Newfoundland + Golden Retriever

[CarolinaCasey]

Hi Everyone!

I noticed after looking at several older threads that a lot of you seem to have a golden and a newf. I know that both are lovable, wonderful breeds and most definitely get along.:hugs:

I was just wondering what differences you notice in their personality, willingness to learn, trainability, etc, etc! I grew up with two wonderful goldens and my husband and I are looking to get a newf sometime in the near future. We've read almost every book our public library has, internet articles, and have chatted with the local club. I don't think there is a book comparing goldens and newfs! So, what do you think?!

Melissa

 

[lola]

in my experience, Goldens are much higher energy than newfs..

 

[luvxl k 9]

I've never had a Golden, but I know Beau has always had a thing for Blondes. Seriously he just goes nuts whenever he sees a Golden anywhere!!!

 

[ardeagold]

Great combination, but very different!

Similarities (in general): Both like water, both like snow, both like to retrieve in water, both have long coats, both are smart (in different ways however), both like people (including children, generally), both are velcro type dogs, both like to cuddle. Both have hip/elbow problems. Both tend to have allergies. That's about it.

Differences - Goldens (in general): Goldens stay much more energetic for years...up to 8-10 years. Goldens are super chewers and are known to be destructive when young. Goldens move faster, all the time. Goldens react to commands faster when being trained and once trained, Goldens want to please their people ALL the time. Goldens are "street" smart...or clever and have quick reactions. Goldens have incredible "noses". Goldens are more agile. Goldens fight more viciously. Goldens usually die from cancer, at any age. Goldens, if from good lineage, have excellent temperaments, yet are not generally what one would describe as sweet natured and gentle. Goldens are always alert. Goldens get over "hurt feelings" in about 3 minutes. Goldens need to be trained to be gentle. Goldens demand a lot of "hard" exercise every day (at least 45 mins 3x a day - more is better). If they don't get it....you've got a huge problem.

Differences - Newfs (in general): Newfs become low-keyed between 2-3 years of age. Some are calm from birth. Newfs think about what they're going to do before they do it. They watch you and learn how to do what you do. Newfs are sneaky and you don't know what they've learned until they "do it" out of the blue, when you least expect it. It's usually something you didn't want them to know how to do. Newfs are patient. Newfs don't destroy everything they get their mouths on every minute of every day for the first year of life. Newfs DO destroy things when they're bored or mad at you or when they just get a whim. Newfs can hold a grudge for months or longer, especially if you hurt their feelings. Newfs are intelligent. Newfs innately know when to be gentle. Newfs adore children. Newfs don't always want to please you, but they do always want to be with you. Newfs are super strong even when very young. Newfs are strong willed when they know they're right. Newfs demand your attention when they want it, otherwise, they're happy just being there by you, and if they're sleeping they prefer you leave them alone. Newfs only need "hard" exercise a couple of times a day for about 15 - 30 mins. Newfs are more sensitive to their environments, both mentally and physically. They suffer many more illnesses due to these sensitivities.

Both are wonderful breeds. Each dog, of course, has it's own personality traits, it's own behavior pattern, and it's own energy level. All are different.

But all in all, in my experience, these are the basic differences between the breeds...in general.

 

[R Taft]

I would have to agree totally with Donna,Tessa is a half Golden and has heaps more energy. And at training Tessa is quicker in understanding and uptake ( I am being a little rude here to Annabelle ).........Annabelle is a real homebody(as we found all our newfs) and Tessa is more adventerous, my friends 3 goldens seem very similar to Tessa...............I just adore both breeds

 

[Sailorgirl]

Overheard next to the obedience ring this weekend: Something to the effect of "A Golden does it because you said so but a Newf wants an explanation."

I honestly think that because Newfs are working dogs there is some truth to that. Their goal is to get the job done and if they don't understand the point of the job, then why do it? They also seem to really think it through. For instance, "Why should I sit down when she stops walking if I know she's just going to start walking again?"

 

[HeidiPeterson]

Ditto what Donna said. She said it beautifully.

 

[noblenewf]

Yep...have to agree with Donna! My Murphy (Golden) will be two next month and he still acts like a puppy....all the time. He is, however, able to be out of his crate at night so he can sleep with me...so he is calming a little bit. He is SMART. Very smart. Too smart.

Murphy has to be exercised daily, like Donna mentioned. HARD exercise. I'm not talking a walk around the block. I'm talking retrieving a ball/running for at least 45 minutes or he drives me bonkers. He is the sweetest pup on the planet and loves all people & animals- large and small- but he has to be exercised or he becomes mischievious. That's his registered name of course...Mischief Maker. I didn't pick it for nothing!
My Newf (Gabe). He went through about 5 months of puppy behavior. But even as a little pup he was much calmer than Murphy. Not all Newfs are this way, however, and to tell you that would be misleading. I happened to luck out. He was completely out of his crate at the age of 6 months and left free in the house by 8 months for a few hours at a time. Only thing he's ever destroyed was my cell phone (twice) and I honestly think he had it out for the cell phone for a long time and it was just his way of telling me to get off the phone and pay more attention to him! Oh yes, Newfs are sneaky. They are smart too. Murphy is more impulsive, quicker to act/respond. Gabe thinks about things first...and then acts. Other than the cell phone...he's never chewed or destroyed a thing. Murphy destroys every toy we give him.

I wouldn't describe a Golden as gentle. Yes, they are sweet natured. And like Donna said, they can be trained to be gentle. Murphy has such a zest for life and is so athletic that he could easily hurt someone unintentionally. For instance, when we are in the yard playing ball...he wants to jump up trying to grab the ball out of my hand. Plenty of times he's knocked me down...I end up on my butt in the mud. I've had to teach him to sit and wait while I throw the ball. Gabe seems to always have four feet on the ground and definitely has a natural instinct to be gentle around those that need it. I've never taught him this...but when we are walking in our neighborhood and meet/greet a child along the way, he always sits and nuzzles them gently. He just knows to do it. Now I'm sure not EVERY Newf is this way...but I think most lean towards the calm and gentle side of the scale. That's not to say that they can't be energetic! My boy was so excited to be outside last night with me...he had a moment of spunk for sure...that he started jumping around, running towards me and was playing and ended up knocking me over inadvertantly. But it lasted about a minute. Goldens spunk lasts 6-8 years! LOL! When a Newf gets spunky though it can be dangerous just because of their size...not because they are meaning to hurt anyone. So you definitely still need to be careful around small kids or the elderly. But I would say Gabe's "crazies" only come once a month or so and Murphy's are daily!

My Murphy is definitely more eager to please. I teach him obedience stuff and he picks it up immediately and then wants to "practice" all the time. Probably because he knows practicing leads to treats...and he's smart enough to put two and two together. He'll actually bring his leash to me and set it on my lap....like "Let's go Mom! I need to practice!" It's pretty funny!
Newfs are very intelligent too. But a bit more stubborn. Not as eager to please, however, very eager to be near you at all times. Definitely velcro dogs as well. Very watchful, and in tune to their environments and very, very sensitive. My Gabe gets his feelings hurt easily and doesn't forget about it for days. Murphy forgets about everything in 2 minutes flat.
That's all I really had to add...Donna did a great job with her post! WAY TO GO!!!!

 

[jsully8]

My mother-in law has a golden, he's almost 5 years old now and he still has the energy of a puppy! I have to say they're very smart but you need to train train train! Unfortunately that hasn't been done with my mother-in laws...But he does have skin conditions and constantly has ear problems.

 

[noblenewf]

But he does have skin conditions and constantly has ear problems.

This probably relates to food...I wonder what food she feeds her Golden?
I know most of them have allergies and have skin issues. Honestly, I think I might be the only one on the planet with a Golden who doesn't have these issues. He's almost two and he's never had one single skin, coat or allergy issue. I honestly think it's the high quality food he gets. I did find, however, that he was itching more when being fed a kibble containing chicken. So I switched to a Duck formula and he's been great ever since! I'd be curious to know what your MIL is feeding her Golden.

 

[zennewf]

This is a really, really interesting thread for someone who's owned only Newfs, but has been around a lot of Goldens. Thanks Jess and Donna for the super detailed contrasts. It helps bring Newfs into sharper relief in my mind. And it helps me to see that the Newfs really are a better dog for me and my personality.... I like the thoughtfullness of a Newf. I like the more "complicated' psychology. And I prefer living with the more settled physicality. To fully satisfy Winston (who is two), he needs an hour - or two outside the house of activity. But some of it can be slow walking, socializing at the dog park. Especially now in my life with small kids I think i would have a hard time giving a Golden in their prime all that hard exercise.

A lot of what I can offer now to a dog is sharing my life as a stay-at-home mom. I'm always home with the dogs, there is a constant hum of activity in the house, and they are always included. It's constant talking to, petting, etc. But the "hard exercise" happens only once at the end of the day.

Liz

 

[ina/puusty]

This thread has a stunningly strong overview, then indepth look..at the contrasts, and similarities. The life experience informations are so clear, and the initial question so 'on point'..I wonder if maybe a 'sticky'..might be made of this? Just a thought, ina n HB n Kesa

 

[jsully8]

This probably relates to food...I wonder what food she feeds her Golden?

My husband has told me she feeds him good food, but I'm not sure if she has tried food without chicken or grain. I feed our cat food w/o both and he hasn't had a problem; now if he gets into something he's not suppose to eat :whistling: ...that's another story. I guess he gets hot spots really bad...the poor baby.

 

[noblenewf]

My husband has told me she feeds him good food, but I'm not sure if she has tried food without chicken or grain. I feed our cat food w/o both and he hasn't had a problem; now if he gets into something he's not suppose to eat :whistling: ...that's another story. I guess he gets hot spots really bad...the poor baby.

Yep...I bet you it's the food! Even if it's high quality (please don't think Iams or Eukanuba is high quality...they both have by products and lots and lots of fillers...corn, etc. that are all linked to numerous allergies) if it has chicken in it or grains I bet you that's what is causing the skin issues. Neither of my boys have ever had a hot spot or chronic ear infections. Gabe gets ear infections after he's been in the water swimming a lot but a good cleaning and maybe some antibiotic drops from the vet clears it right up. If your MIL is open to suggestion I would tell her to try something without chicken or that is grain free. She'll probably be surprised in the difference she notices.

 

[noblenewf]

Both do LOVE WATER and love to retrieve!

But I will add:
Murphy is the first out to get the dummy after I throw it. He has to be first! At everything...and will knock anyone out of his way that is in his path to reach his goal! Gabe sometimes looks at me after I throw the dummy like "Why did you throw that out there if all you want me to do is bring it back?":lol:

 

[CarolinaCasey]

Wow! All of you have made some amazing observations of your dogs. They really have given me a better understanding between the similarities and differences of the breed. I will definitely take this information to heart and remember it as I'm raising a newf. Having only had golden retrievers, I didn't want to set the bar too high or expect too much from my newf if it wasn't in his or her nature. (quick response to training, etc). They're both such wonderful breeds. I can't believe that I didn't know about the Newfoundland sooner. Amazing!!

 

[maybe532]

Koda is half golden, half newfie and people think she is a flat-coat retriever. She will be one year old on March 20th and is about 50 lbs. She is relatively calm but if she doesn't get to go either to the dog park or to my friend's house to roughhouse with their GSDs at least once a week she starts to misbehave (chew mainly, but barking/whining too). Koda is very gentle with our almost 4 year old daughter but when she was 4-5 months old she would mouth her a lot and knock her over. She quickly realized she had to go around our daughter rather than barrel into her and our daughter learned how to brace herself when the dogs come running. Energy-wise, she is not like any of the goldens I have ever met and I used to work at a kennel so I'd say she's more like a small, slightly higher energy Newf. I think she's a good first large dog for us but yesterday we were at the dog park and there was a great pyr and I was so jealous she ended up being such a small dog.

 

[almac]

Thank you for this thread. When researching the best breed for our family, we were down to Newf or Golden. I have been asking several people on here already about their experiences with both, but it's so nice to hear from more! I think that they both make wonderful family companions, but like someone else said, I think a Newf fits my personality and activity level better. I am also a stay at home mom, and want a dog that is content to be my sidekick in all our activities - not one that is bouncing off the walls constantly!

 

[RhodyNewf]

I got my golden first and had read all about the activity level and figured that I am an active person so we would be fine....nothing could have prepared me for having a golden puppy. He could go and go and go for HOURS even as a baby. He is a power chewer and I can say that when he was young he needed about 1 hour of hard running exercise off leash, 1 long leash walk, a couple of obedience sessions a day, and a good hour chewing session to get his energy out. He was a full time job! Now, he is super active and from sporting lines and more active then most goldens then I have met....but he was a handful.
Positives:
housebroken in 2 weeks- completely
eager to please
super affectionate- sits on my lap like a baby
Negatives:
can be HYPER
IMO, need a fenced in yard
destructive

I joke now that I like Newfs so much better because they move slower in general. Finley does everything at a run and it stresses me out, where as the newfs move slower in general...and I like it. Morgan was a very intense puppy--she is so smart that she would figure out things that I gave her treats for and do them over and over again...and if I did not reward her, she would tantrum. I think newfs have better problem solving skills, but do not have that eager to please attitude. My newfs think that I should be eager to please them.... My girls are gentle and I never had to teach them not to jump etc. But they are stubborn, punish me when I am in trouble, and have no problem holding grudges for a good week.

 

[ardeagold]

I LOVE the exuberance of Goldens. They are always so HAPPY! Smiling fools. :lol:

But as we were getting older we decided that we didn't have the energy to give to constantly needy Goldens anymore. So that's why we decided that Newfs were the dog we wanted to spend our "older years" with.

We still have many Goldens, but all are now 6+ years old. At that age, they're still quite active, but tend to have some sense, and do sleep at least 8 hours a day. :lol:

Fortunately, Cole, our youngest Newf, can already beat that record by a good 2 hrs. :roflmao: