LABRADOR RETRIEVER v GOLDEN RETRIEVER

Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers are two of the most popular breeds present today in this whole world. According to American Kennel Club (AKC), Labs are the #1 most popular canines in the United States of America and Golden Retrievers are also not so far behind from these pooches from Canada as they are placed at #3 spot.

Now, when anyone tries to compare these two breeds side by side (like we are doing right now), one thing becomes very clear that there are far more similarities between these dogs than there are differences. For starters, both of these breeds have a medium built, similar lifespan and litter size, almost equal heat and cold tolerance and both are pretty comparable in terms of temperamental traits and maintenance needs as well. Talking about temperamental traits, both these canines are highly friendly, affectionate, kind, caring and intelligent in nature. They both are very sweet and cordial with kids, other dogs, cats, and strangers and are highly obedient and faithful to their owners and family members and because of this, both of them are considered to be excellent family dogs. But their extreme friendliness and gentle behavior restricts them to be efficient guard dogs. And the similarities don't stop here, both these breeds belong to the same breed group (Sporting, according to AKC), both can be used as a guide dog and both are extremely easily available in India. 

But with deeper pondering, there are a few dissimilarities between the Labs and the Golden Retrievers that one can certainly find out. These differences are mostly based on the origin, appearance, and cost of these two canines, but we'll try to find some varying features of both these breeds in other departments as well namely health problems, grooming, exercise requirements etc.

History:

Golden Retrievers came into existence around the 1860s when a hunter named Sir Dudley Marjoribanks decided to breed a canine who could retrieve the games that he hunted and in the process the dog wouldn't leave any bite marks on them. And another reason for the creation of Golden Retrievers was that Sir Dudley wanted a pooch that could survive the harsh climatic conditions of Scotland. So, keeping all this in his mind, he started breeding the water spaniels with the yellow retrievers and within a few years (around 1865), a new breed which was later named the Golden Retriever was born.

Labrador Retrievers came into this world way earlier than the Golden Retrievers. It was around 1700 AD that these tremendously popular canines were born. They were earlier known as St. John's Water Dogs and just like the Goldens, they were also used for fetching and retrieving purposes. These dogs were primarily employed by the local fishermen to retrieve the fishes that had escaped the net or hook and along with this, their secondary task was to help out their owners in their day-to-day chores.

Now we know, why both these breeds have the word "retriever" in their names; as they both were used to retrieve something for their owners when they first came to life. In their historical differences too, these two breeds managed to find something similar between one another.

Appearance:

Although these two breeds are extremely similar in terms of physical dimensions (Labs' height and weight are 21.5-24.5 inch & 24-36 Kg and Goldens' weight and height are around 25-36 Kg and 21.5-24 inch resp.), there are a few key differences that anyone can easily spot between the Goldens and the Labs.

Labrador Retrievers have a broader head and a medium, non-pointy muzzle. Goldens, on the other hand, have a long and tapered snout and a wavy or flat coat which is fairly longer than the Labs. Coming to the built, Labradors have a muscly appearance while the Golden Retrievers have more of an athletic look. 

Another difference on the basis of their coats is the different colors in which both these breeds are usually found in. Labs are generally found in Yellow, Brown (Chocolate), and Black colored coats while, as their name might suggest, Golden Retrievers are normally seen in various shades of Golden color like cream, light Golden and dark Golden (which many people take as reddish golden).

Maintenance Needs:

Labs have a shorter coat than the Golden Retrievers and mainly because of that, Labradors have fairly low grooming requirements as compared to the Goldens. A typical labrador is only required to be brushed once every week while in the same period of time, a Golden may need at least two thorough brushings of its coat so as to avoid any tangling issues. Golden Retrievers also require more cleaning or bathing sessions than the Labradors as dirt and other smaller waste particles can easily stick to the wavy coat and long coat of the Goldens as compared to the short and flat coat of Labrador Retrievers. Also, the shedding potential of both Labs and Goldens is fairly similar.

Another important maintenance need for any canine is the exercise and work requirement. Here both these breeds are again immensely similar to one another. Both of them are highly athletic and sporty in nature and they both require almost equal amounts of exercise and physical activity on a daily basis. Regular walks, running or jogging sessions and ample playtime should be given to both these breeds so that they both lead a healthy and happy life.

Now, as these breeds require a decent amount of attention from their owners almost all the time, they both cant be left alone for a long period of time in their homes as they can become highly sad and frustrated. So, this can also make these breeds a little bit hard to maintain for some people out there, especially those who have regular day/office jobs.

Trainability:

Both the Labs and Goldens are highly trainable dogs that are known to learn a lot of new things from their owners fairly quickly. These pooches are exceptionally intelligent and they can understand numerous difficult commands and instructions of their owners and because of their high trainability and gentle behavior, these breeds are mostly used for very important tasks and jobs such as therapy dogs, guide dogs et cetera. 

Health Issues:

Even in this department, both these breeds again share some similar health-related issues and to keep both these breeds healthy and away from health problems for a long period of time, regular visits to a vet's clinic are necessary. Both Labs and Goldens are prone to Bloating (a life-threatening condition in which the stomach of a dog is swollen up), they both can suffer from cataracts, epilepsy, and Hip & Elbow Dysplasia.

But there are several health problems which are unique to each of these two breeds. Golden Retrievers can suffer from Hypothyroidism, Osteosarcoma, Von Willebrand's Disease, and Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis. While the Labradors can also get affected by some health issues which are not commonly seen in the Golden Retrievers. These health problems are Acute Moist Dermatitis, Myopathy, Tricuspid Valve Dysplasia, and Ear Infections.

Good for Indians:

Everyone wants to know the answer to this old and highly searched question, Among these two, which dog is better? Is it Labrador Retriever or Golden Retriever? Well to the disappointment of many, there is no clear cut answer to this question. Both these breeds are immensely similar to one other (in terms of temperament, intelligence, size and stature et cetera) and there are only a few key differences between them. A potential owner who is looking to raise a new pet will be happy to bring both these breeds into his/her home. A slight advantage that Labradors have over Golden Retrievers is that they are a bit cheaper (starting price: ₹12,000) than the Goldens (starting price: ₹20,000), but apart from this, there are no major differences between Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers and that is why breed comparison between these two awesome dogs is such a difficult task for most people out there. It's like comparing Marvel comics to DC, both are amazing in their own right.