# Goldens



## cwk33041 (Dec 30, 2013)

I see a lot of threads on Pointers and Brittany's. Just wondering how many of you are hunting with a Golden Retriever?
I had posted some pictures of my dog in a previous thread, but anyways here is my golden Elizabeth.
1 yr old, just got done with force fetch and started running double marks.

If you have a golden, throw a picture up.


----------



## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

Who doesn't love a nice swamp collie? With the right genetics (closer to how they were originally bred) they can be awesome hunting retrievers. It's too bad the bench breeders have bred towards visual traits such as light or even white color, or super long and straight fur, to the total detriment of hunting instinct. Hunting lines or not, it'd be tough to argue there is a dog out there that is easier to train, which is probably why most of the leader dogs for the blind are actually Golden / Lab mixes. I have a lab now, but have had 6 goldens growing up, none from specific hunting lines, and of those 6 only one likely could have been a good hunting dog. The rest of them barely even showed the desire to chase a damn tennis ball. Nonetheless, I have seen enough great ones from solid field breedings at hunt tests to know there are still good hunting lines out there, which makes me happy. Looks like you got yourself a nice one. I love that deep rusty red color with the shorter coat, I think that's how they're supposed to look! I see too many with straight, white fur that nearly touches the darn ground, would be a disaster in the bush! 

And as far as a good companion goes, tough to beat!


----------



## Trunkslammer (May 22, 2013)

Beautiful dog CWK, here is Hank. He is just about 3 months old right now, field bred, basic obedience has been going good so far. Hes my first gun dog and like Ive said before im a rookie at training dogs, id like to here more about how you are doing your training.


----------



## hungryhollow (Jan 16, 2013)

When ever a breed gets popular, some breeders don't breed to good standards. That's OK if all you want is a pet. but not so good if you want a hunting dog.


----------



## Wallywarrior (Apr 1, 2016)

We ran goldens here in Iowa for many years. Never seen a breed that listens better than those goldens did. They seem to have the right combo of intelligence, versatility, gentleness, and drive to be at home in any situation the field can bring. The thing that got us away from them was the hair and dealing with burrs. Switched to labs, but I’m in the camp that thinks the lab isn’t nearly as smart. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## cwk33041 (Dec 30, 2013)

Trunkslammer, this is my first gun dog as well, but I have been following Evan Graham's training guide along with the help of a friend that has trained several goldens which achieved master hunter through hunt test. I would highly recommend finding someone that can help and answer questions and possibly train with you. Lots of good people on this site or feel free to PM me if you have any questions. Spend extra time locking in your obedience training and invest in a good E collar.

Wally,

Don't even want to talk about the burrs... Lol


----------



## GoNorthMore (Jul 17, 2009)

Happy to see people hunting with Goldens, seems for a lot of years couldn't find one that wasn't bred to anything but pretty and docile.
My dad's first Golden was Rusty, sired in '76. He was the biggest, most dominant Golden I've ever seen. And to this day the best duck hunting dog. I've hunted with a lot of Labs and haven't seen one yet that could spend a full day retrieving birds the way Rusty did. 
The only problem Rusty had, if we were hunting with other dogs, he would run over top of them to get to the retrieve. He was a bully when chasing ducks.


----------



## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Buddy's upland Golden giving his neck muscles a work out.


----------



## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

One of the things that I think gives goldens such a plus for being good hunting dogs, aside from intelligence, is their willingness to please that is arguably higher than any other breed. I think retrievers generally shine in this department, but I think as a specific breed goldens take the cake.


----------



## 3goldens (Sep 10, 2017)

This is addison she loves feathers. Field bred 47 lbs of hunt.


----------



## 3goldens (Sep 10, 2017)

A few more


----------



## syonker (May 7, 2004)

This is Murphy my 5-year-old female golden.

She’s a retrieving machine with dummies to a point where she had limber tail one weekend.

Brought her to some HAP property & she flushed eight woodcock, but was much more interested in finding mice than birds.

I also recommend a good e-collar to help with training.


----------



## Trunkslammer (May 22, 2013)

Beautiful goldens guys! I know Im biased but they are one of the most beautiful dogs to walk the planet. I knew nothing about field breds until I started looking for a pup a year or so ago. So glad I got my hands on one!


----------



## cwk33041 (Dec 30, 2013)

My intention was to just get a family dog, and got lucky with her as she seems to be field bred retriever and has tremendous bird drive her. Anyways, here is a good video of her when she was puppy. she has come along way since.. lol


----------



## tdduckman (Jan 17, 2001)

Well Here we go This is Breeze my 3rd field breed Golden she had over 1000 retrieves in her lifetime, My new dog is 9 months and will be headed back to the trainer to finish in a month. Saskatchewan will be her first hunt in Sept.
































































Golden - Penny my second Dog doing upland with my setter

























Field Bred Goldens are hard to find I always go out of state, but my Goldens have loved to please and are bird machines Ducks, geese, pheasants, quail, ruffed grouse, sharptail grouse, woodcock, snipe and Hungarian partridge. I have shot them and had them brought to hand over a Golden.


----------



## Trunkslammer (May 22, 2013)

Hank and I have been doing to place training and obedience work outdoors the past couple evenings. Hes coming along nicely, I think atleast lol.


----------



## hungryhollow (Jan 16, 2013)

Nice looking dogs. I love the pictures.


----------



## Old Man (Nov 22, 2005)

I hate to pour cold water on this thread and, just to be clear, Goldens are my second favorite breed next to the lab of which I am on my 6th one. But, just so you know, if you are looking for a golden puppy, be aware that responsible field breeders are insisting on about 11 health tests (eyes, joints, etc) that any golden has to pass as clear before they will breed with them. The only way I know this is because I have many friends that compete in field competition of various levels right up to AKC field trials and hunt with their dogs, that have solid field bread dogs. About 15 of us, both golden and lab owners, get together for breakfast or lunch and talk a lot about dogs. This subject comes up often as you can imagine. And some of them are actually field golden breeders who do insist on dogs being clear on every one of these "tests" before the will even consider them for breeding purposes. They are quite concerned and are doing their part to breed out these problems. 

Sorry but I just thought you should know this information because I and my friends are very, very concerned about the issues and think that, for the healthy preservation of the breed, every prospective golden owner should be too.


----------



## hungryhollow (Jan 16, 2013)

All popular breeds have problems with irresponsible .
Do your home work.


----------



## cwk33041 (Dec 30, 2013)

Dogs did great out Janks pheasant farm today. Ranged and quartered great. Training everyday is really paying off.


----------



## Kevin Hughes (May 2, 2018)

Remmi came from a good breeder out of Ft. Wayne, IN. Not a "field" dog, but I knew she was going to be a hunting dog. As soon as I got her home she was chasing rabbits at 8 weeks. Here she is with her first goose before she was 10 months old.


----------



## goose schatt (Sep 11, 2012)

Kevin Hughes said:


> Remmi came from a good breeder out of Ft. Wayne, IN. Not a "field" dog, but I knew she was going to be a hunting dog. As soon as I got her home she was chasing rabbits at 8 weeks. Here she is with her first goose before she was 10 months old.
> View attachment 614383


Looks like a field bred golden


----------



## Stand By (Jan 23, 2015)

Question now. I had always been under the impression there is a European golden that is stockier with more of a blocked head that is intended more as a show dog. Maybe same as your idea of a bench dog. Then there is an American golden with the longer about and a leaner stature, lighter coat, that is better for hunting. Maybe your idea of a field bred? I did have this in mind when we went to look at the litter. An ex fiance's parents had what I would call 2 euro males that they showed. Being show dogs, they would not fix them and they would fight frequently. Gibby was a father's day gift, but I agreed to take her when I saw the family as what I would call the American build. She has a thin coat overall, but long feathering like an Irish setter would have.


----------



## sgc (Oct 21, 2007)

Stand By said:


> Question now. I had always been under the impression there is a European golden that is stockier with more of a blocked head that is intended more as a show dog. Maybe same as your idea of a bench dog. Then there is an American golden with the longer about and a leaner stature, lighter coat, that is better for hunting. Maybe your idea of a field bred? I did have this in mind when we went to look at the litter. An ex fiance's parents had what I would call 2 euro males that they showed. Being show dogs, they would not fix them and they would fight frequently. Gibby was a father's day gift, but I agreed to take her when I saw the family as what I would call the American build. She has a thin coat overall, but long feathering like an Irish setter would have.


I've seen English labs that are like you describe, shorter and stockier, but I know someone with an English retriever and I would say it is a beautiful dog, athletic , very active and possibly leaner and taller or at least as tall as most American goldens. She has a thinner coat, too.


----------



## slammer (Feb 21, 2006)

Stand By said:


> Question now. I had always been under the impression there is a European golden that is stockier with more of a blocked head that is intended more as a show dog. Maybe same as your idea of a bench dog. Then there is an American golden with the longer about and a leaner stature, lighter coat, that is better for hunting. Maybe your idea of a field bred? I did have this in mind when we went to look at the litter. An ex fiance's parents had what I would call 2 euro males that they showed. Being show dogs, they would not fix them and they would fight frequently. Gibby was a father's day gift, but I agreed to take her when I saw the family as what I would call the American build. She has a thin coat overall, but long feathering like an Irish setter would have.


Show bred dogs tend to have bigger heads. They tend to be light in color and have a look of an immature dog even into adulthood.
Field bred goldens tend to be darker leaning towards red in color and have a thinner coat that isn’t as cottony as the show type. I’ve had both and both are cooperative workers. Picking up a pup this weekend actually


----------



## Stand By (Jan 23, 2015)

That sounds like what I was getting at. Look forward to some pup pics.


----------



## Kevin Hughes (May 2, 2018)

goose schatt said:


> Looks like a field bred golden


She does but the breeder doesn't hunt his dogs..got lucky with this one.


----------



## tdduckman (Jan 17, 2001)

Kevin Hughes said:


> She does but the breeder doesn't hunt his dogs..got lucky with this one.


All types of goldens are very biddable and if the dog has prey drive then you get a hunter, if you don't mess up the training. most "bad dogs" are the result of poor or incomplete training. Great dogs are the the result of breeding, training and most importantly luck!

TD


----------

