# Working a Golden Retriver?



## suzieindale (Jun 14, 2015)

Hi all, after a little bit of advice.

After much talking and deliberation, me and my partner are going to be looking for a golden retriever puppy in the lead up the winter. We've found a breeder, the pup would not be from working lines, would this cause any issue if I was to look into field training/amateur working?

What options are out there for Retrievers? The internet seems a minefield of different options, obviously focusing mainly on the retrieving aspects!

Thank you, Would love to hear from people


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

My golden comes from dual purpose lines, working dogs on her mothers side and show lines on her fathers side. In theory they can do both, work well and do the job they were bred for and do well in the show ring. There can be quite a divide between show and working dogs in many breeds and Golden retrievers are begining to go the same way except there is more of a concerted effort to stop the split between working and show. The consequence is that many show dogs also work in the winter months, usually picking up and are quite able to do the job really well.
If you are reluctant to get a working bred retriever, but would like to have a go at working your dog then I would advise you to look around for those breeding dual purpose retrievers (there are a few about) or a breeder who works their dogs as well as doing the rounds of the shows. On the other hand there shouldn't be a problem with a working bred retriever so long as he gets an active and interesting life, some can be a little hot, but others will be happy to have a good walk and doing retrieves and searches, then happily snooze away the evening.
My golden has been very easy to train and I think that comes a lot from her working forebears and would probably work well in the field as she has a good nose and enjoys searching and retrieving. I've had one golden that was purely from show lines and she was very hard work to train and rather frustrating.
Where have you been looking for you new pup? Have the parents of the puppies been health tested for inherited diseases? It's essential that the dam and sire have been hip and elbow scored and had annual eye tests at the very least? Have you been to meet the breeder and met their dogs? What were their temperements like? I can't emphasise enough how it important it is to find a breeder who is breeding for temperament as well as type as it is with all breeds but especially in a dog that is attractive to young children, Isla is often accosted by a child wanting to stroke the fluffy dog and she takes this in good part.
I hope this is of some help to you, happy to help further if you need it.


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## suzieindale (Jun 14, 2015)

Thank you very much for your reply 
I've been a little dubious of working lines as was a little concerned about the hot-headness of them! We do live on Cannock Chase in Staffordshire so there would be plenty to do and see for her, I may have to give the dual's more reading into. Working is something I've always been interested in, but with our great lump of a rotti it's not something I've been able to do. I've been in touch with the Midland breed club, only issue I find is that the seminars/classes etc are pretty far away.
I've been looking on the KC Assured Breeders and Champdogs, only speaking to those who health test for elbows, hips and eyes. That's the main reason we're looking for another puppy, purely to avoid as many health issues as possible. We're due to visit the breeder within the next few weeks, but I do also have some others in case we're not happy for any reason. Rather wait than support a BYB or someone not doing it right.

Thank you for the advice, I do appreciate it. It's difficult to find specific information on Google, it often contradicts!


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

Great stuff, you are looking in the right places and doing the right things.
I put the postcode for Cannock Chase into the search box on Champdogs just to see what came up. One name that stood out was Gaytonwood in Northhants who are breeding for dual purpose, another one who I don't know but looked interesting was Dikeadaze near Bewdly, I noticed they had a litter of pups so I clicked to have a look at the pedigree and discovered that the grandsire is the sire of my dog, he is rather well used as he is a good looking dog with a great temperament.
Looking at pedigrees I can give you a few names of working/dual dog affixes to look for. My knowledge is really from the West Country area of the UK so a little limited. Standerwick is a well known working kennel, Purbarn is a Somerset kennel that works their dogs as well as show and have had a couple of good dogs that turn up in pedigrees, Gunhills, Catcombe and Stormerick are kennels that are mainly show but also work their dogs.
Hope you are able to find what you are looking for they are a lovely breed, we are on our fourth now.


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## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

Different breed but maybe just to reassure you on the working lines side - I've had Labs all my life (from a young child with my folks and my own once I was an adult) - my current one is the 1st show line one any of us have had, all the others have been from working lines. 

I realise I didn't get her until mid-life so the way she was brought up / her life until I got her will have an impact, however, she is, by far, the biggest handful out of any of them! 

A dual show / working line dog sounds a fantastic compromise and not one I've really come across in Labs - maybe it'll catch on more in the future! 

Good luck with your search and look forward to hearing all about him/her once you've found the perfect pup for you


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## rona (Aug 18, 2011)

http://www.thegundogclub.co.uk/

Are you thinking of working tests or actual gundog work?


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## labradrk (Dec 10, 2012)

Well honestly if you are interested in working the dog be it for competition or actual working then why not maximize your chances of success by getting a working line dog? getting a show line or pet line dog and wanting to pursue a working career is always a gamble as the dog may show little interest, which will of course rapidly put an end to any ambition. Never heard of a hot headed working line Golden, I know a lot of them and they are some of the most laid back dogs out there.


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## Kinjilabs (Apr 15, 2009)

Ive had a Show bred Golden which in all honesty wouldn't have been good for working as he was too heavily built, but now have a working bred Golden who is a lot lighter in build and could work,and did in his previous errr "home" and he isn't any more trouble to keep than my "show" bred one was.


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## rona (Aug 18, 2011)

labradrk said:


> Never heard of a hot headed working line Golden,


Many many people wouldn't touch a Holway for working, not because they weren't good, but because half the time they were so good they were one step ahead of their handler and would run rings around them. You needed to be up to the task 

Also very very enthusiast and fast dogs


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