Are Golden Retrievers Good With Kids?

However, not the breed alone determines whether a dog will become friends with a child. Each dog’s experiences and personality are unique, and any dog has wolf-like instincts.

Even if you own the gentlest golden retriever, you should follow safety precautions for dogs and kids. Both parties should know each other’s boundaries.

With proper training and socialization, a golden retriever makes a perfect companion for children of all ages.

Are Golden Retrievers Aggressive?

An aggressive dog isn’t a good choice for a family with kids. Aggression is easier triggered in particular breeds than in others – some of the most aggressive dogs are Doberman pincher, dalmatian, rottweiler, and pit bull terrier.

Of course, an adult can learn not to trigger their dog’s instincts and train the dog well, but children don’t always adequately evaluate their actions regarding pets.

A dog breed known for its patience and loving temperament is a better choice for the role of a kid’s companion. Fortunately, golden retrievers are among the friendliest dogs globally.

These dogs were bred to hunt and evolved to be obedient, intelligent, confident, and fearless. These traits make the golden retriever sociable and easy to train. A confident dog is at a lower risk of expressing defensive aggression.

Although golden retrievers are rarely aggressive, they are still dogs that have instincts. Sometimes, even such lovely dogs as golden retrievers may display aggression triggered by pain, neglect or abuse, fear, or lack of socialization.

Furthermore, each golden retriever is unique. A dog’s temperament largely depends on its bloodline and upbringing, so choose the breeder wisely.

Irresponsible breeders don’t care about the temperament and may breed aggressive dogs. Combined with poor socialization, such a dog may be plain dangerous for kids.

To minimize the risk of aggression towards a child, the owners should exercise their dog sufficiently, avoid environments that cause fear and anxiety, and provide the dog with proper training.

Are Golden Retrievers Gentle?

A dog doesn’t have to be aggressive to hurt a child. Some dogs unintentionally harm children when trying to play because they don’t evaluate their strength. This problem is prevalent with large and energetic dogs, such as golden retrievers.

However, golden retrievers are an exception. These dogs are loving, affectionate, and gentle with people of all ages. Gentleness is deeply rooted in golden retriever genetics through years of selective breeding.

In the 19th century, when golden retrievers originated, hunting dogs were primarily working dogs that weren’t friendly with people. But people didn’t want to bring an aggressive dog to an elite hunting trip with friends.

Lord Marjoribanks bred golden retrievers as hunting dogs that could not only retrieve waterfowl but also be intelligent, easy to train, and friendly.

These dogs were used solely for hunting rather than guarding and herding sheep, so they didn’t need to be aggressive.

Golden retrievers are highly empathetic. They can sense how humans feel and adapt their interactions to the situation. Golden retrievers always strive to comfort their owners.

This breed is also known for its soft bite. Because golden retrievers were intended to retrieve waterfowl, they had to be gentle not to damage them and learned to carry objects without pressing their teeth together.

As a result, golden retrievers can play with kids and smaller pets without hurting them, even if they bite.

Genetics combined with emotional intelligence and soft bite make golden retrievers the gentlest dog breed. They are perfect for kids because they won’t hurt a child unintentionally, and especially intentionally.

Are Golden Retrievers Protective?

Guard dogs don’t always make great family dogs, so you may be wondering whether golden retrievers are protective. A guard dog should be alert, loyal, athletic, responsive to training, and protective of its owners.

All these characteristics fit golden retrievers. Golden retrievers are the most loyal dogs. They quickly bond with owners and may even develop separation anxiety when their favorite human is away.

They’re also athletic and physically capable of protecting their favorite people from intruders. But here’s the catch – golden retrievers are extremely friendly.

These dogs want to be friends with everyone, including strangers. They let unfamiliar people pet them without hesitation, happily wagging their tails.

For a guard dog, that’s a drawback. However, for a family dog, it’s a significant benefit. Golden retrievers won’t be aggressive for no reason, but they will certainly protect a child if someone threatens it.

When a golden retriever chooses a child as its favorite family member, it may even become overly protective over it. This usually happens with female dogs with strong parental instincts.

Are Golden Retrievers Good For Toddlers?

Some dog breeds are perfect for older children but not suitable for toddlers. Golden retrievers, however, are great for kids of all ages. A dog for a toddler should be gentle, friendly, patient, quiet, and easy to train.

Golden retrievers rarely bark because of their origin. A barking hunting dog would scare off all birds. So, a golden retriever won’t wake up a toddler with loud barking for no reason.

Golden retrievers are unlikely to become furious from the sound of a child’s cry or bite a toddler harshly. However, they should never be left with a toddler without supervision, like any other dog.

There are known cases of golden retrievers severely injuring small children. One golden has bitten a toddler in the face to the point it needed surgery. The mother said she didn’t think it was possible because of the dog’s breed.

Unfortunately, any dog can be triggered, so even a golden retriever should be supervised at all times and adequately trained. Naturally, the toddler should also be aware of the dog’s boundaries.

Everyone needs a break from noise and mischief caused by toddlers, dogs included. A golden retriever should have a quiet personal space to wind off, located out of the child’s reach.

A golden retriever should be properly socialized to handle toddlers. Ideally, pick a puppy from a family with kids or have your dog meet your friends’ children to ensure it’s accustomed to the noise caused by the youngest human beings.

Are Golden Retrievers Good For Older Kids?

While dogs can tolerate toddlers, they rarely find them genuinely amusing and become friends.

Golden retrievers are even better for older kids than for toddlers because older children can play with the dog and better understand its boundaries.

Golden retrievers have high energy levels, and some owners fail to meet their exercise needs because of a lack of time or athleticism. Children, on the other hand, are full of energy and have plenty of free time.

A child makes a perfect companion for a golden retriever because they can play together for hours. Some children can even exhaust a golden retriever, which isn’t an easy task.

An older child can play fetch with the dog, teach it new tricks, explore new terrains, and pet it without causing discomfort.

And because older children don’t make so much noise like toddlers, the odds of triggering aggression in the dog are lower.

Golden retrievers are the perfect playmates and are great at keeping secrets. Caring about a dog can teach a child about responsibility, boundaries, and gentleness.

Still, it’s best not to leave a dog with an older child without supervision. Golden retrievers may get goofy and aroused during play and knock over a child while running and jumping.

Factors Affecting The Relationship Between a Dog & a Child

Not the breed alone determines the relationship between a dog and a child. Whether a golden retriever will get along with kids depends merely on its socialization, training, unique personality traits, experiences, and the child’s behavior.

Some dogs are less tolerant to noise or touching than others, which may be a problem for family dogs. Low tolerance to noise and everything new usually occurs because of a lack of socialization.

Responsible breeders put effort into getting their puppies accustomed to new environments, people, other dogs, and noise. However, some breeders neglect socialization, and their dogs grow up anxious.

When choosing a dog, ensure that it’s familiar with children and knows how to react to them. The dog’s previous experiences with children can drastically affect its relationship with your child.

For example, if a puppy was raised in a home where it was constantly abused by a child, it may be afraid of all children in the future and not make a good family dog.

Teach your child boundaries in interacting with the dog. A dog is unlikely to become friends with a kid that constantly touches its toys, screams, and causes pain by harsh petting.

Teach your child not to touch the dog’s belongings, not to shout in its ear, and not to touch it when it’s stressed. If the child is gentle to the dog, the dog will be gentle to the child.

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