellow) lab - he's 1 1/2 years old, and the biggest goofball I have ever seen in my life. He's very intelligent, very social, and very attached to my husband and I. He is a work in progress - he's still a baby. He weighs 90 lbs! 

I find their personalities very similar to Goldens as far as their reactions and interactions with their humans, but I do find the Goldens more mellow at his age. 

As far as shedding goes, they both shed...A lot!!!


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## kath00 (Dec 3, 2013)

We had 3 labs growing up and they were very hyper and sometimes enlessly so, even though we were kids and had a lot of energy of our own. Also they have a tendency to get "fat" even with careful nutrition. Goldens are, to me, just sweeter to be around as a family (with 2 kids of my own).


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## Shellbug (Nov 14, 2013)

Melfice said:


> Good answers in this thread all. My parents want me to get them a lab, and they have been asking for years now. There is something about labs I don't like I guess, because I'll take a golden over a lab any day of the week.
> 
> Funny because I did get my parents a Pomeranian puppy, and they LOVE him! It's also funny that I love little Skunky too lol. I have never been a fan of toy breeds, or Pomeranians but after getting Skunky I really do like the dog/breed. There is something different about having a toy breed dog!
> 
> ...


 

I had a Pom who died at 15. He was the coolest dog Especially for small dogs. This dog was just awesome. I love Pomeranians They are truly good dogs. 
As far as golden vs. lab. I guess I cannot say as I have never had a lab of my own. My dad had one growing up. Her name was Charm. For now I am going gold. Maybe some day a lab wil make me his/her human. 
I had a.


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

Shellbug said:


> I had a Pom who died at 15. He was the coolest dog Especially for small dogs. This dog was just awesome. I love Pomeranians They are truly good dogs.
> As far as golden vs. lab. I guess I cannot say as I have never had a lab of my own. My dad had one growing up. Her name was Charm. For now I am going gold. Maybe some day a lab wil make me his/her human.
> I had a.


Yeah I have to agree with you there. Pomeranians are great dogs indeed 

I'm very happy to have Skunky, and he is a lot of fun too. I don't know if he will like going to the beach, with his big brother and sister tho haha

I'll find out soon enough if Skunky likes water or not haha


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## Shellbug (Nov 14, 2013)

Wow I was half asleep when I wrote that. Ignore all my grammar issues lol

ETA- Jago (my Pom) hated water. Good luck! I'm not sure how much they like water. Hopefully Skunky will like it


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

Shellbug said:


> Wow I was half asleep when I wrote that. Ignore all my grammar issues lol
> 
> ETA- Jago (my Pom) hated water. Good luck! I'm not sure how much they like water. Hopefully Skunky will like it


 One thing about Skunky he loves taking a bath, so there is hope the little guy might enjoy the beach. I'll let you know how it goes in the near future.


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