# Is my dog a Goldador? (Lab x Golden Retriever)



## JamesE93 (Sep 16, 2014)

Hello, here is a 1 year old chocolate lab mix I adopted from a shelter recently. Ever since I brought him home I have been wondering what he is mixed with. First I though Weimeraner, now I'm thinking Goldador.

Any insight?

His temperament is fairly calm and relaxed, but he has plenty of energy. He doesn't like to be away from me, he follows me all around the house. It doesn't matter if I'm just getting up for a glass of water, he's coming with me.

Very nice and loving dog. Everyone's friend. Loves children and other dogs and being in the water.


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## CandyLeopard (Oct 14, 2013)

I can see Lab for sure. How much does he weigh?


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## JamesE93 (Sep 16, 2014)

He weighs about 52 pounds last time I checked


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## JamesE93 (Sep 16, 2014)

If you notice the face, you can see features consistent with a golden retriever. The head is not as boxy as a full lab, with a thinner snout, round forehead like a golden. You will also notice a stripe of gold are running down his back


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## ireth0 (Feb 11, 2013)

Keep in mind that shelters often have to list dogs as a 'mix' just because they don't have paperwork to say they are purebred, so he may just be lab. On the smaller side, though.


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## JamesE93 (Sep 16, 2014)

Thanks. But I know he isn't a purebred.


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## ireth0 (Feb 11, 2013)

Also from what I know the gold in goldens is a recessive trait, so most golden mixes are black/not gold. He could just be a poorly bred lab (not in standard), how do you know he is mixed with something else?


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

I think he's just a poorly bred lab. It's very common for labs to have white patches, and a thinner face is common with BYB/mill labs, as well (and not a feature of American Goldens at all, though English Goldens do have oddly skinny faces if you're used to the American lines.)


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## Remaru (Mar 16, 2014)

How do you know? I don't mean to be snotty or anything it is an honest question. Since he came from a shelter do you know for certain he can't be purebred? Labs are very popular with BYBs and even puppy mills, I've seen a wide range of appearance in pure bred labs so just judging by less bone or not quite as boxy of a head (and different lines like working vs show vs European have different structure anyway) can't really tell you for certain. It is hard for me to tell from the pictures, I have to admit I have poor eye sight and the pictures come up pretty small on my screen but he doesn't have as much coat as I might expect in a golden mix. I thought Vizla but then they are not terribly common and to be honest I can't really say what made me think that either. It is entirely possible he is mixed with anything but nothing is jumping out at me making it easy to pinpoint.


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## JamesE93 (Sep 16, 2014)

Interesting info. Thanks. I believe he is mixed because his tail is curved and slightly feathered. He has a more trim and athletic build than the rather stocky build of a lab. His head is not boxy like a lab but more round. If you put him next to a purebred chocolate lab you see lots of resemblance, but some fundamental differences as well.


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## BostonBullMama (Apr 20, 2013)

yea.. I just see lab


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## JamesE93 (Sep 16, 2014)

I did not realize that improper breeding could result in such fundamental differences. Thankyou all for your input


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

He looks like a purebred chocolate lab to me. I've seen a ton who look just like him. That build and head type is very common in BYB dogs, or those bred for hunting.


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## JamesE93 (Sep 16, 2014)

elrohwen said:


> He looks like a purebred chocolate lab to me. I've seen a ton who look just like him. That build and head type is very common in BYB dogs, or those bred for hunting.


Thanks. He'll never be a show dog but he's as good as any other lab out there


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

JamesE93 said:


> Thanks. He'll never be a show dog but he's as good as any other lab out there


Definitely! I much prefer the nice lean labs over the stocky heavy set ones anyway, though I do enjoy a blockier head.


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## JamesE93 (Sep 16, 2014)

elrohwen said:


> Definitely! I much prefer the nice lean labs over the stocky heavy set ones anyway, though I do enjoy a blockier head.


 I will agree with you there


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## Foresthund (Jul 17, 2013)

Your dog doesn't look very different than the field bred or more traditional Labs.
I remember showing my mother a pic of a lab from a book I have from the 60's and she didn't even know what it was. The breed standard in that book also calls for a dog 55-75lbs,which is still typical in sporting labs. Your dog may be on the smaller end but extra small or large dogs of any breed do pop up fairly often.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Yup, looks like a field line lab to me. They are often leggier and not nearly as stocky as the show bred labs. I actually much prefer them to the stocky labs as well.


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## JamesE93 (Sep 16, 2014)

Foresthund said:


> Your dog doesn't look very different than the field bred or more traditional Labs.
> I remember showing my mother a pic of a lab from a book I have from the 60's and she didn't even know what it was. The breed standard in that book also calls for a dog 55-75lbs,which is still typical in sporting labs. Your dog may be on the smaller end but extra small or large dogs of any breed do pop up fairly often.


Hey thanks for the pictures. I've only had him for a month and he's still a pup so he'll get bigger


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## zhaor (Jul 2, 2009)

"Goldador?"

seriously is that a thing now?


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## Rescued (Jan 8, 2012)

I deal with a lot of "goldadors" as I work with service dogs and I'm not sure genetically if it's possible to get a chocolate one from a 50 50 cross. Now I am curious though- yes most are black, some yellow. Tail feathering means nothing, my pure lab has more feathering than my 50 50 cross.

Also most people call them "crosses" just FYI. Never heard the term "goldador" used 

Just looked at pics and I would have to say definitely lab, don't see any golden. Just field/pet bred as opposed to bench.

EDIT: Yeah I dont think its possible. You wouldn't find a NBP Golden so even if you had a pure non carrier chocolate with a pure non carrier yellow you would get all black pups.

http://www.blueknightlabs.com/color/coatcolor.html


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Rescued said:


> I deal with a lot of "goldadors" as I work with service dogs and I'm not sure genetically if it's possible to get a chocolate one from a 50 50 cross.


It might be possible, if Goldens carry liver. If they do, they are very uncommon and I've never seen a Golden with a pink nose.


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## Rescued (Jan 8, 2012)

elrohwen said:


> It might be possible, if Goldens carry liver. If they do, they are very uncommon and I've never seen a Golden with a pink nose.


I dont think it does, or at least not beyond one random mutation:

http://goldendoodles.com/Health/coatcolorbasics.htm



> Addendum:
> Thanks to Blue for asking about the B/b and E/e coat color genes thought to be carried by Golden Retrievers.
> 
> This is my theory, and not to be taken as proven fact! That said, if Golden Retrievers never have brown noses, then they probably don't carry the "b" allele. At least that was my argument for the theory that first cross Goldendoodles won't be chocolate. That being the case, then Golden Retrievers are only be BBee. Seems the only chocolate F1 goldendoodles are ones that come from a breeding with a phantom, so I'm not sure what is going on there, except that another gene pair is probably involved.
> ...


If a doodle breeder is wanting you to call her if you find it... guessing it would be extremely hard to find LOL


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Rescued said:


> If a doodle breeder is wanting you to call her if you find it... guessing it would be extremely hard to find LOL


Haha.

Well, I've never seen a Welshie with a pink nose, but the liver gene exists in the breed. Pink/brown noses used to be standard, and still pop up very very rarely. So it's hard to rule out in Goldens, but if it exists it's rare enough that it's probably safe to assume it doesn't exist.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

I dunno. I rarely see pure Labs with that light of eyes and his ears are wonky. I would believe he's mixed, but not with a Golden. And he may not be a 50/50 mix, but just have something not-Lab mixed in a few generations back. He's a good-looking dog anyway.


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## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

tthe fact that he is chocolate makes it genetically impossible for him to be a straight lab/golden. a dog has to have two copies of the gene and goldens do not carry chocolate.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

With no documentation, I believe that Shep (my avatar) is a Lab/Golden x GSD, although I call him a Lab mix. 
Reasons:
1. He seems to have a double coat.
2. He sheds more in 'fur bunnies' rather than Lab needles. So, I don't have hair everywhere, instead, I have clumps of golden carpeting.
3. He has the sweet nature of a Golden, and the rambunctiousness of a Lab.
4. He does have feathers, and a curling tail, rather than a baseball bat tail (like a Lab).
5. And, he's golden colored, not a shade of yellow, fox red, or chocolate. He also has bond angel wings.
6. Not sure if it's true of all dogs, but his adult coat is the same color that his ears were as a puppy ... which I believe is a trait of Goldens.

None of these is conclusive, and we thought he was a Golden x GSD (no Lab), up until he was 3 yo ... so it's not a critical issue.


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## fourdogs (Feb 3, 2014)

Field bred lab. No golden in that dog at all.


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## JeJo (Jul 29, 2013)

Looks like a lab to me. He's a handsome guy; I love his lean look. -If he has a lab's voracious appetite, Kudos for keeping him nice and trim. 

I wondered about my dog's mixture as the Humane Society labeled her as a "Lab-mix". She has a more narrow face, a leaner body and longer legs than my son's purebreds and so many others I have seen. Looking her over, my vet said, "Lab coat, lab tail, lab feet, lab ears (when she lets them down); I'd say Lab." She was a stray so the HS had no proof or even first-hand say as to her breed. Kayla is obviously pet/poorly(?) bred, but I love everything about my "Lab".  Congratulations on bringing yours into your heart and home. He sounds like a great dog.


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## petpeeve (Jun 10, 2010)

Guess the breed is usually not my strongest suit, and I have a limited knowledge of genetics etc. But I'm wondering about the possibility of red Dobe being mixed in there somewhere along the line. Unless my eyes deceive me, he seems to have a faint trace of tan points in a couple of the pics. It might also account for the lighter eye colour, and less blocky head shape ??? honestly though just an uneducated hunch.


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## Little Wise Owl (Nov 12, 2011)

Looks like a Chocolate Lab to me. His body condition is perfect, btw. It's nice to see a lean Lab for once.


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## JamesE93 (Sep 16, 2014)

JeJo said:


> Looks like a lab to me. He's a handsome guy; I love his lean look. -If he has a lab's voracious appetite, Kudos for keeping him nice and trim.
> 
> I wondered about my dog's mixture as the Humane Society labeled her as a "Lab-mix". She has a more narrow face, a leaner body and longer legs than my son's purebreds and so many others I have seen. Looking her over, my vet said, "Lab coat, lab tail, lab feet, lab ears (when she lets them down); I'd say Lab." She was a stray so the HS had no proof or even first-hand say as to her breed. Kayla is obviously pet/poorly(?) bred, but I love everything about my "Lab".  Congratulations on bringing yours into your heart and home. He sounds like a great dog.


Thankyou. He is a food-loving lab alright! But he gets plenty of exercise (and I do too as a result  ). He's a lot of work but it's worth every bit. Watching this dog love his life as much as he does has been very rewarding. He's a good one


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

JeJo said:


> Looks like a lab to me. He's a handsome guy; I love his lean look. -If he has a lab's voracious appetite, Kudos for keeping him nice and trim.
> 
> I wondered about my dog's mixture as the Humane Society labeled her as a "Lab-mix". She has a more narrow face, a leaner body and longer legs than my son's purebreds and so many others I have seen. Looking her over, my vet said, "Lab coat, lab tail, lab feet, lab ears (when she lets them down); I'd say Lab." She was a stray so the HS had no proof or even first-hand say as to her breed. Kayla is obviously pet/poorly(?) bred, but I love everything about my "Lab".  Congratulations on bringing yours into your heart and home. He sounds like a great dog.


All strays adopted out through our shelter are listed as "mixes", regardless of whether they look like the spitting image of the breed standard. A lot of shelters will label dogs that look purebred as mixes, simply because with a stray dog, they actually have no idea, so they can't say for sure it is a purebred lab (because otherwise, there are people out there that would cause problems about it).


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## JeJo (Jul 29, 2013)

gingerkid said:


> All strays adopted out through our shelter are listed as "mixes", regardless of whether they look like the spitting image of the breed standard. A lot of shelters will label dogs that look purebred as mixes, simply because with a stray dog, they actually have no idea, so they can't say for sure it is a purebred lab (because otherwise, there are people out there that would cause problems about it).


Thank you for that share, Gingerkid. I thought I had read someone mention a similar practice and imagine that it may be the same with my local HS. It makes sense.


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