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Solid gold temperament is the hallmark of the Golden breed.
That doesn't mean every Golden meets this standard. It means every Golden should.
Certainly, there are Goldens who do not, whether from poor socialization, training, or breeding. But let’s talk about the dog temperament that a typical Golden Retriever should have.
The Typical Golden Retriever's Temperament
A Golden Retriever should be confident and outgoing.
If socialized properly, the Golden gets along with children, strangers, the elderly, other dogs, cats, and pets.
Because Goldens never look for trouble with other dogs, they mingle well at dog parks and training classes.
A Golden Retriever's temperament helps him to be stable and to react predictably in any normal situation. He's easygoing and even-tempered, and tends to take life in stride.
Goldens are extremely loyal to their owners and the entire family "pack." They're intelligent and have a great desire to please, making them easy to train.
Definition of a Golden Retriever's Temperament
What exactly is temperament, anyway?A good dog temperament definition begins, "the combination of mental, physical, and emotional traits of a dog."
It also includes "the manner of thinking, behaving, or reacting characteristic of a specific dog."
While some people might dispute the "thinking" part, we should be able to agree on the rest of it.
(Personally, I believe dogs can think in their own doggy way, even if it's not exactly like humans.)
Goldens display a happy, friendly expression on a 24/7 basis.
They never seem to have a bad day!
Their frequent, gentle panting makes them look like they're always smiling.
It seems to be an integral part of a Golden Retriever's temperament to crave affection and never seem to get enough petting to satisfy them.
They'd be delighted to climb in your lap and lay there for hours, long after your legs fell asleep!
A Golden Retriever's temperament includes a natural inclination to trust people.
That makes them a hands-down favorite with veterinarians, dog groomers and obedience instructors.
Along with trust is the Golden Retriever's temperament attribute of the ability to forgive.
Goldens have the dog world's most forgiving disposition.
They'll happily dismiss all those dumb mistakes you're bound to make.
Whether you come home two hours late, forget his dinner bowl, or accidentally step on his tail, he'll forget it ever happened once you smile at him.
Newspaper accounts document the fact that even traumatic events like abuse, abandonment and accidents don't affect a Golden for any great length of time.
A Golden's ability to "bounce back," and keep on loving and trusting people, is legendary.
Use a Dog Temperament Test To Assess
a Golden Retriever's Temperament
The American Temperament Test Society (ATTS) has developed a dog temperament test similar in concept to the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test, with temperament as the focus rather than obedience. During a temperament test, a dog is exposed to a variety of conditions he might encounter in everyday life.
These might include people exhibiting a variety of behaviors and sounds, as well as loud and strange environments.
A dog is critiqued based on his reactions to these stimuli. A dog that passes receives a certificate and the title TT.
A Golden Retriever's Temperament --
Unacceptable Behavior
Certain behaviors should never be tolerated in a Golden. These behaviors are not in keeping with a typical, desirable Golden Retriever's temperament. A Golden should never act aggressively (growling, snapping or biting) towards adults, children or other dogs.
Nearly every dog will act aggressively if he's being hurt or trying to protect himself, but even then, most Goldens won't defend themselves.
Shyness and spookiness are also not in character with the Golden Retriever's temperament.
A dog that hides at the sight of visitors or tries to run from anything new can still make a good pet, but it will take a lot of patience and work.
Fearful and aggressive behavior is very easily prevented by early socialization and training. A dog's early puppy temperament can be shaped and molded by the events and people in his life.
So enroll in puppy classes as early as possible, and make sure your pup meets lots of new people and dogs during his first few weeks with you.
If you've adopted an older Golden with a few temperament shortcomings, it's well worth your time to help your new Golden buddy become all he can be.
The ideal Golden Retriever is a versatile and adaptive dog, calm around the house and playful when the opportunity arises.
He's intense when on the job as a service dog or a working dog, and always friendly and responsive.
What more could anybody ask for in a dog?
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