So, You Want a Puppy?

Welcome to the puppy buyer's guide! Here I hope you can decide IF the Golden Retriever is the breed for you. I'll provide you with pros and cons of the breed and places for you to do further research. If you decide the Golden isn't for you, I'll also give you some places to find a breed that might suit your lifestyle better. This is a long page with a lot of information, but I hope you will take the time to read it through.

There is nothing cuter than an 8 week old Golden Retriever puppy. They're very, very hard to resist. Blonde, fluffy, playful - who wouldn't want one??? Or two? However, that little blonde puppy grows VERY quickly - and soon becomes a leggy, chewing machine - one that finds your shoes as compelling to chew as his toy that you bought just for him. Give them a few more months and now you have a full grown dog with the brain of a puppy. Are you ready for that? Any dog is a 10-15 year commitment - a puppy is not to be bought and discarded when you get tired of it. If you are ready for that long term commitment, read on.

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Retriever - Not Just a Name

If you read this far - good for you. Now for some more information on Golden Retrievers. One of the first things you should notice is their name - they are RETRIEVERS. This means that you will have to learn to have everything and anything that they find brought to you. They don't discriminate between tennis balls, toys, shoes, socks, underwear, paper (if they don't shred/eat it first), etc. This is what they are bred to do. My dogs are happiest when they can find something to bring to me. I will never correct them for retrieving. They will get the item taken away if it's not theirs', but they always get praise for bringing it to me. Never, ever corrected or worse, beaten. They are doing what comes naturally. If you don't appreciate your personal stuff being brought to you (remember, they don't discriminate WHEN they bring things to you - including in front of your very important guests that you are trying to impress), consider a non-retrieving breed.

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Dustpuppies....Can you live with them?

Next, Goldens are what are known as a double coated breed - they have an undercoat and a topcoat. The undercoat is what is soft and fluffy - and what they shed. When your Golden starts shedding, you WILL have plenty of dog hair around. If you must have a nice, clean, neat house - a Golden is not for you. Brushing the dogs daily and vacuuming is a must. Daily vacuuming if necessary. And you WILL have dog hair everywhere. It's pretty much unavoidable. If you don't want to deal with hair, consider a non-shedding breed such as a Poodle.

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Web Sites for All Breed Research

This is a good place to recommend a wonderful source of information if you are now unsure if a Golden Retriever is for you....The American Kennel Club's web page. www.akc.org. Or, equally as good is the United Kennel Club's web site - www.ukcdogs.com. Both sites have the breeds listed that they 'recognize' and will give you information on the breed's characteristics, temperament, size, etc. Well worth looking into if you are just starting your research and realizing that maybe, just maybe, a Golden is not for you. Also, check out my Links page for additional Golden Retriever sites.

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Perfect Family Pet?

Maybe. But remember that Goldens are a "primarily a hunting dog" and thus can be high energy. They do need exercise and preferrably a fenced in yard to run. AND they are not a kennel dog. They crave attention and interaction with their family. If you do not have time or the patience to deal with a dog such as this - choose another breed. They are good with children, but they can be overzealous and may not be perfect for a family with little children. Plus, if you have little children, you may not have the time you truly need to devote to a dog. You may be better off waiting until the children are a little older to get ANY type of dog.

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Health Issues

As with any breed of dog, Goldens have their share of health issues. High on the list is cancer, hip dysplasia and cataracts. Goldens can also be prone to allergies and heart problems. Good breeders will know their lines and do their best to minimize these problems. They will also be more than willing to provide documentation certifying that their breeding stock is clear of many of these problems - more on this later in the Clearances section.

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Now For the Good Stuff

If you read this far - congratulations. You must really want a Golden Retriever. They are a wonderful breed. As I've mentioned, not perfect for everyone, but if you have the time, energy, space and commitment - they will return your devotion to them tenfold. Now, I will provide you with resources to start searching for your new Golden Retriever.

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More Sources for Information

Your first stop should be the home page of the Golden Retriever Club of America. Once there, there is a wealth of information. Read "Aquiring a Golden Retriever". Read the Golden Retriever Standard either on the GRCA's web site or here on mine. Learn what a Golden should look like. They are NOT 125 lb dogs! I cringe when someone tells me that they have a 125 lb female. A female should be between 55-65 lbs, a male between 65-75 lbs. I have many, many people comment on my "small" Goldens, when in fact, they are correct size-wise.

Another great source for information is books - there are many, many books on Goldens. I'll put up a page soon listing my choices. For now, any bookstore (online or brick) or used book store will have plenty of books on Goldens. I love checking out the used books as you can find bargains for great prices.

Finally, nothing beats a dog show. There are plenty everywhere. Plan on spending the day there. A show starts early and Goldens are quite frequently on early. But by going in person to a show, you can see the dogs in person, find ones that you like and talk to their owners and/or breeders - preferrable AFTER the dog has been shown and the owner has time to spend with you. Prior to showing a owner/handler is most likely grooming and getting ready for their time in the ring. A good source for finding a show is the show superintendents - those people that put on the shows. Two big ones that put on shows in this area (Northeastern US) is MB-F (www.infodog.com) and JimRau (www.raudogshows.com).

Once again, check out my Links page for additional Golden Retriever specific information.

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Finding A Breeder

Now that you've read up on Golden Retrievers, you should start considering a breeder. Start with local ones. Many breeders will ship out of state, but a local one will be around for more personalized handholding. Several tips for finding a good breeder are to ask your local vet for recommendations, go to shows or ask friends. But be careful...there are many different levels of breeders. Typically a serious hobby breeder will be out showing their dogs - whether in obedience, conformation, agility or hunt tests - or any combination of the above, to prove what their dogs can do. They also typically do not have puppies waiting to be sold. Litters are planned far in advance and may have a waiting list. Don't rush the purchase of a puppy. The wait will be worth it. Make sure you are comfortable with the breeder. Ask if you can see the parents. Usually, the father (or sire) will NOT be on the premises. But the breeder will be able to provide photos and health history of the sire AND his ancestors. There are too many Golden Retriever breeder sites to list here, but if you use any search engine (such as Google) and put in 'Golden Retriever breeder', you should come up with a listing.

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Clearances

Clearances, in my book, are a MUST! There is no getting around this. Any reputable breeder will be more than willing to provide clearance information. Dogs should be cleared for hips, elbows, eyes and hearts at a minimum. Hips, elbows and hearts can get OFA numbers. OFA is a health registry - it assigns numbers to clear dogs and keeps track of them in their databases. You can see their information here. All dogs, especially breeding stock, should have yearly eye examinations and have the results submitted to the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF). However, keep in the back of your mind that just because the parents have all of their clearances, does not automatically make them a prime candidates for breeding. This is only the basic criteria. Breeding a quality Golden Retriever encompasses this and more. See the following section on the parents.

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The Parents

The sire and dam of a litter should have all of their clearances and be outstanding examples of the breed. You can find the standard for the Golden Retriever here on my web site or at the Golden Retriever Club of America's site (mentioned above). Also, the majority of the dogs in the pedigree should be titled to a higher level of title - including, but not restricted to - CH, AFC, FC, OTCh, CDX, UD, etc. For more information on these titles, visit the American Kennel Club home page. This shows that the owner is serious in showing and working their dogs and proving that the dogs are worthy of being bred.

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In Closing....

I realize this is long, but there is a lot to do in researching your puppy. And while long, it only begins to scratch the surface of what goes into breeding a quality Golden Retriever. Again, this is at least a 10 year commitment. You should not take it lightly. Also, if this is too much, seriously consider rescue or an older dog that a breeder is looking to place. If you have any questions, I will be more than willing to help you out. Contact me here at: caroline@trinitygoldens.com and I will get back to you as soon as I can. GOOD LUCK!

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