These are the personality traits of the two tendencies I’ve seen. These descriptions generally fit with dogs bred for field or for show/pet.
1. The Swamp Collie– The golden that wants to work all day. The dog is very obsessive and very eager. They can be so driven that they can be a little bit annoying. They are the retriever equivalent of border collies in that they want to do things and are generally really easy to train.
2. The Jimmy Buffett– The type of golden that would just like to lie around all day and enjoy his trip around the sun.
There are many dogs that are in between the two types, but if you ever have the Swamp Collie type and get a Jimmy Buffett type, it is literally like watching the odd couple. Both dogs may be friendly and soft natured, but what they like to do is very different.
You don’t have to ask which type I prefer.
But I’m sure the pet market prefers the other.
You described our two goldens perfectly. Our first one was a physical mess (allergies, torn ACLs, too long, 90 pound large not fat female) who in her entire 10 year life never spent a moment asleep if she was outside. If we weren’t playing with her she went off and made her own fun. Always had a ball in her mouth, would play for hours, if you tossed her ball in the woods she she would search as long as it took to find it. Smart as hell, passionate about life. Our current golden is a 68 pound female who is perfectly happy to sit on the porch and watch the world go by. Will grudgingly retrieve once or twice but doesn’t really like it. She loves everyone and is extraordinarily agreeable, an easygoing companion, but I have to say I miss our other dog’s zest for life.
I sure know which type I want and like. But then again, all our retrievers are hunting dogs so there really isn’t any comparison in which traits are more desirable.
On the other hand, a good retriever also knows how to relax and unwind – so that they have energy to go back to work whenever. Our flatcoats have generally been really good at that: fall to sleep in the trunk of the car and be ready to go as soon as the door opens. Note, we have a station wagon :)
That last part has to do with steadiness, which I find is a bit of a problem in many “hot-blooded” retrievers.
Steadiness in my own dog training circles refers to the dog’s ability to sit while birds are going down or while honoring. I know a good number of laid-back retrievers that have steadiness problems, and some high-strung retrievers that are steady as a rock.
Ramin said, “On the other hand, a good retriever also knows how to relax and unwind – so that they have energy to go back to work whenever. ” I totally agree, this is part of being a good retriever.
To add to that thought–Something that I think gets overlooked when talking about a retriever’s ability to settle down and be a calm dog in the truck or in the house or even kennel is that it’s a LEARNED behavior as well as (or maybe even more so than) an inherited behavior.
If you have a dog that wants to do something all the time (many good working dogs), you need to teach that dog that one thing it can “do” is to chill out. It’s a skill set.
I think some (mostly men) think it’s kind of cool to have a high-strung dog, and don’t bother to teach the dog how to manage itself. I think a lot of other people don’t realize this is something that needs to be taught.
Weirdly, I kind of like having a high strung dog.
Not so weird. I also like a high strung dog, a dog that is exciting. Then again I like the sporting life. I like the excitement.
I like a dog that can turn it on and turn it off.
If it’s not there to begin with, of course, you’re stuck with bleh. So I guess I like a high-strung dog, too–but one that either has it in them to calm down under the appropriate circumstances, or one that has learned it.
Learning it– well I get that.
I’m fine with training it.
It’s just I’ve had a bad experience with a golden that would rather sit around all day.
I’m somewhat obsessive and a little neurotic myself, so I can understand an obsessive, “up” retriever.
I also thought this through a bit. I guess I like a dog that has lots of drive and energy but enough brains to figure out that it’s not supposed to be like this 24/7.
I also had a bad experience with a Dalmatian that was so active and up all the time that he actually wore out my working strain golden simply by playing with her (which was very hard to do).
He was so barmy that he forever tainted the way I view that particular breed.
Yes, even I’m tainted by a certain amount of breedism.
As much as I dislike the breed ring, I know many of those dogs are well trained to “self manage” during all the down time in the grooming area, yet can be waaay up there when it’s time to parade around the ring – even puppies. Yes, some get doggie downers (how stupid is that), but more are just trained to chill.
Training my Golden as a service dog has really driven the point home for me that an “off button” can be trained.
My dog has a strong drive to work and plenty of stamina but it’s amazing watching him make the conscious decision to go into relaxation mode when he’s not even close to being tired out.
I think it’s sad that the demand for companion goldens is resulting in Golden Retrievers in “slow motion”. That’s why I prefer the strictly field bred lines.
I prefer them to the show line dogs, even if they are a bit more dog than the average person can stand. They are also a much better looking dog, even though I don’t usually go by that.
Usually, they figure out that they are supposed to relax.
I knew a Dalmatian that never could relax. He was up all the time, even with tons of off-leash exercise.
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