# Short-haired 1 year old Golden Retriever



## Cacity87 (Dec 27, 2010)

Hi! I am new here. We have a 1 year old Golden Retriever (as of December 10th!) named Heidi. We bought her in January of this year at 6 weeks old, they told us she was an AKBC (never heard of it) full-bred Golden. But she has never gotten her long golden locks! We don't mind the short hair (less to clean up! haha). But people always mistaken her for a lab or act like we're dumb, when we tell them she's a Golden. 

I am going to post a few pictures of our sweet Heidi, if you guys could help with any input please do! I'd love to know the truth - if she isn't full bred, what else does she have in her? She doesn't seem to have a lab's face (in my opinion). And she's very loving and friendly, like a golden. But tell me what you think.


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## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

She definitely doesn't look like a golden... definitely looks like a lab to me... It's a bit suspicious that the breeder told you she was a full blooded golden... and that she came to you at 6 weeks of age.


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

I would say lab. Dont see any golden in her.


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

I think you were scammed by the 'breeder' - perhaps you should ask her what AKBC stands for? Regardless --she looks like a real sweetheart, golden or not, (she does look lab) love her for who she is because it really doesn't matter what kind of coat she is wearing! it is truly about what is on the inside!


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

Impossible to say for sure what is behind her. But she is beautiful and sweet, as you said, what more could you want. 
I would contact the breeder and send that a photo, see if they offer any insight. It is entirely possible if she was bred to a stud not owned by the breeder that while "visiting" the boy another boy got with the dam. 
Never heard of the AKBC but the ABKC is the intials for the American Bully Kennel Club The American Bully Registry


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

You were definitely scammed by this "breeder." She is absolutely adorable, but she doesn't look Golden at all. She actually looks more like a lab mix to me.


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## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

I see a beautiful yellow lab mix.  Hope you're enjoying her, golden or not.


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## Cacity87 (Dec 27, 2010)

Thank you all! I have been reading forums for awhile, looking to see if there was such a thing as a short-haired Golden. And then, I thought I would wait till she was a year old so as to give her coat time to grow in. But it doesn't seem to be getting much longer. 

I agree, we bought her from a pet store - and the litter of puppies were going for a good price - they said the owners wanted to get rid of them. We fell in love with her sweet spirit as a puppy. She is a great dog and we lover her no matter what! It would just be nice to know what she is - when people ask.  

She is a large dog, bigger than the black lab that our parents have. But I guess that wouldn't really make a difference. I don't know much about mix breeds. I wish I knew more. We got the birth certificate that said both of her parents were Golden's. I am just so confused. haha. Is there any sort of blood testing they do for animals to find out their breed?


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

You can get a DNA test on her to find out exactly what breeds she has in her. I believe there are actually some people on this forum with mixed breeds who were rescues and they had DNA tests performed to find out what the mix was. You could contact your vet to get information on how to go about getting this done. She looks like she may even possibly have a tiny bit of Shepherd in her as well, but she does look mostly yellow lab.


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## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

Lab pitty mix maybe? More lab that pitbull but maybe that's what they meant by ABKC?


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## mygoldenboys (Mar 7, 2010)

She's beautiful! We have a "full breed golden" that does not have long hair. Im sure she is mix but I don't care she is a wonderful dog, loyal and loves my kids. She is a rescue from TN. We love her all the same.


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## Cacity87 (Dec 27, 2010)

mygoldenboys said:


> She's beautiful! We have a "full breed golden" that does not have long hair. Im sure she is mix but I don't care she is a wonderful dog, loyal and loves my kids. She is a rescue from TN. We love her all the same.


That's right! Heidi is a wonderful dog, very loving and we adore her. 

I figured this would be the best place to find out if she was pure bred or not. I will talk to our vet for further direction on how to go about finding out her roots. I'll keep you all updated! Thanks so much for the input. 

I looked into the ABKC, she doesn't look like she has pitbull in her... but that is interesting to know what it stands for. I'll have to check the documents, I had the letters reversed in my head. It could have been ABKC after all.


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

She looks like a lab mix to me.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

She has a beautiful face and her expressions are awesome! It's very possible that she's a golden/lab mix. The black dog in my signature is a golden/lab mix and we have had some puppies born into the rescue that were born to purebred goldens. If you hadn't known that the mom was a golden, you would have never had a clue! One litter had 3 black puppies and one brindle. The brindle was short haired. Another litter had puppies that all resembled rotties and none of them had long hair. LOL


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## Blondie (Oct 10, 2009)

I'm curious if this so-called breeder is still actively breeding? Is there a website? Just wondering...


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## Cacity87 (Dec 27, 2010)

I found this picture after doing some searching on a Golden/Lab mix and this looks most like Heidi to me! Maybe this solves the mystery??


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

Very possible she is a Golden/Lab mix.
As for the DNA testing I have found them to be less than precise. Unless it is a MAJOR deal to you, I would not worry about it. But I would return to the pet store where you bought her and show them she is NOT what they professed her to be at the time of purchase.


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## musicgirl (Jul 26, 2009)

Yeah I'd have to agree and say its a golden and lab mix because I can see some fluffing of the tail and back legs. But I would expect longer fur with the golden, at least more fluff


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

I see a lot of Golden in her-in the shape of her muzzle (more Golden than lab, I think). It's the lack of long hair that throws you off from seeing the Golden. The picture of her looking down at the snow, the stance through the shoulders looks very Golden to me. And, she does have a teeny bit of longer hair at the back of the legs-so again hints at Golden parentage.
I think the reason the pit ancestry was suggested, was the lift of the ears in the second shot. Neither Goldens or Labs have that kind of lift to the ears.
Whatever her ancestry, she looks like an amazingly wonderful, beautiful dog.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Looks like a Lab mix to me.


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

Something about her reminds me of a Rhodesian. The colour doesn't quite look yellow lab to me. But really who knows, pet store suppliers will often put a random set of dogs together and will label the puppies whatever they want and whatever will sell for more $. We have pet store dogs at our shelter branch frequently and they come with a "pedigree". When adopters do the DNA test it comes out with multiple different breeds, sometimes none of them being the breed on the so-called pedigree.

Nevertheless she is a beauty. I'm glad she's found such a wonderful home. I really like her pink nose. Our guy's got one too!


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I do think it is likely that your girl is a lab/shepherd or golden/shepherd cross, but I thought about this thread when I was browsing on the AKC site and came across this breed. 

GreatMountain X Redington Guide


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## voltdomingo (Jun 28, 2010)

we have the same situation. my Melo does look like a yellow / golden lab than a GR.. Although comparing it with the yellow lab of my neighbor, i found a few distinguishing marks.. height-wise, GR's are much taller than Labs.. and Labs have stockier bodies and shorter snouts and more "squarish" than the more "pointed" snout of GR's.. 

maybe its a mix of sorts..


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Lab mix, for sure, possibly some Collie or Shepherd in there. She's cute, sure enough.

The DNA tests that you can get are not entirely accurate and are more of an expensive form of entertainment.


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## 2pyrs&aGolden (Jan 17, 2011)

A little over 19 years ago, I brought home an 8-week old lab/golden mix (mom was a black lab, and dad was a handsome GR). Your Heidi looks a lot like she did, although DJ had more of a Dudley nose (leading some to question whether she had pitty in her). I can see why some might also suggest possible shepherd mix, too...but I'm not sure I'd agree. She's probably a golden or lab mix, maybe both...and maybe something else, too, but not necessarily so.

Most importantly, she's utterly adorable. DJ lived to be 17 years and a few months. I hope your girl enjoys an equally long and wonderful life.


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

I think she's a pretty dog too. I'm guessing Lab mix also, with something thrown in with perkier ears, like the Collie. My son's rescue pup was listed as a Golden mix, but there's nothing Golden about him. He looks a bit like your girl, though smaller, and with a tail that curls up over his back. The Vet guesses he has some type of cattle dog in his mix...Red Heeler probably, along with the Lab and whatever else is in the mix.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Heidi*

Heidi is a very pretty girl! Congratulations!
It is very pretty where you live!
I think Heidi probably has Lab in her, too.


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