ABOUT GOLDEN RETRIEVERS IN GENERAL
This is not just another retelling of the history of the Golden Retriever. Those are available elsewhere. Instead, this is more of an overview of things innate to the Golden Retriever that affect their function as companion animals.
Okay, what do I need to know?
Despite what I just said, some basic history is necessary. The Golden Retriever is a relatively “young” breed, having only been developed in the mid to late 1800’s. Compare this to some ancient breeds such as the Saluki, Pharaoh Hound, or Basenji, which have remained essentially unchanged for thousands of years. Their “breed type” is extremely well established, whereas the Golden is still evolving.
Add to the youth of the breed the fact the Golden as we know it today was developed by crossing four “root” breeds. Initially, a male off-color Flat Coated Retriever was bred to a female Tweed Water Spaniel (a breed which is now extinct). Over the next few generations, more Flat-Coats and Tweed Spaniels were used. Later, a dun colored Bloodhound was bred in to improve scenting ability and a small Irish Setter was introduced to improve stylishness in the field. These crosses are well documented. There is also anecdotal evidence that a yellow Labrador Retriever or two were also crossed in once the breed arrived in America.
What does all this really mean?
It means the gene pool of the Golden Retriever is still so young, diverse, and unrefined that genetic “packages” of certain traits can still emerge that favor the root breeds. Some Goldens can be tall and narrow and such a dark gold that they are mistaken for Irish Setters. Some can be so heavy and “fleshy” in the face that the bloodhound influence is revealed. Others have distinctly Labrador-like heads and coats.
Conscientious breeders work hard to try and eliminate these rouge genetic expressions by keeping a mental picture of the ideal Golden Retriever firmly in mind when selecting puppies to keep for (hopefully) future breeding purposes. The AKC breed standard is the template we use to compare our puppies and adults to, and we confirm their adherance to that standard before breeding through competition. In general, if the dog “looks like” a Setter or a Lab or anything else, then it is clearly NOT a good representative of the Golden Retriever.
So what exactly is a "good representative" of the breed?
A good representative of the breed must not only conform to the physical description as explained in the AKC breed standard, but it must also display certain traits of personality and behavior. It helps to keep in mind the original purpose of the breed. The Golden was developed in the British Isles to be a gentleman’s multi-purpose hunting dog, able to retrieve game from either a dry upland or wet marshland environment. It had to be moderate in size as well as calm and controllable to fit at the hunter’s feet in a blind or a small boat, waiting for game to retrieve. It had to have a functional coat that would dry quickly and naturally repel dirt and debris. Selectively breeding for all these things resulted in an attractive, medium size hunting dog with a keen desire to be with and please its owner.
Is it any wonder that the Golden is now consistently one of the most popular breeds chosen as family pets?
NOTE: It is not acceptable for a Golden to exhibit any extremes of behavior. Goldens should never be hyperactive, uncontrollable, stupid, lazy, overly submissive, or aggressive (either towards other dogs or people).
I see! What else do I need to know?
Despite their glowing reputation and demonstrated verstitlity and adaptability, a Golden is just not the ideal pet for everyone.
1. Most Goldens go through a prolonged puppyhood, especially the males, which can last for up to 3 or 4 years of age. They will dig, chew, shed, and try to outthink you in the most innovative ways. It is like having a gifted child with four feet and a tail! They have an incredible learning capacity, and unless you keep that brain busy with training of your choosing, you probably won't like the things they think up to do on their own. A destructive Golden is not a "bad dog", he is a "bored dog".
2. Goldens are also extremely emotionally needy, and crave human attention... a LOT of human attention! A Golden simply can not be a full time outside dog unless you spend a significant amount of time outside with it every day.
3. Goldens are a fairly high-energy breed, not so much so as say, a Border Collie or Standard Poodle, but they do need adequate amounts of exercise that only a good-sized yard and/or regular walks or play periods can provide.
4. Never forget that Goldens were bred to do a job. They will "retrieve" almost anything just for the sheer joy of showing you that they can... like filching your dirty intimate underthings out of the laundry basket and displaying them to your guests. Or one of my personal favorites... after watching you carefully plant new shrubs all weekend, they will dig them all up and leave them on your porch for you to plant again. (How thoughtful!) If hunting is not your "thing", unless you can find alternate outlets for the Golden's natural instincts, these are the types of talent displays you can expect for him to think up on his own.
Okay, all that is good to know, but after careful consideration, I still think a Golden is right for our family. What now?
You need to know where to find one. There are basically four sources for Golden Retrievers.
1. Pet stores. This is, quite honestly, a TERRIBLE place to buy puppies. Most pet stores buy their puppies wholesale from puppy brokers who obtain them in litter lots from midwest "puppy mills". The classic puppy mill is a huge breeding farm, where dozens and sometime hundreds of dogs are kept in tiny breeding cages and exist only to produce puppies. There is frequently little or no quality control applied to the parents... no health clearances or titles to show that the dogs were healthy or even good breed representatives. And by the time the puppies have gone from the breeder to the broker to the pet store, the shipping stress makes them extremely vulnerable to disease and the price markups at each stage result in a high-priced but poor quality puppy.
2. Back Yard Breeders. The typical "BYB" has two dogs, a male and a female, and they breed them because they love them and maybe a few friends have expressed a desire to have one of "Buddy & Goldie"s pups. They are not bad-meaning, they are just ignorant of the larger picture... that Goldens suffer from their own sterling reputation and are actually a very genetically immature breed that needs constant attention to certain health, behavior, and appearance issues. The BYBs usually advertise their pups in the local paper, and although the price may look attractive, again you are most likely getting a poor quality puppy.
3. Responsible Breeders. The responsible (or "hobby") breeder usually competes with their dogs in one or more areas of competition and always has full health clearances on their breeding stock. It is these "quality control" measures that set them head and shoulders above any other source for puppies. In addition, they typically belong to both the Golden Retriever Club of America as well as their local Golden club. These breeders may be hard to find, because they don't breed often and their litters are sometimes all reserved before they are even born or shortly thereafter. If they advertise at all, it may only be through their club's puppy referral services. Pups from repsonsible breeders are admittedly the most expensive, but like most other things you do get what you pay for. If a healthy, well-behaved, good looking dog is what you want, locate a responsible breeder in your area and get on their waiting list! It will be well worth the wait.
4. Golden Rescue. "Rescue" is what we call organizations and individuals who take in displaced Goldens (and sometimes Golden mixes) and try to "rehome" them. Some of these dogs have been surrendered by their owners due to changing family situations that could not accomodate the dog, and others have been bailed out of shelters. Rescue workers make sure the animals are in good health, have them neutered if they have not been already, and try to spend some time getting to know each dog before it is made available for adoption. The adoption fee is usually quite modest compared to the price of a puppy, and not only will you avoid all that "puppy stuff", but you will have the wonderful knowledge that you gave someone else's cast-off Golden a loving "forever" home.
INTERNET WARNING SIGNS
The internet is a wonderful tool but is easy to abuse. The ease of advertising on the internet has given rise to a whole new type of deceptive marketing of puppies. It has actually created a whole new type of breeder... the small scale puppy mill... usually people with 10-20 breeding animals trying to pose as responsible hobby breeders by hiding behind the internet. One such breeder I am aware of has five separate websites, one for each of her five breeds, so that inquirers for any one breed won't know she is puppy milling. Another has her site loaded with "helpful information" that was copied verbatim out of a well-known book (I suppose this is to make her look knowledgable/helpful/as if she really cares?) and still another has grossly falsified both her experience and references.
Please make sure you are really dealing with a responsible hobby breeder and not a puppy mill in disguise! Here are some tips.
Be wary of "breeders" who do not compete with their dogs. They typically have lovely custom-designed websites and some of the dogs may have nice pedigrees, but none of them will have any titles and all the dogs will be photographed in candid shots instead of in show pictures. Ungroomed dogs (hairy ears and feet, or dirty or messy looking coats) are also a giveaway. A "show picture" is a photo of an immaculately groomed dog in an alert standing position sideways to the camera. The handler will be behind the dog and the judge can usually be seen off to one side, holding the ribbons and/or trophy the dog has won that day. There should also be a "win placard" near the dog identifying the win, the show, the date, and usually the name of the photographer as well. Competition is a very important method of “quality control” that separates the truly superior Golden, worthy of reproduction, from the mediocre one who has little or nothing to contribute to the improvement of the breed.
Ask to see copies of the puppy's pedigree and health certificates (hips, elbows, heart, and eyes) on the puppy's parents. Make absolutely sure that the paperwork you see matches up with who you have been told your puppy's parents are. Many small scale puppy mills are doing health clearances so they can get top dollar for their puppies, but some very unscrupulous breeders are still out there who hand out copies of the grandparents' pedigrees and clearances to avoid doing clearances on the dogs they are actually breeding. Verify that the dogs' registered names and AKC numbers are the same (these will appear on all official documents).
Most responsible breeders will have a detailed contract for you to sign. These contracts typically include some kind of health guarantee and usually require the neuter of all puppies sold as pets. If the breeder you are talking to has no contract at all, one without a health guarantee, or one that does not try to protect the future quality of the breed by requiring the neuter of their pet quality puppies, I suggest you look elsewhere.
Another warning sign is a breeder’s willingness to ship anywhere as long as someone has the asking price. Most responsible breeders will want to meet you, visit your premises, or at the very least will ask detailed questions about your family, house, yard, activities, etc. They will also not be evasive or upset if you ask them questions about their dogs, their breeding program, etc.
And finally, any breeder that has multiple litters at a time, ALL the time, is a puppy mill. Pure and simple. Responsible hobby breeders only have one or a few litters a YEAR, not several each month.
Wow, that is pretty scary.
Yes, it is. Unfortunately the Golden's own wonderful reputation works against it. Most people want one based on the well-behaved and lovely dogs they see in so many commercials, ads, and movies, but then they go to sources that do nothing to ensure that the qualities that make the Golden a joy to own have been preserved in the puppies they are producing!
The Golden is a complex animal with many unresolved genetic issues involving health, behavior, and appearance. Those of us that work very hard to produce correct, healthy Goldens have to compete with the greedy, who only see the money to be made without any true commitment to the breed's future.
If you would like additional details about Goldens in general, or specifics about the major health issues affecting Goldens, the types of competition available and how they impact the "pet" Golden, or anything else, please email me with your questions and I will be happy to elaborate.
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