Are Golden Retrievers Forgiving? What Goldens Remember and Forget


We all do dumb mistakes around our dogs such as accidentally stepping on their tail, tossing something to them but hitting them instead, and it’s the worst feeling ever because you feel incredibly guilty followed by holding them, kissing their forehead, and saying I’m so sorry over and over again in a weird tone.

So can your golden forgive you and forget that you just caused them pain, well, let’s find out.

Are golden retrievers forgiving? Golden retrievers are forgiving, in fact, Golden Retrievers are probably the most forgiving dogs in the world, they like their owners more than anything and they will almost always forgive them, however, that doesn’t mean that we can take them for granted since they are going to forgive us anyway

There is still a lot more to that answer so keep reading to learn more about your golden retriever’s memory.

Are golden retrievers forgiving?

are golden retrievers forgiving

Golden retrievers are the sweetest and gentlest breed, they have one of the best well-balanced temperaments.

One of the greatest traits about golden retrievers besides being extremely cheerful and loving, they can forgive easily or forget quickly.

They can be mad at you and the second you approach them with a ball in your hand they can throw all the problems away and rush to play with you like nothing ever happened.

How good is a golden retriever’s memory?

A golden retriever’s memory is not as good as ours but it’s better than most animals, however, goldens have a memory for up to a couple of hundred different scents.

They can also remember some places if they were emotionally connected to it, for example, they can remember a park where you gave them their favorite toy and played fetch with them, or a place they were afraid of fireworks.

I have a full guide to golden retriever intelligence here that you should definitely check out to understand your dog better.

Do golden retrievers remember traumatic events?

Golden retrievers do remember traumatic events, they can also have flashbacks of that traumatic experience.

Past traumas can leave an emotional scar in dogs just like in any human and it will affect the way they behave, for example, if a dog was mistreated every time they barked, they are more likely to not bark at all.

Do golden retrievers remember what you did or said?

No, they can only remember it for less than two minutes, so no they will not hold a grudge against you if you did or said something stupid.

Golden retrievers are known for their cute, affectionate, and loving personalities so if they are mad at you or look like they are avoiding you, there is a really good reason for it because they are already people pleasers.

Do golden retrievers understand your yelling?

Golden retrievers understand what you are feeling when you are yelling, they can tell from your facial expressions, voice, and body language if you are angry, sad, or happy.

So that’s how your golden understands what you are feeling and it explains how they behave after breaking or ruining something as well.

They also can know why you are yelling at them, for example, if they ruined your shoes or wrecked the house while you are away, they usually expect that you are going to yell at them because they know that they did something wrong.

Can golden retrievers sense when you’re mad at them?

One of the hidden talents of golden retrievers is sensing that you are mad at them and you probably guessed that due to the look on their face every time they misbehave and they just know how you are going to act and depending on that they will react differently.

They also use their puppy eyes to make us less mad because they know that we love them and can’t resist that look.

They may also avoid making eye contact, avoid looking at what they did or even cry to show that they are feeling some kind of discomfort.

Here are some other signs that your pup knows you are mad.

  • Whale eye
  • Shaking 
  • Averting eyes 
  • Whimpering 
  • Urine sprinkling 
  • Tail tucking 
  • Ears back 
  • Stomach flip

Do golden retrievers remember their owners when they die?

Yes, golden retrievers remember their owners when they pass away, they can do more than just remember, they also can grieve for the absence of their owner.

They may not understand the whole thing properly but they will miss the person and can even wait for them to get back for a while.

They can show grief in certain signs, so here are the signs of grieving in dogs.

  • Whining
  • Sleeping more than usual
  • Clinginess
  • Unusually aggressive behavior 
  • loss of appetite
  • Fidgeting
  • lack of energy
  • lack of energy
  • Panting
  • Withdrawal from other people and pets 
  • loss of interest in physical
  • Lethargic behavior 
  • Pacing
  • Vocalizing in an unusual way for the dog who has passed away
  • weight loss
  • Becoming very clingy to the owner
  • barking

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Related Questions 

How long does a dog remember what he did wrong?

A dog can remember what he did wrong for about two minutes, they have short-term memories about everything except for things that’s related to their survival such as food, however, their memory is actually considered pretty good compared to other animals.

Do golden retrievers remember their owners?

Yes, golden retrievers remember their owners, or more accurately they remember your scent, dogs in general never forget their owners even if they haven’t met them in years, they will remember their owners as soon as they see them due to their strong facial and smell recognition. 

How long do dogs remember your scent?

Your dog will always remember your scent even if they didn’t see you in years they will remember you as soon as they meet you, so if you have to travel for like a month but are worried that your dog won’t remember you when you come back, don’t worry it won’t affect their love for you but they will miss you.

Helpful Resources

For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend by Patricia B. McConnell

Golden Retrievers for Dummies by Nona Kilgore Bauer

Living with a Retriever: Recommendations and Sources

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