Golden retriever pitbull mix is a cross between bully breed Pitbull and a gentle breed Golden Retriever. They are beautiful, medium to large dogs who are loyal, friendly, and agile.
Golden retrievers are one of the most popular dog breeds in the USA for their intelligence and friendly attitude.
Pitbulls, on the other hand, are slightly aggressive and have got a lot of bad press of being bully and very aggressive which is partly not true.
The cross of these two breeds is desired to get the best of both of them.
Golden retriever pitbull mix at a glance
| Size | 17 – 24 inches |
| Weight | 35 – 75 lbs |
| Temperament | Loyal, friendly, protective and agile |
| Lifespan | 10 – 15 years |
| Price | $1500 to $2500 |
| Purpose | Companion dogs |
| Popularity | Low |
| Grooming | Moderate to High |
| Hypoallergenic | No |
Golden retriever pitbull mix – Appearance
While the exact appearance would depend on which parent genes are more dominant, but you can expect a beautiful dog when looking for a Golden retriever Pitbull mix.
They would be medium-sized dogs with a strong muscular body and a medium-size wide muzzle.
The coat of Golden retriever pitbull mix may be short like a Pitbull or long shaggy like a Golden Retriever. The colors can vary from the dark golden hue of the retriever to varied colors like solid black or tan.
They can grow to a height of 17 to 24 inches and weigh approximately 35 to 75 pounds. Their average lifespan is around 10 to 15 years.
Pitbull golden retriever mix temperament
Here are a few traits that you can expect when you look for a Pitbull golden retriever mix
Family friendly
Golden retriever pitbull mixes are friendly dogs who are loving and affectionate to their family. They would enjoy their playtime along with you.
Loyal and eager to please
Golden retriever pitbull mixes are extremely loyal dogs who would love to please their owners. This makes them relatively easier to train even though they may have an independent trait of a pitbull.
Separation anxiety
Golden retriever pitbull mixes are social dogs who love to be in the company of humans. They are prone to separation anxiety and can be destructive with acts like excessive chewing or digging holes if left alone for a long time.
Mouthing
These dogs like to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people. They need to be trained well so as not to surprise a child or a visitor.
Children friendly
Golden retriever pitbull mixes are child friendly and would be tolerant of them. Though, as they are medium size dogs, it is best for children to be with them under adult supervision.
Not a Guard dog!
Golden retriever pitbull mixes are not territorial and in fact, they love humans and even strangers so they don’t do well as guard dogs.
Not apartment-friendly
They are medium size dogs who are very energetic and agile. They are not considered apartment friendly.
Golden retriever pitbull mix – Care
Golden retriever pitbull mixes are prone to gain weight and you should control their diet based on the size, growth, and activity level of the dog. They are active dogs who would need plenty of walks and playtime to be healthy.
Nutrition
They are medium size, agile dogs and should have the right quantity of high quality food.
These dogs should have 2 to 3 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals. Though you can alter this as per Vet’s recommendation based on age, size, activity level, and growth.
They may become obese if they are eating more and not doing enough exercise. So you should be careful about their diet.
Meat should be the first ingredient in the food for them. Protein should be a minimum 18% of the diet for muscle health and growth. We recommend Royal Canin dog food.
Exercise
They are energetic and agile dogs who are not suitable for lazy folks. Be prepared to take them for long walks, hikes or swimming, etc to keep up with their energy level. An hour-long walk with some playtime daily is recommended.
They would love to have a fenced yard to vent out their energy and are not recommended as apartment friendly dogs.
Grooming
The amount of grooming required would be tricky to predict as this would depend on which parent breed has the more dominating genes on the coat.
If it is more Pitbull type coat, they would have a short shiny coat and would shed moderately. It would be relatively easy to groom them and once a week brushing and occasional bathing should be good enough.
Handson Pet grooming Gloves can just do the job for them.
If it is more Golden retriever type coat, you will have a dark golden, water repellent, double coat which could be wavy or straight.
They will shed moderately all the year but would shed heavily a couple of times in a year when their inner coat blows out.
This would mean you would need to accept some amount of fur in your home and keep time for grooming in your schedule. It is ideal to do daily grooming but at-least two times a week would be recommended.
We would suggest a slicker brush to detangle the fur and to keep their coat clean and magnificent. You may look at Hertzko Self Cleaning Slicker Brush for just doing the job of detangling and effortless self-cleaning.
You should also trim their nails once or twice in a month to prevent nail split which could be quite painful.
Training
These are intelligent and eager to please dogs with some traits of being independent of Pitbull.
If you are an experienced dog owner, you should be able to train them by yourself but in case of any difficulties you can look out for experts as well.
We would recommend obedience training as a must for them. This is required as they are medium size dogs who may have some prey drive due to Pitbull inheritance.
You would also like them to obey your orders when they become adult so this training should start from puppy age.
You should also invest in crate training as these dogs are known for separation anxiety. This training would help a Golden retriever pitbull mix to feel safe and secure when he is in his crate.
It is best to have short training sessions for Golden retriever pitbull mix so that you don’t lose their attention. Positive reinforcement training is recommended for them.
Early socialization with other dogs, pets, children, and people would help to make him a well-rounded dog.
Health
We have found no study done on them to be sure what disease they are likely to have. This is understandable as well as designer breeds became popular only in the last 30 years.
They may likely inherit some of the genetic health issues of their parent breeds i.e. Golden Retriever and Pitbull. Below are a few which you should be aware of.
Bloating
Large dogs having deep chests are likely to have to bloat. The scientific name of this is Gastric torsion.
Bloating happens when the stomach of the dog is filled with gas and it rotates on its axis. He comes into a shock and immediate medical assistance is required else this could prove fatal.
Here are a few tips to prevent bloating in Golden retriever pitbull mix.
- Divide your dog’s meal into two or three smaller meals.
- Encourage your dog to take an hour rest after the meal. Do not make him exercise just after eating food.
Hip dysplasia
This is a medical condition when the hip socket doesn’t fully cover the ball portion of the upper thighbone. This can be painful in varying degrees. Slowly with age, it leads to arthritis.
Keeping the weight of Golden retriever pitbull mix in control is important to reduce the risk of hip dysplasia.
Heart disease
These dogs are prone to genetic heart issues like Aortic stenosis. This is an abnormal narrowing of the connection between the left ventricle and the aorta.
Cancer
Golden retriever pitbull mixes are susceptible to cancerous tumors.
A tumor is a lump or tissue growth that can be either benign or malignant. Benign tumors are slow-growing; they do not invade neighboring tissues and are usually not life-threatening. Malignant tumors grow fast and can be potentially life-threatening.
Pros and Cons of a Golden retriever pitbull mix
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Loving and affectionate | Prone to separation anxiety |
| Loyal | Can be mouthy |
| Intelligent | Needs lot of exercise |
| Great companion dog for active owners | Can have high grooming requirements |
How to get a Golden retriever pitbull mix?
It would not be easy to find a reputable breeder for the Golden retriever pitbull mix. So you should check them first at a rescue center. It is often we see pitbull mixes in there.
If you get your heart set on one, do spend some time with him before taking him to your home. This is to ensure that he is the right dog for you.
In case you would like to go for a breeder, we would suggest you do some groundwork to avoid puppy from a run of the mill breeder.
We would recommend you do background work of checking about the breeder and ask him for the health certificate of the puppy and his lineage to avoid any issues that can be easily avoided.
Origins
Not much is known about the origins of the Golden retriever Pitbull mix. Let us look at their parents to understand more about them.
Golden Retriever
The Golden Retriever is one of the most popular dog breeds in the U.S. It ranks 3rd in the popularity ranking by the American Kennel Club. Their friendly & loyal attitude makes them great family dogs.
Golden Retrievers were originally bred in Scotland in the mid 19th century to help in wildfowl hunting. They used to pick the hunt from both water and land with their soft mouth without damaging the hunt.
Golden Retrievers are known as family dogs who are great with children. They are great with strangers as well so yes they don’t do well as guard dogs.
Golden Retrievers are also friendly with other pets like cats and dogs. They have an eager to please attitude that makes them easy to train.
An adult golden retriever is a large dog and can grow to a height of 21 to 24 inches tall and weigh approximately 55 – 75 pounds. The average lifespan of a golden retriever is 10 to 12 years.
Pitbull
Pitbull is known to be one of the bully dogs. They are often thought of as aggressive dogs which partly is a misconception.
They are friendly dogs and it is just due to some bad owners that they become aggressive for not training or raising them properly.
Pitbull was originally bred in the nineteenth century in Scotland, England, and Ireland as a crossbreed of English bulldog and terrier dogs.
This was done to make a dog who had the agility of terrier and the strength of bulldog in hunting bulls and bear games.
Pits are powerful and agile dogs who can be your companion outside while jogging or hiking. They are also intelligent, confident, and strong-willed dogs who can be obstinate with their independent thinking. This can make them difficult for a newbie owner.
They are good with children, but with their medium size and prey drive, it is always recommended that children be with them under adult supervision.
They can be aggressive with other dogs and pets and should be avoided if you have them.
An adult Pitbull can grow to a height of 17 to 19 inches and weigh approximately 30 to 85 pounds. The average lifespan of Pitbull is around 12 to 16 years.
Final Thoughts
The Pitbull Golden Retriever mix is a great family dog with a friendly, affectionate, intelligent, and loyal attitude. At the same time, you should only look for them if you have an active lifestyle and can spend time with them.
Do you know or own a Pitbull Golden Retriever mix? Leave a comment and share your story below!