Where did you get your Golden?

[angenbear]

I would say byb for Bear, he was in a farm full of different type of dogs running loose. He's very healthy, other than having to deal with his sensitive stomach, but with the right food, that has helped it go back to normal!

[goodtim'n]

Good morning, Angenbear.
Breeder owner with my male, "KODY" I came across "KELI" with a breeder who didn't know what they really owned and after researching her pedigree and with her having the feild lines that I was looking for, I went for it, and did not pay an arm or a leg for her either. She only cost me $350.00, and she is a diamond in the rough and is more than I ever expected. But I also knew what to look for when seeking out a pup/dog, I just was very lucky. She has one of those lines that haven't been stepped on to much. I hope you understand what I'm saying and I'm not in any way insulting bloodlines. I just happened to stumble across her.

[baxter's mom]

We got Baxter from a co-worker who bred her dogs, so I guess she's technically a byb, but he's got very good bloodlines and so far is very healthy. I would never dream of buying from a pet store (been there, suffered through that), and we were originally going to research breeders, but we kind of lucked into finding Baxter through my job. I trust this woman, or I would have looked around more at breeders.

[goldenlover]

Ralphie came from a reputable breeder in PA, and we paid $500 for him, his age was about 8 mos. If we'd gotten him as an 8-wk. old, he would have cost probably $1000. He came from a line of show dogs (parents Angel and Duff), and breeder said he held him back for showing (very stocky build, LARGE head). He said Ralphie started out acting normal like the others, and then suddenly one morning didn't want to come out of his crate. Blamed it on the father/grandfather dogs who boarded with him sometimes. He became too shy to show.

Maybe we paid too much, maybe there's something he's not telling us. But when we saw the big, shy, puppy (not even named yet), fearful of the other two dogs and people, and living in the basement kennel instead of with the family, we wanted him all the more. Breeder assured us he was never abused by people, just suddenly became shy. We love the traits of the golden breed, and wanted a new family dog, that was a little older and already housebroken, so we got him. His pedigree isn't really important to us. He needed a family, and we needed him. We are slowly getting him to come out of his shell (with your help), which is very gratifying. Obedience classes start in early February. This breeder has a very good reputation, recommended by a coworker, so I have a hard time disbelieving what he says. He was recommended to my coworker by Delaware Valley Veterinary Hospital (Dr. Steve Milden) several years ago. We are going to the same vet now too.

[Cassidy'sMom]

I had my first golden for 13 years, which was bought from a BYB for $50 - yes, I'm serious $50 but this was 10 years ago. She had many genetic problems, but with lots of good care and love, she lived a happy, healthy life.

So this time around I did my homework. I contacted the president of the GRCA for LA. She gave me a list good breeders in my area - and my search started. I finally found Cassidy from a breeder (who coincidently was my high school gym coach :rolleyes: ) and the moment I saw her I knew it was meant to be. She comes from a show line of dogs - which wasn't important. I made sure there were many, many OFA clearances down her pedigree and I also played with her mother for about an hour so I could get a feel for her temperment.

All this aside, I think the most important thing is feeling comfortable with the breeder. Anytime I have a question about Cassidy her breeder is always happy to help me out. She said to me that she would be there for Cassidy the rest of her life, and so far this has proven to be true. My next puppy will come from this breeder or another breeder she recommends!

[HenryWI]

We're getting our 8 week old Golden on Saturday from a reputable breeder here in Wisconsin. They came highly recommended by vets and Golden owners we contacted, so we're very excited about him! His mother and father were onsite and are just gorgeous. He is $600.

[theGoldenPup]

There wasn't an option for choosing multiple of the above.

Blaze was from a BYB, $300, a few "Behavior problems", but mostly due to my lack of ability to train him when we got him. Ear problems (probably due to allergies with food since it's cleared up now). Seizures that have started in the past year, but not too bad, thankfully.

Luna is from a rescue, (she's a golden/Bordercollie or aussie), and $100 for her. She's had a few problems with parasites, probably due to the dog someone dumped at our house the night we got her.

GoldenPup

[suzysues]

I am ashamed to say Abbey came from a Puppy farm. I was grieving so bad for my lost Rough Collie X that hubs was worried for my health & he also needed a pup around the house again, so we didn't wait. It was too soon for me really and I feel I am making up for lost time with my darling Abbey now. She was very sick for the first few weeks of her life & we nearly lost her!! She was conered in fleas & bites & had a big sore on her back. She had a baterial infection, which meant she couldn't mix with other dogs at all, untill the test showed it was clear. And humans could catch it too, so we had to wash our hands with antibacterial soap every time we cleaned up after her. All the pups at the puppy farm must have had this infection as it is highly contageous, so many probably died. Abbey was a carrier, so the infection didn't make her sick. The antibiotics she was on were so strong they made her vomit, so she had to have different ones. It was a hard few weeks. She couldn't start puppy school or start socialising until she was 5 months old. Alot of care, love & money! and Abbey is bouncing with health. She sometimes gets an upset tummy, but I think all pups do. She eats well & has lots of energy. We are still working on her growling, but we are getting there. Time will tell if she is healthy for her life, I hope she is. I would never buy in this way again and can only blame my health and the state I was in mentaly for doing it this time. But we love Abbey so much it makes up for everything.

[springr]

I started in 2000 with 2 rescued Golden Casey between 8 and 10 yr (desceased cancer)and Max 5 yrs (desceased). Wife thought about a pup we looked into a respectable breeder with hip and eye certification. This is where Cody (2 yrs) came from. I am currently fostering another rescued Golden Denver 1 1/2. Everyone says that I am going to be a failed foster (meaning that everyone believes that I am going to keep him). Love those Goldens.

[SuGaR]

We bought SuGaR from a reputable pet shop... and we didn't know better since she's our first dog. We intend to get the second from a home breeder instead. :)

[Harshy]

I checked off "other" because I'm still really not sure if Harley came from a BYB or reputable breeder. We got her through a newspaper ad and purchased her from a person in Maine who told us that he normally breeds his own dogs but tried something different this time and purchased a whole litter from a breeder in Tennesee. He drove down & brought the whole litter back here. He was asking $650 for the pups but when we went to pay for her he charged us only $600 because he said that he had decided to lower the price & had already sold 2 at $600. I have her papers & researched her pedigree on k9data. I couldn't find anything on her mom's side (which scares me a little) but this is her dad's side:

http://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=157217

I was given a card with the breeder's info on it and have been in contact with her by email. She was very helpful when I got scared by black spots that developed on Harley's tongue at around 6 months. She eased my mind by letting me know that Harley's Mom also had this marking and that 5 out of 7 of her own golden babies also had the black markings. She had also checked with her vet about it & was told it was normal. She said to let her know if I ever wanted another pup but that she only has litters twice per year. So far (knock on wood) Harley has been very healthy. She is 19 months now & of course I'm still always worried about HD. She has always had a "swagger" to her walk but thus far seems to move about quite fine with no signs of limping or pain. She is very laid back most of the time but when another pup comes to play, she goes nuts running around out in the yard! My previous dog was very high strung so sometimes I start to worry if Harley is ok because because she seems so calm & slow to react to things that would have my other dog on her feet & barking like crazy. As the months go by I'm trusting more that it is just her personality.

[MyBoyGus]

I got Gus from a Lab Rescue. rofl3 He was one of 14 dogs that were in a home, 3 of which were labs. The owners had to give up all of the dogs and they called Lab Rescue (LR). When LR got there they couldn't leave the 10 month old golden behind so they called me and asked me if I would foster him (I foster for LR). I went to the house and left with Gus and 2 cockers, the cockers spent the night with me and went to a cocker rescue the next day. Gus stayed, I fostered him for 4 days and decided to keep him. Boy, did I get a lot of ribbing from the LR folks, but I don't regret it for a minute. LR contacted all of the proper rescues for the various breeds of dogs and managed to get all of the dogs into rescue. I still foster, Gus loves the company.

[goldenlover]

Ralphie came from a reputable breeder in PA, and we paid $500 for him, his age was about 8 mos. If we'd gotten him as an 8-wk. old, he would have cost probably $1000. He came from a line of show dogs (parents Angel and Duff), and breeder said he held him back for showing (very stocky build, LARGE head). He said Ralphie started out acting normal like the others, and then suddenly one morning didn't want to come out of his crate. Blamed it on the father/grandfather dogs who boarded with him sometimes. He became too shy to show.

Maybe we paid too much, maybe there's something he's not telling us. But when we saw the big, shy, puppy (not even named yet), fearful of the other two dogs and people, and living in the basement kennel instead of with the family, we wanted him all the more. Breeder assured us he was never abused by people, just suddenly became shy. We love the traits of the golden breed, and wanted a new family dog, that was a little older and already housebroken, so we got him. His pedigree isn't really important to us. He needed a family, and we needed him. We are slowly getting him to come out of his shell (with your help), which is very gratifying. Obedience classes start in early February. This breeder has a very good reputation, recommended by a coworker, so I have a hard time disbelieving what he says. He was recommended to my coworker by Delaware Valley Veterinary Hospital (Dr. Steve Milden) several years ago. We are going to the same vet now too.

At the time we paid for Ralphie, breeder didn't give us the registration papers/numbers. He said they would be forthcoming. We weren't too concerned at the time, because we don't plan to show or breed Ralphie. However, I was considering registering him anyway, and would like the papers. I've made several calls to him, both house and cell phone numbers, but he hasn't returned my messages. He seemed to be on the level when we got Ralphie. Told us to take him for a week or so before paying for him, which we did. Told me if it didn't work out he would definitely take him back. Had no trouble reaching him by phone until after the sale. He told us at the time of sale that we could call him if we had any other concerns.

I know we took a chance by closing the sale without papers in our possession, but we were more concerned about Ralphie's well-being, and were not about to return him under any circumstances. I tried to find out from the AKC if the litter had in fact been registered by our breeder, but they couldn't tell me without the dam's number. Any advice? Sorry for the length of this message.

[angenbear]

I'm sorry to hear that owner went awol. Could be that there aren't papers on ralphie's parents? That ****s that he couldn't be honest. I guess it would be pointless to go to his house and ask that way since he won't answer his phone.

[goldenlover]

Just called the vet to see if they've heard anything from him recently. They haven't, but said he's usually really good about filing registration papers. Trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he's been ill, or went away on vacation after he sold the last of the most recent litter.

[goldenlover]

Still no return calls from breeder, and no papers. My vet is very familiar with him, and told me that he has never had any issues with him in the past, and he is always good about the papers. Vet will mention we are trying to reach him if he sees him. Vet did mention that breeder might be in the middle of moving. I suspect this could be why we haven't been able to reach him. But, both home and cell phones still accepting voicemail.

I know we should not have paid for Ralphie until we had the papers, but we felt it was in Ralphie's best interests to complete the transaction right away. We kept him for a week before making final decision and paying $500. According to photo album breeder showed us, he is from a champion bloodline. Though we don't plan to show or bred him, we'd still like to register him with the AKC.

Though he is fearful, he has never tried to bite when cornered, but he will try to bolt. So we try never to corner him. He's getting more comfortable with us. Still cautious and jumpy though. We got him in late November. He is 11 mos. old and has not been neutered yet, but we are planning to do it when he turns a year old.

No regrets about getting Ralphie, but I am disappointed by breeder's lack of support after payment was made. I know Ralphie is a much happier dog now that he has us. When he lived with breeder, he was crated with his father and grandfather (stud dogs) in a walkout basement. He did have plenty of yard playtime, but did not ever stay in the house. Breeder said he was normal golden personality to begin with, then suddenly one morning did not want to come out of his crate to be with people. Also could only play with either his father or grandfather, but not both at the same time, as the father would become too aggressive with him then. He is fearful of people, especially men. He goes to his first obedience class tomorrow, and I do feel he will improve. Could he have become this shy just from being crated without normal human contact? Breeder said he held him back from the litter to show him, but when he became shy, he decided to sell him.

Any advice? Please don't yell at me for not checking out the breeder more thoroughly. He was recommended by a coworker, who the vet recommended to her. He showed us pictures of Ralphie's parents, grandparents. We did have concerns about the conditions where Ralphie was kept. He was too isolated from people, and it was not very clean. I'm sure that new litters are kept inside the house, not the way Ralphie was kept. But that made us want to take him home even more, even though we knew he had issues.

[CaGolden]

My husband gave us Cooper as a gift. He completely surprised the whole family. I've always wanted a Golden and waited so long for one. I was wondering how many people had adopted theirs. I am currently looking into adopting another Retriever. This time we are looking at either a Golden or Labrador. We will be going to Petsmart this weekend. They will have around 25 puppies. Has anyone adopted from Petsmart?

[curlyjoe_mom]

I adopted my GR from the Humane Society. I have no problems with him. In fact, I will adopt again from them. I paid $60 for him, that was for his first shots and fixing.

[SRHookEm]

We got Abby from the GR rescue. She has heartworms. It seems to me that 90% of the rescues here have heartworms. She started her treatments and is doing just fine. No other health problems and she is as sweet as can be.

[kinseysmom]

Our first Golden Retriever was a gift to us - from a friend. She was purchased from a BYB, I guess. However, dear Maddie was fabulous. She lived 13 of the most incredible years......never a medical problem until 3 weeks before she died. Her heart finally started to weaken and she actually died in my arms one Saturday night. She was a true blessing and a "legend" with the neighborhood kids.

We "found" Kinsey after a long search. Everything was perfect. The timing of course but especially the breeder. Kinsey has a nice pedigree and her breeders do show etc. They kept a brother for show potential...we think they made the wrong choice of course. :roll2

We've also rescued a couple other dogs...Finny is one of them. I try to rescue little boy dogs with a lot of personality who get in trouble and no one wants! They end up being the "luvs of my life." Wait....I tell Kinsey she's the love of my life every morning! Hmm, I do forget to tell my husband that however. rofl3

[LauraLynn]

From a family that had to part with him, though he was from a reputable breeder originally.

[kinseysmom]

Your post breaks my heart. No, I'm not going to yell at you about some silly papers...that's not important. What is important is that you said Ralpie is afraid of men. There is only ONE reason for this. A man, probably his former owner/breeder, abused him. Ralphie should not feel threatened ever. He should not feel threatened by "cornering" him...although, I'm not really sure why anyone would "corner" a Golden Retriever. Keep Ralphie on a leash as you said he tries to bolt. The word "bolt" also alarms me. Cornering, bolt, afraid of men....those are not usually words used with Goldens. They are words used with dogs who have been abused.
Ralphie needs love, assurance, acceptance, consistency and positive reinforcement. Ralphie never needs to be punished nor hear a raised voice.....unless it's during a football game. ;) Ralphie is a Golden Retriever and naturally a wonderful loving dog. We've rescued several dogs. Our Finny was beaten with a leash and/or belt before he became our little guy....at first he would cower and hide under a table when the leash came out...or when my husband would get dressed in the morning. (the belt frightened him) It only took us a month to reassure him that he was loved and would never be hurt or yelled at.
You and Ralphie take care of each other. I look forward to the day when you can tell us how great he's doing and how much he loves men. It'll happen. :)
PS. get him neutered now. You don't have to wait for him to be 1 year old. The sooner the better.
I need to "edit" that neuter comment...I was thinking female spaying...sorry. A male neutered at one year is normal. Sorry. I get my sexes confused. lol

[GoldenBlaze]

sorry not sure how to delete this massage :confused:

[GoldenBlaze]

My turn, ok this is very hard for me to tell my story but I will try to keep it as short as I can but to the point.

Blaze is my very first golden retriever I've always wanted a golden but not like this.

Blaze is a replacement pup from the breeder that we bought Black Labador Retriever. We lost our Lab at only 27 mths old. Kaiger had serve HD in both hips and problems with his front legs aswell.

Our concern was Kaigers pain, after looking at the x-ray and talking with our Vet we decided to have Kaiger P/S. I held him as he went, I will never forget that day as long as I life. All I wanted was him to be free of pain, he was a sweet boy and deserved nothing but the best.

I called the breeder and they right away told me they have never had any problems with H/D and offered a replacement pup at no cost but, we would have to wait for a Lab or we could take a golden puppy that was ready to go.

Still not known about the breeder :( I needed that dog and after Blaze came home we realized he needed us just as much as we needed him.

For Blaze this time we went to the breeders, ( first time they brought Kaiger to us) OMG it was a puppy mill in Quebec.

Yes we took the puppy and waited for Monday for our Vet to open. We took Blaze right away as he was so itchy I felt so bad for him.

Our Vet told us more after we explained where Blaze came from, she knew it was a mill and we were worried about Blaze.

The itching we Demodex mange, and yes it ONLY comes from the mother. It took mths to find a mite and yet it was spreading daily. I called Paws (the breeder) and they knew nothing about this, I then lost it and started to say more then I should have to them. I was hurt but MAD too!

Parents that have demodex mange should NEVER be bred, they didn't care and wanting only the money they are greedy!

I read all I could and tried everything but not Ivomac, that was not something I was willing to try as our Vet explained it could kill him with only one dose.

I live everyday with worry about what will happen next with Blaze... he truely is my child and can't think of anything taking him from us.

I have been trying my hardest to close this puppy mill, I have been to Montreal speaking with the HS and many others. I have been in contact with other's who have sick puppies and I am happy to say Paws R Us Kennel in Shawville Quebec in now being visited weekly from different animal rights and HS.

I will not stop till this place is closed, I was told they have 300 plus dog and have been doingthis for many yrs. Many puppies are sold to the U.S.A as they ship everywhere. I have a online petition aswell and hope to bring the to MP very soon with the help of Pierre Barnoti, executive director of Quebec's Humane Society.

PUPPY MILL PETITION (http://www.**************.com/3450/petition.html)

So trying to stop this from being any longer... sorry again.
Blaze came from a puppy mill, he is beautiful, smart, sweet and we hope to keep him very healthy for many yrs. We will do anything it takes to keep this golden for many yrs to come.

:dogbark

Now we make sure Blaze is feed a great food, visits his Dr often still, just to keep a close eye on him and we do give him G/C, fish oil this is to help with any damaged skin from the mange.
Blaze is doing GREAT he was one yr Feb 8th/05

[ilovemydixie]

Dixie was given to me by my boyfriend. His mother breeds Basenjis and she also had Dixie's mother (DJ). DJ is AKC registered. DJ was not bred on purpose, sounds crazy, but here goes. The male golden across the street named Furball (CKC registered) had climbed the fence where DJ was and Furball got his groove on. Months later, 12 Golden babies were born. Because Dixie's parents were AKC(mom) and CKC(dad) they couldn't be registered. (is this true??)

After watching the puppies grow, I fell in love with them! They were all so fluffy and sweet. They puppies were sold so fast, I hated to see them go and I wanted one sooo bad. Then one day my boyfriend came over with one. She was so beautiful, with a cute American flag bandana on. My boyfriend had bought one of the puppies from his mom for $150 (so nice of him). I was soo excited!

I get to see Dixie's mom all the time and I like to watch how much alike they are. It is soo sweet! They both ALWAYS have something in there mouth, walking around with it and snorting. Dixie mom is a RED GR, and Furball (Dixie's dad) is light, like Dixie. Crazily,none of the pups were red.

[sandybch]

The puppies can be registered CKC but not AKC since CKC will accept the AKC registration, but not vice versa (this is assuming you are talking about the Continental Kennel Club when you say CKC). If it is the Canadian Kennel Club I'm not sure what their rules are.

[CaGolden]

Like I posted earlier we went to petsmart on Saturday to try to adopt a retriever. The whole process was so bad. We ended up leaving and not even filling out an application. The event was going to be from 12 to 4. We arrived around 11:30, and figured we would just walk around until 12. The lady in charge didn't arrive until 1:30 p.m. and I couldn't believe how she had her dogs. There were about 20 puppies and she had them in her explorer, all loose. On the dashboard, seats..etc I'm not sure how far she came but I would think it is dangerous to drive with that many hyper puppies all over the place. Well, after everyone helped including us, put the dogs into kennels and take them inside. She lasted about 1/2 an hour with someone that wanted to adopt a returning puppy (they were foster parents) That is understandable. Nobody knew what was going on. The least she could of done was announce the process or at least acknowledge all the people there. We waited for about another hour. We left after a couple who had just walked in was given first pick of the pups, they jut happen to be the first ones she noticed, after she was finished with the foster parents. They took the dog out and started filling out papers for her. It just happend to be the puppy that a lot of people were looking at. Half of the people left at that moment. They need to have some kind of set procedure, maybe a write in sheet so she can go down the list. Sorry for making this so long and on the good side. That afternoon we were told of a family who was looking for a home for their 3 month Golden. That Sunday morning we brought her home. Her name is Cassie and she is such a pretty girl. They had purchased her from a breeder who had chosen kept her from the liter to continue breeding but couldn't keep her and this family wanted to train her as a service dog for their son but found out her job was moving her to the desert and they didn't want to take her because it was too hot and they would be in a motor home. She also comes from an AKC family and will be registering her as well.

[Cheyenne]

I got Cheyenne from a BYB. I didn't know it was a BYB until I actually got there to look at the pups. Everything the woman told me on the phone was either made up or getting around the truth. I never did get to see the parents which were supposed to be onsite, etc etc but when I took one look at the little pup who waddled over to me and wanted to play I knew I had to take her home and clean her up. There were 2 left, her and her brother and if I could have taken both at the time I would have but was informed there was 3 other people coming after me to purchase a pup so I am really hoping someone gave him a good home. She was $150 and she doesn't have papers, although she is not a mix at all. These were supposedly the puppies that didn't get registered because the breeder only registered one out of her two litters (??? something about paying to register too many litters and they weren't show quality anyhow - I wasn't looking for a show dog anyhow but had to get this pup out of this environment regardless of any other lies the lady told me!) Anyhow when I got there she was in the back of this horse trailer which wasn't in any way fit for puppies to be kept in. It still had horse **** in it!!! I was so upset. This little pup was covered in fleas and ticks. It took us about 4 hours to get her a bath and pick all the fleas and ticks off of her (they were between her little toes and everywhere!!) and get her cleaned up but she seemed otherwise ok. Now she is 11 months old and I discovered about 2 months ago that she has HD. It breaks my heart. I will take care of her and make sure she gets the right treatment and whatever I can do to make her life the best but it's so sad that people are like this. I knew I was taking a chance when I got Cheyenne given where she came from but I could not leave her where she was in such a miserable place. Otherwise she is very loving and active and the joy of my life. I guess buyer beware but I made the choice to go ahead and take her so now I just have to make sure I do everything I possibly can to make sure she has the best life ever. I will eventually get another pup and it surely won't be from the same place, although I hope all the other pups that come from there get good homes with loving people!!

[lovie1]

i got Doc from a byb also...though it was a wonderful family place with the puppies and mother on the premises but not the father they had his pic and DNA number. Doc had papers and an up to date vet record with the vets name. But no health clearances. I had docs hips xrayed when he was neutered and one hip great so far but the other was only 2/3 of the way in the hip joint. And he doesn't meet breed standard. But he is just perfect and beautiful to me and all who meet him just fall in love with him. I have never had a dog that learned so fast and is so loving. Tommorrow is his first nursing home visit!!!! he is the love of my life ..well next to my hubby lol :laugh2 i have quite a few friends that show various breeds of dogs and they say things like ..well he doesn't have enough rear leg angulation...gonna probably be to tall etc...my respose is yeah so...my rear end is too big and i should be taller for my weight and i have some back problems and some allergies sure hope my husband doesn't want to trade me in for someone better :laugh2

[lvngold]

Amen, Lovie

I am in the same boat with you!

[Cheyenne]

Lovie1. I loved your post!! Don't worry you have a god sense of humor, hubby wouldn't dare trade you in. LOL!! Glad so far your Doc is doing well it sounds like. I agree so much about the not meeting breed standard. Unless you were specifically looking for a show dog it shouldn't matter as long as you think he's beautiful and love him. I don't know exactly what about my Cheyenne was not quality enough to consider her unable to show or register by this breeder/others but I love her to death and everyone just says how beautiful she is and everywhere I take her people want to pet her, etc That's joy enough for me!! Good luck with your Doc and keep your humor!!

[goldenlover]

Thank you for your 2/19 post. Somehow I missed it, even though I'm always checking the board for responses to my pleas for advice. The words "internet addiction" come to mind. :rolleyes:

I hate to accuse the breeder of abuse. Ralphie did not seem frightened of him when we were together. I also think some object may have fallen on or near him as a young puppy, because Ralphie seems very cautious of his surroundings, and of sudden movement. But, yes, he is definitely real cautious about all men. He's not afraid of me, but he'll still jump if I move suddenly. But you could be right -- maybe he was abused by someone before we got him.

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I'll keep you posted on his progress, and let you know if I ever find out what made him so shy and fearful.

Mary E.

[bebe_de_chocolate]

We got Goldie from my father's cousin, a BYB. She was my father's christmas gift (free) but she ended up having severe anemia from not being dewormed and had to be hospitalized and given a few transufsions so she wasnt quite free when thinking of the financial strain and the emotional strain we went through. But she is healthy now and super sweet so even though I would never get another dog from a BYB now that I am educated, we are happy to have gotten her.

[Brandy and Charlie's Mom]

Our first golden, Reyna, came from a BYB. We rescued her from her first family that kept her outside 100% of the time. Poor baby was just 5 months old, weighed 70 pounds because they fed her every time she barked (her tummy hit the ground) and had all kinds of skin problems. Well, with lots of love and care, she soon became a FANTASTIC dog and our constant companion.

Sadly, Reyna died in January. Shortly after, we tried to rescue an older golden but she turned out to have cancer. So we decided to look for a puppy and found Brandy at a BYB a few days later.

With her white paws, there's no way Brandy could ever meet the breed standards. But we met both parents (who were AKC), and all of her siblings. Everyone appeared healthy and happy, with easy going temperments. Brandy was the only one with white feet (other breeders have told us it happens sometimes!). It made her special to us. Plus, her personality won us over immediately!

[maine-girl]

Our 12 y.o. came from the S.P.C.A. and did not look like a golden at all (it took 6 months to see it). Our 5 month old boy is from Golden Glow Kennels in Waterfall Pa.

[Lee]

Our first dog, Lucy, came from a breeder of "field" Goldens on the west side of our state. A wonderfully intelligent and sweet dog who died when she was 3yo from bloat. About a year after we got Lucy, we adopted Ace from a little boy who was moving out of state. Ace was from a BYB who took him away from his litter at 5weeks and gave him to this 8yo boy for Christmas. When we adopted him, Ace was 7mos old and had never seen a Vet. He spent his days chained to a tree, and wasn't allowed in the house. He is the most expensive "free" dog --has horrible allergies. :rolleyes: He looks like a Golden&Irish Setter mix. Zoe is 5yo and we got her after Lucy died--from a breeder in Canada. At 3yo she finally grew a brain and is turning into a great dog.--show dog sire, so she is gorgeous. Cassie came to us 4yo ago when we had "puppy lust"--if you love puppies, you know what I mean-we got her from Paws with a Cause as a foster puppy. She is from their breeding program--very sweet,gentle, and needy.Short on looks, but not bred for them. Has never been sick-not even an ear infection. We ended up with her because she has a "borderline" hip, and couldn't be used as an assistance dog, and we couldn't be happier! :dogbark

[gnhykn]

I did all the research, read everybook our library had. I knew what i should ask, and look for in a reputable breeder. I contacted the golden ret. club in our state, got a breeder referral, emailed, spoke on the phone... you know the drill... I found the perfect breeder. pups due in spring, parents active in showing, lots of titles, all clearences, plus the looks, and temperment of angels... for 1000.00

I also called every add in our local paper. (even though books said not too) Asked lots of questions, and put a big "x" through each one.... untill...I found a kind family, with a beautiful, gentle, smart mommy dog and 10 pups. Mom had a great pedigree all am/can champs, all on ped were ofa but mom. mom had no titles, but did amazing tricks!! dad had all clearences and dna , and a few hunting titles, no ch's though. they were lovingly whelped in the master bedroom, and loved from day one. gently socialized, and vet cared for. $450.00 later, Reggie is 4 months old now and i pray i wont end up in heartache. So, BYB... yes... but I feel good about the experience.

[ChicagoCanine]

I put "Other" because I found my Golden as a stray when she was a year and a half old. She was running loose in a park. I put signs up, ads, etc and never found an owner.

[Connie]

I bought Belle from a wonderful breeder in Illinois. My husband said if I could save the money I could get her. SHe was $1200.00 I went down to our basement and got things I didn't use anymore and sold them on Ebay. I sold enough to pay for my puppy. I should of named her ebay...not belle. She has been worth every cent and more. connie and belle

[messano]

We breed our own dogs, we are now on the 5th generation of home bred Goldens.

Messano

[CaynCher]

My two Goldens were selected out of litters from recommended breeders. Waited over a year for my second pup as I could not find an appropriate match as far as desired appearance & blend with our household. He was well worth the wait as we are extremely happy with him. :dogbark :reddogx

[JsMom]

We found Jake through an ad in the paper - yes a backyard breeder. He was from his parent's first litter - both parents were on the premisis, although I never had any contact with them. I could see them through the sliding glass door. The puppies were in the living room and the breeder loved them like her own - but she did let them go at 5 1/2 weeks - perhaps to save on giving them shots? It was so long ago - I can't really remember what we paid for him - somewhere in the $350-$400.00 range. Jake was wonderful although he did have hip displaysia. It never slowed him down until he was quite old and when he ran, he ran like a bunny. Still didn't stop him. When Jake was 12, I figured he was at the end of his life so I called the same breeder to see if she was still breeding. I found out that there was only 1 more litter after Jakes - the breeder found it too heartbreaking to give up the pups, and Jakes mother died at the age of 8 from cancer. (Liver I think it was.) She told me not to give up on Jake because his father was 14 1/2 and "still going". Little did I know that we would have Jake another 5 years!

We are now in the process of researching breeders - hopefully close in our area. I found one last night on the internet that isn't too far away but gulped when I saw that she wants $1,800.00 for her puppies. Does anyone think that's too high? We are looking for a pet, not a show dog. I'm visiting a local dog show today and will be asking lots of questions if I can get hold of anyone there. ;)

[jdaneal]

Hi I got Sam from my neighbor who was abusing him (chained up all day). I have a post in the introductions thread that tells the story. I knew right away that he was a purebred Golden. I have always wanted one and now he is my first. The owner did say he paid between $400-$600 for him and got him in California. I do wish I knew more about his history from reading posts on here, and I sure bet he was an adorable puppy. He was only 8-9 months old when I got him but not a little itty bitty pup. As far as his health well he has been to the vet for shots and then for neutering and they said he looked very healthy. I have never seen him show any signs of HD thank goodness. At that time he weighed 75lbs but I am sure he weighs a little more now. He has really filled out. He is dark red but from reading the post about field Goldens I don't think he is one of those. He is so big and has really thick and wavy fur and a blocky head. He has also become very dosile lately. He was pretty high energy when I got him but now he insists on being where ever I am and will lay down and sleep by me. He will gladly go for walks and play fetch and can get all excited and active but he has good house manners and stays calm inside.

Anyway not to write a book here. I took a chance on taking him from an unknown past but Goldens are such wonderful dogs he has not disapointed me.

[WyanMOMof3]

BYB or hobby breeder.. anyway the people we got Comet from loves there boy and girl and breedfor the love of puppys and the fun of it. I was told! lol But so far so good the vet said the puppy looks healthy gave him a yummy paste in his mouth , a shot , and a spray down with flea spray just in case. And a meaty pill to take at home. He ate it and loved it! lol Turns out the Vet was not in and the ladies there were trained to give shots and such. That bugged me. Last time I went to a vet with another dog I once had I got lots of info and a goody bag before I left! This time heres your shot heres your pill come back every month for a booster and they sent me on my way. But not before telling me to feed the dog as much as he wants and always have food out.???

[Cedar]

At the time, an unknown co-worker of mine (Mike) bred his large female GR with a large male GR in hopes of getting a large male for himself. We (Karl & Kari) had been dogless for 10 years. Several known co-workers of mine stepped up on my behalf & solicited my name as a candidate for a pup. Mike's stipulations were to pay for only for shots & if neutered, the pup would come with papers. For us, becoming a breeder was/is not an option. Karl grew up with a Lab & I grew up with a Dachshund - both dogs lived past 15. Together, we have rescued 2-dogs. Both rescue cases were tragic endings, hence the 10 year dogless period. Before agreeing to what my cohorts had done for me, I researched the GR breed & presented Mike with a list of requirements. Mike said he was impressed & that I was the only candidate requesting information. He provided me with OFA & CERF cert copies. You see, Mike wanted a large male for himself. 11 puppies were born on 10/10/2003 to the proud parents of Yukon's Brandy Girl and Jordon Pocket of Delight. Karl & I were the 1st to take a puppy away from the litter. I had my mind set on a male & Karl was set on a female. Karl picked out the biggest softest female & they stuck, just like velcro. I caved... Now we have Cedar. Defying direction, she has become my dog - all my dog. She doesn't make a move without me. I can't explain why this is & don't care. She has found me, finally at last, after some long unspoken journey ~ she is home.

[sunflowergirl]

Bosco is from a BYB.He is akc registered and is from field lines.I was able to trace his fathers line a little bit,he had testing done and was cleared.He belonged to someone else so I wasn't able to see him.Boscos mother was a red GR.She was very sweet and friendly and well behaved but had no testing and hadn't been cleared.I found all that out later.I should have passed but after I played with him I couldn't!I fell in love!He had his 1st set of vaccines,worming at 5weeks.He was 11wks when I had went to see him. he had been due for vaccines and worming again at 8-9wks and she had not bothered to take him to have that done.I didn't notice that on his shot record until later.Bosco was one of three left of a litter of 9 or 10.I took him to the vet the next day and they helped me get his vaccines back on track.He also had a bad case of roundworms and tapeworms.We didn't find any flea dirt or fleas but I have had him on revolution ever since.I called the owner/byb and told her about the worms and that she should worm the other pups and let people know that the pups are behind on their vaccines!I wish I had not bought from a byb but I love Bosco and don't regret it.he is wonderful!I am sad to say that I think I have seen a few of his litter mates in the past few months in the paper and on petfinder.I guess people couldn't handle the energy.It makes me really sad.Boscos is from field lines(lots of energy and drive)!He is 11months and a hyper nut at times but its my job to wear him out!I expected him to be hyper,so I guess it doesn't faze me.... :reddogx

[Cypress]

My boss bred his beautiful dog with a male that belongs to another boss I have (yes, I am low on the totem pole at work -- lots of bosses :) ). He GAVE me a puppy. He just wanted his puppies to have good homes. I must have the nicest bosses in the world. :D

[Boondox]

Molson was rescued from a puppy mill where he was a stud. Ditto for Harley.

Killian was found nailed inside a crate in Scranton PA; he'd been without food for several days but was able to drink rain water. He is now the mascot of a Girl Scout troop in NY.

Glenfiddich was also a PA dog who came to us when his home was destroyed by flooding several years ago and the shelters would not allow pets inside.

Tetley was from a reputable breeder who was going thru a divorce. When the husband wanted to sell all the pups to the highest bidder the wife turned them all in to rescue so we could find decent loving homes for them. Tetters was different from the start, so he remained and became my soul dog.

Tuppence the Wonderbitch came from Stormville Kennels out of NY at the end of a three year search for a quality breeder. She is high energy, high devotion, very bright and very high maintenance.

Penny was found wandering the backroads in northern VT. Strangely enough, so was Mason, who looks just like her but came three years later. Both are living with a great family in Massachusetts.

Because we specialize in badly abused dogs, we've had goldens come to us from as far away as Nashville TN and Fort Worth TX. The worst seem to come from pet shops and were adopted by novices with no idea what dog ownership meant. We suspect the issue is two-fold: First, in order to reach the pet shop at eight weeks the pups are taken from their mother way too early and miss some critical socialization time. Secondly, the first is aggravated by the fact that few dog savvy people get their companions from pet shops, and those that do have no idea they are dealing with canine children. They expect a pup to behave like Uncle Ed's old golden who laid around all day and was mellow as could be. When the pup doesn't behave that way they get all upset and take it out on the dog. If the dog is lucky, he'll find his way into rescue early. If not, the neglect or abuse goes on till the golden's character is changed.

Jeez, I'm pontificating! End of sermon! Pete

[Brandy and Charlie's Mom]

Pete, pontificate away! You're one of the good guys.

[Skokie]

Muskoka came from a breeder north of Toronto. All her puppies are raised in her home so they get used to the everyday household noises. :reddogx

[Golden Homer]

We got Homer from a reputable breeder in Australia. He is gorgeous!!!! :485

[furkidcheyenne]

I got my second golden Piper from rescue when she was just 8 weeks old. A family had an unexpected litter of puppies and we worked hard to get them into rescue where we knew they would have good homes. The family was quite irresponsible and was just trying to get rid of the puppies by giving them away to people they didn't even know. Anyway, at the time I had finally decided I was ready for another golden pup now that Cheyenne is two and I am able to work from home and figured I would continue fostering until I found the right one. I fostered a few that just didn't seem to be the right fit and I knew the homes I put them in were just where they should be when this little pup came in of course I offered to foster yet again. I fell in love with her the night I went to pick her up from the lady who transported her into rescue and knew that my search was over. She is such a happy little dog all the time. She is only 10 months old now but healthy and happy. I tell you if I lived in a bigger place I would have more goldens!! I still foster off and on but only for short periods since Piper is still rowdy puppy and it's too hectic with extra dogs in a one bedroom apartment!! Bless everyone and their golden kids. They are definitely the joy of my life!!

[So ist brav]

I imported my working line boy from Canada.

[Jackthegoldenbear]

Jack came from a Breeder in Mendota Illinois, East Lanes Kennel. We have been very impressed, and as some of you might remember our food agression problem we were having with him- She has been working with him for the last week back at her place. So far, he is doing wonderful besides the food problem. At 4 months he could already-sit,laydown,shake,other paw,wait AND he just mastered roll over. I respect her as a breeder, because she really didnt have to offer to do "doggie boot camp" to recondition him.

[2burkeboys]

Gunnar, pictured in my avatar, was from a local breeder. She only has one litter per year from one female. She goes to our church and is a customer of our business. Gunnar cost $300 and was purchased in Sept. Our female, Jazz, was given to us by my chiropractor back in April. We had a male, Simba, who was also given to us by some friends. He died from cancer back in October. A great dog doesn't have to cost tons of money.The best things in life are free. :dogbark

[amborg2]

Newton came from a local breeder, ForestCreek, who I found through our local GRCA puppy referral contact. Our previous breeder - also referred to us by GRCA - retired and we were fortunate that a stud dog litter had been born just days after Mully died and was just a few miles away.

Lynn was great and sent us pictures of the pups every week. I was impressed that she fed Nutro's Ultra rather than ProPlan as so many around here feed. Newton is incredibly healthy and robust.

We had a little soft stool when we first brought him home, but that corrected quickly once he settled in.