[Nothingbutretrievers]

I honestly have no clue where to put this post so I am going with the breed section (it's kind part breed question and part new dog question.)

We have a lab Pyrenees mix who has bonded with my dad, and no one else in our family. The problem is with my dad's new job, he can no longer take her everywhere he goes, so she is stuck at our house alone all day, and she gets super stressed and lonely. So, we are considering getting a second dog (yes we, not just this crazy child who wants a second dog). Another reason for this is I am stuck in the middle of nowhere, no friends within a 20 mile radius, and no siblings, so when I am at home I tend to spend most of my time with Jess our current dog who by the by is the most unsocial, unprotective dog in the world (who I still love.) If our family does end up getting a second dog, it would be nice if this were an opportunity for me to have a pet to bond with. Here's where breed comes in (yay). I love labs and goldens, but need some help in deciding which breed of dog to get. I am looking for a dog that really bonds with people, isn't super independent, but could do okay at home with a buddy, would be a good jogging companion, and who wouldn't be terrified of horses. One of the people at my barn has an adorable golden who loves everyone, has bonded super tight with her owner, and just seems like a great dog, but I also really love labs. Also, do female or male dogs tend to bond more? So any opinions on which breed we should look into more. We will be adopting, not buying from our breeder, but I still would like a starting point on breed because we happen to have a golden rescue and a lab rescue in our area. I'm also open minded to other breed suggestions as well. Thanks for any input!

 

[amaryllis]

I am a huge fan of goldens, personally. I think the personalities of goldens and labs is very similar, I just like long coats and feathering.

That said, while both goldens and labs shed (SHED), goldens require regular brushing and labs only need to be brushed when shedding, really. I kind of like brushing my dog, so I prefer goldens, you may feel differently.

I would be very, very careful where you buy your puppy, if buying is what you intend to do. Most lab and golden breeders are unethical, greedy and don't care what they produce. This has resulted in human aggressive lines of goldens, a great many dog aggressive labs and lots of hip dysplasia in both breeds.

This forum would be more than happy to help you find a good breeder to avoid the above issues.

 

[Kwenami]

It sounds like you already have your dog picked out

I personally prefer retrievers because I like their coat better but both are very friendly dogs and would likely do well. You can also consider adopting from a shelter if you just want a companion animal.

 

[Nothingbutretrievers]

Thanks for the replies so far. We are definitely rescuing from our shelter. also, any feedback on rather male or female dogs tend to be more velcro dogs (we have onyl ever had female dogs.)

 

[amaryllis]

I think it's the dog, personally. I've had males only, and some have been velcro, some not so much.

ETA: Petfinder.com is a good place to start looking for a rescue. you can search by breed.

 

[techigirl78]

I have read best 2 dog combination is male and female. That is what I had till 3rd came along. I love my lab and there are lots of labs and lab mixes in shelters. My male is more velcro, but he is lab. I think if you go to rescue it is based some on breed but some just on the dog. Tell them what you want and they should help you find perfect puppy or dog..

 

[furbelle]

I think either breed, a golden or a lab, would be a great choice... though I'm a tad partial to Labs. We have always had females... all bonded well, and only one was really clingy.... she was a rescue though and had a lot of fear issues. I don't think the bonding has much to do with the sex... more the individual dog. Growing up, my dad always had male dogs, and they were amazing.

When adopting a second dog, I think it is important (if at all possible) to try and arrange a meet and greet with your dog, and the potential new addition.... just to make sure there are no immediate personality conflicts.rovoke:

 

[juliemule]

I second the idea of letting the dogs meet. You have a LGD which tend to be dog aggressive of their property and "flock". Be careful especially if the dog is already stressed and in a changing environment.

 

[teslasmom]

DEFINITELY take the dogs to meet. Our oldest met other dogs before picking our second, and you could tell when it wasn't going to work. It also changed my mind about age. I wanted to get a dog around a year old already, but after meeting them and Tesla meeting them, we decided to look for a puppy instead, which seemed to work for tesla. We did go with the opposite sex as well, although I'm not sure if it was necessary, but that had been our experience with tesla on our meet and greets.

Just remember, you don't have to choose the first dog you meet either. Maybe the lab or golden rescue can help you pick a few to meet with your current dog when you go.

 

[TheMatrix]

A Golden or lab would be wonderful I think. Another, more unusual, suggestion is a Flat coat Retriever, my friend had one and he was the most loving, soppy dog around. Slightly larger, lots of feather and pretty energetic too.
I personally adore Duck Toller Retrievers, they are such fabulous dogs, less slobbery than Labs IME, gorgeous and very intelligent.