I think there is quite a difference between those two breeds. In order to ensure a best match for your family, I would be more concerned about which characteristics of each breed you are drawn to.

Not that I know of. Most pet info out there is anecdotal. I think there is a wide variety of behaviors in individual dogs, regardless of breed. If a dog does mark in the house - it should be trained not to - just as you would train for any bad behavior.

Some breeds can just be more difficult to house train!
Marking can definitely be a problem with dogs that are neutered late in life. But, these are usually dogs that weren't house trained well to start with and were allowed to mark inside the house.

Older intact male dogs are going to be more prone to marking, but I've seen very few that can't be housetrained. Be aware that the urge to mark usually decreases a couple of months after neutering, but it will depend on how old the dog was when it was neutered and if it had developed bad habits.

The two breeds you're considering tend to be intelligent, easy to train dogs. That's quite a range you've chosen!

Actually, the two breeds are pretty similar in temperament, but are very different size-wise. We like them both for different reasons, but mainly because they are good with people, friendly, easy to train, and good with other pets.

Thanks so much for the responses so far!

I have to say that I haven't personally met many Cavaliers, but what I've seen in Golden Retrievers the most is:
- sweet and friendly (in-your-face type of friendly)
- puppy brain that lasts for at least a couple of years (which results in some difficulty getting them to focus)
- intense oral drives (as in chewing and retrieving LOTS, not just in puppyhood but for life)
- needs a fair amount of exercise (yet you have to not go overboard due to the potential joint issues)

Which is not to say that they're bad dogs, just that they have to be your "cup of tea". Some folks prefer mellow dogs, others find them boring, ya know? So while both breeds may have similar temperaments, I would say that their behavioural traits are quite different.

I hope you don't read this as me trying to talk you out of either breed, it's just that this is an area where I personally had difficulty assessing what I wanted - who knew that an active dog wouldn't want to sleep in till 10 on weekends? And she doesn't care if it's raining, if she doesn't get her walks/exercise in, she is going to bring me stuff from all around the house and cause trouble. Life is never boring with her though! ;)

I'm sorry that this is off topic from your question. Regarding marking, early neutering usually helps a great deal in preventing marking, especially inside the house. One of my dogs is a male that wasn't neutered till 5.5 years of age and he wouldn't dream of marking inside! It's just a training issue (or potentially a medical issue) if they do, and there are things you can use to prevent it, such as "belly bands" for boy dogs.

Most dogs which mark, have not been leash walked daily, housebroken or properly socialized early in life, so these are very important to make certain they happen promptly and properly. A dog who marks, can be trained to not mark.
Please, please, please researchc the breeder you choose very carefully, especially with regard to the golden. They are highly overbread (unfortunately getting as stupid as the Irish setter was due to overbreeding and being highly susceptable to cancer. A goldador (lab and golden mix might be a better choice to get better gene pools, the Guide dogs for the blind is now actively breeding them due to the inherent issues with goldens.
King Cavs are less likely to have such issues, but again please be careful with the breeder you choose. Make certain you are invited to see the property where the parents were bred and where the pups were born. Ask to meet the parents of the puppies and please please get some referrals (previous puppy purchasers) to contact. NEVER agree to pick up your animal off site (like a fast food restaurant) this means the breeder does not want you to see the filth the pup was living in. Contact the BBB and the local humane society in the county where the breeder is and ask about violations or complaints. Read up on Kings, they can be aloof. Owners can also inadvertently cause problems socially because of the tendency to pick up a smaller dog to "protect it" from other dogs - this is a mistake and can cause the dog to become aggressive. The best thing you can do is to find some King owners and some Golden owners and go spend some time with their dogs. This is where asking the breeder if you can contact previous purchasers comes into play. You might also ask about fostering a dog for a short period of time. Good luck on whatever you get. PS - If you can, please consider getting a rescue. There are so many out there who really need help and a new home and they may take a bit more time in the beginning, but I rarely meet anyone who gives a pup back.

I agree with most of what is already posted.

I do think humans should go with the personality of the dog, and consider if it will jell with their situation, male or female. Personally, I have always preferred female mutts, but I do have lots of male dog friends that I really like.

To put your question into perspective, if you have this problem with marking, it is going to be considered a "negative" that you will need to turn into a "positive". These two little words can either involve minimal time and effort, or they can involve tons of it that could stretch into months, along with complete frustration. You really need to decide if you want to deal with this potential issue.

Also consider that if you do have to deal with the marking issue, it is probably (but perhaps not who knows) going to be a house training issue. Your dog is not going to be considered house trained unless there are no accidents for at least 9 months.

Good luck!

SG

For some reason small breeds tend to be harder to house train than larger ones. Maybe it's because owners tend to baby them more. With either of those breeds tho I would be more concerned with health problems. As someone posted above Goldens are very prone to cancer plus some are extremely hyper. Most Cavaliers will develope some type of heart problem. I've been told by a long time Cav owner that IF they live until 10 then 99% of them will have heart problems. Just be sure that who ever you talk to isn't just telling you good things about the breeds. All breeds have faults and quirks that you may or may not be able to live with whether it is health or personality related.

Lisa

Thanks everyone! We have been researching breeders and have found excellent ones for each breed, both of whom we have met at their homes and researched their health clearances both with the breeders and on the OFFA database. They have also told us about positives and negatives about the breeds, and we are aware of health issues with both.

My curiosity is more with the marking because, quite frankly, I had never heard of it before we had started looking to get a dog, and I had male dogs as a kid!