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.
Please note: This article is part of a collection of dog-related content that we purchased the rights to. Opinions expressed may or may not agree with those espoused by Master Dog Trainer Adam G. Katz. When in doubt, please refer to the advice given in Adam’s dog training book. This article is provided for your enjoyment, only. It’s relevance to real world working dog training may be limited.