HMMMMM...

Very interesting thread that makes me consider things in a different light. Goldens are a very oral breed, they really like having something in their mouths in a way which is different than different kinds of dogs. People find it cute and unusual when Goldens have to pick up a toy or a shoe or a bra in order to greet someone, but I just consider it normal behavior. I have asked owners of other types of dogs if they do the same thing and their dogs don't feel the need to have something in their mouths.

My Goldens (and my Dad's Golden (Selli's sister)) have all liked to chew on their humans, but they will only chew on their specific humans, i.e., Selli will chew on me and my Boyfriend but no-one else (we encourage them to do it). My Duffy (Golden/Sheltie) and my parent's old dog Elmo (Golden/Collie) would never even consider putting a human's body part in their mouth.

Our Goldens have all been from breeders who breed for temperament and they have been intelligent, socialized dogs, but if you had a Golden from someone who didn't care about temperament and you add to that a dog who has a tendency to use its mouth to communicate with humans, you could wind up with a group of dogs who bite more than normal.

 

Okay, I stand corrected, but now I am wondering the dogs that have been deemed aggressive, bad breeding or bad training, or no training notwithstanding, I am ****** lucky Murphy is as sweet as he is, because he required very little correction, and he's the sweetest thing I have ever known.

 

My opinion is it starts with bad breeding. temperment is suposed to be one of the main qualities goldens are bread for but to often it goes by the way side so people can get perfect confermation dogs.. as long as they look good thats all they need.

I would say lack of socilization as the next important factor, then not corecting bad behaviour.

We rescued a golden x and it turned out to be severly dog agressive to the point it would want to kill another dog as soon as it saw it. I spent 4 months and 1000.00 in training with agression specialests (2 different ones) and neither could make any headway and had never seen a dog this bad. so we made the sad disision of returning her to the shelter as I couldn't even let her in the back yard alone as we had dogs all around us, walks were impossable ect.. we figured out there was a lot of chow mixed into her with the golden and I think there was probably more chow than golden, but I guess the spca felt it was easier to find a place for a golden Xthan it would be for a chow X.

but we ended up getting a pure golden from a breader who values temperment as much as looks and couldent be more happy with him. not an agressive bone in his body in 7 months has only play growled when playing tug of war, doesn't bark at other dogs or people, except to let me know he has to go to the bathroom. so I think there is a lot to the breading part.

Steve

 

My Golden's never been biters, but I have met quite a few that are, we have one next door right now that would attack in a minute, dogs or kids don't matter he don't like them..kinda scary!

 

I have known and had to deal first hand with nasty, mean, and shy BYB Goldens

 

Poorly bred Goldens with unsound temperaments are a dime a dozen. And because they are so popular, the sheer numbers would increase the bite statistics. Sad, but true. And a problem that I have been committed to fighting. (Me, the one who is "in it for the money"...)

 

I'm going to be frank, I am quite literally astounded by the responses on this thread. I would have bet my last nickel that everyone would be up in arms about this statement and would stand behind me willing to take up proverbial arms to defend our beloved Goldens. If someone had told me this would be the response, I would have called them a liar...or at the least doubted their sanity.

I am going to hug Murphy extra hard every night and thank my lucky stars we got a good one. I suppose I've been fortunate and the three Goldens I have known in my life...Murphy, Roxie and Elvis have been sweet natured and loveable. I can tell you this right now...I am now not even remotely considering a Golden rescue or fostering. I would not want to deal with a biter or an aggressive dog, under any circumstance. I'll leave that to the experts, thank you very much.

 

I'm going to be frank, I am quite literally astounded by the responses on this thread. I would have bet my last nickel that everyone would be up in arms about this statement and would stand behind me willing to take up proverbial arms to defend our beloved Goldens. If someone had told me this would be the response, I would have called them a liar...or at the least doubted their sanity.

I am going to hug Murphy extra hard every night and thank my lucky stars we got a good one. I suppose I've been fortunate and the three Goldens I have known in my life...Murphy, Roxie and Elvis have been sweet natured and loveable. I can tell you this right now...I am now not even remotely considering a Golden rescue or fostering. I would not want to deal with a biter or an aggressive dog, under any circumstance. I'll leave that to the experts, thank you very much.

And this is a shame, really. Because good, legitimate rescues properly evaluate dogs do not randomly place dogs with unsound temperaments. There are many lovely, safe, CORRECT Goldens in need of adoption. Unfortunately they are outnumbered by those produced by irresponsible persons who do not care for anything other than the money to be made selling dogs and who, after the check is in hand, take no responsibility or accountability for what happens to them.

 

I suppose I was lucky as hell, Point. I got Murphy from a hobbyist breeder, the mother and father were in excellent condition, the place was puppy heaven and the breeder was knowledgeable and presented all the requirements I asked him for. Other than a seige of digestive issues when he was about 3 months old that required me to research canine digestion and get him on a good holistic dogfood, we've had no issues with Murphy...oh, and a little bout with an ear infection one year....we've been issue free. No excessive barking, no growling, no biting, no dog aggression. He is a dedicated cat hater, but I attribute that to my sister's hateful cat, not Old Murphy dog.

 

I suppose I was lucky as hell, Point. I got Murphy from a hobbyist breeder, the mother and father were in excellent condition, the place was puppy heaven and the breeder was knowledgeable and presented all the requirements I asked him for. Other than a seige of digestive issues when he was about 3 months old that required me to research canine digestion and get him on a good holistic dogfood, we've had no issues with Murphy...oh, and a little bout with an ear infection one year....we've been issue free. No excessive barking, no growling, no biting, no dog aggression. He is a dedicated cat hater, but I attribute that to my sister's hateful cat, not Old Murphy dog.

If you got your dog from a "hobbyist" breeder, I wouldn't say that you were "lucky as _ _ _ _". If it had been a BYB, then yes. "Hobby Breeders" as a rule are devoted and dedicated to the breed, know and respect the standard, usually compete in one or more venues, and are there for the lifetime of the dog.

 

...and bragged about their mouth being so soft they can carry around raw eggs without breaking them...

quick, someone tell the Pudden, before she swallows it whole! :doh::bowl::doh::bowl:

 

Most rescues screen and use a behaviorist if there are any kind of aggression issues with a rescue golden. The incidents our rescue has had were resolved by going with a home with no children after a behaviorist worked with the dog. Only once do I recall a golden had to be put down due to aggression issues.

99% of our goldens in GRRIN have been workable, loving and forgiving after they have been neglected, abused or even worse. They have unconditional love and so want and need to be loved themselves.

 

I think its bunk! The same sites that stress Goldens biting ...tend to pad pit bulls as "perceived" biters.

I've met ONE aggressive Golden and several pitties charging tp kill so I say they are nuts.

 

I think its bunk! The same sites that stress Goldens biting ...tend to pad pit bulls as "perceived" biters.

ah but pittys are generaly percived biters.. because when the do bit it is generaly way more serious than other dogs they are raised to a mythical level. but the amount of bites against humans from pitties is way less than the amount of bits from other dogs.

a proper bread pitty is one of the best family dogs you can have as they are bread not to bite humans in any situation as the handlers dont need to get bit when breaking up a dog fite. but like any dog they can be wrecked by bad breading, bad handling and so on.

we almost rescued a pit befor the golden chow mix but it had an issue with cats, we visited it for about 6 hours did some walks, played ect.. it was so gentle with my kids it wasn't even funny, but would kill a squeeky ball in 3 seconds flat I'll admits I used to think pits were evil but the more of them I meet the more I like them.

Steve

 

My mauled arm, hands and leg say it's not bunk. Perhaps that one statistic is not correct, but people are living in a dream world believing no Golden would bite anyone. They have the power to do serious damage, too.

Greyhounds are pretty high on my list of biters, but it's almost always space issues due to their regulated lives in the racing world. It can be cured with conditioning and the common sense to not let a child climb on a sleeping hound.

We ask a lot of dogs, and it's amazing to me how few of them do bite!

My list, from MY experience would be something like:

Chows
Akitas
Chi's
Australian Shepherds- are there any that are not psychotic or at least have a screw loose?
Toy poodles
GSDs (mostly due to human idiocy, fear issues, and bad breeding)
Border Collies (what a load of nasty ass man-biting ones I met in the UK!! At obedience shows!!)
Great Danes
Goldens
Labs
Doxies (smooth only) for sure

Dealing with countless rescue dogs, often the most extreme and hopeless cases, I have been bit far more than the average person. I am not afraid of dogs or of being bitten.

Sometimes I have had to let a feral, extreme spooky dog bite me. They do cluster bites, nothing more than bruising and little teeth marks and my hand a bit red. No blood usually. They are just terrified. Usually blow their glands too. I keep doing what I need to do, quietly. They eventually learn that biting doesnt work and that people are not scary. It's hard working with dogs that are not tame. I have no intention of ever doing it again.

I used to take in the nuts. Now that I have a child, there's just no way.

 

Australian Shepherds- are there any that are not psychotic or at least have a screw loose?

Awww, my Annie is so sweet. She has a much better temperament then Bailey. I just got Annie from the humane society. She was brought in as a stray.

Bailey was a byb buy. I love her to pieces even though we have had a rough start with her.

Edit to add that my Annie will lick you to death! LOL She is a licker, not a biter and she LOVES children!!!

 

I do not agree with your list in total. Nor the order. Not having pit/pit mixes on it is also, IMO, incorrect... These sorts of lists are as much of a problem as the dogs themselves, IMO.

 

Just to brag for a moment...those dogs featured are Miley's Grandmother, Grandfather & many other "relatives" before Miley was born from Beechwood Goldens on that clip...No matter who's golden I have seen....I haven't found one yet that I don't find beautiful!

 

Good, I hope they continue to publicize that goldens bite. And that they're aggressive, and shed a lot, and have all kinds of health problems.
Maybe then they will be less popular, and people will stop breeding them for just money. Then the only people left breeding will be the ones who care about the breed.
Ok, sorry, I was dreaming.

 

All 4 of my Goldens have been or are from BYB. I have been truly blessed as none of my dogs have ever shown any kind of agression toward any person or any dog. None of them have ever given any indication they were inclined to bite. We have socialized them, taken them to obedience classes and IMO, they are extremely well balanced dogs. I could go on and on about how wonderful they are but it would take me too long and they are waiting patiently for us to take them out for their morning walk!!!!

 

I socialized Bailey well and taken her to kindergarten and obedience class. I take her out 2-3 times a week to public place, mostly the beach during the summer months, which is not easy for me with a spinal cord injury. I obedience train her at home and she gets exercised well. I did everything right and it still didn't help with her temperament. However, she was attacked and bitten by a dog when on a walk at 4 months.

I guess Annie needs some work on not herding Bailey and she is afraid of really tall people, especially tall men. Annie has come a long way though since she has been home. Annie was deathly afraid of men and tall people when she first came here. Annie now will go up to people after meeting them. It takes about 1/2 hour for Annie to warm up to strangers. Once she has met them, she is fine after that. Annie has not bitten anyone since she has been home with us. I obedience train and trick train Annie. I love training and working with my dogs. I find it very rewarding.

I personally believe that any dog no matter what breed has the potential to bite and needs to be watched, especially around children. I would never put any full trust in any animal though. All animals will bite when scared.

 

My Smooch

My Golden Ret. Girl, Smooch, is quite possibly the SWEETEST dog I've ever known.

I can't picture her biting anyone!

 

I clearly said MY list from MY experience. I've never once met a human aggressive pit bull.

 

Me either. I've only seen really nice ones. Even if they've gotten away from their owners and are running loose. When I use to run, most days we would encounter loose running dogs that would follow us.:uhoh:

Did I tell you that I just love my Aussie! : Annie is the sweetest pup and we love her kisses. You would love her too. Annie has a very soft side to her. She is pretty submissive too to us and loves belly rubs. She closes her eyes and groans when she is getting scratched.

 

A golden with a "correct" temperament is very unlikely to bite even in the most trying situation. We had/have a forum member who told of a story of a kid sticking a pencil up a golden's nose and the dog did not bite. I don't think it is a matter of training, you need to train them to cooperate, but, except in very extreme cases, a dog is born with the tendency to bite or the tendency never to use its mouth aggressively with humans.

Breeding is key and if Goldens become less popular due to a belief they have are biters, I can't see that its a bad thing.

 

I know how you feel Laurie. Murphy is so sweet natured and soft, I can't imagine him biting anyone. He doesn't even show any aggression to anything other than the confounded cats he can't seem to keep out of his yard. He's trusting and so confident of us that when you talk to him, he looks you right in the eyes, and listens so intently. Its hilarious to talk to him and have him sitting on the floor, looking up, keeping eye contact, because he's never known anything but love and affection and security. I don't think he's even been swatted for infractions. A harsh tone is enough to correct him, and those are few and far between.

I can't remember who mentioned luck and the hobbyist vs. BYB, but I wouldn't be totally opposed to getting a dog from a BYB providing he was knowledgeable about the breed, and could answer my questions with intelligence, and the puppies were clean and well taken care of, and the parents were both on site and looked healthy. I would however, never get a puppy from a petstore or a puppy mill. And thats being honest...when I go to get a dog, I do a lot of research before hand, and I pretty much know the warning signs of places to avoid. I might have been born at night, but I wasn't born LAST night.

Our breeder was a hobbyist, I am certain.

 

Selli, I was trimming Murphy's toenails last week, and nicked him...He yelped, it bled, I cried...but he didn't bite, and he was right beside my face. He forgave me, licked my face, and I had the groomer finish the job.

 

Your Aussie looks like a DOLL! I have to admit I really like her.

They drive me insane at dog training because they bark the entire way around the agility course lol

 

Your Aussie looks like a DOLL! I have to admit I really like her.

They drive me insane at dog training because they bark the entire way around the agility course lol

That's funny.lol I didn't think they were barkers. Annie is sooooo quiet. She will only bark if someone is up at our front door if she doesn't know who it is. She does make cute groaning noises when being scratched. Bailey barks a whole heck of a lot more then Annie.

 

Maybe she's got Golden in there ;-)

 

I totally thought Annie was a golden/aussie mix when I saw her pic. I once tried rescuing an aussie who... was a total nutcase, and she only resembled Annie in her coloring. Annie is SO pretty!

 

I thought the exact same thing

 

PennyWhistle, so you're never going to even consider a rescue golden because they "might" bite but you'll consider a BYB? That seems unbelievable to me. Most dogs end up in rescue/shelters because ignorant owners or bad situations. There was a golden in the shelter here that was 5 years old and a perfect gentle dog. He ended up in the shelter because his owners got a divorce and no one wanted him anymore. My own dog ended up in rescue after being chained to a tree for the first nine months of his life. How was that his fault?

Most of the goldens (any breed actually) that end up in shelters originate from BYB - the people who breed dogs for money or other dumb reasons...so instead of rescuing a dog and giving him a second chance, you'll just go right to the source?

I thought the stigma of rescue dogs being "bad", "mean" or having done something to end up there was starting to fade out. How disappointing that that attitude is still around.

 

I completely agree with this post. 100% what I was thinking.