Let's talk Turkey

Have had 4 Goldens over the last 40 years, Great dogs loyal, great with kids, They do suffer from various cancers --2 lived to 14 and cancer got them, my last one passed at 8 due to cancer. My advise is go to a reputable breeder and ask to see the parents and health issues in the line. Breeders should have info on any hip issues in the line ---Ask questions

 

You might have a point. I have noticed that we have more 'pine bugs,' some say it is from the close wildfires which have brought them our way, so this might be the cause of the turkeys hanging around more than normal. I never considered the gravel driveway might be what they are after too...Thanks!

I think we'll simply have to live with this as it's part of country living...and it beats living in the city, even a small town, not sure I will ever be able to do that again. Country living is a lot of work, there's always something you should be doing whether it's stacking firewood, plowing snow or cleaning up turkey poop, but it beats the alternative.

 

A dog, especially the Retrievers make excellent security/early warning systems, both breeds are highly protective of their family and property, there are so many advantages to having one or more around. They are also super handy for older folks, can be trained to help with normal daily things, and generally LOVE doing their job!

As to health issues, most breeds have something, a good breeder will have all the info you need on any dog you look at, should have lots and lots of records going a ways back. Also, there is no real difference between a male or female as far as abilities, skills, desire to do, ect. They interchange, they only have differing attitudes, which can make things fun, depending on individual personality! With Labs, they say color doesn't matter, which is mostly true, it is more about the breeder, you can get a real bucket brain, or a genius, roll of the dice! With Golden's, you need to be more selective, some are bred to be pets, some are bred to be working dogs, and some can do both well, they are super intelligent, so be careful, you might end up with a snuggle buddy/killer, or just some dog that likes your warm house, food, and a dry place to sleep!
Also, Golden's are known not only for their intelligence, but tend to be great big clowns with lots of attitude and personality, so be warned!

 

I’d also suggest getting a copy of ‘Game Dog’ by Richard Wolters. It was helpful for me to understand the psychology of the dog as it relates to training. There’s also a great section about selecting a retriever.

 

Great Recommendation, infact, I would recommend the entire series of books from him, all are a wealth of very useful information to have, each is full of nuggets of experience and wisdom, and does make life much easier!

 

Agreed, Uraki!
He is the author of Gun Dog, Water Dog, Family Dog and probably others I haven’t read. Game Dog seems to take the best of all.

 

Get a female, She's already smarter than a block-headed male.
The male will work a bit harder but you may have to choke him down a few times to let him know who's the boss...sometimes.

 

Since you and @Ura-Ki both highly recommended it, I will pick it up. Strange, the Paperback ($28.74) is more expensive than the Hardcover ($15.62), that's really unusual... Ah! I see. They got two (2) publications, one in 1995 and newer one is 1997, so appears they are trying to get rid of the older version. Seems like a deal for $15...They don't have it in eBook either, but it was written back in 1995 and is niche genre so not really that strange, besides for something like this I want it in paper.

EDIT: Still not sure which I would want a lab or golden...need more research. I have two cats already so less hair shedding with the lab might be nice. LOL!

 

If I remember right, he talks about how to pick out of a selection of pups. Interesting stuff about their behavior in a group and how they react to you. Lots of things you’d never think of…are they first to the feed bowl, what do they do when you handle them. Do they struggle against you?

 

Shedding! Get used to it, BOTH shed constantly, no one is better then the other! Twice a year, they "Blow Out", if you catch it at the beginning, a professional high velocity hair drier like the Groomers use will save you from the dreaded hair tumbleweeds! Amazon sells many, the one I got was about $60.00 and has lasted nearly daily use the last 5 years, and that's on a Newfie ( talk about a shed!) and a Malinois, ( Even they shed constantly BTW ) so I can recommend that one! You also want to get a Matt buster rake and a good stiff bristle brush to help ease the shed and prevent matting, (even Labs can get mats) other then all that, both breeds are amazing!
BTW, nothing wrong with Females, BUT, keep in mind, just like Humans, they can get ( Super) Bitchy, and that can be "Interesting" to say the least, and they also Spot, so they need diapers when they come into season!

 

If you go with a Golden be prepared they shed constantly all year long. We had to vacuum every other day. I am biased Goldens have amazing personalities and very easy to train. Elleemae my last Golden thought she was a lap dog all 79 lbs of her would climb up in my recliner and putt her head on my shoulder -she has been gone 2 yrs and how I miss her

 

The hardcover comes unglued for what its worth.

 

You can fill pillowcases up every year with what a Golden sheds...great dogs but they have 6 times the hair...you're call