Looking to buy a golden retriever puppy this summer.

[RubberDuck]

As some have already mentioned, please, please, please consider a rescue!

There are literally thousands of wonderful dogs out there that don’t have a chance at good life or a happy home just because they are not CKC registered or a purebred.

Please have a look at this site and do a search for what you are looking for:

http://www.petfinder.com/index.html

You can pretty much find any breed, size, age, or color dog that you are looking for. There are a few Golden Retrievers on here looking for a good home and they are not that far away.

Please do not be put off by distance either. We just recently adopted our second rescue out of the US. The first one we drove down to pick up but due to significant distance we had the second one flown up. It is not a difficult process or an expensive one. In comparison to buying a purebred, it is not only cheaper to rescue it is far more rewarding.

As a side note, camping this last weekend our two rescued “mutts” set a shining example of behavior and temperament in comparison to the purebreds we were with. I was happy to hear from more than one person last weekend that their next dog would definitely be a rescue.

I would be more than happy to answer any questions or share our experiences with anyone interested in dog rescue. Please send me a PM if there is anything I can do to assist anyone considering adoption.

[SeeBass]

I have lost my best friend of 15 years a little while ago.

I have cried a little or a lot everyday since.

[RubberDuck]

Originally Posted by SeeBass

I have lost my best friend of 15 years a little while ago.

I have cried a little or a lot everyday since.

I'm so sorry to hear that.

I guess thats the one downside of dog ownership. We'll most likely outlive them.

[Komskies]

Paging Cowperson. More awesome dog pictures please!

[longsuffering]

Originally Posted by Rerun

I wouldn't crate the dog for a 10 hour day... never. That would be terrible.... particularly for a puppy.

I agree that dogs do need daily exercise. We have a fairly large back yard and he/she would have the run of that during the day.... once he/she was older.

As for the daycare, I do know someone who could care for the puppy every Monday and I might know someone else who could look after the pup one or two other days.... thus I might be able to get away only taking the pup to doggy daycare 2 or 3 days a week.

At the risk of sounding very much like a dick ....

Are you sure you are willing to commit to owning a dog? Some of your comments, lead me to question whether you've thought it through.

You can't leave a puppy at home, alone all day long. Period.

And if you think your dog would get enough exercise running around the backyard, you are mistaken. Your Golden would probably need to be walked (on leash at a good pace) for one to two hours a day to burn off all his playful energy. If your pup doesn't get enough exercise, you will think you've adopted Satan.

It is a HUGE commitment in time and energy in being a good, responsible dog owner. It sounds a little bit like you think it would be cool to own a Golden (which it is) but if the dog is going to be alone, or in the care of strangers, more often than in the care of you and your family, then you might want to rethink things.

[Frank MetaMusil]

Originally Posted by fotze

Thats what I say for the 12 year old russian girl I have. I had her fingers on her right hand docked too. It counteracts aging.

Did she look like this?

[chid]

Originally Posted by socktape

There are a bunch of labs or lab x on this local site as well

http://www.mistycreekdogrescue.com/dogs.php

We just adopted Berlin, near the bottom of the page and formed our own family anti-terrorist squad. He can be a little bugger, but for the most part he is and will be a really good dog.

Berlin was so cute! We got our dog from Misty Creek as well, great to deal with.

My dog just turned 1 year -

[Suzles]

I can highly recommend Heaven Can Wait in High River as a way to go if you will consider a rescue dog. Kim (the owner) has a 'foster to adopt' programme - where people can take the dog home for a week and see how the dog fits in, etc. Kim is also very good as homing well socialised dogs (and socialised to cats as well). It is a wonderful place and Kim does some marvellous work. www.heavencanwait.ca

[socktape]

Originally Posted by chid

Berlin was so cute! We got our dog from Misty Creek as well, great to deal with.

My dog just turned 1 year -

Great Pics! Henry(Berlin) won't stay still long enough for a really good shot. They are all blurry for the most part, need to adjust the shutter speed et al for him. Just like our oldest son. :-)

[FlamesGirl]

Is there a reason you're specifically looking for a golden retriever? Like temperament, activity, intelligence? You can most likely find a dog with all the characteristics you're looking for at a shelter/rescue so long as you're not hung up on the appearance of the dog.

As some posters said, goldens require a lot of exercise or else they can become destructive. How much do you walk/run outside now? If you're not being active now, getting a dog doesn't necessarily change that. A golden retriever, like most sporting, working, herding dog breeds, has to get daily exercise. This might mean waking up an hour earlier in the morning to make sure dog gets a walk before work...especially if he's going to be in a crate/left along during the day. Walking in the morning is the most important thing an owner can do to stop a dog from becoming destructive.

When I was looking for my dog I had picked what were the most important qualities to me (big, protective, calm in the house, good with other dogs) and what weren't (shedding, looks, level of activity since I'm an active person). I checked all the rescues and shelters for a few months and eventually adopted my guy from AARCS. He's a flat coated retriever X golden retriever and he's exactly what I wanted and needed so please don't discount rescue dogs or think there's something "wrong" with them. Most have ended up there after getting a bad start in life, neglectful owners and simple ignorance. My own dog came from an abusive situation and another dog I know is getting turned in this week because he's too "high energy"...meaning his family didn't research the breed and got one that's unsuitable for their lifestyle and now won't make an effort. Hopefully someone will adopt that poor soul before he ends up on death row.

I highly recommend you make a list of what you're looking for in a dog (and why) and go from there. Maybe a different breed would match up better with your lifestyle or wants.

if you've decided on a golden retriever, check out: http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/

Lots of friendly people and a great place to ask questions and look into breeders/puppies.

Here's Ranger, my flattie/golden retriever cross.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Komskies

Paging Cowperson. More awesome dog pictures please!

Adventuring up high in some fresh snow a few weeks ago . . . . .




so please don't discount rescue dogs or think there's something "wrong" with them. Most have ended up there after getting a bad start in life, neglectful owners and simple ignorance.

If I'm not mistaken, the statistics are an estimated 50% of all dogs are given up/passed around because the owners had made a choice not applicable to their lifestyle, had underestimated the committment, etc, etc. . . . .

The one on the left above was one such dog. Her previous owners turned around and got a small Shih Tzu (we share the same vet) after they gave her up.

Cowperson

[Reggie Dunlop]

[GreenTeaFrapp]

They say dogs and their owners tend to look alike after awhile but that dog's got an extra ball in its mouth!

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

If I'm not mistaken, the statistics are an estimated 50% of all dogs are given up/passed around because the owners had made a choice not applicable to their lifestyle, had underestimated the committment, etc, etc. . . . .

The one on the left above was one such dog. Her previous owners turned around and got a small Shih Tzu (we share the same vet) after they gave her up.

Cowperson

This is why I won't get a dog. I like them, but I am not a dog person because of my lifestyle. I like to be able to get up and go on trips without having to worry about a dog.

I like the idea of having a dog though and always wanted a french bulldog.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

They say dogs and their owners tend to look alike after awhile but that dog's got an extra ball in its mouth!

That's not my dog.

[SeeBass]

I should have mentioned my dog/best friend of 15 years I just lost, was also a rescue dog

[FlamesKickAss]

My older dog is a rescue that I found on petfinder and picked up in Montana.

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by SeeBass

I should have mentioned my dog/best friend of 15 years I just lost, was also a rescue dog

I lost mine about five years ago. Up until even last year I would sometimes still get really sad about it. But I have a custom made coffee mug with his pics all over it so in a sense, he's taking me for a walk in the morning now because I don't function without morning coffee.

[Clarkey]

Don't get a dog because you think it will change your behaviour. It's similar to people who buy a treadmill thinking it will force them to workout. If you don't have the discipline to go out and exercise, the dog will not be the fix for that. Force yourself to go for an 45 minute walk at 9pm every night and set your alarm for 4am. If you can do this for a couple weeks without it being a major pain in the butt then maybe you should get the dog. Otherwise I would wipe out the romantic notion now. I've got 2 dogs and they are a full commitment, they are a huge positive in our life but there's a tradeoff.

[Ace Handy]

Before you get a puppy, know this...... they are a pain in the a$$ and will change your life. You won't be able to crash at friends after a night of drinking, you will have to consider what you're going to do with the dog if you want to go away for the weekend/week, and you will lose countless shoes, jackets, etc. Not to mention when company is over and the dog comes running in with the wife's thong in her jaws (actually pretty hilarious).

In many ways they're harder than a baby. Babies can go with you wherever you go, babies can't disappear for 2 seconds and before you know it you've lost an entire 24 pack of toilet paper. I'm not saying dogs are harder to raise than children, I'm saying for the first year they are in some ways harder.

Getting my dog was one of the best decisions of my life and I'm not trying to dissuade you from getting a pooch. However, you really need to consider whether you are prepared for it. By the sounds of it, you may be better off with a rescue dog, something more mature that can handle long stretches alone and down time. Something less rambunctious. Not to mention they are waaaaay cheaper than a breeder will charge and you'd be doing some wonderful dog a service.

Good luck!