Goldador
Goldador Summary
Get to Know Goldadors
- Professional Working Dog: The Goldador is one of the most commonly bred intentional crosses for guide dog, service, and detection work.
- Double Retriever: Both parent breeds share St. John's Water Dog ancestry, making the Goldador a distilled retriever essence.
- Guaranteed Friendly: With the two friendliest breeds as parents, nearly every Goldador is exceptionally sociable.
- Easy First Dog: Their forgiving nature and eagerness to please make Goldadors one of the best choices for first-time dog owners.
Goldador Personality & Temperament
- Friendly & Social: Goldadors are among the friendliest dogs imaginable. They love everyone and make friends instantly.
- Eager to Please: They are highly trainable and live to make their owners happy. Positive reinforcement produces enthusiastic results.
- Gentle & Patient: They are patient, gentle dogs that are wonderful with children, elderly people, and other animals.
- Active & Enthusiastic: They enjoy exercise and outdoor activities, approaching everything with enthusiasm.
Goldador Care & Grooming
- Exercise: About 45 to 60 minutes of daily exercise through walks, swimming, fetch, and play. They enjoy moderate to vigorous activity.
- Grooming: Their dense double coat needs brushing two to three times weekly. Moderate to heavy shedding is expected, especially seasonally.
- Diet: Feed a high-quality food for large breeds. Both parent breeds are food-motivated—strict portion control prevents obesity.
- Health: Watch for hip and elbow dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, heart conditions, and cancer. Both parent breeds should be health-tested before breeding.
What to ask your breeder?
Here's a short summary of what you should be asking your breeder:
Golden Retriever Health Testing
| Screening | Considerations |
|---|---|
| Hip Dysplasia | One of the following: OFA Radiographic Hip Evaluation. PennHIP Evaluation (At least 4 months of age). |
| Elbow Dysplasia | OFA Radiographic Elbow Evaluation. |
| ACVO Eye Exam | Annual Eye Examinations. Results registered with OFA. |
| Cardiac Evaluation | One of the following: Basic Cardiac Exam at 12 months or older, with exam by cardiologist. Advanced Cardiac Exam. |
Labrador Retriever Health Testing
| Screening | Considerations |
|---|---|
| Hip Dysplasia | OFA Radiographic Hip Evaluation. |
| Elbow Dysplasia | OFA Radiographic Elbow Evaluation. |
| ACVO Eye Exam | ACVO Eye Examination. Results registered with OFA. |
| EIC (Exercise Induced Collapse) | EXERCISE INDUCED COLLAPSE - DNA based test from an approved lab. |
| D Locus (Dilute) DNA Test | DNA based D LOCUS results from an approved lab. |
| Centronuclear Myopathy | Optional: DNA Based CNM Test - results registered with the OFA. |
| Cardiac Evaluation | Optional: Advanced Cardiac Exam. Basic Cardiac Exam. |
| prcd-PRA DNA Test | Optional: DNA based prcd-PRA test from a licensed lab - results registered with the OFA. |
Goldador History
The Goldador is a cross between the Golden Retriever and the Labrador Retriever—the two most popular retriever breeds in the world. This hybrid is widely used as a guide dog, search and rescue dog, therapy dog, and bomb detection dog due to its exceptional trainability and stable temperament. Guide Dogs for the Blind organizations were among the first to intentionally cross these breeds to produce reliable working dogs.
How Much Does It Cost to Own a Goldador Per Year?
Determining the cost of owning a Goldador is essential for responsible dog ownership. Use our calculator to estimate expenses, including food, grooming, veterinary care, and more.
The Ultimate Dog Cost Calculator
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Find Goldador Breeders Near You
Connect with trusted Canadian breeders raising Goldadors.
Find Goldador BreedersFrequently Asked Questions About Goldador
When you talk to a breeder, you're not just asking “do you have available Goldador puppies?” You're looking for a match in the process of rehoming a dog. As a prospective dog owner, you are assessing how predictable the dog's health, temperament, and long-term welfare will be and whether the breeder's practices reduce avoidable risk.
You should engage in a conversation about the following topics:
- Which health tests and genetic screening do you do specifically for Goldador, and can I see the results?
- What do you do if a puppy develops a serious genetic condition? What contract, policies and support do you offer as a breeder?
- How are puppies raised from birth to 8+ weeks? Ask about socialization, philosophies on early neurological development, handling, and exposure.
In Canada, Goldador puppies from reputable breeders typically cost between $2,100 and $4,600 — but the puppy price is only the beginning.
The real cost of a dog isn't just the puppy price. After year one, the cost of a dog includes the predictable annual costs + the unpredictable “risk costs.” Your goal is to make the cost legible before you commit, as one of the top causes of surrendering a dog is not being able to afford the dog in later years.
To help you assess these costs, Paction has created the Ultimate Cost Calculator. You can also read an article written by a Paction breeder on why a prospective dog owner should focus on the ongoing costs of dog ownership and not “how much” the puppy costs.
For Goldador, responsible breeders commonly screen breeding pairs using tests such as Hip Dysplasia, Elbow Dysplasia, ACVO Eye Exam, and Cardiac Evaluation.
Every dog breed has certain health issues that tend to occur more often, but what matters most is how predictable and preventable those risks are. For many breeds, common concerns include inherited conditions (such as orthopedic, eye, or cardiac issues) as well as lifestyle-related challenges like weight management, dental health, skin or ear problems, and anxiety.
Responsible breeders help reduce inherited risk through appropriate health testing, careful selection of breeding pairs, and transparency about family history. To understand more about responsible breeding programs that prioritize health and genetic screening of breeding pairs, check out Making Science Simple: Canine Genetics for Puppy Shoppers.
As an owner, you play an equally important role. Consistent preventive veterinary care, proper exercise and enrichment, healthy nutrition, and early screening can significantly improve long-term health outcomes.
Whether a Goldador is right for you depends less on the breed itself and more on how well its typical energy level, temperament, and care needs align with your daily life. Important factors include your schedule and activity level, living environment, household dynamics (such as children, other pets, or allergies), and tolerance for noise or independence. Long-term fit also comes down to maintenance like grooming, training needs, and how often you travel or rely on outside dog care.
Use Paction's Dog Breed Matchmaker and Pup Time Estimator to find out more about what dog is right for you.








