Your Goldador has a noble heritage and a modern purpose.
Originally two intelligent, trainable hunting breeds, the cooperative Golden Retriever Labrador hybrid surged in popularity just a few decades ago thanks to service dog charities. In fact, the first Goldador I met was a seeing eye dog puppy, being socialized by a family friend.
Goldadors are enthusiastic about reward based training, easy to motivate and friendly too. Your Goldador puppy will form strong bonds with their family, but not be too over excited when meeting strangers. This is a bonus if you have a job to do like assistance dogs.
The Golden Retriever Lab mix is also less likely to be impacted by the cancer gene currently causing devastation in the pedigree Golden Retriever breed.
- Typical characteristics.
- Colors, coats, grooming and shedding.
- Are they friendly dogs?
- Health problems and lifespan.
- Goldador puppies, breeders and adoption.
Good therapy dogs make excellent pets, and your large, confident Goldador is no exception.
Despite what the name and Golden Retriever genetics suggests, your puppy could be any color from white to gold, yellow, black or brown.
Goldador Characteristics
Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers are similar breeds. Your Goldador puppy will look a lot like its littermates. As an adult dog your Goldador will be large. First generation mixes have a short coat and lightly feathered tail.
Your Goldador will have floppy ears, a broad chest, long muzzle and lengthy legs. When fully grown your dog will end up about 75 lbs and 24 inches high.
Goldadors with working bred parents, from American Labrador and Golden Retriever lines, will have narrower heads. If your Goldador has show or English history behind them, they will have a blockier build.
Goldador Colors
Your Golden Retriever Lab puppy might look more like a Labrador than Golden Retriever, or vice versa.Golden Retriever Lab puppies that closely resemble their Labrador parent will be one of the following:
- Black Goldador.
- Chocolate Goldador.
- Yellow Goldador.
Puppies that resemble the Golden Retriever parent will be one of the following:
- Dark golden Goldador.
- Golden Goldador.
- Light golden Goldador.
Golden Retriever Lab Mix Coat Types
Your puppy’s Golden Retriever parent has a long coat with feathering, but your Labrador Golden Retriever mix puppy will likely have inherited the Lab’s short double coat. This double coat has a soft undercoat and water resistant top coat. And it’s high maintenance.
Shedding and Grooming
Your puppy will shed a lot. Both parent breed molt heavily. They have two seasonal blowouts, and moderate shedding the rest of the year.
Brush them at least twice a week to catch loose hairs. A good pet hair vacuum is also a must!
Your puppy’s teeth will also need brushing, which will stave off dental problems, decay and fum disease.
You will also need to clip their nails weekly, with pet clippers or a rotating claw sander.
Are They Hypoallergenic?
Your Goldador is not hypoallergenic. This is not an allergy friendly dog. Goldadors high shedding means dander from skin and saliva will be liberally spread around your home and clothes.
Goldador Temperament
Goldador temperament will vary from puppy to puppy. Designer breeds combine two personality types into one package. However, the Labrador and Golden Retriever demeanor are so similar, you have a much better chance of estimating your Golador puppy’s future characteristics than someone with a more varying breed mix might.
What Is The Typical Goldador Personality?
Your sociable Golden Retriever Lab mix won’t like isolation. Goldadors chew out of boredom and anxiety when left alone.
Your Goldador might inherit the Lab’s excitability. Labs don’t know a stranger, they love new faces and making instant friends.
Golden Retrievers and Labradors are retrievers. Your dog’s amazing nose and desire to chase small creatures can lead to mischief. An enclosed back yard is a must, as is a good recall cue.
Socialization
Early age socialization is vital to help your Goldador get on with children and other pets. Although naturally open to new experiences, there are no temperament guarantees in any breed.
Training and socialization can begin with fun puppy training classes.
Training Tips
Your Goldador’s greedy yet easygoing nature makes them very trainable. And with positive reinforcement methods you can start from day one.
Goldadors and their parent breeds have a long history as service dogs, bomb detection dogs, hunting dogs and therapy dogs. You are set up to win here, if you put in the time to train.
Obedience classes help create well mannered dogs. Jumping up and running off are best avoided in large breeds.
Energy Levels
Your Golden Retriever Labrador puppy will grow into a high energy adult with a love for play and passion for fetch.
Your Labrador Golden Retriever mix will be a great companion for jogging, hiking and cycling. This hybrid dog loves to swim too. Canine sports like agility obedience trials and tracking will also keep your dog active and out of trouble.
Bored unexercised Goldadors have pent up energy that can lead to destructive tendencies.
You’ll need to take your dog on daily walks, and let them self exercise in the enclosed back yard.
Exercise leads to good health. Your Goldador’s parents, the Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever, can develop elbow and hip dysplasia. Weight management is one way to prevent joint problems.
Health and Care
All pedigree dog breeds are inbred to an extent. The measure of this is coefficient of inbreeding (COI). The higher the COI the greater the risk of health issues from inbreeding.
In general, health issues emerge at over 5% COI. In a crossbreed like your Goldador, the COI is lower than a purebred dog, and very unlikely to be over that 5% barrier.
Goldadors do however still have health risks and care vulnerabilities from inherited diseases in the parent Labrador and Golden Retriever breeds.
Labrador Health
Labrador Retrievers are prone to a few hereditary health conditions and joint problems, as well as some health issues common to most dogs. To help minimize the likelihood of hereditary health issues in your new Goldador pup, check that your breeder has followed the recommended testing for the Labrador Retriever breed:
- Hereditary Nasal Parakeratosis (HNKP)
- Centronuclear Myopathy (CN)
- Hip and Elbow Evaluation
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
- Exercise Induced Collapse (EIC)
- Hereditary Cataracts (HC)
Golden Retriever Health
Golden Retrievers have some of the same hereditary health risks that Labradors do. They are also prone to hip and elbow dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, and hereditary cataracts. But there are a few other health conditions that are common to this breed. Recommended testing for Golden Retrievers includes:
- Hip and Elbow evaluation
- Cardiac Exam including an echocardiogram
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
- Hereditary Cataracts (HC)
- Ophthalmological exams (OFA & ECR)
Goldador Health Problems
Golden Retriever Lab mixes are more likely to inherit health problems common to both parent breeds. But they are at risk of any of the above issues.
Ensure your breeder has screened for PRA, hip and elbow dysplasia and cataracts before you bring your new bestie home.
These conditions plague both parent breeds and your puppy would be at high risk.
Choosing a Goldador breeder that has proof of testing for all breed recommended tests for both parents increases the likelihood of your puppy being healthy. Unfortunately, some conditions like cancer and bloat can’t be predicted.
There is evidence the risk of bloat decreases with a varied diet and small, frequent meals. Avoid once a day feeding.
How Long Do Goldadors Live?
Designer dogs live as long as their parent breeds. The Labrador Golden REtriever mix averages 10 to 12 years. However, chocolate Labradors have a 10% shorter lifespan than other Labs, and a higher rate of ear and skin infections. A chocolate Goldador may have a slightly shorter life expectancy than other mixes within this breed combination.
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Rescuing a Goldador
Local animal shelters can be a great way to adopt your new forever friend. Golden Retriever and Labrador rescues also sometimes have Goldadors looking for homes. Although some shelters focus on rehoming purebred dogs that were previously used in puppy mills as breeding stock, or retired from the show ring.
Golden Retriever Lab mix puppies don’t often come up for adoption, but many adult or senior designer dogs end up needing a new zip code in their later years.
Goldador Breeders
The Goldador is a popular designer breed, so you’ll have your choice of puppies.
Good breeders aren’t always expensive, but be wary of cheap litters. Health tests, an awareness of the cancer gene, and temperament as a priority are key here. Breeding stock should have a purpose in their family beyond making puppies.
Your breeder should ask your lots of questions and be happy to answer all of yours. Visit them, check the environment your puppy lives in is clean and warm, and meet your puppy’s mother. She should be calm, friendly and confident, and your puppy should be delighted to meet you.
The Labrador Site Founder
Pippa Mattinson is the best selling author of The Happy Puppy Handbook, the Labrador Handbook, Choosing The Perfect Puppy, and Total Recall.
She is also the founder of the Gundog Trust and the Dogsnet Online Training Program
Pippa's online training courses were launched in 2019 and you can find the latest course dates on the Dogsnet website
