Golden Retrievers are one of the most popular dog breeds out there, and there's a good reason for it: they're incredibly sweet and loyal. The American Kennel Club says that Goldens are "kindly, friendly and confident," traits which make the dogs ideal for pets. On top of all that, they're also super cute! And we have the evidence to prove it right here. Anyone who knows a Golden Retriever will love this collection of the cutest golden pictures around.
Nap Time
Instagram: pazzopup
Goldens sure love to nap, and this tiny pup looks like he already has that skill down pat. There's nothing cuter than a tiny Golden Retriever swaddled in a blanket like the baby he is. We'd sure love to smell his sweet puppy breath!
Stack 'Em Up
You're really not supposed to stack Golden Retrievers on top of each other, but these dogs clearly haven't gotten the memo. Who knows how they ended up in this predicament, but it's likely that they were playfully wrestling right before this photo was snapped. It was a good moment to catch!
The Truth About Goldens
Instagram: candiceandchamp
Author Deen Koontz summed up Golden Retrievers perfectly: "Golden Retrievers are not bred to be guard dogs, and considering the size of their hearts and their irrepressible joy in life, they are less likely to bite than to bark, less likely to bark than to lick a hand in greeting. In spite of their size, they think they are lap dogs."
You Can't Resist
It would take a man of steel to be able to ignore this cute pup's pleas for a belly rub. Just look at that baby belly, all pink and soft. The adorable smile that the doggie is wearing doesn't hurt her case, either. We bet she got a belly scratching as soon as this photo was taken.
Pool Party!
It's no secret that Golden Retrievers love to swim. Many Golden owners even throw pool parties for their pets, which appears to be the case in this photo of two dogs all decked out for a day in the water. Of course, they probably don't actually use the snorkel but it looks pretty cute for this posed photo.
Peek A Boo!
Instagram: lifewithteddy
Peek a boo, I see you! This Golden is either waiting by the door to greet guests or perhaps a package from Amazon. Or maybe he is plotting to make a break for it since someone apparently left the door open a crack. If he's a serial escape artist, a crack is all it takes.
Durrrr Photobomb
Instagram: staygoldenrustyboy
"Oh, you wanted a picture of that OTHER dog digging a hole? No way. I'm just going to pop my head into the frame and stick my tongue out to let you know how I feel about that. I command you to give you my full attention."
Autumn Adorable
Instagram: goldenmase
Golden Retrievers are cute at any time of year, but when you pose them in a bunch of colorful foliage, their fur color really stands out! This little fellow is named Mason, and it's a throwback post to two years ago when he was just a pup.
I Want To Go Where They're Going
OMG, I'm so jealous of the person who gets to cart around this many adorable Goldens! Do you think they're all from the same litter? And where on earth are they heading? For their sake, hopefully somewhere fun (not the vet!).
The Treasure At The End Of The Rainbow
Instagram: thatgoldendog
We've all heard that there's supposed to be a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow. But apparently if you're a dog, even a golden dog, you might value a different kind of treasure. This cute pup appears to relish Milk Bones and looks pretty happy at the thought of getting some of the tasty treats.
Ice, Ice Baby
Here we see a young Golden pup that is just cooling her paws off on some ice after walking across the hot sand at the beach. Gotta keep those paws cold! What a smart (and totally cute) doggie she is to figure out how to cool down.
Those Pesky Lights
This is Howard, who lives in Santa Monica, California. Howard appears to be trying to untangle a strand of holiday lights. Sigh. No matter what, those things end up getting tangled up in again in storage every year. Howard sure looks cute as he works though, doesn't he?
Ahhhhh, Never Stop
blogspot: homergoldenretriever
If you gave a survey to a bunch of Golden Retrievers, we bet that 95% of them would say that their favorite activity is being on the receiving end of a relaxing belly rub. Homer, pictured above, certainly looks like he's enjoying his belly scratch very much!
A Golden And A Mini Golden
So sweet, a Golden Retriever and a mini Golden Retriever side by side. Instagram user golden_beau shared this photo with the caption "The ultimate test of who they love more: who gets the treat first." If it were up to us, they'd get their treats at the same time!
Ain't No Party Like A Golden Party!
What's better than one or two Golden Retrievers? How about an entire room full of them? Since Goldens are so good-natured, we bet they throw some pretty fun parties. The adorable pups in the above photo are celebrating someone's birthday, based on the hats, party favors, and dog-friendly cake.
Beware Of The Lions
Instagram: jadeandhergoldens
Would you be scared to approach this front door? Probably not, since those are clearly Golden Retrievers dressed as lions. With their fur color and natural manes, Goldens do kind of resemble lions in real life. But these lions would be a lot more likely to lick than bite you.
What's The Latest?
Sometimes we see funny pictures of dogs that, despite their best efforts, absolutely mangle the newspaper when they try to fetch it for their owners. This lovely Golden has this trick down pat, however. There's not a single tear on that paper. Good girl! Now it's time for a reward.
So Happy He Can't Even Deal
Instagram: bentleygoldenbear
This wee little pup has a look of such pure joy on his face that I can't even deal with it. I need this adorable puppy in my life right now. Bentley is famous on Instagram, and it's easy to see why. He just brightens days with his happy smiles!
It's 5:00 Somewhere
Here's a more unusual photo of a Golden Retriever: one drinking a relaxing after-work margarita. It's exhausting to stay so cute all the time! We highly doubt that the margarita was actually consumed by the dog, but it's a hilarious photo anyway!
Pile O'Pups
Instagram: pazzopup
Instagrammer pazzopup posted this adorable shot with the caption, "Georgie's new favorite place to stand (/crawl/wrestle/pounce)." The older dog must be pretty patient to put up with that constantly! What a sweet team. Interestingly, this Instagram account notes that the dogs are Miniature Golden Retrievers. The smaller the cuter, right?
Gotta Taste Everything New I See
Instagram: bentleygoldenbear
Look at this little fuzzball, mindlessly chewing away on a bunch of green leaves. We get that you're curious about the world, pup, but there's no need to try and eat everything new you come across! Surely those leaves can't taste very good but you sure look cute eating them.
Constant Companion
This adorable pup is exhibiting one of the key personality traits that most Golden Retrievers share: loyalty. She's ready to go anywhere, anytime, with you even if it means sitting down on the car's floor. (And she'll manage to look super cute while she's down there.) As long as she's with you, she's happy!
He'll Grow Into It
Instagram: jadeandhergoldens
Instagrammer jadeandhergoldens posted this throwback snapshot with the comment, "Don’t worry little Santa Paws, you’ll grow into it." It looks like it'll be a while - that is one teeny pup! Unsurprisingly, this photo earned nearly 7,500 likes and more than 100 complimentary comments.
Home Is Where The Golden Is
Author David Rosenfelt, who writes about taking road trips with dogs, said that “[t]he face of a golden retriever feels like home.” The person who bought the pillow pictured above seems to agree with that sentiment. That's a pretty cute dog, too!
Daisy Chain
How much do you want to bet that this sweet pooch is named Daisy? She certainly looks perfect with a chain of daisies adorning her head. And she's posing so nicely for her floral-themed portrait session. What a perfectly polite little lady! We'd take her home any day.
Please Don't Leave Me Behind
This sweet Golden has decided that he will absolutely not be left behind when his owner goes on vacation. The best way to ensure that he won't be forgotten is to actually crawl into the already-packed suitcase (with his toy duck, of course) and hope for the best.
Somber In The Sand
Even though this little pup is spending a day at the beach, the photographer has caught her with a pretty serious look on her face. Perhaps she is contemplating the meaning of life. Or just wondering when the photographer will set the camera down and continue playing with her!
A Look Of Pure Joy!
Instagram: bentleygoldenbear
Bentley's mom captioned this adorable shot "Tongue out Tuesday" on Instagram. That certainly is a pink tongue. Bentley looks like he's having the time of his life here. No wonder the post received more than 3,000 likes... a photo like this can brighten anyone's day!
The Swinging Lifestyle
Instagram: lifewithteddy
Here's one adorable pup getting pushed in a baby swing. Since Goldens usually look pretty content, it's hard to tell for sure whether this doggie is actually enjoying the activity but he probably is, as long as his human companion stays by his side.
You Rinse, I'll Dry
They say that Goldens can make excellent service dogs, but we are not sure that this is exactly what they had in mind. This dog is fooling everyone into thinking she is loading the dishwasher, but we bet that she's just trying to get a taste of whatever leftovers are on those plates.
A Patriotic Pup
Instagram: bentleygoldenbear
According to Wikipedia, Golden Retrievers are the third most popular dogs in the United States. Americans simply love the breed! So it's only fitting that this handsome guy is wearing red, white and blue sweatbands for his daily workout. And he even has a matching blue collar. Too cute.
Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing
Meet Cookie. She and her baby “sister” out for a walk at the park. Check out how protective Cookie is of her little human companion, staying right by the stroller and even carrying the baby’s fox toy! If that’s not loyalty, we don’t know what is.
Well, Where Else Was I Supposed To Sit?
This golden pup apparently thought he was engaged in a game of “musical chairs” with the poor dog he’s sitting on. And he must have been under the impression that there was only one seat left in the entire house. It’s hard to say whether the bottom pup is upset about his predicament or not.
Goldens With Green Thumbs
Who wouldn’t want this wheelbarrow full of Golden Retriever pups to help out with some yard work? Granted, they might not be the best at certain tasks like weeding, but they’ll probably be excellent for digging up any unwanted flower beds.
One Step At A Time
This precious pooch clearly understands that learning new skills is something that takes time. Rather than rushing down the staircase like many puppies might try, this dog is taking the steps one at a time. Slow and steady always wins the race, wise little buddy.
Such An Intellectual
Instagram: rustyrodas
Instagram user rustyrodas posted this hilarious photo of her pup wearing glasses and a very serious expression. She captioned the picture with: “When the guy in the cubicle next to you decides work is a good place to clip his nails....” This Insta account features many pictures of the cute Golden with glasses on!
Two Dogs Settled In For A Nice Nap
There’s nothing better than taking a relaxing mid-day nap, unless it’s taking a nap with a friend. These Goldens seem to be living a life of comfortable luxury, all curled up in a fluffy white down comforter. The sight alone is making us sleepy… yawn.
Rugged
Instagram: woodielicious
Golden Retrievers are known for much more than being cute and cuddly. As we see here, they are also great partners for outdoor adventures like mountain climbing. This handsome dog named Woodie proudly poses atop a mountain of rocks for a portrait here. The Instagram caption with this photo reads, “Throwback to a adventurous day on the top of the mountain!”
In Training
Golden Retrievers can make excellent companion dogs. Along with Labradors and German Shepherds, they are one of the most popular picks to serve as companions to humans with special needs or emotional requirements. This adorable guy is going to be a big help to someone in the future, but for now we can’t help but admire how cute he is in his little training vest.
An Autumn Hike
Instagram: thegrumpygolden
Here’s another example of Golden Retrievers that are not content to lay back and watch life pass by. These fun-loving pups are out enjoying an active hike near the Blue Ridge Parkway. Don’t their coats look stunning in front of all that fall foliage?
