Finding Your “Perfect Pot of Gold”

It’s not hard to find a Golden Retriever, but if you want a good one that represents the breed at its best,

you need to choose your source carefully.

To do that, you need to be able to distinguish between good breeders and bad breeders.

Potential Golden Retriever owners usually have various goals. Some want a reliable hunting partner, some a competitive show dog, and some just simply want a healthy and personable family pet.

Regardless of what your goals may be regarding your dog, your first priority should be choosing one that is as healthy as possible. No matter what your goals, you’ll be better off buying from a good breeder than a bad one.

Good breeders:
* Are familiar with and screen for Golden Retriever health concerns such as hip and elbow dysplasia, subaortic stenosis, and eye anomalies.
* Won’t allow pups to leave their mother until they are at least nine weeks old.
* Can compare their dogs to the breed standard feature by feature.
* Charge neither bargain basement nor outrageous prices for puppies.
* Have photos and pedigrees of both parents and other relatives.
* Breed sparingly and dedicate their efforts to only one or two breeds.
* Belong to a local or national Golden Retriever club.
* Are involved in some sort of Golden competitive activity or service.
* Tend to ask prospective owners lots of questions about their past history with dogs, their facilities, family lifestyle, and expectations for their new dog, and point out that even Golden Retrievers aren’t for everyone.
* Provide a medical history, pedigree, registration slip, and written care instructions for each puppy.

THE RIGHT COMPANION

Most people looking for a new Golden don’t want a hunting dog or show dog, just a new best friend. The most common places they look are newspaper ads, friends, pet stores, hobby breeders, and rescue organizations. Out of these, the best choices for finding good dogs are hobby breeders and rescue groups.

Hobby breeders are people who have made producing superb Golden Retrievers a main priority in their lives. Their dogs have usually proven themselves in some form of competition and hobby breeders will also have screened their breeding stock for hereditary health problems. In doing so, these breeders have probably spent far more money than they could ever hope to earn, even by charging somewhat more for their pups. Despite their efforts, not every pup will turn out to be competition quality. These “pet-quality” pups still need good homes, and are usually made available for a very reasonable fee. A good breeder will screen prospective owners no less carefully than they would for their other dogs. It’s important to note however, that a dog bred from obedience or field lines may be more energetic than the average family can handle.

Hobby breeders can sometimes be hard to find as most do not advertise in the paper. A good place to start looking is the Golden Retriever Club of America. You can also look in dog magazines or at kennel pages on the Web. Joining a Golden Retriever discussion group on the Internet is a good way to let breeders know you are looking. Try to visit prospective breeders personally to see for yourself how puppies and adults act and look, as well as how puppies are being raised.

When many people set out to look for a dog, they only consider a puppy. Sure puppies are fun and cute, but a puppy is a lot like a baby; you always have to be there to walk, feed, supervise and clean them. If you are usually away from home for several hours at a time, or you desire a competition or breeding quality dog, an older puppy or adult Golden may be a better choice.

Breeders may have adult dogs available that would love the chance to live life as a pampered pet. Breeders may have adults that simply didn’t win as much in the ring as desired. Breeders may also be helping to place a dog for a family that can no longer keep it through no fault of the dog’s. Such dogs are often already housebroken and obedience trained. Goldens are very adaptable and easily fit in with a new family.

Rescued Goldens come in all kinds and have a variety of histories. However, the typical Golden rescue is a young adult whose human family found out they weren’t up to owning such an energetic dog. Most of these dogs are just young Golden Retrievers acting like young Goldens. They need only to become part of a family who understands and appreciates their energy and need for mental and physical stimulation. Since a few may come from traumatic backgrounds, these dogs are best adopted by experienced Golden owners.

Before adopting a rescue dog, find out as much as you can about its background, the reason it was given up, how it relates to men, women, children, and other pets, and any temperament or health problems it may have. You may feel badly for looking at a dog in need so critically, but you wouldn’t be doing the dog any favor if you cannot cope with it any better than its previous owners could. Good rescue groups will carefully match potential adoptees with their new homes.

PUPPY CHECKLIST

Remember the essentials for any good Golden is good health, temperament, and looks.

For health, ask breeders about longevity and health of the potential pup’s ancestors. You don’t necessarily need to forget about a line with some problems as no line of dogs is ever perfect. A good breeder will have Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) or PennHIP hip dysplasia clearance, a heart clearance for subaortic stenosis, and a recent CERF eye clearance. No matter how much research you do into the background of any puppy, there is no guarantee that your dog will live a long and healthy life. But why not go with the odds and choose a dog from the healthiest background possible?

When you go to see a potential puppy, take a look. Are they being raised in sanitary conditions? Do they have their puppy vaccinations? Have they been checked or treated for internal parasites?

Avoid puppies that:

* are excessively dirty or soiled with feces.
* are covered with fleas or ticks.
* are missing hair.
* have crusted or reddened skin.
* are coughing, sneezing, or vomiting.
* have discharge from the eyes, ears, or nose.
* are red or irritated around the anus.
* have diarrhea.
* are thin or potbellied.
* have pale gums.
* are apathetic, lethargic, shy, or hostile.
* are dehydrated. You can test for dehydration by picking up a fold of the skin and releasing it. The skin should pop back into place.

TEMPERAMENT

When looking at the temperament of a puppy, consider the basics of the Golden Retriever standard. The ideal Golden Retriever should be eager, alert, and self-confident. Many people tend to go for the extremes in temperament, but for most family pets you are better off choosing the pup that is neither the rowdiest nor the shyest in the litter. Many people who can’t decide let the puppy pick them. It’s hard to say no to a little cute pup that stumbles over to say hello and ends up falling asleep in your lap.

By eight weeks of age, most Golden puppies should be curious about their surroundings. While they may show some caution, they should still be willing to investigate. Most puppies should also tend to follow you, especially if you call. A puppy that consistently ignores you may be too independent. It’s a good sign if the pup chases and even retrieves a rolled ball or tossed toy, but many Goldens develop the retrieving urge at a much later age.

APPEARANCE

When evaluating the looks of a pup, again refer to the Golden Retriever standard. The ideal Golden is a powerful, athletic dog, neither clumsy nor lanky, with a soft, kindly expression and a golden coat of medium length.  If you were buying a dog to show, your criteria would be more rigid, and in that case you should rely on the advice of the breeder.

Golden puppies are like little army tanks. They waddle along on short, wide, moving legs with a much choppier movement than they would have as adults.

Pups of this breed are born light and darken with age; a very light pup may turn into a good golden shade, whereas a very dark pup may be almost red as an adult. The ear color is often a clue as to what the adult color will be. Small white markings in young puppies may go away, but by seven weeks they should be almost gone if they are going to vanish.

If you are looking to buy a pup for breeding, be sure both of his testicles has descended into the scrotum by the time you take him home. They should both be down by eight weeks of age, although some may be as late as sixteen weeks.

The younger the dog, the more difficult it is to predict how it will look and move as an adult. This means that if you are looking for a Golden with a particular look, your best bet may be to buy an adult.