Guide To Caring For A Goldador (White Lab And Golden Retriever Mix)

‍Guide To Caring For A Goldador (White Lab And Golden Retriever Mix)

A Goldador is a beautiful hybrid breed that results from breeding a Golden Retriever and a Labrador Retriever. These dogs are similar in appearance but have different personalities, making them great friends and partners for an active lifestyle.

The Goldador’s appearance is quite striking because he has two very different colors on his fur coat and may have either one or both colors extending to the dog's eyes. However, despite their unique look, Goldadors are simply a combination of two well-known parent breeds.

Bringing home a Goldador is a great decision if you want a large dog, but it's best to expect plenty of shedding and energy.

Let’s take a look at both breeds and further determine what a Goldador is, what to expect from one, and how to care for one.

What Is A Goldador?

The Goldador is a crossbreed of the Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever. This combines all of the best traits of each breed into one dog, including a loving personality, high energy, and beautiful long coats.

Labrador Retriever

The Labrador Retriever is a sporting breed that originated in Newfoundland by the European settlers. The breed was used as a hunting companion and a guard dog protector.

Labradors also tend to be stubborn at times, but they can be trained easily with the right approach from their trainers. They are among the most popular dog breeds in the United States, and people love them for their playful, friendly demeanor.

Labrador Retrievers are usually great with kids and make excellent family dogs. But be prepared for a dog with lots of energy and shedding. They also get quite big, so living in a small area can be tricky.

Golden Retriever

The Golden Retriever was the first breed in the Scottish Highlands as a hunting breed. They share many of the same temperament and behavior characteristics as Labradors.

Golden Retrievers have a thick, straight coat that comes in shades of gold and sometimes with a reddish tinge on the tips of the hair. Their fur is water-resistant and sheds less than other breeds.

Individuals with disabilities often use Golden Retrievers because they are friendly and well-behaved.

The Golden Retriever’s coat is thicker in the colder months and becomes thinner in the warmer months. When mixing these two breeds, the coat is shorter, but they maintain a similar personality.

History Of The Goldador

The Goldador is not one of the most popular cross breeds because both the Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever are so popular as purebreds. This leads to fewer White Lab And Golden Retriever Mix breeds.

However, this dog was first bred in the 21st century, so it's a relatively new discovery. It’s also not an AKC-recognized breed, which is another reason why it has yet to become mainstream and popular among professional breeders.

But it’s an easy dog to breed, especially when using both a white lab and a Golden, because the outcome is predictable. This allows breeders to get results efficiently.

Despite the minimal history of this breed, we are optimistic about its future and expect these dogs to become more used as guide dogs, assistance dogs, and service dogs.

Goldador (White Lab And Golden Retriever Mix) Characteristics

A Goldador is a mixed breed dog with the qualities of a Golden Retriever and a White Lab. The result is an intelligent, loyal, and loving pet that is easy to train.

Temperament

Like their parent breeds, Goldadors are great at being active companions, especially if you’re on the hunt for a good hunting dog. They love to swim, play, and be out in the water and can be trained to do just about anything you want them to do.

The other thing about this breed is extreme loyalty. It’s similar to both the lab and Golden, where they become attached to their owners, so separation anxiety can happen.

However, they are alert and protect their homes too. The intelligence, loyalty, and energy make for the perfect family-friendly guard dog too.

Health

The Labrador and Golden Retriever are known to live shorter lives than many dogs. This is partly because they have a higher risk of developing health issues.

Some of the most common health issues a Goldador will face include the following

• Elbow Dysplasia
• Hip Dysplasia
• Cancers
• Allergies
• Subaortic Stenosis

However, there’s no reason to have any extreme concerns. This breed can stay healthy with proper care, exercise, and diet.

Shedding

Goldadors shed more than other breeds, so new owners must be okay with having fur around the house. They should also be ready for a higher-than-average level of exercise and grooming needs.

This is a large breed dog, as Goldadors typically range from 60 to 80lbs. So lots of shedding should be expected, despite the white lab and Golden mix.

Luckily, this breed will often produce a litter of lightly colored puppies. Goldador puppies can be gold, yellow, black, or brown, but when you mix a white lab, they often are gold or yellow.

Size & Build

The size and build of a Goldador are among the most commonly asked questions because it combines two energetic medium-sized breeds. Both the Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever have nearly identical average sizes.

Both breeds average a height between 22-24 inches and 55-80 pounds in weight. Because of the similarity, this same size can be expected from the White Lab And Golden Retriever Mix.

Depending on exercise tendencies, health, and genes, they will reach their peak size between 12-18 months. After 18 months, the dog will stop growing and remain around the same height and weight.

Exercise Requirements

Goldadors are energetic dogs, as both of their parent breeds are hunting and sporting dogs. But they have lots of energy to use at once, so they are great for active people who love to dedicate lots of time to their dogs.

Getting this dog outside every day for 30 minutes is extremely beneficial. Without exercise, they will have pent-up energy leading to restlessness.

How Big Does A White Lab And Golden Retriever Mix Get?

The size of a mixed breed dog can vary greatly depending on the parents and breeding style. This type of dog takes many of the same features and characteristics as its parents.

Generally, the average Goldador will stand at 22-24 inches in height, and weight ranges between 60-80 pounds depending on the gender of the dog. This is the estimated full size once the dog reaches one year old.

The white lab and Golden Retriever mix gets the same size as other types of Goldadors too. Despite the breeding difference, there are no notable changes in expected size or growth.

What Does A White Lab And Golden Retriever Mix Look Like?

The crossbreed mix typically produces a golden, yellow, or white coat puppy with a black nose. Depending on how the dog was bred, the coat is dense and medium in length.

The number one way to determine how a specific Goldador will look as they get bigger is by seeing their parents. They tend to adopt features from both, especially when mixing breeds like these two.

The ears are medium in length and floppy, like the typical Labrador Retriever. The head shape is medium in size, with a symmetrical head and face.

However, this is not an AKC-recognized breed, so no breeding standards exist. This means that professional breeders don’t have an official guideline to adhere to, so differences can exist between litters.

How Long Does A White Lab And Golden Retriever Mix Live?

The life expectancy of a White Lab and Golden Retriever mix varies depending on the dog's size, gender, and health. In general, they have an average lifespan of 10-14 years.

The white lab mix is known to live longer than most Labrador Retriever breeds, especially compared to chocolate labs which have a 10% shorter lifespan on average.

Healthy dogs will also live longer than unhealthy ones, so how a dog is cared for greatly impacts the expected lifespan.

How to Care For A White Lab And Golden Retriever Mix

This crossbreed mix is often bred because of its sweet personality and intelligence. However, they are also more likely to have vulnerabilities to certain health conditions, including hip dysplasia.

This is why we will review how to care for these pups to keep them healthy.

Grooming

Watch out for a few things when bringing a Goldador puppy home. Ensure their nails are clipped regularly, as their Labrador side makes them thick and prone to growth.

If their nails grow too long, they could cause the dog pain and even hinder their walking ability. Other grooming needs include regular baths, occasional coat trims, daily or weekly brushing, and teeth brushing.

Follow these guidelines to meet each of our grooming requirements.

• Regular baths every 3-4 weeks
• Coat maintenance and brushing 2-3 times per week
• Teeth brushing daily or at least three times per week
• Nail trimming as needed or once per month

Exercise

These dogs need to get 30 minutes of exercise outside each day. This is important for their mental and physical health. It also helps them stay calm and healthy.

They are known for their love of exercise, but this crossbreed needs more than just a walk around the block. They need to be taken on long walks or become restless and destructive.

In addition, they don't have the same coat to protect them from the elements like rain, wind, or snow. As this dog ages, exercise is not as critical because they are well trained and less anxious.

Training

Training a Goldador is easy because this is such a highly intelligent breed, even as puppies. The key is to use positive reinforcement as much as possible throughout the training sessions as the dog learns new commands.

Start with basic obedience commands and potty training to teach the dog to avoid accidents in the house. Once the dog has a grasp of this and basic commands like sit, more advanced techniques can be explored.

This breed loves interacting with other dogs too, which is why we recommend considering professional training with other dogs around. It helps build their social skills for the future.

Who Should Own A Goldador?

A Goldador is a great match for families that want a large dog with low levels of shedding, don’t want to deal with excessive barking, and want a dog that can adapt to many different lifestyles.

Traditional Goldador owners are families with children, retirees, and people who want a dog that can be active with them and not tire out easily.

While Goldadors can fit well in many households, there are some groups of people who may want to look for another breed. People who aren’t okay with shedding, live in smaller spaces, and travel frequently may want another breed.