Yes - tumbleweeds abound. And, you'll hesitate before wearing anything black. Pecanpie, I haven't heard that description before, but it's appropriate. Our dining room chairs will never be the same again - each one has tiny tooth marks. I think I was able to save 2 of the chairs.

Em, Maggie's beautiful!

Maggie IS beautiful!

I'm told that if I keep the puppy in a "safe" room when alone, and only allow her into the rooms that I care about while we're in them, AND keep the puppy generally well exercised, sufficiently toy'ed, and paid attention to, that chewing will be less destructive.

I sure hope that's true. Let's not forget where I MET you all..... the whole house will be brand new! LOL.

Ivette

Ivette, you're still better off with a crate. Use a crate when the puppy (and yound adult!) cannot be supervised. A full room is way too much space, even a bathroom is too much space. You are looking to create a den space with a crate, where the pup feels safe, and (very important stress on this) will not soil. Essential in housetraining is that the pup not want to soil his kennel space.

I can't wait until I hear how the weekend visit went. It looks like the breeder has roots (pedigrees) in Canada, where they have perfectly lovely Goldens. Is she new to the US, or just have strong ties up there? I am considering a nice Canadian dog for breeding Sushi next year, if all goes well (we still have to get her clearances when she truns two!)

Em, that pic of your dog with the kitten is like deja vu!! When my golden was about 2 years old, she had her first litter. At the time, we had two cats that literally stood guard over her and the pups. It was really beautiful the connection that these animals had. About a year later, the oldest of the two cats had a litter of kittens, and about a week after the kittens were born, mom got out and was hit and killed by a car. My ex and I had to nurse the kittens, but our golden took care of them in every other way. Even though she was dry, she would allow the kittens to nuzzle up to her and attempt to nurse. She'd clean them and coddle them like they were her own litter. I wish I still had pictures of them.

Another golden lover here. Best dogs for families with kids! So smart, sweet and friendly. But even well-bred goldens can have different temperaments. We purchased our year-old pup from a reputable breeder; both parents are show dogs. Excellent hips. Clear eyes. She's a beautiful loving dog but she is incredibly skittish and nervous. (I couldn't imagine her as a hunting dog; she'd wet herself if a gun went off. She loves drive-in movies but refuses to get out of the car. And she needs to be medicated when boarded... that's an extra $15 a day for Valium!).

So please be sure to do a "Puppy Test" before selecting your puppy. I've linked to a super article about how to choose the right puppy. We had no idea how to select a puppy; we just picked the cutest and most loving pup (same thing we've always done with all our pups). But if we'd have done Test#4 we would have realized that our pup startles too easily. (Kids call her the "scaredy dog"., but she really is adorable. Here's a cute puppy video.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Choosing the right puppy

My Maggie is a clown- she rolls like a horse on her back wriggling back and forth.

#1 make sure the parents have good characters and health- alot of backyarders try and get people's $ with thoughtless breeding.

Our Maggie is super safe with children- sometimes young ones are intimidated by her size, but never her manners.

Key thought- NEVER allow the pup to develop a habit of jumping up on humans. They can do this to strangers- eg elderly people or children (or even you holding a hot drink!)- it is not a good behaviour.

Em

Ivette, I remember when you were talking about this while you were still overseas! How time flies.

You have gotten great advice above. I would say that the most important thing after choosing the right breeder is choosing the right dog. There is a lot of variety in the average Golden Retriever litter. Many people choose the dog that chooses them - - the one that greets them immediately and is all over them the whole time. That's the first dog I reject! In your situation (young son at home), you want a real middle-of-the-roader, imo. The one who will come to you easily but not insist on being first (or even second). S/he should not startle easily (as stated above) but should be more thoughtful than the dominant pups in the litter, and not as nippy as the dominant ones. You should be able to cradle him belly-up like a baby with no protests or squiggling. In short, I would choose the calmest, most-thoughtful but not fearful pup of the litter.

After choosing your new baby, I agree wholeheartedly with Helene that a crate is the way to go. It may seem mean until you actually try it. Then you realize you've created a den for your dog - - a safe haven. Not only will pup feel safe, but so will you! There is no such thing as a room that is safe from the teeth of a golden retriever. They can chew wood trim and the corners of walls. Even my Pug chewed up a door frame in the kitchen once.

If you make the crate fun, which in dog terms essentially means associate it with treats and cool toys, they will love it. My Pug *races* to her crate when we give the command. She knows a treat will be forthcoming when she gets there. She also goes in there occasionally on her own when life just gets a bit overwhelming.

While housetraining, I did not put anything absorbent in the crate with my Pug. If I did she would pee on it. Goldens are generally easier to housetrain, but until you see how he responds to housetraining, I would advise putting no blankets or towels in there with him.

Aside from that, plenty of exercise is required for Goldens, as I'm sure you know. Do you have a fenced yard, or will you use invisible fencing? Or do you and hubby plan on walking the pup on leash?

{{gwi:1434575}}Buck & Jake - I am lucky to have raised these boys.........Buck died 5-13-06 RIP my sweet love.... Jake is Now 4 and I am on the hunt for a new pup.....These Dogs have a heart of GOLD hence the name....Good Luck, Nancy

Shucks!! The picture above AND the video aren't working!

:(

Okay, just back from breeder and SO much to tell you guys.

The kennel shelter was very clean and had a large interior area as well as doggie doors to large dog runs. There were four bays and she only had two in each bay, even the bay that had two puppies in it (about seven months old, bred by her). Very clean, the dogs looked SUPER happy and healthy. Were very friendly, but a bit rambunctious. But we expected that. They were excited to see us.

We were there about two hours! Mostly chatting with the breeder, asking lots of questions. I liked alot of her answers. Her guarantee against a puppy who ends up having a "life altering health issue" is to either refund our money and let us keep the dog, or give us a second puppy free of charge, and let us keep the dog. She said a lot of breeders make you return the "defective" puppy, but she would never do that because she knows (hopes) that her families get attached to their dogs. She said she WILL take the dog back if the person wishes, and in fact the contract clearly stipulates that the dog MUST be returned to her if we can't/won't keep it. No giving it to someone else, no taking it to shelter etc. We would never do any of these things, but I like that she protects the dogs that way and that she really seems to be interested in the welfare of her dogs above everything else. She says she has not had any health issues out of her kennel, but she has had to take a few dogs back because the people didn't want them anymore for various reasons. But only once or twice.

The contract also has the standard we must spay/neuter, feed quality food, she requires a very specific supplement regimen for the first year in order to keep the guarantee, the contract specifically says that the dog must be kept as an indoor, member of the family. How she thinks she can enforce this is beyond me. But that is exactly what we plan to do and, again, I like what it suggests about her interest in the dog's welfare.

The future mommy of our puppy has an interesting pedigree. For starters, she's niether American OR Canadian. She's South American, Colombian to be exact. According to this breeder, the South Americans do an excellent job breeding Goldens and have an overall better health record than American lines do. She said she was very lucky to get "Cristal" and she dotes on her like you wouldn't believe. This dog is just beyond beautiful. Truly she shined above all the others (well except one, tell you about Stormy later). She was super sweet and friendly, looked extremely healthy and was just entering her second heat (she's 18 months old). She's not going to breed her till the Spring however. It will be her first litter. Cristal apparently has scored a 90 percent on her most recent hip test and her eye, heart, and elbow exams came back excellent as well.

The sire of this litter is most likely going to be an American/Canadian champion she met at a dog show in Michigan several months ago. She says he has excellent health certifications and is a magnificent and very well tempered dog. She's going to send me a link to that breeder's website soon, so I can see him for myself. She said she'd also send me some pictures. Cristal will be artificially inseminated.

I fell MADLY in love with this 18 month male pup named "Stormy" he has the sweetest face I have ever seen. He's beautiful and she's hoping to breed him soon. However, she says that Stormy is quite clumsy and hurt himself playing in the yard last week and has a cut on his face (very small by the way) but she's concerned that if it doesn't heal properly and the hair grows back properly that she won't be able to show him. She may then decide to sell him and OMG, she promised I'd be the first she called if so. Stormy took to Joel immediately. Cristal took to me immediately. The BOTH loved our DS. So, wouldn't it be something if we ended up bringing Stormy home before the puppy? LOL. Well, not likely, but you never know!

One thing did concern me a little. At one point, one of the dogs went poo and it was, well, a little runny. Knowing full well that could not be a normal stool, I played dumb to see what she would say. "Is that what a normal stool looks like?". She immediately told me absolutely not but that sometimes when the puppies get really excited (and they had had two visitors already that day, but DS was first child) that they can have a loose stool. She also said she had let them out in the yard earlier, they'd probably eaten some grass or something. These dogs look incredibly healthy, but I just want you guys to comment on this if you think she's full of, well, poo.

She insists the pet be spayed/neutered at six months.

The puppies are all microchipped before they go home. With her information and the new owners. She says she has herself listed first because that way if the owner tries to give the dog up to a pound, they call her and she comes and gets it. That made sense to us. She also told us that microchipping is excellent because if the dog is ever stolen (God forbid!) and they try to sell it for research, the labs always check for microchips first and they don't accept them if they have one, they call.

What else? oh! She says that the puppies are handled by humans from birth, in order to acclimate them to the human touch from the beginning, and that at about four to five weeks, she starts letting them out in the grass to play and go to the bathroom. As a result, she claims that housebreaking her puppies is a relatively easy process, because they have already "gone outside" and they get it. She does recommend a crate, absolutely.

The puppy will come with a three generation pedigree, and health information, a starter supply of the supplement she likes, some food, a book, dewormed, shots, microchipped, and I forget what all else. The cost for our pet puppy, since the sire will be a grand champion, is $1200. We put down a deposit of $200 and will have first pick of the pet quality puppies in Cristal's litter when it comes.

I asked her the big diff between "pet quality" and "show quality" and she explained it's just little things like the setting of the shoulders, the placement of the ears, the perfection of the bite. Things like that. Absolutely nothing in a pet quality golden is health or quality of life related.

She invited us back to visit anytime, and we're going to go back and see Sammy's puppies, and visit Cristal during her "confinement" LOL, and then again after her puppies are born. It'll be really nice, for my son in particular to sort of see the process and anticipate his new puppy. We've been giving him more and more responsibility with the cats, to prepare him for more responsibility with the dog. We'll be the primary caregivers of course, but he has to learn responsibility and care for the animals as well. He's being very good about it so far.

Well, that's all I can think of right now. Sorry this is so long. Let me know what you think! She really seems to know her stuff, and most importantly, love her dogs. There was ZERO pressure, I truly felt it didn't matter to her if we turned over some buckage for a dog or not. She was assessing us as we were assessing her, I could tell.

Oh one more thing. She is a former K-9 Sheriff, and her husband still is. They had a big German Shepherd police dog in a separate kennel that belongs to the sheriff's deparment. So she's had really varying experiences with keeping, raising, and training dogs.

Alright, enough already!

Best,
Ivette

In case any one is interested, this is the supplement that the breeder requires her owners to give the puppies for a minimum of one year, in order to keep the health guarantee. And she recommends it for life.

Ivette

Here is a link that might be useful: Nuvet Labs supplement

Ivette, this breeder sounds exactly like what all good breeders should sound like. You asked the right questions, and got excellent answers. Between you and me, I will say that no one country of origin has a lock on good health and good temperaments. Just because a dog is from a certain place means nothing to me, because I'd judge it on the deep down pedigree (10 generation coefficient of inbreeding) of the dog in question. But that's me, and reflects some of my own opinions.

It all rings true to me, and I think this could be a good thing. The next question to ask is what happens to your deposit if the female does not conceive or if there are very few puppies? At some point, I'd ask for a refund instead of waiting for another litter. Things happen, and not every breeding takes. So there are other excellent breeders out there.

I for one, could not begin to predict when we will breed Sushi, that she will get all her clearances even tho she looks good at 20 months now. I don't know when she will come in season (last time was almost 11 months between seasons), and how can I predict that she will get pregnant? I can't. So get yourself some clarifications about those big *if*s.

But it sounds great! Let's cross fingers and hope for a big litter of beautiful puppies!

If you want to see what Sue and I have been following all week, here is the link to the GRCA National show, held in Kansas City this week. Click aorund and look at the candid shots!

Here is a link that might be useful: Best of Breed 2006 GRCA National

OMG!! I had no idea! I thought you decided you wanted a dog and looked around a bit and got one, LOL.

Since you said you've always had cats and this is your first puppy, I will share my personal views (from very limited dog experience so far) on the difference between a pet dog and a pet cat*

A dog is like a preschooler and a cat is like a teenager. They're both dependents, but one is a lot more dependent than the other. A dog is like a little kid that never grows up. They're very time-intensive because they require patience, training, exercise, feeding, bathing, frequent doctor visits, affection, and they need *you* to be near them a lot. They're always being pulled between a desire to do what they want and the need to please you, but the need to please is extremely strong plus they are very responsive to rewards. They mean well but, well, accidents happen. However, when accidents happen, they show genuine remorse. They can do things like cower, whine, hang their heads, and beg for a hug.

Cats, on the other hand, demand independence but still want you nearby just in case. They are generally pretty self-sufficient but will let you do the work if they can get away with it. They don't like to be told what to do and will, in fact, often do the opposite. They don't like to be seen as predictable and they don't like to look foolish. If a cat messes up, don't expect any admission of guilt or attempts to get back in your good graces. You might even get The Look that indicates the cat thinks it was probably your fault. You can have a relationship with a cat that is more on the same level but it will usually be the cat that decides when you will share the moment. They want you to be proud of them and give them unconditional love but they also want plenty of space. It's a lot easier to go places because you don't have to get a sitter.

A dog will look up to you and want to be with you as much as possible and live with you forever and marry you (ha ha). A cat will enjoy the benefits of plenty of independence without responsibility, will give *you* a lot of space but will, in the dark of night, still climb in your bed to cuddle.

I hope you can tell that I love both cats and dogs! Good luck with your puppy quest.

*a generalization

You have lots of good advice above. (Esp. the crate!) My two cents, when it comes time to select your pup from the litter, leave your son home. (He will love any pup you bring home) - If puppy temperament test was done use it as your guide, if not watch the litter, a middle of the road pup is usually the best match for a family. Not the pup that runs to you first, that is usually the dominant one of the litter. You also wouldnt want to bring home a pup that sits alone and doesnÂt react to people. Good luck.

Fairgold: Thanks for the tip! The contract states (and we discussed) the deposit. It is refundable if she cannot provide a puppy out of the litter in question, either because it doesn't take, or because there aren't enough pet quality ones (which in our case, since we're the first she says will likely not be an issue). In any case it's ONLY refundable if she cannot provide a puppy, but it is refundable if any of the "if's" do not produce a baby for us. Thanks for the link! I'll check it out. Her comment on the South Americans having it better figured out is she felt that they are less inclined to make money on the breed and therefore generally do not breed dogs they know they shouldn't. Which she claims happens all too often here in America. Beats me man, I'm learning alot, and fast!

Hi Seeking! No, we don't have the puppy yet, although I did send her an email just reminding her that if Stormy comes up, he's MINE! He's not really a pup though, he's almost 2 years old, and if we end up getting him, MAN! will I need advice on what the heck to do then. But let's wait and see. We'd still get our puppy in the spring/summer and end up very unexpectedly being a two dog house. You're so right about cats. Although I have had two very needy cats in my time. Our 20 year old isn't happy unless she is like physically attached to me. At one point yesterday, we were sitting at a picnic table discussing the contract and Sammy (the dog, NOT the DS) climbed up on the table (okay not in my house, but this isn't my house) and just sat with us and was just very calm and perfectly content to hear us talking and have one of us scratching her head. She was so, I dunno, ZEN! It was lovely actually. I can't wait to have a doggie with us as we sit by the fire and watch TV or read or whatever. Okay, I know there's more to it than that Norman Rockwell picture, but I know now that that picture will be there too!

eandhl: while I know you are giving me good advice on leaving DS at home, I know that's not going to happen. But I think it will work out well. The breeder will help us choose our pup and since we are getting first dibs, we will be able to actually use all the great advice above to choose it. Our son will love them all and will defer to us, that's his nature on most things at this point. He is adamant that he wants a boy, but I'm going to start working on him that we may end up with a girl, depending on what mother nature decides. We've already told him that he's coming when we pick up the puppy, and that we're going to visit the puppies while they're being whelped, so there's no going back now. Let's hope he doesn't throw a hissy! But really, it's not his style.

Okay, the breeder just sent me a photo of Cristal, our mommy's, Daddy (excuse me, "sire"). I guess I had better start learning the lingo! Breeder says that since he is regularly shown in american, he has had all the necessary OFL and PennHIP certs done, so the results, which she says are excellent, will be on our puppy's pedigree.

Ivette

P.S. OMG, the NAMES this woman rattled off on all her dogs. Here I thought Stormy was just Stormy and Cristal was just Cristal. But no, apparently they have AKC names or something that just go on and on and on and on. Like Cristal's is "Golden Dreams Alto Claro Cristal". Uh huh. A TOTAL mystery to moi. She promised to help us with our puppy's name. Sheesh! Feeling awfully fancy pants. All I've ever done is go to a shelter, choose the most pathetic kitty lovey there, and go home! Now, I have to come up with some incredibly complicated name for my new little darling, who'll never see a show ring in her/his life, but will "rough it" going camping, swimming, hiking, and will have the indignity of having to bow down to the cats!! LOL.

Hey Fairgold!

It looks like Cristal's daddy got a "Judge's Award of Merit" at the Kansas City dog show! How cool is that?!

Okay, I gotta calm down.....

:)
Ivette

pirula, I just usually give that piece of advice as children generally want the first one that runs to them. Good your breeder is going to help you select the best fit for your family. Again I am very happy for you, your family and of course the new pup when he/she arrives.

Yah Simba! That's the BIG show. Next year in WA state, so I think I'll be able to make it. He's a beautiful dog.

Did you like all the pictures?

(I think that you are completely sucked in, and there is no turning back now!)

Ivette, I wouldn't defer too much to the breeder as far as choosing your dog. It's good to have her input, but I would certainly emphasize the qualities you are looking for and see if her recommendation matches your own instinct when you have observed the puppies for awhile. I say this only because sometimes breeders have priorities that are different than yours when selecting a puppy.

Gorgeous sire, that! Have fun!

Oh, how fun! We see a *beautiful* golden on our walks in the park. What a difference between that dog and the regular neighborhood goldens.

I did the puppy thing last winter. I'm glad I experienced it, but it was just too much work for me. Next time I adopt another adult. But it really is a learning experience! LOL@!

Sounds like you have everything in hand, and a good breeder. There are some fun dog forums out there you might join. Chazhound.com is fun. I also go to the About dog forum - http://dogs.about.com/mpboards.htm . Sometimes it's just nice to be able to discuss stuff with people who have gone through the same stuff. There's an excellent puppy DVD that I recommend. I also have many other DVD's from Ed, Basic Obedience and Competition Heeling have both been very helpful. I also belong to a dog training club. Here in Cincinnati, there's at least one in every county. We take classes often because the dogs have fun and it stimulates otherwise mischievous minds.

fairgold, I did enjoy the pictures. Those dogs are all so happy and full of life, it's fun to watch them.

I wrote to the breeder about Cristal's sire at the show. She already knew of course, and was pleased. But she also told me that the dog that one best in breed is the sire of the male she's hoping to breed successfully to Cristal for our litter! Holy smokes. What a high fallutin pedigree for a house dog. With genes like those, these are going to be some beeeeautiful (and healthy!) puppies!

Thanks for the DVD tip clg, I'll check it out!

Best to all,
Ivette

Back in the day, I needed a puppy for a Birthday present. And since as a little boy I remembered this big Red Irish Setter that ran so gracefully thru our backyard, with inspiration I went looking for a dog for my girlfriend. It just so happened I saw an ad and ended up getting an AKC registered Golden Retriever. We drove out together, alot of the pups were already promised and we ended up with the runt of the litter..and she was a darker red and a little more curly.
God knows I wasn't looking to spend that money that time of my life. I think the breeder knew we just wanted a pet. We got her home and she went outside to the Ivy plants to do her business. I was so impressed that she didn't pee in the apartment that later when I was filling out the AKC registration form, we named her "Katie of the Ivy".

I just watched a movie, and although I didn't want to start a new thread about it, I DID want to tell you all about it, and I thought this would be an appropriate place.

If you like "feel good" movies, this is definitely one to see. It's called Miracle Dogs. it's on Showtime this month, and if you have the chance, watch it. You won't be sorry. :-)

I'm a pet sitter and have never owned a Golden, but just finished sitting for two of them. My only advice is to learn all you can about grooming them. They do need a lot of grooming compared to most dogs. These two dogs were obviously not groomed properly because their fur was thick, stringy, and just gross to the touch. Not dirty per se but just felt like there was something in it - like they hadn't been rinsed properly. Really icky. I didn't want to touch them.

Other than that - they were great dogs!

Wow! are you lucky. My golden is 3 years old now. She is our second one. The first one (Shazam)lived to be 12 years old. She was the best dog in the world. We could not get another dog for 2 years after she died. We were afraid we would compare the puppy to her. When we were finally ready we got our little girl Sydney. She has now become the best dog in the world. The only advise I can offer is to put a lot of time in together. Once your puppy bonds with you your trainning will be a snap. A golden only wants to please their owner. Oh yeah, mine is a foodaholic. That is one of her traits we love. It is a part of Sydney. She can't get enough of children or people. But loves kids the best. If I say the girls are coming over, she paces until she sees their car drive up. I can't say the girls anymore. I now have a grandson after 4 granddaughters and three daughters. What a great life. Even thou I don't have a kitchen. Without one for almost 3 months. The kids love CAMPING at Nan's. I found girl dogs to be more loyal than boys. A little more gentle. But that is my opinion. GET A CRATE. If she is in the crate when you are not around she can not learn any bad habits. They are so smart that within a month or two you won't need it for short times alone. They come to love it after awhile. We had to put sydney there sometimes because she became to excited when people came. I did not want to yell so by putting her in the crate helped. Have fun and love your puppy she won't be one for long. By 12 weeks she will almost have the shape of an adult dog. My dog adapted to the quit life of two people in their 50's. I feel quilty having her sometimes with no children living at home.

Lynn

The only downside of Goldens (as well as some other breeds) is that the vets refer to them as cancer dogs. They are prone to cancer in their advanced years.

We have had Golden's crossed with Irish Setters. They have the dignity and kindness and calm of a Golden but the
love of life that the Irish has. They aren't gorgeous like Goldens or Setters but they are quite wonderful dogs.
Our first one went in the house once and was trained after that forever. We never had to say or do anything. No accidents.

He was very funny. He used to escape and run down to the creek by our house to find the children playing there. One time the Park Police brought him back rather than taking him to the pound. He knew he shouldn't have run away and when they opened the door of the cop car, he crawled on his belly practically because he knew he had been naughty. We all were trying very hard not to laugh because he would have been upset if we had laughed at him.He was one of those once in a lifetime dogs.

Golden's (good ones) are a joy. Good luck with your puppy. What a terrific experience you are going to have.

Hello,
I do not want to burst your bubble...but I would not buy a dog from this breeder. There are several red flags and you have already picked up on a couple of them.

You are paying $$$$ for a pup from a backyard breeder.

Please research this more carefully.

Here is a link to get you started....

Kyliegirl, a couple of us who have responded to this thread are members of the GRCA, and altho I differ in opinions with this breeder on a couple of things, I can honestly say that I differ with a lot of GRCA members on a lot of things. If you are a member of the breeder's list, work-gold and other lists, you'll know that there are a lot of opinions.

You might not buy from this breeder, but OTOH, I don't see massive red flags.

HamptonMeadow, cancer is indeed an issue. There are a number of breeders who are concerned, and there are plenty more who are less than knowledgeable. Some of the breeders who proclaim to care still breed lines that I personally would not want to bring into my lines. But a Golden's life span is typoically 10-12 years. Cancer that happens over the age of 10 is one of those things. It's the death by the same cancers of multiple dogs of a similar breeding by the age of 6 or 7 that scares the bejebus out of me.

But we just lost our Cassie, who lived almost 15-1/2 years, as did her dam. It's never easy to lose one, no matter how old.

Yes, I am a member of a list...heh...I am that easy to spot? Yes, there are a lot of opinions out there on those lovable goldens!

You are correct, the red flags are not massive though enough for me to buy elsewhere. Just my 2 cents worth!

I will say that there's a big difference between the breeders that I will personally recommend to people who want a family pet and those who are interested in showing, training for various performance events or starting a breeding program. But how many people do we know who are active in Goldens who started out with a nice dog from breeders who were not perfect? OTOH, I know people who have established very successful breeding programs (field, obedience, but not show) based on dogs from real back-yard breeders.

I know casual breeders who manage to get "show" homes for 1/2 the puppies in every litter. I know conscienious breeders who produce great sound dogs and finish champions from every litter, but only the dogs that they keep and the rest all go into pet homes. I know people will stand in line for a 3rd or 4th "pick" puppy from a breeder who has done very well, and they will overlook the quiet breeder who doesn't promise that every pup in a breeding will be a BIS winner, even if her pups are just as good as the one who's a good saleswoman.

So within the show/work breeding community, there's a huge varience, which makes for miles of good lists and gossip, right? ;-)

Hi again everyone! Uh, red flags? And what would those be please? I imagine no breeder is perfect, but since no one mentioned red flags with this one in particular until now, I'd like to know what they are. I'm relieved you don't consider them to be deal breakers.

Thanks,
Ivette

To me, the biggest red flag is that the breeder considers dogs from other countries to be superior health-wise to good dogs here. Ain't so. In fact, in some countries there are no canine opthamologists, for example, while here we test eyes every year for potential genetic problems. So how can you say that stock available in another country is healthier if you don't test for the problems? (I do not know if this is the exact case here.)

I also like to see the breeder more involved with showing in the US. Win or lose, it's a community of knowledgeable breeders who share a lot of information. I personally consider it a base from which to work. OTOH, a good friend had a prize dog die in a tragic accident at a dog show, and she's so depressed that she may never show again, altho she'll probably keep breeding.

So who's right? No one, in the last word. I think your breeder sounds like she cares a lot and is doing all the right things to breed healthy dogs. WHich is all any of us can ask for!

A really good place to find a reputable breeder is to attend a (conformation) dog show. You can visit with the owners and dogs in the set-up/grooming area before they show. I did a search on akc.org and found a dog show Nov 4 in Williamsburg, VA - The Virginia Beach Kennel Club. I don't know if that's near where you are, but you should take the time to check it out. I looks like the only all breed show in Virginia for the rest of the year (until April!). There's also a Potomac Valley Golden Retriever Club you might want to look into. http://www.pvgrc.org/

Another thing about a good breeder is they are always there to answer your questions. They should also have a contract that states that the dog will be returned to them should you find that you cannot keep it. AND there should be a health guarantee. I don't remember if I posted it here, but my puppy came with a lifetime health AND temperament guarantee. I can return her at any time for a new dog that better suites my needs. Not that I would! A good breeder will also know which dog in the litter will best suite your family. After 8 weeks living with the breeder they will have a good idea of what the dog's personality is. Geez, sorry about the rambling, but BYB's are just bad.

Okay thanks. Perhaps I mispoke. She didn't say ALL dogs from other countries are healthier, just that they can be. Cristal, the dog who's sire is from Colombia has eye certs, and so does the sire. I guess Colombia does those too. I think this woman has a real beef with the cancer situation and some breeders continuing to breed in spite of problems. I'm not sure, I'm extrapolating from things she said out of context later.

Thanks Fairgold! She has everything else you've mentioned about being a good breeder, and the contract has all the good points too. Perhaps she doesn't show enough, don't know. I do know she shows her dogs quite a bit (or actually sends them out to show, she has a friend who does the actual showing). I didn't put too much importance on this since she does seem to care very much about the health of her dogs as well as their conformation scores and we're looking for a pet, not a show dog.

Thanks again so much everyone!
Ivette

Hi everyone!!

Haven't been around much lately, I know. But I just wanted to let you know that our puppy is FINALLY coming to our home on Saturday!!!

We're so excited! I'll try to post pictures, but here's a link to the pups. Our boy is one of the two boys at the bottom of the page!!!

Ivette

Ivette, congratulations on your new little bundle. You're gonna' have some FUN! Loved seeing the pictures; which one are you getting?

Congratulations! Do you get a choice of the two boys? If personalities and all else are the same, I like the structure of Boy #3 slightly better than Boy #2, but that's a small point. It's a nice litter, and either will be great.

And what about names??????

I read this thread eagerly as I am the proud Dogma of two goldens, Cooper 2 and Bailey, 3.
I think it is telling that so many here have or had had goldens. We got our first, a rescue 13 years ago, and Cody lived to be 11. We just couldnt bear living without gold! So we got Bailey and then Cooper as pups. We are so lucky and they are so much fun. They are a joy to train- they are both so smart.
Can't wait to hear who comes home with you and see their photo. Here are my guys. Sue

OMG Cooper, how cute are those dogs???!!

Thanks claire and fairgold!! Jan, the breeder, is choosing our pup for us. She knows what we want as far as temperment etc and we trust her to do that for us. I believe she may be keeping the other one for show/stud, but I'm not sure. I don't care which one it is, so long as he's got a good temperment, and Jan says this whole litter is pretty much equal on that score.

I'm soooooooooooo excited! I couldn't even concentrate at work today. I'll report back soon.

Names: His name is Anakin (yes, I have a six year old Star Wars fanatic who thinks that Darth Vader in the early days is the bees knees. HOW generational is THAT?!) LOL. His AKC name will be Stormy Point's Dark Side of the Moon. I played on the celestial theme of his parent's AKC names and the whole Anakin, dark side of The Force "thing". Such fun. Jan loved the name and although we'll never use it, since he'll be a pet only, who cares? It's still way cool.

Ivette

I just realized that when I get really excited, I sound like an 18 year old from The Valley!

ha ha!
Ivette

Beautiful dogs, cooperbailey! Once you have one, it's hard not to have two. I'm waiting till mine gets a little older and will benefit from having some young blood around.

Ivette, I LOVE his name. You have Anakin, dark side of the The Force, and mine is Claire de Luna, Light of the Moon. a/k/a lunachick, lunar lander, moondoggie. (You see, I got my best ideas in the middle of the night!) Here's my girl; she's no show dog but a very nice companion who is a bit stingy with kisses but really likes feet!

Who doesn't love a golden? Do you have his crate ready to go?

We have a Golden. Her name is Chloe. She is just over one year. She is very well-behaved around our pet birds, too. I am amazed by how quickly she learns. We are camping in a motorhome this week, and she is, as they say, a happy camper.

Hi!!!!

Claire your golden is beautiful!!! Yes, we have the crate and he's taken one nap in it. Seems to like it.

fairgold: We got pup #3! How do you like that? He's soooo sweet, and very laid back at the moment. He was a little freaked out at first when we got him home, but now he's fine. The cats are Slooooooooowly taking to him, he thinks they're neat. He's been really good about going outside and has only had one accident so far today.

He is the sweetest and most adorable thing!

Oh and is there anything on earth cuter than a doggie pen filled with eight week old golden puppies? OMG. when we arrived I thought we'd die of adorableness overload.

Gotta get back to the pup!
Ivette

Congratulations!

Keep the accidents down to a minimum by keeping a close eye on him and not allowing accidents to happen. But keep a spray bottle of cleaner on hand! ;-)

I think that our Sushi is pregnant, will know for sure next week. And we can expect puppies in early August. Yes, a pen full of puppies is overload on cute!

Again, congratulations!

Ivette, Enjoy your puppy breath as long as you can! Did you get any sleep last night?

Fairegold, I hope we get to congratulate you and Sushi soon on her impending motherhood!

Now I want a puppy, darn it...and I just had my carpets cleaned. (This too shall pass.) I'm going to go love on my mid-life dog and admire her low maintenance qualities while I talk myself out of this feeling! I'll just live vicariously through you, Ivette, for now...

You know we want to see Anakin...I need a puppy fix, please!

You are so lucky. Good luck. Here is my golden Sydney and my ragdoll Oliver. They love each other.

We may need to change the the nickname of forum members to TKO&TGO!! A mouthful but I think it's kinda true here!
Claire- your pup looks a bit like my girl, Bailey.
Sydney and friend are sure cuddly cute together!
Must see Annakin! And love the name! Name choosing for a pup in a family takes on a life of it's own doesnt it?
We took Cooper and Bailey for a swim on Sunday in a local lake. They love to retrieve balls from the water. It is their fav thing to do. as well as ours - we are going first thing on the 4th too.
Pirula-We have found that not all goldens take to water- not like labs. We started early, after they bonded. A slow gentle approach with a small hard sided kiddy pool( Petsmart has them ) with a bit of water,add more gradually,never force them, is a good way to introduce them to water, we found. What fun! Our first golden,Cody, a rescue, would not go near the water and we wanted to make sure that these guys love the water.
Of course, now our next house MUST have a pond with a bit of land or a lake house. Dreaming of it anyway.
Happy 4th! Sue

Hi Everybody!!!

Boy oh boy are puppies time consumers! He is sooooooooo cute, and so sweet and really laid back. He's so adorable, I can't stand it. He's doing really well. Has only had three accidents so far (but we take him out ALOT) and sleeps very well during the night, only crying to go out once or twice (even the FIRST night. How lucky are we?). I promise pics soon, need to download them. Our son is mad about his new best friend, and I may never live without a Golden again.

:)

Ivette

P.S. First vet visit went well. Got him on heartworm and flea preventative. And go back Saturday for his next shots. He's napping right now.........

P.P.S. Fairgold, I thought of something cuter than the pen full of puppies: the way a Golden puppy's ears blow back in the wind when he runs. : ))))))

Hi Ivette, just stumbled on this thread.

OMG are you smitten or what? LOL

Rococo mentioned you had a new pup, but I didn't know it was a Golden.

Love the description of it's ears blowing in the wind.

Some time back Goldgirl posted a pic of her litter and they surely had to be the most adorable bundles of sweetness I've seen.

P.S. So now I know why you haven't chosen my paint color yet ;-)

P.P.S. The book reviews were awesome.

Ivette, It's been a while...how's Anakin doing? (And you, as Management Coordinator?) They are time consuming little puffs of love, aren't they?

We're looking at Rescue/Adoption our next time around; there are beautiful dogs in the world that need good homes. I mention it because I've just started thinking about it, and filled out an application last night. (I've been through the puppy stage twice, and my antique wicker daybed that was in perfect condition will never be the same again...) I'm not in any hurry however, and looking for a good fit.

Do you have any pictures? We're still waiting to see the little squirt!