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Puppy Information
Puppy Referral contact Rhonda Hovan,
330-668-0044
Is a Golden Retriever the right Breed for you???
Well congratulations, there are a few things in life more satisfying than
owning a cuddly,loving hungry ball of fur, often known as a puppy. But,
before you start your search you need to do a little research. This will
help ensure that you take home a puppy that is likely to be JUST the
companion you are hoping for. The following information is intended to help
provide most of what you need in that search.
Who are WE, to advise you? We are the Cuyahoga Valley Golden Retriever
Club, a volunteer NONPROFIT organization of the Golden Retriever lovers,
devoted with one main interest in mind, and that is to further the breed
we so cherish. We have written this information to help families choose a
good Golden Retriever breeder and a good puppy. Before you actually fall in
love with the FIRST Golden puppy face you see, we want you to take the
time, and initial phone call to ask the questions we have listed in this
document. You might not find a breeder that fits all this criteria, but if
you get more than TWO negative responses, you might want to consider
another breeder. At the end of the list you will find questions to ask
YOURSELF. You should be able to answer all of them with a YES before you
begin your search.
You must remember that this new member of your family will be a member for
approximately 10 years OR MORE, this is NOT the time to hunt for a bargain.
You should be prepared to spend approximately $700.00 or more for a
well-bred puppy. You may have known someone who has purchased a "backyard"
bred dog, a pet store or puppy mill dog and had great success. But the
growing incidence of serious problems in this breed makes it wise to be on
guard. Among the undesirable traits are temperament problems, which include
aggression, shyness or hyperactivity. Hip dysplasia, eye problems causing
early blindness, heart defects that can shorten the dog's life span and
auto immune problems such as thyroid disease and cancer are also becoming
prevalent. Responsible breeders do all they can to avoid these problems by
researching pedigrees and screening parents for certain inherited problems
BEFORE breeding.
Do not be in a hurry to get your new puppy. If getting one RIGHT NOW, is
foremost in your plans, they you are not serious and you will most likely
get what you ask for....any golden. You need to read books on the breed and
even try to attend dog shows or obedience trails and talk to Golden owners
and breeders to learn as much as you can BEFORE you purchase this family
member.
Breeders are expected to produce Goldens to a high standard. They are
entitled to respect and courtesy from the people they are trying to please,
so try to be on time and honest with them in telling about you and your
family and its lifestyles. Keep this checklist by your phone when you make
your phone calls. We wish you luck with your informed search for a quality
Golden Retriever puppy.
Responsible breeders will breed only when they have a waiting list of puppy
buyers or when they are looking for something in a certain breeding. They
do not need to advertise in the newspapers or with a sign out in the front
yard. The Golden Retriever Club of America maintains a breeder/puppy
referral network for the entire United States. You can click on the link on
our website, and also for the Breed Standard for our most wonderful breed.
Get to know it, it should help you in your quest for the perfect puppy.
Checklist to ask breeders:
- Do both parents have hip and elbow clearances from the OFA? (Orthopedic
Foundation for Animals) or Pennhip clearances? You should see the actual
certificates with the names of the sire/dam. "My vet okayed the X-rays is
not a valid clearance.
- Do both parents have current eye clearances. This must be done every
year. You should see the actual certificates with the names of the
sire/dam.
- Do both parents have a heart clearance? This must be done by a board
certified cardiologist. You should be able to see the actual certificate
for the sire/dam.
- Are both parents at least 2 years old? You cannot get a OF hip clearance
before that age, Pennhip determines hip conditions at an earlier age.
- How often is the dam bred? Breeding too often may indicate that profit is
the primary motive for the breeding.
- Do all 4 grandparents, siblings of the parents and any other puppies that
they may have produced, have these clearances? A responsible breeder will
keep track of these statistics and honestly discuss any problems that have
occurred in the lines and what has been done to prevent them from
recurring.
- Are both parents free of allergies and epilepsy?
- Is the breeder willing to provide you with references and telephone
numbers of people who have purchased puppies from them?
- Will the puppy have limited registration? This means if the puppy is
bred, its puppies cannot have AKC registration.
- Is there a spay/neuter contract? A breeder who cares enough about this
is probably a responsible breeder.
- How did you decide on the sire? If the answer is "because he lives down
the street, or because he is really sweet", it might not be that this was a
well planned breeding.
- Will the breeder take the dog back at any time, for any reason, if you
cannot keep it? This is hallmark of a responsible breeder, they should
always say yes to this question.
- Is the breeder knowledgeable about the breed? Are they involved in
competition with their dogs, i.e field, obedience, agility or conformation?
- Are there a majority of titled dogs in the first two generations of this
pedigree? You should see this and see things like CH, OTCH, CD, JH, WC in
the pedigree.
- Are the sire and dam available for you to meet? If not the sire, you
should be able to see a video or pictures of him, and be able to phone the
owner and speak to them about the sire.
- Have the puppies been raised inside the home? Not in a kennel, barn or
backyard?
- Does the breeder know about raising puppies, critical neonatal periods,
proper socialization techniques? Puppies need to be raised with lots of
exposures to gentle handling, human contact and with a variety of noises
and experiences. They need to be with their littermates until they are 7
weeks old and have lots of interaction with humans.
- Does the breeder provide a 3-5 generation pedigree, and copies of all
clearances, a guarantee, health records and material to help with feeding,
training and housebreaking?
- Have the puppies been temperament tested and can the breeder guide you
to the puppy that will best suit your lifestyle? A shy puppy will not do
well in a noisy household with small children, as a dominant puppy would
not flourish in a quiet and sedate environment. A good breeder will know
his puppies and be able to show you how to test them so that a good match
can be made.
- Do the puppies seem healthy, with no discharge from eyes or noses, loose
stools, no foul smelling ears? Are their coats soft, full and clean? Do
they have plenty of energy when wakened but calm down easily when gently
petted or held?
- Do the puppies have their first shots and have they been wormed?
- Does the breeder have only one or at the most 2 breeds of dogs? If there
are several breeds of dogs, chances are, the breeder cannot devote the time
to become knowledgeable about the breed. It is difficult to give the
puppies the attention they need if there are more than one litter at a
time.
- Does the breeder belong to the local Golden Retriever Club or the Golden
Retriever Club of America?
- Do you feel comfortable with this person? Keep in mind that you are
entering into a long relationship and if you feel intimidated or pressured,
you might want to keep looking.
Questions to ask yourself:
- Can I take full responsibility for this dog and all of its needs for his
lifetime? (Approx 10 years). This is not something to delegate to the
children.
- Can I invest the time,money and patience it takes to train my dog to be
a good companion? This takes a lot of time and devotion.
- Can I always keep the dog safe, not let it run loose, or ride in the back
of an open pick-up truck, and not let it be chained outside?
- Can I make sure my dog gets enough attention and exercise? A golden needs
several hours of both, everyday.
- Can I live with lots of shedding, retrieving, drooling and activity for
its entire lifetime?
- Can I spend the money it takes to provide the proper vet care? Not
limited to vaccines, heartworm testing, and preventative care, alone with
spaying or neutering and annual checkups.
- Am I willing to become educated about the proper care of this breed.
(correct training and grooming)
- Am I willing to keep the breeder informed about the dog's progress and
any problems that might crop up?
- Do I have the patience to accept the trials of Golden puppyhood, along
with the rewards and enjoyment.
- Will I be able to continue to accept responsibilities for this dog
despite life changes? Like babies, moving divorce.
- Can I resist impulse buying (for a dog) and have the patience to make
responsible choices?
- Does everyone in the family want this dog?
You should have answered yes to all these questions, if you did you are
ready to start contacting breeders. Please start early and try to visit at
least 2 or 3 breeders before making a decision. The right puppy is worth
the wait!
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