I can't decide which one to get.  My children are 13 and 6.  It absolutely has to be out of these 2 dogs - but just can't decide -

Once a Labrador has hold of your heart it will never let you go.

Both breeds are equally as good but retrievers do have longer hair and it shows on the furniture etc!!!!!!!!!

Both are equally as loving and affectionate and have fantastic temperanments and they are both loyal.

Phone a friend, ask the audience,!!!!!!!!!!! but in either case you will not make a wrong decision, but as a Lab lover there will always be a home here for one.

Good luck and enjoy whatever you choose.

I have both, they are both fantastic but goldens seem to take longer to mature than the labs and they do have loooaaads more hair than labs, although its easier to hoover up.

Goldens are also more hyper than the labs and a little more eccentric mine is 1 and a bit and hasnt calmed yet (although this may just be i had calm labs and a hyper golden LOL)

im sure someone else with more experience with goldens will be along shortly

As an unbiased third party :D I could never own either - I don't dislike them, they're just not my type of dog. If I had to choose, I'd prefer a black lab :)

Daisy

If you like both equally as much then I would go for practicality.  As the owner of a dog that cannot pass a muddy puddle or smelly pond without diving in I am so glad her coat is short

Im sure both are equal with their excellent temprements and great with kids and are both the same size so cause equal disruption when in play mode! but for me it has to, has to, be a golden everytime...I think there coats and general looks are just far more beautiful..oooh them long golden locks!...great to cuddle up to (and you will always have a golden keeping your feet warm!)
although on that note probably more work to keep groomed and obviously longer hair to hoover (although I have heard that with shorter haired dogs the hair seems to stick onto things more??) but i think the work is more than worth it!! my golden is 14 months and is very calm and only hyper when we get her playing...she has also never destroyed anything...(but I guess we were lucky?!) Good luck with which ever you choose..both wonderful dogs! You will enjoy either!

Oh Daisy,
How can you say that you are unbiased - you are!   Everybody loves Labs & Goldies!
Worse still 'Colour Prejudiced'   -  prefer BLACK Labs indeed
:)
Sorry Daisy, only kidding, honest.
Harry C

Labs for me :D

My Inlaws have Goldies and I must admit even though they are lovely dogs I just prefer Labs. I think Labs are more laid back in some respects but not in others :)

Why not have one of each ? Get the first one then wait 18 months-ish and get another one ;) :D

Seriously they are both fantastic breeds with children but one thing I will say Labs will dry out quicker than a Goldie after a walk involving water which is more than likely most days throughout the year ;)

Lucy
xx

Goldens for me, to me Labradors are just Goldens with something missing ;) and I must say I have never met a Labrador with the same wonderful temperament as Goldens. Labs seems to be more silly a lot of the time, the rest of the time too  lazy , at least all the ones I come across seem to be one or the other, none of them has a patch on a Golden :)

Actually i have found that goldens are much more laid back than your average lab. My goldie is so lazy its untrue!

Is he/she pale cream?

Hi, Goldens are lovely being owned by 5 of them, I don't find they are hyper,definately not lazy and dont find their hair a problem if they are brushed regularly, our friends have labs and seem to shed hair all year round and being shorter gets a firmer grip on the carpets or sofas.
They will adapt to most situations but they do like their exercise as much as you can give them from 18 months old onwards.
Training goes without saying for any dog.

I'm biased and Goldens will win everytime and I have 5 children althogh i have seen some nice labs too :-)

Briony

I originally wanted a black lab I always said when I got my own house I would get one but my OH really wanted a golden so  I agreed to go look with him and i just fell in love with this little bundle of fluff curled up asleep with his brother and that was it!  (http://www.mypetpages.net/index.php?getpage=fullsizeImage&artist_id=3361&image_id=72630)

I've never had a lab so I cant really compair but I know its goldens for me!

I have had labs and now own 2 gorgeous goldies 9yrs /2yrs, I must admit I much prefer the gentle goldies,mine are very laid back and not half as desructive as the labs were,but labs are great family dogs too just my personel preference Good luck

Personal preference would be a retriever.  I've had both a lab and a retriever and would prefer the latter.  He was very switched on and responsive where as the lab was full of 'doh!' factor - Homer Simpson style!

No goldmali, she is quite small and  dark golden in colour. I think she looks more of a working type really, shame the personality isn't the same! today she did 10 minutes of her agility lesson and then decided enough was enough and ran back to the car! I don't think she enjoys it much!! ;-)

Goldens every time. All the Labs I've known have a weight problem. My 2 are calm they can be excitable but only when playing or waiting for their walk. I quess I'm lucky as they've never destroyed anythin, Sefa is nearly 3 and Sam is 18 months. Oh I forgot, Sefa did eat a football ticket once but it was left on the stairs.

Labs have a weight problem because of the owner not because of the Lab ;)

All the retrievers I have come across have been quite weighty also,!!

A dog is only the shape the owner makes it!!!!

Both retreivers and labs have good appetities and I have known some pretty mad retrievers and also some pretty docile Labs.

They are both beautiful dogs, reknowned for their wonderful dispositions.  The only reason we have a Lab instead of a Golden is that Vets, hunting friends and even one Golden breeder told us we would have a hard time finding a Golden with working, hunting lines.  And so what does DH go and do?  Stops hunting anyway.  Wouldn't trade our Lab for all the tea in China though.

For me it would have to be a Golden.  We have 3 children (aged 17, 13 and 9) and our puppy (6 months) is great with them.  The puppy has the occaisional mad minute where she'll run round and round the garden but apart from that she is very docile and has been very easy to live with. Her coat is beginning to get a bit longer but so far the Dyson has coped no problem and I have been told that although Goldens have longer coats they are actually easier to clear up after as it doesn't stick to the carpet.

Steve