[NAGDU] Goldens as guides

Fri Mar 3 22:44:34 UTC 2023

As for grooming, it depends on your dogs coat type and your personal
preference. Some Goldens have much longer fur than others. I
definitely do not recommend getting a Golden's entire coat clipped.
Depending on how long a Golden's feathering is (I.E. the fur on their
legs, tail, and belly) some people like to have that trimmed. I like
to have the fur between the pads shaved, tail trimmed a little, and
maybe the legs, belly, and fur around the sides of the paws just
trimmed a bit to make them look more neat. My dog has a minor medical
issue, which requires the fur on her butt/back of the hind legs to be
kept short, which gets clipped short every two months or so.
Conveniently my sister is a professional groomer, so I'll bathe my dog
and have her trimmed every three or four months.

As for knowing when the dog has bonded to you, you'll know. It is
different with every dog. Generally though, at some point you'll
notice you really start feeling like a fluent team. The dog won't test
you so much to see what it can get away with, and you'll start to
really trust the dog knows exactly what to do. The dog will start to
seek you out more, whether that means following you around the house
constantly or just looking to you for direction when they are unsure.
You'll start to feel like you and your dog are truly a partnership,
working together to accomplish a common goal.

With my Golden in particular, I noticed once we developed a strong
bond she would follow me constantly. She gets up and moves even if I'm
just walking to the next room. When she is concerned about something,
she looks to me to let her know how to react. She was  pretty
stressed when I first got her transitioning from puppy raiser to
trainer to me, switching from living in a home to a kennel to the dorm
to my house. Now though, she can handle any change in routine, place,
etc because I am the constant for her.

Good luck with your future pup, whatever breed it ends up being.
Danielle

On 3/3/23, Sam Doman via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Thank you all so much for the information. I've heard that goldens need to
> be groomed a lot more than labs and that goldens are very affectionate
> towards their owners. How did you know when your golden or dog had bonded
> with you?
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Mar 3, 2023, at 10:34 AM, Danielle Sykora via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> I've worked a Lab/Golden cross and a Golden as a guide. I've also had
>> a lot of experience with both Labs and Goldens as well as many other
>> breeds. Some of the differences between Labs and Goldens: Labs are
>> extremely food motivated. Goldens are also quite food motivated, but
>> not as much as Labs. Labs are social, but Goldens love everyone and
>> everything. Goldens tend to be both more sensitive and more stubborn.
>> It can take a careful balance of handling to be firm enough, while not
>> putting too much pressure on them. Goldens are more likely to be
>> affected by your emotions than a Lab, for better or for worse. Easier
>> to get them enthusiastic when you are happy, yet also easier to make
>> them anxious when you are anxious. Labs may learn something more
>> quickly, but need more effort to maintain the behavior. Goldens may be
>> slower to learn, but they never forget. Goldens tend to be more vocal
>> in the sense that they may whine or growl when excited or dramatically
>> sigh/groan/huff to emphasize a point. Goldens also are known for
>> giving their paw/pawing at you as well as resting their head on
>> things. Goldens also tend to like to roll on the floor while growling
>> to themselves in a super adorable way.
>>
>> As for my particular dogs, my very Lab-like cross is a little better
>> at targeting and learning new behaviors like fun tricks, because he is
>> super confident and not afraid to make a mistake. My Golden is a
>> little better at avoiding obstacles, because she is genuinely upset if
>> I trip or bump into something. My cross is extremely calm and
>> completely unphased by anything in public. At home, he tends to stress
>> up, meaning he may bark, or just forget how to think rationally if he
>> gets excited. My Golden on the other hand stresses down, meaning
>> she'll shut down and disengage if she gets frustrated or unsure,
>> typically only at home. My cross was always distracted by sniffing and
>> food. He struggles with scavenging and counter surfing. My Golden
>> struggles with dog distractions, because she is social. She generally
>> likes food and is definitely not picky, but may refuse or spit out a
>> food reward from time to time if stressed or very excited. I don't
>> know how to describe it exactly, but my cross was always calm, stoic,
>> and very mature while working. My Golden is more bouncy and wiggly.
>> Both equally well behaved in public, just a different attitude.
>>
>> I hope all of this helps,
>> Danielle
>>
>>
>>
>>> On 2/26/23, Cindy Ray via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> Hi, Sam,
>>> I have had a Golden, two labs, a lab golden cross, and two shepherds.
>>> Neither of the shepherds worked well for me. I loved their gait, and the
>>> second was better than the first, but it didn’t work.
>>> My first lab was a female and she did well for me. I had a Golden, and we
>>> bonded quickly and worked well. He was quite protective. I had a black
>>> lab
>>> male, and he was in a world of his own. I tried with him for two years,
>>> but
>>> I finally gave up. Then my last dog was a golden lab cross. He was
>>> amazing,
>>> but I could never get the challenging of other dogs out of him. Someone
>>> was
>>> critical of me, sometimes to my face and sometimes not. In a rage one day
>>> I
>>> quit using him. I took up using him again after while, but he couoldn’t
>>> work
>>> in the same way. Both that dog and the Golden were wonderful guides, and
>>> they loved their work.
>>> Cindyray at gmail.com
>>>
>>>
>>> Cindy Lou
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>
>>>>> On Feb 26, 2023, at 4:41 PM, Sam Doman via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hi everyone,
>>>>   As I have been looking more into getting a guide soon I have done a
>>>> lot
>>>> of research about the different breeds used. I was wondering who all had
>>>> used a golden retriever, and what there experience was like as compared
>>>> to
>>>> using a lab or other breed. Obviously a lot depends on the dogs
>>>> personality.
>>>> Thanks so much for any help you can provide.
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> Sam
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>>
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