Golden Retriever?

[coco-bean]

On sunday i worked at petco and we washed cut and pampered a TON of golden retrievers, which is very odd for us, we dont normally get many of them, actually it's kinda a treat when we do because their isnt many that come in! There's a super ton labs of course. But my boyfriend came and dropped off my puppies to get bathed and he noticed a really beautiful golden ret. on the table and he couldnt get it out of his mind, he loved it! We talked about it some later and tonight i was looking around the net at petfinder and local shelters for gold. ret. puppies or even adults there, and there's basically NONE @ ALL! so i went to the newspaper, nothing...then to my banks swap sheet...nothing!! I totally understand that their is a ton of labs in the world and around my area! BUT im curious...are golden ret. like AMAZING to own and super smart so no one wants to get rid of them or why cant i find any of them? just curious as too everyone elses opinions! thanks in advance!

[Freedom]

Around here, their rescue group is very active, and the dogs don't stay long in any shelter, they get pulled.

Here is the link for the national golden rescue. There is a place on the left to pick your state.

http://www.grca-nrc.org/

Oh, and a friend of mine had several. She said they were puppy like for most of their lives, and loving.

[bckrazy]

We have a BIG Golden Retriever rescue for Northern California... with 100+ dogs all in foster homes. Goldens are one of the top 10 registered breeds in the AKC, and there are always many ads for Golden pups in my local paper. They're probably the 2nd most popular large breed in the area, only behind Labs.

Just FYI... pls o pls, be extremely picky about any newspaper ads you go through. 99% of them are BYB's, in my experience. You are MUCH better off contacting your state's GR club & asking about available rescue dogs or breeder references.

[Jakesmom]

We have a very active GR resuce/foster group, but dogs (except for seniors) aren't readily available, as they are snapped up fairly quickly.

They are wonderful dogs to own...(biased answer...) but do have some issues--potential for health problems (allergies, hips, etc, even in well bred dogs, so you need to be ready and willing to care for the dog if these things come up), and they are strong, active dogs when young. My personal experience is that with well bred dogs from responsible breeders, you can count on excellent temperament and probably good hips. Elbow issues, allergies, are up for grabs even with well bred dogs, so you need to be ready and willing to care for these.

My Jake has an excellent pedigree, but has been plagued with allergy issues (or I have). With proper diagnostics and care, he has been in good control most of his life and has a beautiful coat, but it is an ongoing thing to maintain. His hips are great, but he has degenerative disc disease, and now gets accupuncture along with the usual arthritis meds. Big dog problem.

So, in summary, I would definately reccomend a Golden--there is nothing like their personality and looks, but you should know what you're getting into and be ready and able to properly care for them.

Jake's mom

[coco-bean]

When i was younger they were in our local newspaper all the time! Probably the most popular in the area. Now not a single one! I guess i was just curious as to where they all went. haha they seemed to become missing! haha! not litterally! ;)

[lute]

The newspaper isn't the best place to be looking for puppies. You never know what you'll find. The ads in your local paper are mostly people that just bred their dog because they could, BYB and puppymills. Please don't find a dog in the newspaper.

The humane society is your best bet for a pet. A golden retriever may not be there now, but keep checking back! They DO get dumped! Google golden retriever rescue groups and keep checking petfinder.

If you want to buy a puppy from a breeder PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make sure it is a responsible breeder! NOT just someone that has two goldens and decided to breed. Make sure the dogs are registered under a legit registration. AKC, UKC, and CKC(Canadian Kennel Club, NOT Contanental Kennel Club). Make sure both parents have had their hips, hearts, eyes, ect tested. Some breeders say their dogs are tested and they are not. Make sure you seen paperwork on it. Go to a dog show! That is the best place to find a breeder! Look around at all the different dogs, see what a golde retriever is suppose to look like. Ask around and talk to people. You are bound to find someone to help you out! Goldens are VERY popular in the show ring!

Good Luck! If you need any help deciding whether a breeder is reputable or not feel free to PM me and I'll help ya out!

[coco-bean]

well i was just saying i was checking a few different places and still turning up nothing! Even if a breeder is reputable i still feel that paying anywhere from 1500 to 2500 for any puppy or dog is absolutely CRAZY! no matter how bad i want a puppy! Im def. gonna keep checking back on petfinder because they are very beautiful!
Did i mention i use to have one, when i was really little! My dad found him in the paper for me(it was my dad who found him not me) and my dad said i was going to be getting this really small puppy and how i have to take care of it and so on and so forth(we were getting a friend for my other dog) and well we got him home and he was not little @ all! He was WAY over 6 months old, over 100 pounds and pure wrecklessness! my dad made me get rid of him before i even got a really good chance to play with him.
anyways, thats my little story for the day! If i decided to get a golden, i REALLY REALLY need to wait till Corona is a little older. 3 puppies under a year has ALMOST got me to my witts end with there random spunkiness and super fast running in small areas haha!
I was thinking waiting till corona was about 9 or 10 months old, that way she is almost a year! Cainan and Coco will be well into the 1 year. Coco may even be 2. so we've got plenty of time to prepare for another and so on!
thanks everyone for your help!

[Pawsitive Thinking]

When I was little my neighbours had a golden. She wasn't properly looked after so I used to take her out for walks and buy her food with my pocket money. Saba was an absolutely gorgeous dog - really gentle and loving

[angelbow20]

we have a couple goldens, and they really are great dogs. Gracie is a bit hyper though :rolleyes: and our one golden has bad allergies so I have to trim alot of hair, give meds when they start up and put lotion on it but thats part of a responsabilty on owning one if they end up with hot spots etc.. we have tons of goldens around our area, and people still pick them right away when there is any at shelters ect.. my pups went really fast!!! they usaully have great temperments and they are great with my son and love to give kisses and chew.

[Kalei]

Yep Goldies are wonderful dogs in all ways and great for the family, they are very popular so if one goes up for adoption it probably gets adopted very quickly. Good luck on finding one:D

[areias]

Golden Retrievers are very good dogs-but like any breed not for everyone. They are the same as your labs-chew, dig, etc. I've also known a few who are genetically dog-aggressive, and some that are very fearful.

I'm glad that you are waiting a little bit-I worry, because I know that you already have 3 wonderful dogs. I believe...and correct me if I'm wrong...that you work 3 jobs and also live in either an apartment or a rental, I can't remember which. I know that you have had previous problems with your boyfriend and the dogs. Just be careful with how many you take on...3 is my limit if I live away from home. If something happens while you are in the rental, it will be very hard for you to find something else right away that will accept 4 large dogs. You also need to finish up with Cainan-bringing yet one more dog into the house may make him a little more fearful.

That being said, if you DO decide to get a golden, didn't you get corona from a breeder? Maybe you can ask them if they know of a golden breeder.
Here's a gorgeous boy from your golden rescue in your state.
http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=7733145