planning to have golden retriever

My aunt has a golden and I know several other goldens and they have all been fantastic family dogs. Easily trained and really friendly with everyone. Good for first-time dog owners too.

Golden Retrievers are fantastic family dogs! they are happy and very steady tempered, very dependable nature will just about everybody. the only time i ever remember hearing my mothers retrievers growl is when some guy jumped the back fence in the middle of the afternoon and us kids were back there playing. he growled, barked and stayed between the guy and us kids until he jumped back over the fence! when someone knocked on the door he would bark to let everybody know of course but as soon as the door was opened his tail would go crazy and he wanted to be introduced and petted immediatly lol! they have a good deal of energy and so they need to have exercise and room to run around in. they get along pretty well with all kinds of animals. we had cats, other dogs and for a while a bunny, and moms retrievers (thru the years) never did harm to any animal in the slightest. they are also pretty quick learners and always wanting to please. you really cant choose a better family dog than a golden retriever in my opinion.

Oh they are fantastic family dogs! Absolutely fantastic family dogs.

A golden is a wonderful dog. It is patient, kind, non-aggressive, and great with kids. I have a retriever and recently just had a baby. She is very protective and curious about the new addition. There is no jealousy whatsoever but I noticed that she does want a little bit more attention from us now.

The only thing you have to fear with a golden retriever around children is that they have tendency to play rough if you haven't trained them early. Even though they do have a good instinct for gentleness around children, a young pup could forget and accidentally knock over a toddler.

We have 2 show Golden Retrievers not Field. They are EXCELLANT with our kid. It also depends on how you train your Golden. They demand alot of attention. They are very playful and loveable. They love to be outside, with enough room to run. They love the SNOW!! I personally have NO FEAR of safety with our Goldens. They are very protective of our family.

I agree with the previous posts. Golden Retrievers are great family dogs; one of the few breeds who actually desire the company of children. Most dogs will get along with kids if they are raised with them, but Goldens just seem to love them naturally. Of course, any dog that you get needs to be properly socialized, especially in a household with kids. If you don't have a lot of experience with dogs, take the dog to obedience training classes, and go with the dog to learn how to keep him in line! Teach your children how to treat a dog with respect (if they don't already know), and everyone will get along just fine.