How about a Golden?

Everyone I know who has owned a golden says their great. My friend just got his wisdom teeth out and he says he was lieng on the couch watching TV and feeling sick. But his rescue Golden kept coming up to check up on him and make sure he is okay. I think their sweet dogs, friendly and submissive to people, but their coat needs brushing every week.

Huskies are also pack oriented dogs but they are very high energy and dont do very well of leash.

Im no breed expert tho, just telling what I have learned from experience.

I don't see why a golden wouldn't be a good choice. I babysit for a golden very often and she's VERY pack oriented. As a matter of fact, she wont go pee outside unless i go stand with her. She's a little annoying at times, but a good dog all around

I don't have a single bad thing to say about goldens, all the goldens I've seen have been absolutely amazing. My aunt has one that I've taken care of on a pretty regular basis, and he is a wonderful and friendly dog. He does have his issues that come from not being properly trained (barking, whining, separation anxiety), but IME given the proper exercise and training, goldens are a wonderful breed that will always want to be with you doing whatever you do.

I have a 3 year old female Golden. While I could not tell you if you won't like Goldens as much as Boxers (of which I know nothing), I think they are worth researching if you are looking for a largish people oriented dog with a good energy level.

Mine is not territorial, she is friendly to strangers in the house if they are introduced, does not bark at the mailman who cuts thru the lawn right under our windows but will alert if somebody tries to get in the backyard, is rather high energy. The only time of the year her activity level is quite down is right now, the heat and humidity of Louisiana sap her (but it does the same to us).

She is the princess of petting and company, comes sit at your feet at the right distance in case one of your hands has nothing better to do, is happy with foot petting too, likes to know where you are and will move from room to room to stay with you.

She is very interested in back yard critters; hunts them actively and sometimes successfully. She plays with the Lab (zoomies outside, bitey face, let's roll on the floor inside, the whole works) regularly. She has been overall very healthy in her 3 years. I think we brought her to the vet only twice out of regular exams.

Her big drawback.... she eats poop... her own and my Lab's  [] 
 
ETA I just realized you wanted to know why NOT research a Golden, no good reason coming from me unless some of what I describe is a drawback from you. Is she perfect ? Gosh, no. Are they all like I describe ? Probably not (so many factors). Good luck in your search for a new companion.

Hi...we've got two Goldens (6 y/o female, and a 4.5 y/o male).  And, we had a male Golden prior to these two.
 
Sooo, obviously, my vote is for you to definitely devote yourself to researching the breed! []

I've met some "bad" goldens, while not the norm, because they've become so popular, you need to be careful about your potential breeder.  Of course rescue is also a good place to find a nice golden.

from the little description you gave of yourself, i would think a golden would be a good dog for you. they are very adaptable (can go places and not be stressed). the are enrgetic, but are also laid back.
 
they are very popular, which means a lot of bybs. which means a lot of health problems. my golden passed 2 and a half years ago from cancer in his bladder line. he was barely 10 years old, with no other health problems. they dont have an incredibly long life span. they are prone to ear problems. and whoever said they need to be brushed every week makes me laugh b/c they should be brushed daily. they love water and get matted very easily. they get a lot of hot spots and usually develop skin issues. oh he constantly smelled like wet dog b/c he swam 10 times a day 
 
those are just some negatives to when i had a golden. pluses? he swam in the pool with us, he was very loyal, he had the most personality of any dog i have had, he got along great with almost every dog (and cat) he met, he would go anywhere with us, he was good at the vet, he only barked at the poolman when he would go in the backyard. i just cant say anough about how great of a dog he was.
 
they need a lot of training. i have met a lot of goldens that were totally out of control b/c owners didnt train them. they take awhile to break out of puppy stage, a lot like labs. they are great when trained right, but if not they are terrors

From all the things you've mentioned I think most of the sporting breeds fit your needs to a "t". [] Keep in mind though that most Goldens and Labs have a STUBBORN streak. Their way of resistance usually isn't biting, but rather a passive aggressive way of digging in their heels and using their weight against you. [&:] This is what I encountered with almost every Golden and Lab that I groomed when I worked at a grooming shop. To be fair most of those dogs probably came from backyard breeders and puppymills. I lump Labs and Goldens together because they're very similar. Labs do tend to be a little more serious and have a slight protective tendency.

What I would do though is look into some of the other sporting breeds to explore all of your options and see if you like another one even better. Particularly Setters, Spaniels, and Retrievers seem like a good fit for your family.

My suggestions other than Labs and Goldens are:
* Flat Coated Retriever
* Welsh Springer Spaniel
* English Setter
* Irish Setter
* Brittany
* English Cocker Spaniel

I would AVOID the following breeds for what you're looking for (less protective):
* Chesapeake Bay Retriever
* Gordon Setter
* Curly Coated Retriever

And these would be on my "maybe" list:
* English Springer Spaniel- At best they can be wonderful all around family dogs. But, their temperment seems really "iffy" in a lot of lines. They do tend to be a little dominant also.
* American Cocker Spaniel- Same reasons as above. If you got one of those breeds I'd be extremely careful what breeder you chose.

Hope I could help! []

mama_mojo: it looks like there are quite a few breeds that may fit your needs.  Anything specific that I can answer for you in regard to our Goldens?
 
Although Goldens are prone to skin allergies, hot spots, joint dysplasia, eye problems, etc...none of the Goldens we've had (past or present) developed any of these conditions.  Our Goldens do not smell like wet dog on a regular basis, nor do they have a strong odor in general (which I've heard can happen).  These of course are all reasons to support your research! []

I really appreciate the list of negatives from people with experience. These are the things I have to think about.

On the grooming- I brush my boxer daily because she is old and it's something to do together. I've realized I LIKE our daily grooming sessions which made me less worried about a dog with a coat.

On the stubborn streak- I'll have to think about that. I had the impression goldens were USUALLY easy to train.

On training- Well, we did 4 years of intermittent training classes with our boxer as we waited for puppyhood to pass. I have the idea that a golden might not require more than this, but we enjoy the classes all the same.

On the breeders- We liked our the breeders we got Astryd from because we could see their devotion to the breed; it's a sore point among some people, but we will go with a show breeder again whatever breed we decide on.

Breeds- I worry a spaniel might be too sensitive??? My reading and the brittanys I know (very limited experience here) lead me to think they are less resilient and a bit more skittish than Golden retrievers. Also, I want a dog I can find somewhat locally. I would like to visit a breeder a few times, feel like I have "technical" support relatively near, feel like we can visit the puppy once or twice, at least, before it comes to live with us, etc. I know I can find good breeders for goldens or labs relatively close (2 hours). I have reservations about labs in a biased, illogical way. My experience is with seeing them stray quite often. (higher chance because popular breed, etc.) As strays, they have been a little scary to me. This is so hard to put a finger on, so please do not get upset. A stray golden, in my limited experience, seems to say, "Can you help me?" and the stray labs seem to say, "Who are you?"
I know next to nothing about Irish setters, so that is an avenue for me to explore. There are some size limitations, and I thought goldens were at least a little smaller than setters. (very funny to be discussing size when I'm already thinking about a golden.)

Our dog will probably get wet every day as where we walk and where we recreate offer water. I LIKE the idea of a dog swimming, and I know a wet dog smells... wet and dog. This will in turn tie into grooming.

Thanks for all the replies. I want a dog who will be happy with us, and this is the best step I know of for helping that happen.

ORIGINAL: mama_mojo

...but we will go with a show breeder again whatever breed we decide on.

I forgot to mention that ours came from show breeders (one of which also bred field lines).  We were actually researching Rhodesian Ridgebacks when the Goldens came into our life.  I went to pick up a kitten for my sister-in-law, and this person turned out to be a very reputable breeder of Goldens.  The rest is history, lol.

I think many people lump Goldens and Labs together...that they are similar.  But, in our experience, they are completely different.  A family member currently has two Labs (chocolate & yellow) and had one prior to them (black).

As far as stubborness, we have seen it with our male puppies only.  And, as they matured they did a 360 and became "pleasers."  We have found them easy to train and intelligent.  The first couple of years can be challenging but after that, it's like someone flicks a switch and all the hard work & training falls into place perfectly.

We have seen very aggressive Goldens (as well as very over-sized) but this is not the "breed standard" which again is supportive of research (and training).

Ours LOVE the water and would prefer to be with us than anywhere else...wherever that may be...they also prefer the company of people over other dogs.
 
ETA: dang typos!

Mama Mojo- It may very well be that Goldens are the right breed for you. I was just throwing a few more sporting breeds out there because I think knowing all your options is always good. [] I do understand too wanting to find a local breeder. As far as Goldens and Labs being stubborn; the ones I met weren't the best examples of the breed (fairly certain they came from backyard breeders) so it may be that a well bred one WON'T have that stubborn streak. That's would be the really good part about finding a local breeder. You could go visit first and see what you think of their dogs in person.

ORIGINAL: mama_mojo

I know I can find good breeders for goldens or labs relatively close (2 hours). I have reservations about labs in a biased, illogical way. My experience is with seeing them stray quite often. (higher chance because popular breed, etc.) As strays, they have been a little scary to me. This is so hard to put a finger on, so please do not get upset. A stray golden, in my limited experience, seems to say, "Can you help me?" and the stray labs seem to say, "Who are you?"

That's actually a very good way to sum it up. Personally I would prefer that dog that is friendly with strangers, but a little more wary. From what you're saying it sounds like a Golden might be better for you.

Almost forgot to mention, with Goldens you have to be careful of hotspots. Especially if the dog is in the water a lot. What happens is because of their thick coat, the moisture gets trapped under all that hair. I had a Golden when I was growing up and they do have a lot of hair. During shedding season you can pull out the undercoat in tufts. During that time they shed A LOT of hair. I would get almost a grocery bag full from brushing my Golden. [&:] It's important to not just brush over the top coat, but use an undercoat rake or similar tool to get out a lot of the undercoat, paying special attention to the haunches and feathering on the hind legs. Then a slicker brush is good for regular maintenance. Good luck with whatever you decide and please let us know what breed you pick!

I read a lot of material on Goldens before we actually adopted Shelby.  I was grateful, because I didn't freak out when she was true to her breed and did exactly what they said she'd do.  We were fortunate because I was able to devote my full attention to her.  It was time consuming and sometimes trying and so very rewarding.  We were consistent and the results speak for themselves.  She is our best friend/companion.  All I have to do is pick up her brush and she sits down to be brushed.........she rolls over on her back and sticks her feet in the air so I can brush her legs (it's so funny!)  She very rarely barks.  She isn't territorial at all.  She gladly welcomes anyone into our home.  She would probably be disturbed if someone tried to hurt us, but wouldn't know what to do about it.  She plays well with other animals.  Because of her size and energy she can be quite intimidating to small children and people who either don't like dogs (there are some) or are afraid of them.  She would never intentionally hurt anyone, but because of her size and energy (and she's still a puppy at heart) it could easily happen.  We constantly work on good manners.  My husband and I have always loved dogs, but Shelby has taken us to a new level.  She has brought so much love and joy into an already blessed life.  We find ourselves enjoying all animals more.  WE survived the period at about 4 month's when she acted like she was possessed or on speed.  She survived eating a house plant I didn't know was poisonous.  WE survived being grossed out when she eats poop.  I learned to put my shoes up the first time she ate one of my new pumps.  Now we find ourselves asking, "How did we ever survive without her?"

 a note about huskies (from a previous poster) Huskies are pack oriented but only to the extent that they need the pack. They are very independent dogs. Someone looking at a golden should stay far away from a husky imo. Totally different mentality in the breeds.