There are many dog breeds out there you can choose to work with. Some are small and some are big and all have their benefits and negatives about having them in your home. If you have kids of any age, you want to make sure you have a dog that will be able to get along with them. You may wonder whether Golden Retrievers are good with kids while doing your research.
Golden Retrievers are good with kids. I find my golden retriever to be excellent with all children of different ages. If you are looking for a breed of dog to have around your home that does well with kids, then look no further than the Golden Retriever. These dogs do well with all ages of children, knowing when to be soft and gentle with a baby and when they can be a little rambunctious around an older child. They can even take a little bit of pulling and climbing from younger children.
While it is still important to be close to the Golden Retriever when they are first playing with your child in case something happens, this dog breed will get along just fine with your family. Let’s take a closer look at some of the reasons why Golden Retrievers are so good around your children and why you should consider one for your family.
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Are Golden Retrievers Good with Kids?
If you are looking for a dog that can get along with everyone in the family, even kids, then the Golden Retriever is one of the best options for you. These dogs are sweet, playful and they like that they are part of the family. They can run around and play with some of the older kids in the family while still being soft and gentle around babies and toddlers. They just seem to instinctively know when to play rough and when to be soft.
Not only will your Golden Retriever be good with kids, they are often good for kids. When your child grows up with a dog, it will teach them how to be responsible. Plus, the Golden Retriever is a constant best friend for any child. This dog is friendly and easy to get along with, and can even take a little rough play while wrestling around with your kid without getting upset. This makes them the best choice for your family.
Are Golden Retrievers Protective?
This will depend on what you mean when you ask this question? Your Golden Retriever is able to make a good alarm, but they are not the best bodyguards. They have one of the loudest barks out there, which can help you know when someone is nearby who shouldn’t be there. However, because of the friendly nature of the Golden Retriever, if someone tried to break into your home, the dog would be more likely to bring them a toy to come play with rather than attacking them.
The good news here is that just by having a dog that will bark in your home, you are able to keep more criminals away from breaking into your home. This can provide you with some protection, even if the Golden Retriever is not really going to scare off the robbers and the bad guys.
Golden Retrievers are fiercely loyal to their owners though and will be by the side of the owner or the kids in the family. No one will get near any of these people if the dog suspects that there is something wrong or doesn’t feel like they can trust the other person. The Golden Retriever may not choose to attack, but they will be protective.
Are Golden Retrievers Good with Babies?
Golden Retrievers can do a great job around babies. They can bark loud, but this is generally not a big deal since they do not bark often. This dog breed is very loving and gentle, so they do well around the baby. You do need to take some time to establish a good relationship between the dog and the baby, taking it slow to introduce the two and to supervise a Golden Retriever, especially if they have never been around a baby before.
If you do a good job at establishing this relationship from the beginning, then they can form a great bond that will last for a lifetime. Your baby will have a good friend who will let them crawl around or even sleep with them, and often the Golden Retriever will become protective and can be found right under the crib to watch the baby.
Are Golden Retrievers Good with Toddlers?
Golden Retrievers are not only good with babies, they do an amazing job with toddlers. This is true whether the dog has known your child since they were a baby or you have decided to bring them home to the family when your child is at this age.
Golden Retrievers seem to be able to sense the child’s age, and they know how to behave in different situations. They know that this age group likes to run around and have fun, yet they are gentle enough not to push the child down or make them fall over. Toddlers are not always steady and can be a bit clumsy. They may try to grab, trip over the dog, or step on them. Since Golden Retrievers are very understanding and gentle, they can do a great job just letting this slide and still playing with your child. It is still a good idea to supervise the two while playing, just in case.
During this time, be around to make sure that your child is gentle with the dog. Luckily this breed is very simple to get along with and understands when a child is just playing. Despite this, sometimes the movements of your toddler can hurt the dog, however unintentional they may have been. Being there to monitor your child and teach them how to stop when they do something that hurts the dog, and perhaps giving a hug to show they are sorry can help train
your toddler how to behave long-term with the Golden Retriever.
How Do Golden Retrievers Do with Older Children?
Yes, your Golden Retriever is going to be good with older children as well. They do well no matter the age of the child they are playing with. Goldens like to chase and even be chased around, and this is perfect when you have an older child. While this dog is going to be sweet and gentle with a baby or a younger child, they like some of the roughhousing that can happen with the older child as well.
When the energetic child finally runs out of some energy, the Golden Retriever can make a good person cuddle with and relax. And having this dog breed is a good way to teach your child about responsibility. The Golden Retriever understands and does well with children but still helps them learn how to be responsible with a new dog in the home.
You may not need to do as much supervision during this time with your dog and older children; just make sure that they do not get as rough with one another along the way. Your Golden Retriever will do well with all their extra energy around older children, and it will help to wear out your older children during the day as well.
Can My Golden Retriever Be Aggressive?
When you are looking at whether this is a good dog breed to bring home to your family, you may be concerned over whether they are aggressive or not. Golden Retrievers are generally an easy dog to work with and they have a lot of love to give. However, there are a few who can be aggressive. The good news is that an aggressive Golden Retriever is generally one who was created due to bad pet ownership in the past; they were not born that way. Aggression in a Golden Retriever will come from a place of fear. They may not have been socialized well, or their previous owners were not nice to them at all. You may want to use a little caution when getting a Golden Retriever from the pound or a humane society based on the background of the dog. If you knew the previous owners or you are getting this dog as a puppy, you would not need to worry about aggression from this dog around your children.
Teaching Your Child to Behave Around a Golden Retriever
Golden Retrievers do a great job of being around your child. They know how to be gentle when the child is small and run around and play when the child gets older. They are even good when they want to crawl on them and pull a little bit while playing. With that said, it is still important for you to train your children on how to get good around Golden Retrievers. Children can do well with this dog breed as long as they are taught how to behave around them. A little bit of playing and being loud is not a bad thing, but some behaviors are inappropriate and can cause some issues for the dog. Most Golden Retrievers will not retaliate against these, but it will not make them happy and is not nice to the dog.
A few of the behaviors that you should discuss with your children to make sure they avoid when
playing with the Golden Retriever includes:
- Chasing the dog when they do not want to be chased. There are times when the dog does not want to play and we need to respect that rather than forcing them to play.
- Stepping on the dog or their tail. This hurts and any weight is not a good thing for the
dog. - Poke them
- Hit the dog: This is negative reinforcement and will make the dog become aggressive.
- Grab the Golden Retrievers fur, ears, tail, paws, or face.
If you are worried about how your child will do around the Golden Retriever, it is important to watch and supervise while the two play. They will learn but may need help remembering. The more time they spend together with direction and help, the faster the child and your Golden Retriever will become lifelong friends.
Choosing a Golden Retriever for Your Family
When you are looking for a friendly and easy dog to get along with, one who will always be around and knows just how to play with every member of your family, then the Golden Retriever is one of the best options to go with. They are friendly, easy to play with, and very gentle around younger children, making them the perfect addition to any family.