Which Breed....

[black magic]

I would pick the GSD.

I have met so many obnoxious, rough, clumsy, food obsessed, toy stealing GRs, and it's hard to imagine any dog but a Saint Bernard shedding more than a retriever. Anyway the problem is that owners rely on the good well meaning nature of a GR and ignore all the faults and fail to put any effort into training. There's one at our local park, a puppy, but big enough to knock adults down and does frequently, loves to roll in the mud - the sticky black stuff in the cricket pitch, and steals other dogs toys (can hold three tennis balls in his mouth at once), and won't let go of my lead (tug toy) when I'm trying to take my dog home. He's got no recall at all and if there is any food or food like substances left at the oval after the footy - you can't peel him away. And the owner is quite happy to have him like that. Well actually maybe she's not. He's getting some special training from a police dog trainer for the recall, which has been delayed after he ate a large amount of persian rug and was sick because of that for a week.

Don't seem to encounter problems like that with GSD - because the owners make more effort to train those. And I find them easy to train at the park too for basic stuff like we're going home now, leave us alone.

If I had small children I think I'd actually choose a dog that was not as tall as them and easy to train. I do like the finnish lappie that I met recently. It was full on (boisterous) but had less (crash tackle) momentum than a GR and seemed much less clumsy/accident prone.

This has nothing to do with the breed, and everything to do with the owner - that dog does sound very annoying and out of control, but it's not his fault his owner's are clueless. A GSD living with the same family would be just as bad, I'm sure.

To the OP - glad you've made a decision, and best of luck meeting the breeder and finding a suitable puppy

I agree serket

[Aidan]

Either will make you happy for about 10-14 years, then inconsolable when gone. GSDs take a bit more effort and shed more, but if you love 'em, you love 'em.

Are you serious??? I have two GSD's (one longhair) and one GR and the GR on his own shed's TWICE as much hair as the other two combined!!! And both breeds require effort :D

It's a surprisingly common combination (a yin and yang thing?) and you're the first to ever tell me the Golden sheds more than the GSD! I thought it was just because I have an entire bitch, but the boys aren't much better. If I'm not mistaken, coated GSDs shed less. A friend who has field-bred Goldens in Canada reckons his dogs hardly shed at all, don't stay wet for long, and don't hold a lot of mud either. That I would have to see to believe. All the Goldens I've met are mud magnets, but I will say I rarely groom mine even when he's been out in the mud.

[Crisovar]

A good Golden coat that is actually gold and not the favoured pretty pretty pale fluffy bear type that is so often seen should actually shed the dirt fairly well. I believe they shed less too.

[First Time Puppy Owner]

A good Golden coat that is actually gold and not the favoured pretty pretty pale fluffy bear type that is so often seen should actually shed the dirt fairly well. I believe they shed less too.

Once slobber or water have dried on a Golden's coat you can brush the dirt out and if your anal a bit of baby powder brushed through and the pale golden's are back to pale gold

[RL1]

So I was wondering, would you personally choose the German Shepherd or the Golden Retriever? And why?

Thanks

For me, i'd choose the GR. The thing i've never enjoyed about the GSD is the barking. Every GSD i meet, or that live's around here seems to enjoy

barking too much. Puts me off ever owning one myself. Intelligent and athletic dogs, but the barking would put me off.

[Kavik]

I actually don't think GSD bark that much (well, mine anyway) - at least compared to Kelpies - maybe it is all relative

[Aidan]

A good Golden coat that is actually gold and not the favoured pretty pretty pale fluffy bear type that is so often seen should actually shed the dirt fairly well. I believe they shed less too.

That could be the difference, mine is an older style gold and not at all fluffy (except his tummy).

[~Archie~]

There are too many replies for me to thank all of you personally but I do appreciate all of your replies and for sharing your thoughts, advice and stories with me!

We have decided on a breed and we think we have lined up a breeder (we need to visit them first) We will get the other breed later on down the track.

gsdog2- That's very wrong. By the sounds of it that womans dog was probably more vicious then your GS! The only dogs that I get nervous about are dogs that roam around the streets on their own.

All the best with your chosen breed...

If you chose a Golden... don't forget to drop by in our breed thread... we love puppies!!!

[dee lee]

A good Golden coat that is actually gold and not the favoured pretty pretty pale fluffy bear type that is so often seen should actually shed the dirt fairly well. I believe they shed less too.

That could be the difference, mine is an older style gold and not at all fluffy (except his tummy).

Mine is the "pretty pretty pale fluffy bear type" (cute ) and whilst I regularly lament the attraction to mud, once she has dried, its gone. Well, dropped off onto the floor anyway... ;)

Shedding though? bloody hell. If the golden ones shed less I'll get one of those next time!!

[Bubitty]

Mine is pretty pretty pale but not very fluffy and doesn't shed very much at all.

[gsdog2]

Mine is the "pretty pretty pale fluffy bear type" (cute ) and whilst I regularly lament the attraction to mud, once she has dried, its gone. Well, dropped off onto the floor anyway...

Shedding though? bloody hell. :D If the golden ones shed less I'll get one of those next time!! ;)

Mine is too but despite his colour he always looks clean - mud never sticks .

But, ......... the shedding can be disheartening when you've just vacuumed and mopped and he walks in and gives one shake and leave this soft white cloud on the floor behind him :D

@Aidan - I've had all types of GSD's over the past thirty years and not one of them shed like my GR!!!

[all that glitters]

I like the pale pale GR's My mum has a deep golden one and I always call her a hairy ranga

Re: GSD's Barking YES my girl is a barker, the one thing that has put me off getting another. Apart from that she's perfect ;)

[Crazy Daisy]

A good Golden coat that is actually gold and not the favoured pretty pretty pale fluffy bear type that is so often seen should actually shed the dirt fairly well. I believe they shed less too.

I'm sorry this comment on colour is something that really bugs me. Goldens originated in Scotland and they were from light gold to cream, never mahogany or red.

Golden puppies are lighter in colour and as they get older they darken. White is a fault (I've never seen one) but cream is acceptable in Australia (not favoured in the US). A good golden coat can be light cream and is still very much acceptable. I prefer my dogs with a lighter coloured coat. I have english goldens and am not a fan of the American dogs. Each to his own.

Every Golden sheds differently same as GSD's do. Goldens that are kept more as outside dogs grow a thicker winter coat and will have more of a major shed when the weather gets warmer. Also being outside you may not notice the hair as much as it gets blown away. I had a short coated GSD who shed a lot more than my friends long haired.

[Aidan3]

I had a short coated GSD who shed a lot more than my friends long haired.

A longcoat in one of my classes was not double-coated, hardly any shedding due to lack of appreciable undercoat. I must say that given my experience with both breeds (not inconsiderable) I'm really surprised that anyone would think a Goldie sheds less, but after reading your post I'm thinking that maybe it has something to do with the climate down here? My GSD blows coat like a Husky, although she is unusual. She seems to respond very quickly to changes in weather too.

[KitKat]

One of my GSD's is a barker - but he has the attention span of a goldfish - and when he barks it is always at something...just not necessarily an important something If my other GSD joins in then i know it's something serious as he's not a barker...tho he will bark on command which the sillier one has never grasped

[mersonmalinois]

I don't know if this is the case in Oz, but Goldens here in the US seem to be riddled with cancer and die young. The 10-14 year prediction for longevity isn't common here with that breed.

[jacqui835]

Bit OT, but since a few people commented on what I said, just wanted to clarify. The kid was a toddler, he could barely lift the stick and he was trying to throw it, but instead was hitting the dog half the time. Not hard or anything, dog didn't even seem to notice half the time. And both I and the childs' father stopped him and helped him to throw the stick properly, but he often relapsed because he wanted larger sticks. Dog loved interacting with them and the family told us they had owned Akitas in the past, so they liked large dominant breeds. Was just making the point that if you're going to have young kids and a dog, odds are things like that will happen - stepping on the dog, pulling the tail and other bits, throwing things at the dog etc even with supervision - just watch youtube to see what I mean, and thought it was useful to know that the working breeds can be fine with it and families in general, it just depends on the individual dog and the family.

[~Shepherd~]

Bit OT, but since a few people commented on what I said, just wanted to clarify. The kid was a toddler, he could barely lift the stick and he was trying to throw it, but instead was hitting the dog half the time. Not hard or anything, dog didn't even seem to notice half the time. And both I and the childs' father stopped him and helped him to throw the stick properly, but he often relapsed because he wanted larger sticks. Dog loved interacting with them and the family told us they had owned Akitas in the past, so they liked large dominant breeds. Was just making the point that if you're going to have young kids and a dog, odds are things like that will happen - stepping on the dog, pulling the tail and other bits, throwing things at the dog etc even with supervision - just watch youtube to see what I mean, and thought it was useful to know that the working breeds can be fine with it and families in general, it just depends on the individual dog and the family.

You said "I have a doberman, and when he goes to the park, strange kids come up and want to play with him. They literally jump on him, take sticks away from him, pull his tail, sometimes half whack him with the sticks etc. He loves little kids. He sits and waits for them to throw the sticks even though he's bigger than them. He loves them to chase him, and he runs with the stick in his mouth looking back to make sure they're still following, just running slowly. We watch him to make sure he still looks like he's having fun, and we teach the kids on how they should approach dogs. The parents always comment on what an excellent temperament he has, but they don't know he's a doberman because he's red with a long tail and floppy ears, and when we tell them they are always surprised"

Well you certainly supersized your story if thats all that happened. Perhaps you should have prevented the situation from half stick wacking to NO stick wacking.

This is how accidents happen, particular breeds get a bad name and children get injured. Re read your post. Children should NOT be chasing any dog but you encourage it, then you go on to say you teach toddlers how to approach dogs?

Poor confused toddler may end up with severe injuries some day and a poor confused dog may get the green dream.

[~Shepherd~]

Bit OT, but since a few people commented on what I said, just wanted to clarify. The kid was a toddler, he could barely lift the stick and he was trying to throw it, but instead was hitting the dog half the time. Not hard or anything, dog didn't even seem to notice half the time. And both I and the childs' father stopped him and helped him to throw the stick properly, but he often relapsed because he wanted larger sticks. Dog loved interacting with them and the family told us they had owned Akitas in the past, so they liked large dominant breeds. Was just making the point that if you're going to have young kids and a dog, odds are things like that will happen - stepping on the dog, pulling the tail and other bits, throwing things at the dog etc even with supervision - just watch youtube to see what I mean, and thought it was useful to know that the working breeds can be fine with it and families in general, it just depends on the individual dog and the family.

I have 3 kids under the age of 5. I have an indoor young GSD bitch and a Whippet bitch all sharing the same space. Prior to the GSD I had a Goldie and a Belgian Shepherd with the oldest child. All dogs need to be conditioned to their environments as do children. As responsibles pet owners, it is up to us to ensure that prevention is better than cure.

[lanabanana]

While my daughter was raised with dogs and knows exactly how to treat dogs with respect, not everyone elses children do.

My dogs will tolerate pretty much anything from children and this is how they should be. In an ideal world all children would be taught proper behaviour round dogs but not all are. If my dogs can't escape it (which is never the case) then they will sit there and tolerate it. They are not often in the position where they have to "tolerate" behaviour from extra rough children but whenever the dogs have been (or past dogs have been) they are excellent. I have never owned a dog that I could ever say was bad with children. They have all been excellent.

Actually, correction, our little dog has only been round miss 10 (and sometimes the kids at afterschool care) so not 100% sure if she would be good with kids but she does think being punched int he head is a great game. LOL at how that sounds - I am sure you all know what I mean.

Anyway, I am trying to say, kids are rough but when they "hurt" a dog, particularly a good sized one its not as painful for the dog as we imagine it would be and I don't have a problem with a bit of whacking and jumping on. My friends rough children have taught my dogs patience and tolerance.

EDIT: Just to clarify, excessive roughness is always stopped but a bit of rough play is good, the dogs love it. They are so rough with each other it's ridiculous.

Edited June 21, 2010 by lanabanana