Dog question

[mykpart]

Is a yellow lab the same as a golden retriever? What is the difference?

[Droopy]

1. I don't think so

I think the main difference is in their coat. A yellow lab will have the same hair length as a black lab, where as a golden retriever will have longer hair that really looks golden.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

2. A yellow lab is a labrador retreiver

They come in black, yellow and chocolate.

A golden retriever is a long haired retreiver and a totally seperate breed.

[HamdenRice]

3. As has been pointed out, they are two different but similar breeds

Both are retrievers. Both have similar temperaments (fun loving, gentle, eager to please). Both have similar body types (generally a big natural looking dog with floppy ears). Both generally are working dogs, whose main job is to retrieve ducks that have been shot over water. Both love the water. Both dogs swim out and bring the ducks back to the hunter without chewing up the duck, so both have very gentle mouths, and generally don't bite if properly raised. Both are incredibly (almost annoyingly) affectionate.

Labs have relatively short hair that comes in several colors, from light brown, to redish brown to black. Golden Retrievers have longer hair that ranges from very light brown to reddish brown. Golden retrievers also have "feathering" -- fluffy light long hair on the backs of their legs and bottom of their tails. They also have a big fluffy tuft of hair on their chests. My avatar is a Golden Retriever.

Light colored Labs are sometimes called golden labs, which causes people to confuse them with Golden Retrievers.

Labrador retrievers are an older breed and more of a "land race" breed that arose originally without much conscious individual breeding. It was the local dog of Newfoundland and the Labrador Peninsula, Canada. They have been around for about 500 years in some form. In addition to retrieving ducks, Labs were bred to swim out and bring in fishermens' nets.

The Golden retriever breed, by contrast, was created by one Scottish aristocrat in a conscious breeding program, crossing existing breeds and possibly some land race breeds in the late 1800s, so they've only been around a little over 100 years. One of the dog breeds used to create Golden Retrievers was the Irish Setter, one of the most playful and goofy dogs on the planet (about which, more below). All purebred Golden Retrievers are descended from that one Scottish guy's dogs, a situation that does not exist with land race dogs like the Lab.

Now here is to me the most interesting difference -- work temperament. Both are extremely intelligent and easy to train, but their work drives are different -- so different that Golden Retrievers generally cannot compete well against Labs who generally win retrieving and obedience contests.

Golden retrievers' work reward is "fun." If it isn't fun, their attention wanders. To train a Golden Retriever, you constantly have to demonstrate that the work being done is more fun than all other alternatives. Otherwise, they'll take the alternative. This seems to be part of the Irish Setter in them.

Labs' work reward is work itself. Hence they are more stable at work. They also make better guide dogs and service dogs.

One other difference. Golden retrievers generally have no concept of "stranger." They love everyone they come in contact with. If someone breaks into your house, your Golden Retriever will greet that person with tail wagging enthusiasm. While Labs are also friendly, they have a somewhat more developed sense that not every human on the planet is a potential playmate.

[Inchworm]

4. Very informative

Thanks.

:hi:

[lukasahero]

5. Nice summary!

Well done.