Often referred to as the Golden Labrador, the Goldador, or the Golden Lab, the Labrador Golden Retriever mix is a mix between a Labrador Retriever and a Golden Retriever. This hybrid brings together some of the best traits of both breeds, resulting in an enthusiastic, devoted, and happy dog. These dogs make great family companies, but they also do well as working dogs. Here’s a closer look at the Goldador, its history, appearance, temperament, and other essential hybrid information.
Origin and History
It wasn’t until the last couple of decades that the Labrador Golden Retriever mix became popular. The reason for crossing the two breeds was to come up with a dog that had the sensitive, gentle nature of a Golden Retriever as well as the tolerance and sweetness of a Labrador Retriever.
The Labrador Retriever has its roots in Canada, and the breed was developed to help fisherman with retrieving fish and fishing lines. Englishmen visiting Canada were impressed and took some of the dogs with them to Europe, where they were used for hunting. The breed would later come to the United States, and the American Kennel Club recognized the Labrador Retriever in 1917.
Golden Retrievers have their origins in Scotland, and originally they were bred to retrieve prey, particularly waterfowl. These dogs were bred to be loyal, gentle, and to have a great nose. The Kennel Club of England recognized the Golden Retriever in 1911, and later the American Kennel Club would recognize the breed in 1932. Golden Retrievers quickly became popular within the United States, and still today they’re the country’s second most popular dog breed.
Appearance
The Golden Retriever Lab mix is a large dog, and they generally stand from 22 to 24 inches tall and they usually weigh from 60 to 80 pounds once they become adults. The Golden Labrador has a square shaped, flat head, floppy ears, and a wide, square muzzle. Generally, they have oval shaped, brown eyes. The mix has a plush double coat that is short and thick on top and dense and soft underneath. In most cases, the coat is medium to long in length. The coat may come in various colors, including red, black, yellows, browns, and gold. Usually, these dogs have a black nose.
Golden Labrador Temperament
The temperament of the Labrador Golden Retriever mix is happy, clever, affectionate, and energetic. These dogs love to be with people, and they’re very loyal and friendly. Since they love carrying out tasks and playing, they also make wonderful working dogs. The Golden Lab is eager to please, and they don’t enjoy being alone. They are extremely easy to train and they are perfect for families. While they make great watchdogs, since they are so alert, they are too friendly to be good guard dogs.
You can expect a Labrador Golden Retriever mix to have plenty of energy, so ensuring they get plenty of activity is essential. These dogs need exercise and mental stimulation every day. Not only do they need play time, they need some walking or jogging each day as well. It’s also nice to have a safe, fenced area where they can run and play. The Golden Labrador loves to swim, and they are excellent at dog sports, including flyball and agility. Keeping their minds busy with tricks and toys is important, and failing to provide them with enough physical and mental activity can lead to boredom and destructive behavior.
Since these dogs love to please and are very smart, they’re generally quite easy to train. While they learn fast, it’s important to avoid treating them harshly. It’s essential to only use positive reinforcement when training a Golden Retriever Labrador mix, providing them with plenty of praise and treats.
Grooming
The Golden Retriever Labrador mix does require some regular grooming. Their double coat needs to be brushed daily for the best results, ensuring that the coat looks healthy and loose hairs are removed. They only need bathed as needed, but it is important to rinse them off well when they go swimming. After swimming, ensuring their ears are dried well to avoid infections. Since they have large, floppy ears, their ears should be cleaned and checked each week. Teeth should be brushed several times each week as well.
Working Roles
The Golden Retriever Labrador mix is very smart, easy to train, and loves to please, which makes them a great working dog for many roles. Some of the working roles they may take on include search and rescue, bomb detection, service, guide, and therapy dogs.
Health
Usually, the Golden Retriever Labrador mix will live to be 10 to 15 years old. They are prone to some of the potential health problems of Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers, including:
- Elbow dysplasia
- Diabetes
- Eye problems
- Hip dysplasia
- Cancer
- Hypothyroidism
- Progressive retinal atrophy
- Skin disorders
- Hypopigmentation
- Cataracts
- Muscular dystrophy
- Subaortic stenosis
- Pericardial effusion
- Obesity