Looking to buy a golden retriever puppy this summer.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by Qwerty

My golden is 4 years old now and I got it from a breeder out in Okatoks. Cost me $900 after I signed away my rights to show her.

Do you remember the name of the breeder? Are you happy with your dog?
Is the dog healthy? Smart?

[Frank MetaMusil]

Originally Posted by Rerun

Do you remember the name of the breeder? Are you happy with your dog?
Is the dog healthy? Smart?

I've got contact info for a very good breeder in NE Calgary, but they are Boxers. They are CKC certified and microchipped as well. Tails are docked also.

Let me know if you want more info.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by CMPunk

Do you really trust everyone in your neighborhood enough to leave your dog in the back yard everyday?

That is a good point.... I suppose people steal dogs all the time... especially a good looking breed and totally friendly dog like the Golden Retriever.

... ok.. scratch that.... dog would only be in the back yard when someone was home.....

[CMPunk]

Originally Posted by Rerun

That is a good point.... I suppose people steal dogs all the time... especially a good looking breed and totally friendly dog like the Golden Retriever.

... ok.. scratch that.... dog would only be in the back yard when someone was home.....

Not even steal...some random kid letting the dog out can be a huge issue

[REDVAN]

We got a yorkie mix about a year ago, so a small dog, but the same issue- yorkies are notorious for causing trouble if you leave them unattended too long.

When we got her, I wasn't working for a few months so I took her to the park, walks, played with her all day basically. When I started working she was about 5-6 months old and we tried keeping her in a puppy play-pen, but she just escaped all the time. So we let her run loose in our place and she normally didn't cause too much trouble.

The thing about crating- we crated her right away. When I wasn't working and not home, she was crated. When we slept she was in her crate. Even now, when you say "bedtime" to her she goes in her crate.

I read that a dog can spend 1 hour for each month it is old in a crate, so if you have a 3 month old dog, don't leave it in the crate more than 3 hours. I still don't crate my pup for more than 4-5 hours, even though she is over a year old (except at night).

[DOK]

I think the "idiot" comment was a bit much. Pound puppies are just as smart and healthy as pure breed dogs.

Anyways. It would probably help to take vacation and spend a couple weeks at home with the new pup if your going that route. That way you can be sure he's adjusted by the time you go back to work.

My only thought is that they always say to buy a dog that matches your exercise level. Never buy one to encourage exercise. You said that you need to walk more, so a dog would make you need to walk more. Sadly, it's like a diet. If all you have is health crap in the house, you won't suddenly eat it and be happy. It's just a thought. Lots of smaller dogs may do better for you guys being away so much and not being so active (not saying your lazy, I swear!). You can still and SHOULD always walk every dog, even the smallest. Running around the house will exercise them, but they need to "walk" to exercise their brains as well. (walking with the pack, traveling, etc).

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by DOK

I think the "idiot" comment was a bit much. Pound puppies are just as smart and healthy as pure breed dogs.

If you're going to leave a dog in the house most of the day you are better to have a "dumb' dog. Everyone seems to want their dog to be "smart" then they end up with a Border Collie who, because it's intelligent, invents projects to do out of sheer boredom, like ripping up your carpet or sofa. Golden's, I think, are number five on the smart meter.

In the described situation, a smaller, more docile "dumb" dog is probably a better lifestyle choice.

By the way, one of the Golden's below cost $900 and the other was free as an owner surrender. There's no difference. Do the world a favour and get a pound dog and spend the $900 on doggy day care a few times a week.



Cowperson

[Reggie Dunlop]

Here's an eight-month old Golden/Lab cross on Kijiji.

I had a Golden Retriever previous to my current dog (Labradoodle). Hybrids are something to consider.

[Mayer]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Here's an eight-month old Golden/Lab cross on Kijiji.

I had a Golden Retriever previous to my current dog (Labradoodle). Hybrids are something to consider.

Agreed. Mine is a cross between a Yellow Lab and a Golden retriever. She's 13 and is still relatively healthy. It's starting to get hard for her to get up hard wood stairs but other than that she is doing pretty well.

I love the look of a yellow lab/golden retriever mix. This is Brooke a couple years ago.

[chid]

I agree 100% with cowperson, smart dogs are a lot more work and require a lot more training and attention. I have a German Shepherd / Collie cross, he is too smart, and needs constant stimulus or is often seen frustrated and vocal - and that is when we are home!

[Kybosh]

I have a golden and she is a pretty good dog. She needs plenty of exercise though. A typical day for me means walking her before work, immediately after work then again before bed. I try to get out to an off leash dog park as often as possible as well. She needs to run. Doing this routine my dog has never been destructive (beyond puppy days) and has the run of the house. Goldens are very social dogs and if you don't want a dog attached to your hip I might suggest another breed.

I raised her up from a puppy and there is definitely something to be said for adoption. Puppies are demons whose sole purpose is to destroy your life and possessions. I think that if I get another dog there is a strong possibility that I adopt.

Edit: My dog isn't papered and, unless you plan on showing your dog, is completely unnecessary. I also thought about doing trials or a hunting course with my dog but she showed zero aptitude for these activities. I love my dog, but she is the world's worst "retriever".

[Kybosh]

Another thing I'll mention is that goldens behave like puppies much longer than most breeds. My dog is almost 6 and she still has puppy moments.

[CGYTransplant]

A few things. CKC registration is a good place to start- usually (and there always are exceptions) the breeders are looking for good bloodlines to carry on, and tend to not run puppy-mill type organizations. If the dogs have been bred with an eye towards balanced dogs and the overall health of the breed, purebreds can be just as healthy in the long run as strays, and many breeders will guarantee the health of the dog for a certain time (our dog is guaranteed to have clear eyes until 2, and clear hips until 4)

We have a chocolate lab. We're not showing her (not allowed to), and she's fixed, and the pup cost $1100. The lowest I've ever seen from our breeder was $800 for a one year old (fixed) pup. So, take that for whatever it's worth.

A good breeder will let you see AT LEAST the dam (sometimes the sire is from another breeder, etc). If the breeder owns the dam and the sire, you should be able to see both. This will also give you an idea of the size of your grown dog- females tend to be around the same size as their moms, males will be about the same size as their dads (for purebreds, at least).

You should also be allowed to see the pups. Check for runny eyes/nose, patchy fur, or sores, and they should be fairly lively. For goldens/labs, they should be on the chubby side.

They should have a comfortable crate or area, with ample space for playing, sleeping and going to the bathroom. They should NOT have to sleep in their bathroom messes, and the messes should be cleaned up promptly.

You should not be taking the pup before 7 weeks (too early for them to be weaned, putting them on solid food can cause future digestive issues) but before 10 weeks (at 10 weeks they enter a fear stage- you want them to be settled in their new home before then, so it's more familiar).

Also consider the following costs:

-Immunizations and heartworm/tick prevention (an absolute must if you're intending on taking them to doggy daycare or offleash parks, and need to be boosted every year...and this year 3 ticks in AB have tested positive for Lyme Disease, so NOT getting ticks would be nice)

-Spay/neuter (if you're waffling on this, go to a rescue association and have a peek at the litters of unwanted puppies. Fixed dogs are also less likely to mark their territory or run away when the "urge" hits)

-Registration (it's lame, but it's a big ticket if you get caught, and I've seen bylaw guys checking at offleash parks)

-Dog training/socialization (the puppy socialization classes we went to were AWESOME. PM me for details)

-Crate, leash, collar, toys, food, treats, brush, nail clippers

-Pet Insurance. When our dog got sick, she had to take 2 pills a day for 7 days...at FIFTEEN DOLLARS A PILL.

-Dogwalking/Doggy daycare services as mentioned before.

Puppies can only hold it for their age (in months), plus one. So, if they're 2 months old, they could hold it for 3 hours. Crate training will help with this, as dogs will not mess where they sleep, if they can help it. The dog will need to be let out immediately after waking in the morning, before and after any playing or walks, after every meal, and before going to bed. Initially, our pup couldn't hold it all night, so we set an alarm for 2:30 AM and took her out in the middle of the night.

This was our approximate schedule. She was crated 100% of the time we were not at home:

5 AM- Potty.
6 AM- feed, walk, potty.
7 AM- Crated.

10 AM - One of us would come home, let her out to potty, take her for a walk, potty again
11 AM- back in the crate.

2:00PM- One of us would come home, let her potty, feed her lunch, take her for a walk, potty again
3:00PM- back in crate.

5 PM- let her out, potty, dinner, walk/play. Potty as necessary throughout the evening

11:00 PM- last potty of the evening

2:30 AM- potty break (until she was about 10 weeks, then she could hold it from 11 PM to 5 AM)

If the goal is for the dog to go all day with no messes, 8 to 9 hours is much too long. If you are okay with doing a mixture of paper training and housebreaking, then go for it, but it will make the housebreaking process longer.

Their crate should be just big enough for them to stand up, lie down, and turn around in. If you want to buy the crate they'll "grow into" that's fine, just fill up the extra space with a rubbermaid container or something. If the crate is too large, they'll play/sleep in one end and potty in the other- not good. If you're doing papertraining, give them a larger area.

There will be messes on the floor- pet stores offer several good cleaners to get rid of the stains and residual smell. Don't use cleaners with ammonia in them- they smell like dog pee, to dogs, and may encourage them to mark their territory. Do NOT rub their noses in the mess or punish them- our dog gave clear signals when she had to go (pacing in circles, acting frantic, and as a last resort, squatting!)- if we missed the signals, it was our fault. We would just interrupt her, haul her outside, and when she finished her business, we gave her lots of praise and some treats. She soon learned that she only got treats for going outdoors. And, dogs forget things really fast- if you don't catch them in the act, they won't understand what the punishment has to do with the puddle on the floor.

We also found that letting the dog sleep close to our bedroom helped- she could sense that she wasn't alone, and if she cried to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, we'd hear her (we think this also helped housebreak her, and get her into a routine). Just like with babies, you'll learn the difference between an "I have to pee" cry and an "I'm bored/lonely" cry. The more tired she was before she went to bed, the less likely she was to cry out of boredom/lonliness at night.

For punishments- if they chewed your favorite shoe, or the remote, and you don't catch them in the act, punishing them may just confuse them. Bitter Apple spray worked for us- we sprayed it on whatever we didn't want her to chew anymore, and she didn't like the taste. The best deterrent was to catch her in the act. Invest in babygates (if you don't like leaving doors shut) to keep the pup out of areas they're not allowed in.

When traning, be consistent. Everyone has a different method they swear works (treats, clicker training, asserting their dominance, etc). Try not to take it personally when someone tells you you're doing it wrong. We have a Lab, who is totally food-motivated, so treat training really worked for us....but we also had to endure people berating us for "ruining our dog". One woman even told me that "I may as well run her over myself, instead of waiting for her to be hit by a car, because treat-training NEVER works"...well, I think it's worked for us! Find a method that works for you, and that you're comfortable with. But, be consistent. If you don't want your dog on the couch, don't EVER let them on the couch. Dogs usually follow the rules, if they know what they are.

A note on doggy daycares- usually you cannot drop your dog off until they are fixed, which happens around 6 months of age. A lot of them have waiting lists, and you will have to prove that your dog gets along well with others.

And, when you do go to the offleash park, don't be an @ss. Watch your dog, and pick up after them, and throw the baggie away. We don't need any more negligent dog owners leaving poop/bags behind, giving the good ones a bad name.

If you are getting a "smart" dog, it will NEED daily exercise. We go for 2, 1-hour walks a day...a little shorter when it's 30 below or 30 above, but we were still out, rain/shine/sun/snow/freezing cold (remember to take water for the dog when it's hot, though!). You will know how long it takes to get your dog tired, but a tired dog is a well-behaved dog. A bored dog will create trouble to amuse itself.

As another poster on here has said- PUPPIES ARE TERRORISTS. Accept this and your life will be easier....and they're not puppies forever. Before you know it, you will have an awesome, loving companion!

If you have any other questions, PM me.

[afc wimbledon]

Lovely young male retreiver in Saskatoon called Remi, New Hope Animal Rescue is the agency, pure bred by the looks and an equally lovely looking dog in Thompson Falls Montana called Teddy, before you say 'what? drive that far!' remember most rescues will charge you a couple of hundred bucks tops, the breeder almost a grand so a day trip pays for itself.

They are both on Petfinder.com and the advantage of a rescue dog is they are a few years old so you can get an idea of their temprement.

[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.

[Table 5]

If you're set on a pure breed thats one thing, but if not, please consider adopting a dog from the shelter. There are so many effin' good pets out there who's life could save and would provide you with a ton of love for (almost) free.

In my experience, the dogs with the best personality have always been mixes....maybe they know they aren't quite up there in the physical department, so they have to make up for it in other ways (sort of like humans I guess).

[Flacker]

I would caution against doggie daycare unless you spend the time to investigate what the dogs are up to during the day.

A lot of places have little for the dogs to do, and as a pack they get into all kinds of trouble. They will pick up habits that you'd be better off without.

My dog was never a digger until it went to doggie daycare, after a week at doggie daycare it became her favourite activity. Many weeks of retraining to get it out of her.

[afc wimbledon]

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.

I'd take one of their collieX puppies over a pure bred anyday.

[HotHotHeat]

Just picked up Calee the dog last month. We went with an unregistered golden from a farm North of the city. She's been absolutely incredible. So. Much. Fun.

Enjoy whatever you decide to go with!

[GreenLantern]

Are you SURE you want Golden retriever?















Ahhhh look at the puppies...