Which is better, a golden or a flat coated retriever?

Both are excellent choices. It would be much more difficult to find a Flat Coat, as they are fairly rare. Goldens are easy to find and rescues have lots of them. They are the #2 most popular breed afterall.
Both breeds have lots of health issues. Flat Coats have a serious problem with mast cell cancer. Goldens have their share of cancer too. You may want to research the health issues in both breeds.

i like the flat coats because they are not so popular.. however,, check out HONOR Golden retrievers or GOLDSTORM golden retrievers if you want a decent golden.....
*** for those of you who are unaware..... FLAT COATED RETRIEVER IS A BREED - it is not a labrador !!!! UGH>>> do your research please before answering

A Golden Retriever. Believe me, I have one.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f110/H... <-- thats her.

Just remember you have to clean their ears regularly to stop ear infections.

You mean a golden or a lab?

They're extremely similar, I don't really feel there is a difference between the two. Many people do think that the goldens are calmer than labs - I dunno, I've only owned labs and babysat some goldens... but that does hold true for my babies. :)

I also feel that the labs shed worse. Well, let me be more specific. They both shed (the dogs that don't shed are the ones that need haircuts!) but for some reason the lab hair was more annoying. Maybe because it was so short and stuck to everything? I think the long golden hairs just kinda blend in with my own shedding LOL!

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/goldenretrie...

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/flatcoatedre...

All retrievers are amazing dogs, it simply depends what you are looking for within a dog, its important to get the right dog for u.

A short haired or flat coated retriever such as a Labrador retriever, is extremely lovable and easy to train, a real people dog. But this type of dog is only for you if you have a lot of time to spend with it.

A golden retriever is also a beautiful dog, with an extremely friendly nature.

I would take in to account the type of house you have as lo. Is a longer hair dog going to make more mess, leaving more hairs over carpet?

I personal would go for the flat coated but only because I have one of my own. My second choice of dog would be a golden retriever.

I'm going to assume you want a good dog who is friendly and a companion to you. There is no other dog that is more friendly and the best companion other than a Golden. Goldens are very loyal and easy to train. They are very good with other dogs and loyal to its family.
Both breeds you have mentioned are retrievers so my best advice is a Golden.
Please do your homework and find a good breeder of these dogs. Someone who really knows their dogs and has been breeding Goldens for many years.

Good luck and have fun finding the right dog for you.

both of them are good for hunting. but whatever u feel is better then go with the one that u feel is better.

Golden

By reading the postings, I think first of all one needs to clarify that a Flat coated Retriever is NOT a Labrador Retriever. It is an AKC rare breed. More information can be found at http://www.fcrsainc.org/. We have a flat coat and we LOVE him. I think one difference is that the flat coats do not have the thick undercoat that the golden has and of course the flat coat only comes in black and liver color. They are happy, devoted dogs. Very smart. But you must be prepared to play with them a lot and exercise them a lot! Another difference is price. Flat coats are rare so they are much more expensive to purchase. As to which is better, a flat coat or golden? I don't know that one is better than the other, but I have never had a better dog in my life than our flat coat, Winston!

The flat coat is the original of the classic retrievers, and we owe that breed a bunch.
But,,,, many years ago when my dad took me to my very first field trial, there was this Golden there that I absolutely fell in love with. Without a doubt that Golden is responsible for my life long love for dogs and dog sports. That Golden a couple of years later became 1951 National Field Champion Ready Always of Marine Hill.
Now how in the world did I end up with Labs & Beagles ;)

I have an imitation Flat Coat lol..a Black Lab/Golden, and she is an awesome dog. Whichever you choose you'll be delighted, it's just a matter of taste as the personalities of the two are very similar. If you do go for a Golden, be very picky about who you buy it from as popularity did them no favours.

They are both wonderful dogs. Flatcoats are crazy and never grow up. They love to play and are very boisterous. I had one for 10 years. Very loveable when they are tired but they do need a lot of stimulation to keep them from getting bored.

I breed Goldens, of which I have 8, and personally would never have any other breed. Once their puppyhood is over and they have settled down to adult life they are the most gentle, affectionate dogs, always eager to please and they make wonderful companions.