Grs And Labs

[sandgrubber]

Maybe someone can find a reference ... I can't. I remember reading an academic study comparing Labbies and Goldies in terms of temperament, directly relating to Guide Dog work. They did some interesting behavioural tests. If I remember correctly they found the Lab was a better bet ... more focussed ... less excitable .. . ok, wombat if you like . . . but wombat whose attention can be trained on doing a useful job.

I've got a male lab and male goldie.

Harvey the lab is more 'focused', happy for a cuddle, but would prefer to 'do' stuff with you (Walking, gardening etc). He greets everyone for a pat and is then happy to wander off and chew on a toy.

Bailey is much more devoted to me and a big smoocher (read velcro dog!). He is very attentive to people. but he is also a bit goof, a bit slower at training, and will loose all focus if he see's a duck!

Edited May 7, 2010 by sandgrubber

[Paulp]

My boys mother was a chocolate lab and his father a GR. Never been hip scored but he is now three and a half years old and competes in flyball running under 5 seconds and I have seen no physical issues. He looks like a big black lab but if you take a second look he has long thick straight legs, more feathering around his legs and tail and a lovely silky coat. His temperament seems to be a mix of both breeds, he has the huge unbridled enthusiasm of a labrador but otherwise is completely laid back, he will just about drop and have a snooze in the flyball ring when we are the reserve dog. He has an incredibly soft mouth, he once somehow caught a wild duck and returned it to me stunned (as was I) but otherwise unharmed. He is a very good trainer, I was just about to start entering obedience trialling when he was about 2 years old when we discovered flyball instead.