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Can a Golden Retriever Mix Be Better Than a Purebred Golden Retriever?
By Archie Right

Have you ever wondered if adopting a Golden Retriever mix may be better than a purebred? There definitely may be indeed some advantages of owning a Golden Retriever mix but, as it always is, there are some pros and cons of owning a hybrid dog.

By adopting a Golden Retriever mix you may find the way around some of the problems typical for this breed. For instance Goldens shed a lot making the breed not very appropriate for allergic people. But Golden mixed with Poodle gives us Goldendoodle. This hybrid sheds very little or does not shed at all and is ideal for allergic individuals while it still preserves the best characteristics of both Poodle and Golden. But at the same time it makes grooming more complicated and demanding.

Goldendoodle is one of the many examples of Golden Retriever mixes. Goldens can be mixed with Labradors, Boxers, German Shepherds, Beagles, Irish Setters etc. And all of them have their specific traits. But things are not that simple with crossing different breeds. There are some peculiarities and disadvantages you need to be aware of if you decide to adopt or breed Golden Retriever mix.

Fist of all, hybrid dogs are normally not recognized by AKC or other major purebred registries. Some hybrids may eventually be recognized by registries in case they become very popular but normally years and even decades may pass before it happens.

Second, it is hard to achieve a steady result in the first generation. For instance, breeding purebred Golden with purebred Poodle you won’t necessary receive Goldendoodles that do not shed. Puppies within one litter may very from shedding to not shedding because they inherit traits from both parents not equally. To preserve a certain trait the dogs will have to go through careful selection process and the trait will only hold after several generations. Take it into account if you are adopting a hybrid too.

Third, you need to be very careful with the choice of the other dog for your Golden. Breeding Goldens with other canine with similar character (Labrador for instance) may enhance original characteristics of Golden Retriever like intelligence, obedience, love to people, children and pets etc. But breeding Goldens with, for instance, aggressive breeds may result in puppies with unstable character which are not fun to own at all.

Health is another issue to consider. It goes without saying that both parents must be checked for all the hereditary diseases common in their breeds. Cross breeding may be harmful between breeds that incline to the same health problems (for instance hip dysplasia is common for Golden, Labrador and Poodles) since the risk of such illnesses may increase. It is another reason for even more careful health check than usual. But to cover the full picture it is necessary to mention that there are cases when cross-breeding may positively contribute to hybrid’s health.

Finally, as with any other dog, if you’ve decided to adopt a Golden Retriever mix of some kind you should find a breeder rather than go to a pet shop. And if you’ve decided to breed your very own Golden Retriever mix you need to study both breeds carefully and be ready to invest tons of time and money in this hobby.

Archie Right is a Golden Retriever expert. For more information on Golden Retriever mix, visit http://goldenretrieverdoginfo.com/.

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