Golden retriever

Question

Golden retriever puppy   QUESTION: Hello,
My mom and I would really like to have a golden retriever and we know that we are never going to move to a house with a big backyard so, she says that the dog will be lonely all day.
I wanted to know if you thought we could possibly have a golden retriever in quite a big apartment (110 meters) but knowing we are absent from 8h30 to 16h00? Also knowing that sometimes I come back earlier but that that is the longest that the dog can be alone.
We also have the woods with a lake right outside our windows and a lot of place for the dog to play around. There are also a lot of dogs in my residence. And not only small ones!!!!
And if we could, would it be a puppy or a 2 years or more old dog? By the way, we are two children here but of 13 and 11 years old, so it's not a problem to have a wild dog. And although we never had a dog yet, I take care of all the dogs in my family when I can and my family has several goldens and dobermans.(I really take care of them, they're not like toys at all and I know that, unlike other people)
I would thank you really much if you could answer because I already asked other people and nobody actually answered.

Thanks

ANSWER: Hi, Julia,

I don't think it would be impossible to have a golden retriever while living in an apartment.  The main thing to consider is the activity level of the dog, not so much the size.  After all, they do say that Great Danes make good apartment dogs because they are not very active, and look how large THEY are!

I would strongly recommend an older dog, as you suggest, say maybe 3 or so.  Older dogs are generally not as active as puppies.  Try to find one that is housebroken already.  You will still need to practice housebreaking skills, the same as with a puppy, because the dog will not know your house or the "bathroom" routine, but older dogs can hold their bladder and bowels longer than a puppy and generally don't need to go outside as often.  Older dogs are also past many of the annoying puppy habits like chewing.

Do be aware, though, that golden retrievers shed a lot so if having dog hair laying around on the floors is not acceptable, you may want to consider a different breed.  And many goldens love water, so I would be very careful with the dog around the lake; in winter, when lakes freeze over, dogs often fall through the ice and can perish if they aren't supervised.

I am including some links to articles that should be helpful:

http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/crate-train.pdf
http://www.hsmo.org/m_obedience/behavior/dogcrate.html

http://www.marinhumanesociety.org/Behavior/Handouts/Housetraining.pdf    

http://www.marinhumanesociety.org/Behavior/Handouts/PEP.pdf
http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/nilif.pdf
http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/educated-dog.pdf

http://www.marinhumanesociety.org/Behavior/Handouts/KongsHomeAlone.pdf
http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/dog-toys.pdf


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks a lot. The real problem is that my mom is like should we really have a dog if he's alone all day because she had friends that had a dog alone all day that was lonely and they had to give him away! Since she doesn't want to give away a dog if we get one, she's not really sure about that. otherwise, about the lake, we wouldn't let our dog on the lake in winter!!! iT'S FAR TOO DANGEROUS! The only problem is that the dog could be 6 to 8 hours alone every day.

Answer
Again, as I said, it depends a LOT on the energy level of the dog.  If you have a dog that's very young or energetic, it will be difficult for that dog to spend long hours alone, regardless of whether it's in an apartment or huge house.

On the other hand, if you have a dog that's older, or calm and relaxed, it won't be as hard on it to spend hours just laying around on the floor waiting for the owners to come home.

The quality of time that you all are willing to spend with the dog during the time that you ARE home makes a difference, too.  Some owners come home and are tired from working all day, so they aren't willing to play with and exercise/walk the dog.  Other people religiously take their dog for a walk every day, or spend time teaching it obedience skills.

In this day and age, many people cannot afford to stay home all day, so being away from the home and dog is an unfortunate way of life.  

Choosing a dog that has a lower energy level, and then spending good quality time with that dog when you are home, would be ideal situation.