Can you help ID this breed?

I am considering adopting this 5 mo old puppy cutie, but I'm very curious what mix of breeds she is. She's listed as a golden mix, and I'm wondering if others can help identify what other breeds she looks like she is (and if she does indeed look like a golden retriever, too) My strong preference is to make sure she's not a dog that will exhibit guarding tendencies or anything aggressive as she gets older, as I really want a dog with a very friendly, loving, obedient temperment. Any ideas? Thanks!

She definately looks like a golden mix :D What she's mixed with is very hard to tell, as she's still young, and so golden.


My strong preference is to make sure she's not a dog that will exhibit guarding tendencies or anything aggressive as she gets older, as I really want a dog with a very friendly, loving, obedient temperment. Any ideas? Thanks

This as ALL about the training and socialization, and really has little to do with the breed.

Regardless of her breed, whether or not she exhibits any guarding tendencies or aggression is going to depend on who adopts her and trains her. Any dog of any breed has the potential to be a friendly, obedient, willing partner or an aggressive, reactive mess. I would trust a trained, socialized pit bull before I trusted a golden with no training or socialization.

But, yeah - she looks like a golden.

at this point little one looks all golden. I would be inclined to say if she isn't pure golden then the mix may be with a lab. Even if the little one is mixed with a more dominant breed ie' sheppard..it is all about socialization and training. If she is golden or golden x you have a big lapdog in the making. At 5 mths old she isn't large so i wouldn't be expecting a huge dog, more a nice comfy size.

She looks mainly like a golden to me. Maybe a golden lab mix or something.

I think Golden Retriever too.....sure looks like a sweetheart!

This as ALL about the training and socialization, and really has little to do with the breed.

I have to say it can actually have a lot to do with the breed. Some breeds aren't prone to that behavior at all, no matter the training. Collies for instance, in general, are really hard to make guard or bite, which is why we don't use them for police dogs or something.

But I do agree that any dog can exhibit tendencies that are uncharacteristic of their breed. All the breed means is we know what to expect out of an individual that meets the breed standard, or can give us an idea of how the dog may turn out. It's not excuse to go lax on training and socialization. Even a very laid back and unaggressive dog will be a much better dog if it has had a lot of training and socialization, and will be less likely to exhibit problems.

I have to say it can actually have a lot to do with the breed. Some breeds aren't prone to that behavior at all, no matter the training. Collies for instance, in general, are really hard to make guard or bite, which is why we don't use them for police dogs or something.

But I do agree that any dog can exhibit tendencies that are uncharacteristic of their breed. All the breed means is we know what to expect out of an individual that meets the breed standard, or can give us an idea of how the dog may turn out. It's not excuse to go lax on training and socialization. Even a very laid back and unaggressive dog will be a much better dog if it has had a lot of training and socialization, and will be less likely to exhibit problems.

It really is rather dangerous to base general comments on breeds of dogs. When my girls were young, we had a collie. Both of my daughters have scars from her. When I lived in Germany, I had both that collie and a rescued rottweiler. When walking the two of them at night - the collie was quicker to alert to strangers and the first to show any protective tendencies if we were approached.

I see a bit of white on her tummy which must be the cross in her, but she looks predominantly like a Golden. I have to agree that good training and socialization will make her into a perfect pup so long as you work at it.

ahhh what a cutie ! Like others have mentioned , she's looks mostly golden.

what ever she's mixed with , since she's young , if you socialize her and train her , you shouldn't have any problems.

It really is rather dangerous to base general comments on breeds of dogs. When my girls were young, we had a collie. Both of my daughters have scars from her. When I lived in Germany, I had both that collie and a rescued rottweiler. When walking the two of them at night - the collie was quicker to alert to strangers and the first to show any protective tendencies if we were approached.

I don't think it's dangerous to generalize a breed by their standard. I think it's dangerous to assume that an INDIVIDUAL is going to fit the breed's characteristics. Any individual can show their own traits, but there's a reason that dogs are bred for certain traits in the first place. If I'm looking for a low energy couch potato dog I'm not going to choose a labrador retriever for instance. If I'm looking for a protection animal I'm not going to go for a golden retriever. Obviously some individuals of that breed may fit what I want, by why would I look into those breeds if I'm looking for a dog that is completely the opposite of that breed in general?

I just felt that the OP may be led to believe there's something wrong with them taking breed into account when choosing their companion, and I don't think there's anything wrong with it. Obviously they should still put the work and time into making sure the dog turns out how they want.

Sorry I didn't realize how long that post was. Not trying to threadjack. I just type really fast and sometimes don't realize how much I've typed. :o

[edit: Shortened the post significantly as to try and not derail thread].

I would agree that some breeds are more predisposed to guard and protect their possessions, but that is not the be-all end-all for the entire breed, it is a personality trait.
I have seen 2 month old puppies who already exhibit guarding tendencies either against people or other dogs, so it really comes down to getting temperament testings and see how the dog reacts to certain situations.
If the dog does not show these tendencies it is then just a matter of maintaining that proper temperament.
Any dog if allowed to get away with anything will push its limits so lines need to be drawn, the personality dictates how hard the dog will push those limits.

As for breed I would think the pup is predominately Golden, but I can't pick out anything else besides that.

It's definitely important more than anything that the dog be assessed before being sent to a home. Golden or not, it will not necessarily fit into the home. At 5 months the pup should be old enough to get a pretty good feel for what direction she's going to go personality-wise, especially if she's being fostered or something.
Where is this little girl coming from anyway? A shelter or a foster or what? Just curious.

thanks for all the help! she's in a shelter in SC. I thought perhaps she was golden mixed with collie... her ears seem a bit collie-ish. I was hoping she's not mixed with a chow, since many golden mixes seem to be, although I hear what you're all saying about socialization and training making the biggest difference! thanks again.

We have a collie and her ears don't look anything like that to me, but I can't see the ears good in the pic.

Even if she is mixed with a chow it doesn't mean she's not a great dog. She's a mutt, so who knows what percentage of anything she's mixed with. Mutts often show small traits of everything they're mixed with or none of those traits at all.
I've known a lot of chow mixes (I owned a chow mix and she was the sweetest thing ever) and they were great dogs. I've also known purebred chows that were great dogs.

Like everyone said, with training and socialization you should end up with a good dog no matter what she is. Pick her for her personality not her breed. You don't know what her parentage is anyway, so it's a moot point.