The answer to this question is subjective and ultimately depends on your family and the individual Golden Retriever in question. However, over the years, I’ve met quite a few Golden Retrievers who were perfect in their particular families. Many people refer to Golden Retrievers as “soft” or “mushy,” and that’s exactly what many families are looking for. If you have a family with children, neighbors, and visitors coming and going from your home, you probably don’t need a guard dog.
That being said, Golden Retrievers are still large dogs and can have a lot of energy. My own Golden Retriever, Chloe, is an ideal pet dog. She’s gentle and patient when interacting with children and other dogs, and she’ll even lie down and let chickens peck around her. Chloe has a great off switch and spends 95% of her time lying down in the house, but outside, she loves to run, play, and retrieve anything you throw with surprising stamina.
For those considering getting a Golden Retriever, I recommend meeting the dog’s parents first, just as you would with any breed. If you love the parents and are impressed with their attitudes, that’s the best vote of confidence for a puppy. Meeting the grandparents would be even better, but that’s often wishful thinking. All in all, Golden Retrievers are excellent dogs. As a dog trainer, I’d be happy to train a building full of them every day. They’re sweet, kind, energetic, driven, and usually safe around children, which is of utmost importance.
