[Loisiana]

I took my 15 week old puppy in for shots today, and the vet asked if he was a lab/golden mix. That wouldn't have surprised me if someone from the normal public had asked me that, but I have to admit I didn't think the vet would think that.

What I find funny about it is that I have never ever been asked that question about my other two goldens, both of whom were from backyard breeders I found in newspaper ads. But the puppy I get fly to get from a great breeder, with a pedigree full of famous goldens, gets asked if he is a mix! He is from peformance lines, so he doesn't have the thick coat of a conformation golden, but he is obviously all golden, and will likely be able to pass the CCA when he gets older.

I found it funny more than anything, and kind of sad that a vet can't recognize a purebred golden.

Jodie

 

[tippykayak]

Well, when they're young, it can be hard to tell the difference in coat, and the distinctions in head and body might not be as clear? I'm trying to figure out how the vet could have made such a colossal error.

 

[Oaklys Dad]

I'm not all that surprised as vets have so many species, let alone breeds to be up to date on. Most people outside the golden world have no idea that there is a divergence in the breed such as field, creme and conformation. I often share advice I have gotten here on GRF with my vet for home remedies and he is always eager to listen.

 

[cubbysan]

I think what happens is different lines have different "styles". You vet is probably used to seeing the lines that are local to you, so your dog looks different from what he is used to seeing.

 

[Dallas Gold]

Our 12 year old rescue Barkley has a thick curly coat. Due to curiousity we had him DNA tested twice using the cheek swab and then the blood test methods. The blood test DNA test was done through our veterinarian and the results came back to the vet clinic, not us. Both times the tests came back as "golden retriever", nothing else. Despite this one of the nurses at the vet office insists he is a golden/Chesapeake mix, though he doesn't look like a Chesapeake at all. We just smile and ignore her. Some people just know better than the scientific evidence I guess!

 

[Willow52]

Honesty I think yellow lab and golden retriever puppies look a lot alike at that age.

 

[Loisiana]

I don't think I would have been so surprised if she asked if it was a lab. I guess the fact that she just assumed it was a mix seemed kind of strange. I've seen pictures of puppies before that I had trouble telling if they were a lab or a golden. But I assume they are one or another, I don't wonder if maybe it's a mix. I suppose the vets are starting to see more mixed breeds than purebreds these days and that's what they're expecting to see.

The receptionist was asking another woman about her shepherd mix (it was a Malinois). But the Mal is not a common breed, especially around here (receptionist had never even heard of the breed), so that didn't seem unusual.

Jodie

 

[Abbydabbydo]

Can we see a pic! I love both breeds!

 

[Willow52]

Oh, I'm sorry, I missed the "mixed" part. Yes, that would have been an odd question.

 

[Noey]

My vet tech was calling Scout a "lab" puppy...cute lab puppy...while we were at the vet the last visit. I finally said oh he's a golden. I think his hair is tighter and not feathered yet...so people get confused and assume no feathers it's a lab and don't realize they have to earn and grow those feathers. I don't know to me they do not look alike. I like labs, but different body structure and hair/heads.

I felt the tech should know as well...at least read my file. : )

 

[Evil Eagle]

A few people asked that about Sam dog, but now that he's more mature hes got the obvious golden eyes/head/coat.

 

[egcc]

When Ellie was very small, everyone kept saying "Oh, Marley." Nope, folks, she's a golden retriever.

With regard to the vet, my vet once commented that golden puppies look so different between puppyhood and adulthood. It is true, I guess.

 

[timberwolf]

I was asked so many times what kind of dog Timber was when he was a puppy that it really started to p**s me off!!!
Even when I told people that he was a Golden, I still got "mixed with what?"
One lady argued with me that he couldn't be a purebred because "purebred goldens are not that fluffy".
Sure he was fluffy but he still looked like a golden!!!

 

[Dallas Gold]

GORGEOUS photos of Timber as a puppy--I want to just give him a huge hug and get the fluffy fur all over my clothes!

 

[gold'nchocolate]

Can we see a pic!

I agree, we need to see some pictures of your puppy...I think it's against the rules to post something like that and not post pictures.... :lol: :bowrofl:

Timberwolf---Timber is absolutely adorable in those pictures :smooch:!!!!

 

[jwemt81]

I wouldn't worry about it. At that age, a lot of golden puppies tend to look very similar to yellow lab puppies. It's a very common mistake. When Tucker was right around that age, we took him to PetCo and one of the girls working there said, "Oh what a pretty lab!" When I told her that he is a golden, she acted very shocked and gave me a look as if she didn't believe me. It can be annoying, but people stop making that mistake as soon as the more adult coat starts to sprout.

 

[DNL2448]

I spent the first year wondering if I accidentally bought a lab puppy instead of a golden (but knowing that I researched for months, spent lots of money to fly her halfway across the country and paid quite a bit of money to purchase her at the time, I was pretty confident she would turn golden eventually). Brandy looked "labby" for a year.

 

[Mssjnnfer]

I would get "AWWWW, he looks just like the Cottonelle puppy!"

I'd be like... yeah... they're both... light-colored... and... have dark noses... and... canine features...

 

[AlanK]

I honestly do not know what Tuff Dog is....when he wandered over to my property and decided to live with me.... he said he was a Golden Retriever....hey that was good enough for me!

 

[Griffyn'sMom]

At 15 weeks they don't have much coat - in fact, it's when Griff started to get that weird stripe down his back with the more mature coat coming in. This is what he looked like at that age.

Let's see some pics of your guy!

TW - Timber was a GORGEOUS pup! Gawww! What a big teddy bear!