# Samoyed or Golden Retriever for a first time dog owner?



## Golden Novice (Oct 5, 2014)

Hello all, I have been reading this wonderful forum for quite a long time but never posted.
I have never had a dog in my life, but I'm seriously thinking of getting one. That's why I would appreciate your advice as to which breed (a Samoyed or a Golden) is a better choice for a first time dog owner? I've been searching these two above mentioned breeds for almost a year now and still can't make my choice. I love Samoyeds, but my main concern is they are a Northern breed, hard to handle and to train. They can not be trusted off the leash, they are more interested in squirrels than in their owner Goldens meanwhile may be very difficult for a new owner because they are land sharks in their puppyhood (on this forum I've met experienced owners' posts who complained that a puppy stage almost got them insane) But I like Golden's gentleness and their ability to be velcro dogs.
I totally understand that choice of a breed is a personal preference, and I've been doing my homework, reading up everything I can find online and speaking to owners. However, your input on the subject will be much appreciated. I'm sure that you will be able to show me some new angles here and some new ideas to think about.

P.S. I don't consider other breeds as my heart is set on a Samoyed or a Golden. I would like to get a puppy from a breeder, not a rescue.

Thank you in advance!


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

We have an active member Karen519 who has both. This is her second set that I know of. I am sure when she sees your post she will reply. In the meantime, you can read some of her threads and pictures she has.


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## Golden Novice (Oct 5, 2014)

Thank you!


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

I've had both.....1 Samoyed and 5 Goldens.

My Samoyed, Dakota, was nothing like you described above. He was a cinch to train and very easy to handle. I stopped walking him on a leash at 8 months old...that's how reliable he was off leash. He had no interest in squirrels, rabbits or cats (we had one) but did love other dogs and would play when given the opportunity. He loved people, especially kids. I used to take him to the ball diamond when my son was playing and all of the kids wanted to walk the big fluffy white dog! He was the most laid back dog I've ever owned. He passed away at the age of 9 when his hips and back end gave out on him and there was nothing we could do for him. 

I've taken agility classes with a female Samoyed.....again, she is nothing like you've described. For the most part, she would put the dogs to shame, she was that smart!

He was so laid back that I wanted a dog that had more energy....hence my first Golden. Once you've had one Golden, it's hard to go back to any other breed, hence my next four. I currently have 3.

These guys love squirrels, rabbits, cats, leaves that blow in the wind, paper cups, branches, etc. They are reliable off leash out in the country but I do not let them off leash in the City.....too many dangers for them.

A dog is what you make of it...spend the time training him/her and you'll end up with the dog you want.

They're both beautiful breeds......try getting one and in a couple of years, add the next one. You'll end up with the best of both worlds!!


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Golden Novice*

Yes, I do have both a Samoyed and a Golden Retriever. I think both breeds are wonderful, loving, and trainable, if you invest the time in them. Samoyeds are also wonderful with children. If you want me to go in detail please email me at [email protected] and we can talk.
We've had four Samoyeds, one was adopted from a rescue her name was Munchkin and three were males from breeders. They can be a little stubborn, but they are very lovable. They do SHED, but so do Goldens! 
We've adopted two Goldens, one female, from Golden Ret. Rescue-Smooch was 16 months old when we adopted her. Smooch is now at the Rainbow Bridge, and a male we have now, named Tucker. We adopted him at about two years old. Both Goldens are very lovable!!Our Samoyed's name is Tonka and he just turned 5 years old=Tucker is 6 years old. They've been together for 4 years and adore one another!!


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## Golden Novice (Oct 5, 2014)

Thank you Laurie!


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## Golden Novice (Oct 5, 2014)

Both your dogs look amazing, Caren! Thanks for your response.

What would you say is the main difference in these two breeds? Barking? Puppy phase?

(as for Samoyed's shedding, it doesn't bother me, I've read tons about it and know that daily vacuuming and grooming is mandatory for Sams).

Thank you!


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## Golden Novice (Oct 5, 2014)

Caren, just to clarify))

I mean, if somebody asked you to name three things differentiating Golden's personality (traits, character) as a breed from a Samoyed's, what would you say?)


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Golden Novice*

I would say that each dog is an individual, even within the same breeds.
It's been our experience, that both the Samoyed and Golden Retriever are extremely loving breeds.
They are both very bright.
I would say that Samoyeds can be more stubborn, so you have to be a leader, strong with them, which I never have been. Tonka, our Sam, listens more to my hubby, probably because of his voice! Both breeds are very loyal and LOVE PEOPLE and both or our dogs are good with kids! Samoyeds are an ancient breed, and used to sleep with the children to keep them warm!!
I WILL try to think of more to reply to your question.
My Hubby has always LOVED SAMOYEDS and I have always loved Golden Retrievers, so we decided to get one of each. They adore one another!
As far as barking, our Samoyed starts barking when anyone passes our house and Tucker, our Golden, joins right in!!

I agree with Laurie, that Samoyeds are very inquisitive and want to know about everything!!


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## Golden Novice (Oct 5, 2014)

Thank you, Caren

I will be meeting some Goldens and Samoyeds at the dog shows in the near future, that would be a perfect opportunity to meet the breeds in flesh and to observe their behaviour.


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## Golden Novice (Oct 5, 2014)

Sorry Caren, I've just read that Tonka is a boy!))


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Golden Novice*

Asked my hubby for his input on Samoyeds:
I think they are more independent-very loving, but I think our Goldens have been more clingy.
The Samoyeds used to keep all people warm, not just children. They also are very strong-can pull sleds.
The Samoyed is a dog that needs a job-they can tend to pull on a leash. The Easy Walk Harness works great.
I think the Samoyed is a more independent dog. They will go off and lay by themselves, whereas our Goldens were usually around us.
Ken thinks our male Golden, Tucker, is more hyper than Tonka, our male Samoyed.

http://www.akc.org/breeds/samoyed/index.cfm
http://www.samoyed.org/

*Here is a Samoyed Forum-I'm sure there are many:*
http://www.forum.breedia.com/dogs/samoyed/

*Personal Note: *It's my feeling that perhaps an individual's personality may draw you to one breed over another.I remember the Golden Retriever Rescue asking me what I though a Golden would be like and my answer was: VERY AFFECTIONATE, loving and obedient.
My Husband, Ken is a much more independent, daring, type and he's always ADORED Samoyeds. I am a much more cautious, careful, dependent type and I've always loved Golden Retrievers. Having had both breeds though, I do love Samoyeds, too!
I had a Cocker Spaniel and a Bichon Frise before meeting my Hubby. Now I'm a convert to he MEDIUM to LARGE breeds!!


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## Golden Novice (Oct 5, 2014)

Dear Caren, thank you (and your husband) for the elaborate reply!  

I've decided not to rush with making a choice. 

I think the crucial thing for me to do is not only read up articles on these 2 breeds (it seems to me I've read up everything Internet can offer on the subject, haha) but to see as many Goldens and Samoyeds in flesh as possible.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Golden Novice*

Golden Novice

Good idea!! You might also look at some rescues and go to their events to meet some Goldens and Samoyeds in person.


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## Leslie B (Mar 17, 2011)

My first purebred dog was a Samoyed and I will always have a soft spot in my heart for them. They are an ancient breed that evolved for the multi purpose needs of the native people they lived with. In contract, the golden is a relatively new breed developed for specific purpose of finding, flushing and retrieving birds.

Both are working dogs that are active, athletic, intelligent, and need a job. The Sammy's tend to be more independent then Goldens and that can make them a bit more difficult to train for obedience. The Goldens are much mouthier so while they excel in obedience, until they get their mouth under control they can be a challenge just to live with. 

They both have a host of health issues and they both shed but that coat for the Samoyed adds extra challenge depending on where you live. Summer for my Samoyed was miserable. It was just too hot and humid for him in the Midwest during the summer. However he was in his element once Fall hit until the snow melted and you could see him delight in the cooler weather. The Golden's coat is still weather resistant but summer heat does not shut them down as much.

The bigger question is what are you looking for in a dog? Do you want to go for a walk in the park 3 times a week? (Neither breed would work) Do you want to jog 5 days a week in the summer? (Might be too hot for either but especially the Sammy) Do you want the dog to be by your side 24/7? (Golden) Do you enjoy a dog that can entertain himself if you are busy? (Sammy) Are you a summer person or a winter person? Year round? Which of the challenges of each breed are least appealing to you? By figuring out what you don't want to deal with can point you in the better direction.

Good Luck!


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## Golden Novice (Oct 5, 2014)

OMG, *K*aren, please do forgive me for misspelling your name!

I'm really sorry, shame on me.


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## Golden Novice (Oct 5, 2014)

Thank you, Leslie!



> By figuring out what you don't want to deal with can point you in the better direction.


Yes, that definitely makes sense, thank you for reminding me to think of the least appealing features of each breed!

I guess, it's the extreme mouthiness and biting which may last as long as 1,5 or 2 years that scares me in Goldens (I've read up this forum, puppy section, and as you probably know there are a lot of people here who were suffering from that and confessed that they even were thinking of getting their puppies back to the breeder). Having never owned a puppy, this is frightening, isn't it? I mean, I may not survive the puppy stage. 

As for the Samoyeds puppies, I hear they are not as bitey and wild as Goldens, however they are stubborn. One should be a confident leader to train them, that's why I keep reading books on raising a puppy (it won't hurt no matter which breed I choose)))

What do I want in a dog? I want a loveable affectionate companion, I'm willing to have a walk 2 hours each day, I would like to play fetch with my dog (obviously, Goldens are happy to fetch, not sure about Samoyeds though).

I would like to have a dog that will lie near me when at home, or playing nearby (from what I have read here on the forum, some Goldens are clingy up to the point that they go to the bathroom with their owners. I can live without that, haha)

Thank you once again!


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Goldens are a hunting breed/gun dogs. This means that even if you go with a conformation line golden - they will want to run and play and run and play as much as they can outside. 

My youngest is a show dog and pretty much this day consisted of me doing my work and then taking both dogs out to train (tracking and obedience). The dogs get turned loose (me taking advantage of an empty park) and I watch them running just for the joy of it. <- They both come back to me or keep check on where I am, but a lot of that is just them being closely bonded to me. Other members of my family couldn't do the same thing.

I came home and let them rest while I ran out to run errands... came back and did roadwork with the conformation boy (biking for about a mile - I'm keeping it short since we just got his OFA's and the official "ok" to roadwork him). Came back home and turned him loose and watched him again running just for the joy of it. 

And both dogs were trained and then turned loose again outside to run around and be dogs. 

While golden retrievers are absolutely capable of being couch potatoes... they still are much happier dogs if given an active life outside of the house. Otherwise, you may get more exasperated stress or boredom issues with them.

Right now both dogs are curled up sleeping underfoot with me, but if I got up and decided to go for a walk - they would both be bright eyed and flying to the door. 

So round about what I'm saying is that I would not want anyone to buy a golden retriever with the expectation of a calm dog with just a couple hours of exercise. 

The attributes of the breed is their soft friendly temperament, their joy of life, their beauty, their intelligence and eagerness to please (or earn food), and generally ease of care as far as grooming.

This is a breed you do not have to take to a groomer. You can groom at home. 

This is a breed that basically is the top obedience breed out there in the competition rings - some of that is experienced handling... but a lot of it is because these dogs generally have a lot of energy and desire to work and train for obedience. 

If you go with a good breeder - there's a sure bet you will have a dog who never growls or shows teeth in his entire life. Who shows no edge around other dogs or people. 

And generally speaking - not all puppies are necessarily mouthy. We've had a few goldens and only 2 of them were truly "piranha puppies". The others simply did not mouth at all. Of my two right now, Jacks was a mouthy puppy when excited or hyped up and I basically had bruises on my arms and legs until he was about 2 or 3. Bertie hasn't actually mouthed anyone in his life. I would have actually preferred the mouthiness since I think a lot of that goes into them wanting to use their mouths to retrieve and carry things. 

Unfortunately for a novice home - ease of training is not always what you think it is.  There's a lot of resource guarding which comes up with some dogs. And recall issues as well. 

Funniest thing would be we had a golden (conformation bred) with both elbow dysplasia and pano (growing pains). Basically this golden would be in so much pain that he could barely make it across a room without stopping to sit up off his front end. But - this golden was also 5 years old before we could trust him off leash outside. Painful elbows or not, he could still fly like the wind and knew how to evade and prevent anyone from catching him before he was ready to be caught. For that matter, this golden was supposed to be completely rested for 2-3 months at a time to help his elbows.... he was one of those dogs who needed exercise and free exercise more than anything. He would sit there barking and panting and circling... and barking.... until he was taken out to be walked.



**** So I'm just saying. Really learn more about the breeds. And basic rule of thumb is training and care makes the dog. 

Sammy's are nice dogs. The ones I've met did not strike me as hyper... and I could tell they were truly LOVED by their owners. 

One little "eh" for me would be that coat and the likelihood of staining. Talking to the breeders, they had a fairly common sense approach to getting the stains of their show dogs coats before showing, but it is an issue that you don't have with the gold dogs.... 

One thing you could probably do if concerned about mouthing or various puppy behaviors... you can adopt an adult dog from a breeder or rescue.


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

Please do not worry so much about the puppy stage. The intensity varies from dog to dog, and it is over quickly.


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## Golden Novice (Oct 5, 2014)

Megora, thank you!

In your experience, 2 hours a day wouldn't be enough for a Golden? From what I've read here on the forum, this seems to be how long daily walks take (morning, midday and evening combined).

If they really do need 3 or more hours a day, then I'll have to seriously think whether I can commit to that.


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## Golden Novice (Oct 5, 2014)

Oh yeah, I can confess that I was quite impressed when reading these long "land sharks" threads on a puppy section)) 

I have good imagination, you see)) I instantly put myself (first time dog owner) in the place of these over-experienced, yet complaining Golden owners))

Thank you, Dave)


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

2 hours a day of actual exercise would be fine.... ? If the dogs have some kind of outlets for their need to RUN and play in addition to that.

ETA - go on the GRCA.org page (for goldens) - fill out this profiler to see the responses. 
http://www.grca.org/allabout/profiler.html 

Go to the Samoyed page to learn more about the breed. 
http://www.samoyedclubofamerica.org/sca/sam_u/samoyed.html


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## gold4me (Mar 12, 2006)

We got 2 of our goldens at 5 months and never had a problem with biting. Actually of the 7 goldens we have had over the years only one would have been considered a land shark.
All of our goldens had about 2 hours a day walking(this includes training time too). We also played games in the house to give them something completely different to do and also for rainy days. It was fun.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

Golden Novice said:


> Oh yeah, I can confess that I was quite impressed when reading these long "land sharks" threads on a puppy section))
> 
> I have good imagination, you see)) I instantly put myself (first time dog owner) in the place of these over-experienced, yet complaining Golden owners))
> 
> Thank you, Dave)


Do you have any friends who have a golden or samoyed puppy? Can you ask to pet sit for a day or two? I personally would not get into approx 14 year adventure until you know what you are getting into. Not fair to you, your family and the dog.

I personally do not have any personal experience with the samoyeds. A client did have one and they ended up giving it away for biting the son who was 14 at the time on the face. But they also did not have much experience with dogs and training.


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## Martin (Feb 21, 2011)

How much exercise a golden retriever needs, how calm they are, and how they handle weather/climate depends on which individual dog you get.

Drifter let me get away with giving him ~30 minutes of exercise a day. I didn't get him until he was four so I don't know how much exercise he needed when he was younger. He loved walks and running, but he didn't have any behavior problems from too little exercise. I think he was glad when he started getting longer walks when I got Dolce, but he refused to go on the afternoon walks I gave her. He was usually calm, especially indoors (at least until I got Dolce: she got him to play with her). He would only play fetch if there was no other dog around and the ball wasn't thrown too far; even then, he would only do it for 3-7 times. He did not like swimming: in fact, he panicked when he fell into a reservoir.

Drifter did NOT handle heat well. He had a fairly thick coat, and he didn't want to go outside when it was hot. He would try to stay in the shade as much as possible. He also hated rain (and getting wet in general). Cold usually didn't bother him. Once he stood outside and ate ice for an extended period of time while I was shoveling snow; he did wind up shivering badly then. He would also hold his paws up for me to warm up/get snowballs out at times. However, he loved winter in general.

Dolce requires much more exercise. For whatever reason, she will not eliminate on our property. When I just let her outside to do her business, she would do nothing - and then eventually make a mess when she was in the house, usually on my bed. She stopped doing that when she got two walks a day; when I started putting water on her food, she needed three. I got her when she was about one, and she would get fits where she would race around to the extent the leash and the house allowed her and would act crazy. She got these fits significantly less often when she got long walks: 2,5-3,5 hours in the morning plus 30-45 minutes at night. She is calmer now that she's four and tolerated getting only 45-60 minutes in the morning, 15-60 minutes in the afternoon, and 30-45 minutes at night when Drifter was too sick for long walks. Now that Drifter is dead, she usually gets more exercise again. She loves to play fetch, which allows her to get more exercise in the same amount of time. Unfortunately, she can only play when the fields have recently been cut as our property doesn't have room for that. I haven't taken her swimming, but she would probably enjoy it, seeing as she jumps into streams, puddles, and shallow ponds when she gets the chance.

Hot weather doesn't bother her as much since she has a much thinner coat and a bigger tongue that lets her pant more efficiently. Rain usually doesn't bother her, either - though she's more reluctant to pee when the grass is wet, which means I can't just give her a super short walk to avoid getting drenched myself. She's fine with cold as well, as far as I can tell (since I've had her, I've lived in a fairly temperate climate).


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Martin*



Martin said:


> How much exercise a golden retriever needs, how calm they are, and how they handle weather/climate depends on which individual dog you get.
> 
> Drifter let me get away with giving him ~30 minutes of exercise a day. I didn't get him until he was four so I don't know how much exercise he needed when he was younger. He loved walks and running, but he didn't have any behavior problems from too little exercise. I think he was glad when he started getting longer walks when I got Dolce, but he refused to go on the afternoon walks I gave her. He was usually calm, especially indoors (at least until I got Dolce: she got him to play with her). He would only play fetch if there was no other dog around and the ball wasn't thrown too far; even then, he would only do it for 3-7 times. He did not like swimming: in fact, he panicked when he fell into a reservoir.
> 
> ...


I agree with Martin. Each dog is an individual, even within the same breed.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Agreed!*



Leslie B said:


> My first purebred dog was a Samoyed and I will always have a soft spot in my heart for them. They are an ancient breed that evolved for the multi purpose needs of the native people they lived with. In contract, the golden is a relatively new breed developed for specific purpose of finding, flushing and retrieving birds.
> 
> Both are working dogs that are active, athletic, intelligent, and need a job. The Sammy's tend to be more independent then Goldens and that can make them a bit more difficult to train for obedience. The Goldens are much mouthier so while they excel in obedience, until they get their mouth under control they can be a challenge just to live with.
> 
> ...


I also agree with what Leslie said that Samoyed's don't do as well in the heat.
They also can go off and lay by themselves and be completely content, whereas Goldens tend to be more clingy.


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## Sam Hill (Jan 20, 2012)

I've owned both. Much more time with Goldens. Ive learned from both but I would say my Goldens have made me more of a better person. 

Although Puff Puff was an amazing dog that fought hard to shake his past. 

You are on a Golden message board so the opinions might lean one way. Let us know what the Samoyed board says


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Max's Dad said:


> Please do not worry so much about the puppy stage. The intensity varies from dog to dog, and it is over quickly.


 This is SO true. My first Golden was a nightmare bitey puppy and stayed very mouthy through her life (it was a soft mouth, and I just taught her very early on to always carry a stuffed toy). But my hands and arms were bloody for the first several weeks she was home, until her sharp puppy teeth fell out. 

My current pup (1.5 years old) was NEVER bitey. It was a happy shock to me to have a Golden who wasn't bitey. She went through a normal teething stage, and during that time, she did like to gum my hand, and needed to do much more chewing (bones and toys), but she was definitely not a landshark. 



Golden Novice said:


> Megora, thank you!
> 
> In your experience, 2 hours a day wouldn't be enough for a Golden? From what I've read here on the forum, this seems to be how long daily walks take (morning, midday and evening combined).
> 
> If they really do need 3 or more hours a day, then I'll have to seriously think whether I can commit to that.


When you are searching for a dog and a breeder, you can decide what kind of energy level you will want. As has been mentioned, any Golden will need exercise, but some need more. I wanted a high energy field dog - and I put high energy on my puppy application. I said I wanted a dog who would play ball all day, swim, hike, etc. You can say, I'm looking for a laid back, couch potato if that's what you prefer. Not all litters will produce what you might want - but you can get a good idea by looking at the parents and grandparents. It is worth the wait for the best match. My pup needs a minimum of two hours of exercise a day (usually a combo of walking and ball, or field training, or swimming). But she can happily endure much more (those are the best days). When she is home, she is very good at amusing herself with toys, or chewing a bone or antler.


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## Taylorsmum (Sep 30, 2014)

Henry my retriever waiting for me a the golden bridge was walked for an hour in the morning, he had a huge 2 hour plus walk in the afternoon with a swim in the river and play with friends and an evening hour. The morning and evening walks were always on leash which got him into good habits. The afternoon was a blow out and could last for much longer than a couple of hours depending on who we had seen, how (not) tired he was.

Taylor my current golden is 19mnths and has back problems. But being a youngster he still wants to walk. We do shorter walks but more of them and swim in an indoor pool.

As for the mouthing, yes puppy teeth are sharp, but they soon learn not to and toys/chews can be substituted for fingers. Have seen so many people let their puppy
chew a shoe because its cute and then wonder why as an adult dog they chew shoes. There is always a way round things, thinking outside the box keeps us both on our toes.

You may love goldens and samoyeds but surely you want to be the best parent you can be. Look at what you an give, in time, money and space be realistic and then look at breeds that match that criteria. That way you have a fighting chance of finding a four legged partner that will be with you for a very long time. Somewhere along the line I have seen a website affiliated with the KC that helps narrow down your search this way.

Whatever you choose, best of luck and most of all enjoy.


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## Golden Novice (Oct 5, 2014)

[QUOTE

Although Puff Puff was an amazing dog that fought hard to shake his past. 

[/QUOTE]


Thank you! 

You mean, your Samoyed (Puff Puff) was a rescue? Was it for this reason he "fought hard to shake his past"? Нad he been mistreated before you got him?


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## Golden Novice (Oct 5, 2014)

gold4me said:


> We got 2 of our goldens at 5 months and never had a problem with biting.


Why did you take these 2 Goldens at 5 months, if you don't mind me asking?

Were they rescues or did your breeder agree to keep the puppies for 5 months at his place and to sozialise them himself?

Thank you


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## Golden Novice (Oct 5, 2014)

Hello, Gold4me!

I responded and asked you a question but can't see my reply under your post, it is at the bottom of the thread instead. 

Did I clicked the wrong button?


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## Golden Novice (Oct 5, 2014)

No, I don't have friends with puppies, I only know some people with adult dogs.


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## Tennyson (Mar 26, 2011)

Karen519 said:


> Yes, I do have both a Samoyed and a Golden Retriever. I think both breeds are wonderful, loving, and trainable, if you invest the time in them. Samoyeds are also wonderful with children. If you want me to go in detail please email me at [email protected] and we can talk.
> We've had four Samoyeds, one was adopted from a rescue her name was Munchkin and three were males from breeders. They can be a little stubborn, but they are very lovable. They do SHED, but so do Goldens!
> We've adopted two Goldens, one female, from Golden Ret. Rescue-Smooch was 16 months old when we adopted her. Smooch is now at the Rainbow Bridge, and a male we have now, named Tucker. We adopted him at about two years old. Both Goldens are very lovable!!Our Samoyed's name is Tonka and he just turned 5 years old=Tucker is 6 years old. They've been together for 4 years and adore one another!!


 Karen. Those are the first pics I saw of Tonka and Tucker other then your sig.
They are both absolutely beautiful!


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Tennyson*

Tennyson

Thanks so much for the compliment on my Tonka and Tucker.
There are more pics if you go to my profile!


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## aneesha (Mar 24, 2012)

I got my Golden as a puppy and it depends on the individual dog, each personality is different. My boy was not much of a biter, however I was not working at the time so I was watching him like a hawk and I would correct his behavior, he was potty trained within 10 days, I took him to the school playground so the kids could pet him as we have no kids. Socialization is key for any dog and how much time you put into your pup, that will show in how your pup behaves. I love my golden, he was a hyper puppy, not like my husbands first golden that was super chill, again each pup is different. We have a Velcro Golden and he listens better to my husband even though I raised him from a pup . When he first meets people he acts like a dink, over excited but 5 minutes later he is calm. Loves people and other dogs but also very stubborn. Aggression too, ever since a pup we hand fed him and bowl fed him but his aggression over food still remains, more aggressive towards hubby than me with his food, no idea why! Very in-tune with us and our feelings, very loving too. Owned a German Shepherd before and I think now we would never be without a Golden in our life....ever.


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## Golden Novice (Oct 5, 2014)

Thank you, Aneesha!

Do you have any idea as to why does your pup listen better to your husband?

And is there any way to deal with food aggression? If hand feeding didn't help, what is the next step? Or just leave it as is is?


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## aneesha (Mar 24, 2012)

My hubby has a very deep voice and I don't, I think its that simple. With the food aggression I think as he was the runt of the group and his litter mates could have eaten more than their fair share... maybe this is why. But it is not uncommon and the best policy is to just let your dog eat in peace. I can now brush him while he eats and he is fine but its usually when my hubby pets him while eating, I think he fears hubby will eat his food! But honestly, the affection we get from our Golden outweighs any little flaws he has.


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## robinrd (Oct 30, 2012)

I have never owned a samoyed but know people who have and they have been great dogs. I have had many dogs but Tucker is my first golden. He is 2 1/2 and is starting to calm down, but he has been a handful. I have commented to my husband that I would never recommend a golden for a first time dog owner. They require a lot of exercise and training. I think if I were to ever get another one, I would ask the breeder to pick out the calmest one in the litter  Even though Tucker has been a handful, we love him so much and he has made me a lover of the breed. He also has that face that you can't stay mad at. Good luck in what ever you decide, it sounds like you are really doing your homework which is wise.


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## Harleysmum (Aug 19, 2014)

I think considering a rescue would be an option. Most rescue organisations match dogs with prospective owners very carefully. Not all rescues have been abused and/or mistreated and those that have been usually receive extensive rehabilitation and only go to experienced homes. Most dogs in rescue end up there because their owners circumstances have changed (often relationship breakups), people are forced to downsize and move into non pet friendly accommodation. These dogs have often been fantastic family pets and after an initial settling in period move on happily with their new loving family. Although our dog did not come from a rescue organisation, his story was exactly this scenario. He is our first dog and we are thrilled to pieces with him. It is like we ordered the perfect dog and here he is!! With so many dogs needing homes it is certainly worth contacting your local specialist rescue either golden or Samoyed (or maybe both!!)


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## B and G Mom (Oct 29, 2014)

I have to agree that dogs have their own personalities/ways even within breed. I'm currently raising my 3rd Golden puppy (4th Golden, but one was a rescue that came to us at 5 years old).

Bailey - the first Golden... can't actually believe we ever got another puppy after him. He was a terror. Training and patience got us through, it took him 2 years to finally be out of his crate, even then we had to be careful with counter surfing etc... He was a puppy mill rescue, not socialized at all when he came to us at 16 weeks old. But with obedience and agility classes and trainer who bred and raised Goldens helping us through, we survived him and he grew into the MOST. AMAZING. DOG. EVER! He passed on March 29th, 2014 and we miss him and mourn him every day. 

Belle - Easy peasy puppy! Caught on to potty outside right away (only had accidents after I broke my foot and couldn't get to the door fast enough on crutches), was never a landshark, was out of her crate in about 10 months, never destroyed something she shouldn't (won't even "kill" her toys) the poster child for "perfect" Golden puppies. She's now 8.5 years old and is still perfect (of course her mother would say that!). Belle is a high quality Golden from good lines, we always thought that was the difference between her and Bailey until Gunner came along. 

Gunner - so far he's even easier than Belle - which I didn't think was possible. He is now 16 weeks and we have had him since he was 9 weeks. The first few days were rough from a crying in his crate standpoint, but after the five days of him adjusting to his new home he has been yet another poster child for Golden puppies! Not once has he mouthed at human skin (he will go after shoelaces and pant legs) but never went for fingers etc. You tell him "no" and he stops whatever behavior he is doing and goes for a toy. Even now that he is teething he always needs a toy in his mouth, but doesn't come after us - if anything he wants more cuddles now. Of course we have a ways to go with him, but so far we are amazed by how good he is, especially since he was a save from a mill. We think Bailey told him to go easy on us when Bailey sent him to us from the bridge... 

Our Blossom (also at the bridge) was a rescue at 5 years - her family was no longer interested in her after they had a baby so off to the shelter she went. She was also a great dog - peed in the house only once (our fault for taking her on a long walk on a warm day and then leaving her in the house too long so she couldn't get outside to pee out all the water she drank), and did two bad things in the 5 years we had her. 1) ate a yankee candle vanilla candle (smells like cake, can you blame her?) which meant she got it off the table, and stuck her snout in the opening and bit away the wax around the wick down as far as she could. 2) stole a hamburger from someone at an agility event. 

When I hear that Goldens are mouthy - yes I agree (as are any retriever breed in my opinion), but out of my 4 only 1 had to be diverted from trying to chew on people. As long as you provide appropriate chewing/mouthing toys I've never experienced it as an issue. We have a big basket of toys - several of each - keeps everyone happy. 

They all have had different energy levels (even at 8.5 Belle will run miles and then look at you as if to say "let's go again!" Blossom "chose not to run" ever, even at 5 she was a couch potato - until it snowed then she was a maniac tearing through the yard), habits, ways and sometimes quirks, but one thing is the same across all of them - they have all been loving and I wouldn't trade any of them for the world! 

Good luck! In the end whatever you choose you won't be sorry - you'll fall in love.


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## asntheo (Jul 29, 2014)

We have our first golden pup...she is now 8.5 months old. We also have a 15 year old maltese and I grew up with a miniature schnauser. As for having our first golden pup...she has a ton of energy and was mouthy early on, however, we were able to redirect it rather quickly and no longer have issues. Our Bella is super smart and has been very easy to train. Our trainer says that she is on the "higher" energy side for a golden pup, however, the more we can get her to "work" and use her mind/body, the more relaxed she is. Having experience with other breeds, I would say that our golden is the most loving and gentle dog. She is very smart and has been very easily trained. She completely wants to please us and never wants to leave our side...unless she is searching for a ball she wants us to throw. We did get her from a breeder and found that all of her female litter mates had similar energy levels when we visited. When meeting her parents they both had high energy so I'm not too surprised all of the pups also seemed high energy...definately meeting the parents of any potential pup breed is important. Best of luck with whatever choice you make!


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