15 signs and benefits of a golden retriever boyfriend

Are you looking for a relationship with a man who is sweet, caring, and always wants to please you? Then a golden retriever boyfriend is the perfect choice for you! Read on to find out more about these perfect life partners.

On this page

Ever stumbled upon the term ‘golden retriever boyfriend’ while scrolling through your social feed? It seems to be the latest buzzword making waves across the virtual landscape. You might’ve paused, scratched your head, and wondered, “What on earth does that even mean?” Don’t worry, I’m here to unravel this mystery for you.

In this blog post, you’ll get to learn everything there is to know about golden retriever boyfriends. We’ll explore its roots, its essence, and all its quirks. So, the next time this trendy term pops up on your screen, you won’t just be nodding along – you’ll be leading the conversation!

Is your relationship on the rocks lately? Here’s some helpful relationship advice that can hopefully help get things back on track.

What is a golden retriever boyfriend?

What is a golden retriever boyfriend?

Golden Retriever Boyfriends - Just like the beloved dog breed, golden retriever boyfriends are sweet, caring, and loyal.

A golden retriever boyfriend is “a significant other that is easygoing and makes it fairly simple to maintain a happy and fulfilling relationship” 1. Just like Golden Retrievers, these kinds of boyfriends make perfect companions.

These men make great partners to be in a relationship because they’re always up for anything and always want to please their partner. If you’re looking for a man who will shower you with love and affection, then a golden retriever boyfriend is definitely the one for you!

Because of all these reasons, being a golden retriever boyfriend is considered a green flag in a relationship.

The rising of the term “golden retriever boyfriend”

The rising of the term “golden retriever boyfriend” is most likely due to TikTok, the world’s fastest-growing video application, with 1.6 billion users in 2021. 2 There are a lot of popular TikTok videos of mostly girls showing off their golden retriever boyfriends.

In the videos, the girls typically show and talk about how sweet and caring their boyfriends are. For example, one girl shows adorable text messages her boyfriend sent her.

The benefits of a golden retriever boyfriend

The benefits of a golden retriever boyfriend

There are plenty of benefits to being in a relationship with a golden retriever boyfriend. Some of these benefits include:

1. They’re always up for anything

Whether you want to stay in and watch a movie or go out and explore the city, your golden retriever boyfriend will be happy to do whatever you want!

2. They always want to please their partner

Your golden retriever boyfriend will always do his best to make you happy. If you’re ever feeling down, he’ll be there to comfort and support you.

3. They’re always loving and affectionate

When you’re with your golden retriever boyfriend, you’ll never have a moment without love and affection. You might even find your stress levels going down and feeling better overall because he’ll shower you with all the love and attention you could ever want! 3

4. They’re always loyal

Lack of loyalty is a common reason why people leave their romantic relationships, but if you have a golden retriever boyfriend, you’ll never have to worry about that! 4 A golden retriever boyfriend is loyal to a fault. Once he’s committed to a relationship, he’ll be by your side through thick and thin.

5. They’re always happy and positive

Golden retriever boyfriends are always positive and upbeat, no matter what life throws their way. If you’re looking for a man who will always make you smile, a golden retriever boyfriend is the one for you!

Relationships are full of ups and downs, and love isn’t always easy, but these 16 signs indicate that you’re on the right track.


Signs that you have a golden retriever boyfriend

Signs that you have a golden retriever boyfriend

Golden retriever boyfriends show common habits and character traits that make them so lovable. If you’re wondering if you have a golden retriever boyfriend, look for these signs:

1. He shows you affection daily.

No matter how long you’ve been together, a little bit of PDA (public display of affection) can go a long way. If your guy is always giving you little kisses, holding your hand, complimenting you, wrapping his arm around you, giving you presents, or showering you with love the way you want, then you’re with a golden retriever boyfriend! Because who doesn’t love feeling loved the way they deserve?5

2. He listens to you.

If you have something important to say, he’s all ears. He doesn’t interrupt and he doesn’t try to change the subject. He’s an attentive listener and will ask you questions, even backchannel or nod, to let you know he’s engaged in the conversation and cares about what you’re saying. 6 Because he’s an active listener, you always feel at ease, safe, or even less stressed whenever you share something with him. 6

3. He’s always there for you.

No matter what time of day or night it is, he’s always available to talk or just hang out. You know that you can always count on him to be there for you – whether you’re having a good day or a bad day. You love spending time with him and feel like even the smallest interactions improve your mood. 7

4. He makes you laugh.

A good sense of humor is key in any relationship, and you know what they say about laughter being the medicine. If your guy can take your stress away because he’s always making you laugh, whether it’s with cheesy jokes or silly faces, then you’re with a golden retriever boyfriend! 8

5. He’s loyal.

Loyalty is often described as a major component in healthy relationships, especially among women. 9 Similarly, trust is another key ingredient, and if you have a golden retriever boyfriend, you know that he’s always faithful. You can trust him with your heart and know that he’ll never break it.

6. He’s a good friend.

Even outside of your relationship, he’s a great friend to you. Maybe even before you started dating, he was already your friend and you knew that you could always count on him and your relationship followed a friends-to-lovers path, a prevalent romantic relationship initiation in today’s age. 10 You know that he cares about you and wants the best for you, even if that means being there as a friend first and foremost.

8. He’s understanding.

If you need to cancel a date last minute because something came up, he’s not going to get upset. He understands that sometimes things happen outside of our control and that we can’t always be there when we planned to be.

Another example of an understanding boyfriend is if you want to go out with your girlfriends more often, he’s okay with that. He knows that you need time to yourself and that he can’t always monopolize your time.

9. He’s supportive.

He’s always there to offer a shoulder to cry on and ready to give you a hug and make sure that everything is okay. He knows that you need him during tough times and he’s more than happy to provide support. You’re less stressed and feel like you can overcome anything as long as he’s by your side. 11

10. He makes you feel beautiful.

No matter what you’re wearing or how you look that day, he always tells you how beautiful you are and how lucky he is to be with you. Both men and women can be heavily affected by appearance-related comments, but women are more likely to feel more accepted by their partners and were less afraid of being abandoned or rejected if they get complimented. 12 So, if your guy makes you feel confident and beautiful, then you know you’re with someone who thinks that the world should know just how amazing you really are.

Finding a boyfriend who possesses all of these qualities is definitely a lucky find! So if you have the privilege of dating such a wonderful guy, make sure to appreciate him and show him how much you care. Thanks for reading!


  1. Urban Dictionary: define.php. (2019). Urban Dictionary. ↩︎

  2. Xue, X., Yang, X., Xu, W., Liu, G., Xie, Y., & Ji, Z. (2022). TikTok as an Information Hodgepodge: Evaluation of the Quality and Reliability of Genitourinary Cancers Related Content. Frontiers in oncology, 12, 789956. doi.org ↩︎

  3. Jakubiak, B. K., & Feeney, B. C. (2017). Affectionate Touch to Promote Relational, Psychological, and Physical Well-Being in Adulthood: A Theoretical Model and Review of the Research. Personality and social psychology review : an official journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc, 21(3), 228–252. doi.org ↩︎

  4. Rusbult, C. E., Zembrodt, I. M., & Gunn, L. K. (1982). Exit, voice, loyalty, and neglect: Responses to dissatisfaction in romantic involvements. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 43(6), 1230–1242. doi.org ↩︎

  5. Mostova, O., Stolarski, M., & Matthews, G. (2022). I love the way you love me: Responding to partner’s love language preferences boosts satisfaction in romantic heterosexual couples. PloS one, 17(6), e0269429. doi.org ↩︎

  6. Kuhn, R., Bradbury, T. N., Nussbeck, F. W., & Bodenmann, G. (2018). The power of listening: Lending an ear to the partner during dyadic coping conversations. Journal of family psychology : JFP : journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43), 32(6), 762–772. doi.org ↩︎ ↩︎

  7. Hudson, N. W., Lucas, R. E., & Donnellan, M. B. (2020). The Highs and Lows of Love: Romantic Relationship Quality Moderates Whether Spending Time With One’s Partner Predicts Gains or Losses in Well-Being. Personality & social psychology bulletin, 46(4), 572–589. doi.org ↩︎

  8. Yim J. (2016). Therapeutic Benefits of Laughter in Mental Health: A Theoretical Review. The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine, 239(3), 243–249. doi.org ↩︎

  9. Moreira, I., Fernandes, M., Silva, A., Veríssimo, C., Leitão, M., Filipe, L., & Sá, M. (2021). Intimate Relationships as Perceived by Adolescents: Concepts and Meanings. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(5), 2256. doi.org ↩︎

  10. Stinson, D. A., Cameron, J. J., & Hoplock, L. B. (2022). The Friends-to-Lovers Pathway to Romance: Prevalent, Preferred, and Overlooked by Science. Social psychological and personality science, 13(2), 562–571. doi.org ↩︎

  11. Szwedo, D. E., Hessel, E. T., & Allen, J. P. (2017). Supportive Romantic Relationships as Predictors of Resilience Against Early Adolescent Maternal Negativity. Journal of youth and adolescence, 46(2), 454–465. doi.org ↩︎

  12. Fornaini, E., Matera, C., Nerini, A., Policardo, G. R., & Di Gesto, C. (2021). The Power of Words: Appearance Comments from One’s Partner Can Affect Men’s Body Image and Women’s Couple Relationship. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(17), 9319. doi.org ↩︎

Author picture of Janet Smith
Dating Expert

Janet Smith

Janet Smith is a freelance writer who writes about psychology, relationships, and dating. She has always been interested in understanding the human brain and how it affects our …

Read full bio

Get the official app 😍

PumPum® app icon

PumPum®

For iPhone & Android
Browse all articles