Jeter: We are considered such a lovable breed that most would probably say that we do not make great guard dogs. While it is true that we will not intimidate most with the size of our bite, we have different ways of making sure you stay far away.
Alanis: It starts with our bark! We don’t really mean to startle our humans with our 3:30AM barking at the air, but when we do that, we sense something – it may be nothing more than a random noise we hear outside. It could be people walking by that we think are simply too close for comfort.
Jeter: Josh was the master of the late night bark – he would just run to the window and start barking. He had that very deep, “big dog” bark. I swear if people just heard the bark without seeing the dog, they would have thought Cujo may be on the other side of the door!
Alanis: I bark often, and it can be a bit jarring. I am a bit like Josh in that I will start barking instantly if I hear someone outside. We live close to a convenience store, so people can walk by at all hours of the day. I have started to become very aware of their presence.
Jeter: When daddy isn’t home, my alertness goes up even more. Mommy has commented many times about how aware I am of EVERYTHING when daddy isn’t home. Of course, I am a better protector than that klutz would ever be, anyway. He would probably fall down the stairs if he ran down them to check for an intruder.
Alanis: Bahahahaha! They need dogs, because that moron can’t even walk two steps without falling sometimes.
Jeter: My bark is obnoxious, but I can’t sustain it. I can let out a quick bark or two, but that is it. Josh used to sustain it for several minutes, and Alanis has that ability as well. Of course, given how jarring my bark is, it is probably a good thing I cannot sustain it for long.
Alanis: Look, we will FREELY admit that if your goal is to find a guard dog that perhaps our breed is not perfect for that purpose. We may use our bark to keep people away, but we are just big softies in the end. That said, you can read online about many stories where humans were protected by their Golden Retrievers. Remember this fact: We are playful and fun, but are also fiercely loyal.
Jeter: Yep! I even warned a few family members at Christmas to not get too close to my Mommy. Don’t tempt fate with us, because we can surprise you!
Me: Golden Retrievers will never rank high on the list of dogs one would adopt for protection purposes. However, they are loyal companion dogs and are not likely to easily allow strangers access to those who provide them their food. Josh had a bark that would make any stranger run away. Jeter is sweet, but also has a bit of a feisty side to him. Alanis is the type of dog that will bark if she senses any kind of movement outside the house. I certainly wouldn’t tempt fate as a stranger, while also recognizing that our dogs are more likely to wag their tails for a belly rub when push comes to shove.