A coat for a Golden Retriever is a good thing in the winter because the coat will help keep the Golden Retriever warmer than they would be with just their fur coat.
But it's not required to put a coat on a Golden Retriever or any other dog and some dogs may not want to wear the coat.
If the Golden Retriever does not want to wear the dog coat then don't force them too as some will wear the coat and some won't.
The dog will be just fine going outside or being outside without a coat.
Dogs and even the Golden Retriever dogs have lived for years without wearing an additional coat because their fur coat keeps them warm.
However even then the dog should still be brought inside when it's cold outside so they don't freeze to death.
Blankets are also a good idea for dogs even when inside the house to keep them warmer.
Dogs don't have to have blankets in the winter as long as the dog is sleeping inside the house where it's warm which they should be in really cold weather.
But having a dog blanket for the dog in their dog house is good to help keep the dog warm while they are outside in the cold.
But the blanket and dog house cannot keep the dog warm enough during really cold weather so they can still freeze to death.
In the house a dog blanket is also nice for the dog but it's not a requirement.
It's OK for dogs to be outside in the cold weather for a few hours or so but if it's really cold outside then an hour at most is enough for the dog to be outside.
If the weather is 40 F or above then the dog is OK for around 2 to 3 hours outside.
However you should always bring your dogs inside the house where it's warm because dogs can freeze to death just like humans can.
If the weather is too cold for you outside then it's also too cold for the dog to be outside for too long.
Even though the dog has fur the dog can still freeze to death especially when the outside temperature drops below 30 F degrees.
If it's below freezing then the dog can easily freeze to death even though the dog has a dog house.