Thinking of adding a Golden Retriever to Your Family?

Goldens are a wonderful breed.  We have raised Golden Retrievers here for about 10 years and I've also been a dog obedience class instructor. I've researched and studied in many dog breeds and dog history for the last 8 years. Our kennel has a wonderful reputation and we've placed many puppies in loving, wonderful homes. Although we no longer raise golden retrievers here, we recieve calls from people looking for puppies often and I am happy to help answer questions and offer advice when I can. I hope that this site offers you help in your decision as to whether or not add a golden retriever puppy to your family and answers questions you may have that other sites may not cover.

Overall Health Information: A healthy golden retriever generally lives around 10-14 years. However, as with any breed of dog, there are some health problems that can occur. The most common of these is hip dysplasia, which is a disorder that can result in a dog that is unable to walk or has great difficulty in walking. The disorder is painful, but can often be corrected with surgery. The surgery can be quite expensive. Other possible diseases in Goldens include: vonWillibrands disease (a bleeding disorder) and retinal atrophy (which can cause decreased vision or blindness). It is believed to be safer to purchase a puppy from parents whose hips have at least been checked by a vet, preferably been certified by the OFA. Goldens are often prone to dry skin and sometimes hot spots. Hot spots are easily cured with topical medicine from a veterinarian and are not contagious or particularly harmful, but uncomfortable for your dog and should be attended to.

Asthetic Value: A true Golden Retriever will always be some shade of gold. Goldens come in several shades, ranging from a pale champagne color to a dark rich red. Shade is personal preference. Occasionally spots of white occur on the head or chest, although this is considered a fault according to the standard (set by AKC). Many goldens, as they get older, will slowly develop a grey face. This is especially true in the darker colored dogs and is a normal effect of aging and is not a fault. Pups often darken with age. A good way to tell the color a puppy will be as an adult is to look at the color of it's ears. It is not unusual for a dog to continue to darken until he is around 3 years old. Size varies.The AKC standard wants a male golden to weigh in the neighborhood of 70# and be a maximum height of 24 inches at the shoulder, the female of course being smaller. However, size is another matter of preference if you do not intend to show. Some smaller golden females might weigh around 50# where a large male may weigh over 100#. Goldens love food and are likely to be overweight, especially as they get older. Their hair is medium length on the main body (about 2 inches long, which lies flat). The facial hair is much shorter (about 1/2 inch), although most goldens have white whiskers that stick out several inches. These can be trimmed, but this is not necessary. The feathering (hair on the chest, stomach and back of legs) is usually quite a bit longer than the body hair and varies from dog to dog. It can range the same length as the body to dragging across the floor. The standard calls for feathering that is neither too short or too long. If the length of the feathering is important to you, view the father of the pups' coat and ask to see pictures of the female when she hasn't just had puppies (which often robs her of her beautiful feathers). It usually takes until a Golden is around three years old for him or her to get it's full adult coat. Many Goldens have feathering that is lighter than the coat on the body, but this is not a fault. Eyes are brown. The nose is black, but may lighten to a liver color in winter. Some have a pink nose, but this is considered undesirable.

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