Looking forward to adopting short-haired Golden Retriever mixes?
If so, you might as well read this guide, because you’re searching for something that doesn’t exist.
Technically, there is no such thing as short-haired Golden Retrievers, but there are some mixes who have shorter hair as compared to their cousins.
Allow this 3-minute read to steer your puppy adoption efforts in the right direction and you might even just learn a thing or two for the perfect Golden Retriever for your household.
So let’s dive right in:
Short Haired Golden Retriever Mixes: Myth or Reality?
Well, what you’re looking for stands somewhere between myth and reality. You see, some Golden Retriever breeds commonly have shorter hair than others, such as those you may have seen in puppy pageant contests.
Also, if you’re considering giving your long-haired Golden Retriever a haircut, you should know that this can put their health at risk, not to mention rip them off their natural beauty.
For this reason, let’s have a short discussion about the right Golden Retriever breeds according to your preferences.
Which Golden Retriever Breeds Have Short Hair?
While there is only one breed that tends to have shorter hair, you can still take your pick from the several sub-variations within this breed.
For example, the Field Golden Retriever is one such variation and they are also often referred to as Field Bred Golden Retrievers. This variation of Golden puppies are typically bred as service dogs that work/hunt in the field.
With that being said, it is also a fact that these short-haired Golden Retriever mixes are loyal, athletic and driven (based on what they are trained to do). While this trait varies, more or less, among most breeds of Golden Retrievers, Field Bred breeds are easy to spot since they are much darker in color. So much so that oftentimes, they may also seem red.
Also relevant to what you came searching for, these dogs tend to have visibly shorter coats of fur. In contrast, most other categories of Golden Retrievers are bred for show. Field Goldens, on the other hand, are expected to excel at athleticism, personality and driver. Of course, some people also train them for their aesthetic appearance, however, we believe the true distinguishing factor here is their temperament.
Fact: The Length of Their Coat is Hereditary
Pet parents who are worried that they will be fooled into adopting a Retriever that has longer fur on their coats, are probably worried about shedding. While their end goal may be smart, their approach to solving the problem is farfetched.
Here’s why: as it turns out, short-haired Golden Retriever Mixes aren’t short-haired because, perhaps, they were crossed with a lab. Instead, they simply get their short-haired coats from their parents.
Since the length of their coat is scientifically proven to be hereditary, and you’re looking for short-haired Golden Retriever mixes, we’d suggest switching to searching for short-haired Golden Retrievers, period.
Granted, you can breed short-haired Golden Retrievers with dogs that have a shorter coat, but this only depends on whether the former’s fur coat was still too long for your liking.
When Does Golden Fur Grow to Full Length?
Typically, Golden Retrievers grow a healthy coat of fur within about a year’s time. Some dog experts and veterinarians also attempt to guess their age by inspecting their fur. Still, considering the number of breeds and mixes out there, we’d suggest to bring this number up to approximately a year and a half – or maybe even two.
In other words, if you see a Golden Retriever happily strutting about sporting short and bouncy fur, and if they seem only about a year old, then chances are that their fur coat is still going to grow a little longer.
Why Giving Your Golden Retriever a Makeover isn’t a Good Idea
We may have spilled water all over your plans of playing doll-house with your Golden Retriever, but you can still do the same without giving them a haircut, and here’s why:
Golden Retrievers have a natural double coat of fur that consists of a smooth and shiny overcoat, which acts as a water repellent and also protects their skin from debris and other contaminants.
Their undercoat, on the other hand, is a lot smoother and it helps regulate the temperature of their bodies. Keeping this last detail in mind, it is going to be difficult for pet parents to consider shaving them, especially during extreme temperatures. For example, during the summer, their undercoat helps their body remain cool even when it is a hundred degrees outside.
Not only does cutting their hair put them at risk of a heat stroke (or something worse), it also puts them at the risk of never having a long and beautiful coat of fur ever again. This particular fact is not limited to Golden Retriever breeds and you might come across a lot of similar horror stories by speaking to a professional pet groomer.
Popular Short Haired Golden Retriever Mixes
Even though there is no such thing, dog breeders have done their best to offer pet parents good options such as Goldendoodles or Golden Retriever-Labrador mixes (also referred to as a Goldador). All of these pups are sweet and gentle, exactly like a Golden Retriever, but they seem to have a lot more energy and have a blocky head.
Of course, depending on how motivated you are about the whole short-haired breed thing, you can always also look into other dog breeds such as Basenjis, Beagles, Canaan Dogs, English Foxhounds, Dalmatians and so many more!
Our Final Thoughts
Even though short-haired Golden Retriever mixes don’t really exist, you’re bound to find some breeds that have slightly shorter hair than others. If this is exactly what you came looking for, then you should start searching for Goldadors, Goldendoodles and other similar breeds at your local dog pound or shelter.
If you’re convinced you NEED to adopt a Golden Retriever exclusively, you’re probably better off researching how to minimize shedding in your home.
