Goldadors

What is a "Goldador?" Well, that's a good question, I don't know if Webster's even defines that word but it's what I call a great mixed-breed dog. A Goldador is a mix between a Golden Retriever and a Labrador Retriever. I've been lucky enough to have a goldador named Kera in my life for the past few years and she is a real joy.

Most goldadors are yellow, but some are black, too. They look very much like labs, with slightly longer hair, different ears and a narrower nose. They do not have the heavy feathering of many golden retrievers.

My dog, Kera, is a golden retriever. Here are a few funny goldador dog pictures if you want to have a look at her. She has very good, pure "goldador" lineage. Her father was a golden retriever and her mother a yellow lab. She was born to be a guide-dog when she grows up.

If you want the full story on that, including all the fun things that we do together at our puppy meetings, please subscribe to my free newsletter so you can stay up-to-date.

Kera's breeding was planned by SouthEastern Guide Dogs, Inc. in Florida who successfully breed, train and distribute (for free) guide dogs for people all over the south. They breed many different types of dogs including Labrador Retrievers, Collies (Short and Rough Coat), Vizslas, Australian Shepherds and Goldadors! They're also starting to experiment with poodles which are more hypoallergenic since they don't shed! They breed a very few German Shepherds (too many hip problems) and Golden Retrievers, as well.

SouthEastern Guide Dog School has a LOT of experience breeding large quantities of dogs, and training them, and then seeing how they perform as adult dogs in a variety of challenging situations.

I'm confident that they would not include Goldadors in their Guide Dog program unless they found them to be a very good, functional dog, possessing a variety of attributes that are not found in any other single breed. Goldadors are not used in SouthEastern's breeding program, SEGDI isn't trying to create a new dog breed, they simply breed them because they are highly functional.

Though slow to mature, goldador's combine the best traits of both the Labs and the Goldens. Labs tend to be "bomb proof"... children can ride them like a horse, cars can backfire, the hose can blast them with cold water, and it won't phase a lab. However, labs can be very independent, as long as they have a toy to chew, they don't really care if their master is around or not.

Golden retrievers tend to be a bit more socially attached. If they have a toy to chew, they want to chew it in your lap! They are very loving and loyal, but can be a little too dependent, to the extent that being alone for long periods is very hard on them.

Goldadors combine the best of these traits - sociability, independence, love, attentiveness, and trainability - into a wonderful dog. Kera likes to chew on a toy at my feet. That's kind of how it works out.

So far she has been a very eager and attentive student, full of energy and easy to train. She loves being active, and handles being on her own just fine, as well. Like any dog though, she is a sum of her genetics, and you always have to look at the parents' personalities to make an authoritative guess on how your dog will turn out.

If you are considering getting a goldador, or have any questions about Kera, fostering a future service dog, or dog training, please email me at Emily@Gifts-For-Dog-Lovers.com.