So, we're out shopping (I hate Christmas shopping) and come across this . . .

Golden Retriever puppy . . .





Yup, he's cute. His teeth are damn sharp and he bites.

So, what is it about Christmas that brings on the desire for a puppy?

I didn't get him (in spite of endless "Oh please . . . he's so cute" and pleading, and begging, and other shameless forms of coercion), however, I am considering it. He was cute.

Anyone ever have a Golden Retriever? Yeah, I know, they are supposed to be great, but what are the potential problems (if any).

:santa:

 

BREW!!! Get your lazy self outta bed and answer Kobi's questions!

 

Any retriever is very active. They need room to run and lots of exercise. But they are amazing companions and great with kids.

 

Kobi

You guys in California are strange.

We are having Turkey at Xmas :santa:

 

I've never had a Retriever but we have had puppies on occasion. Golden Retrievers are smart and obedient so he should be relatively easy to train. potential problems would be...this is a large dog and needs room to move about, I wouldn't think it would make a great apartment dog...as with any large pure breed dog, there is the possibility of hip dysphasia. If you can, get the breeders information and check his bloodlines closely to insure there hasn't been a lot of inbreeding in his history...I would recommend not getting him if he is a product of a puppy mill. Most of these facilities are not properly set up and dogs coming from them can have all sorts of health and personality problems.

Someone who has experience with Goldens could maybe give you some other pointers. He is a cutie and puppies are a lot of fun. Keep us posted!

:santa:

 

A word of advice--don't get a puppy for Christmas. Puppies require a lot of care and that care can get neglected around the excitement of other things going on at Christmas time like Christmas parties, Christmas pageants, and other Christmas presents.

Wait until a couple weeks after Christmas to get the puppy. Then the excitement of Christmas has died down and you can focus on the puppy.

Personal experience.

 

Well if he is a pure breed then they can have a lot more problems than muts. Pure breeds can carry certain genes that errupt later, like my pure beed husky she has gone blind and has been having seizures for the past year. We paid $3000 for the dog to see again and now we have been paying for perscriptions to reduce the Seizures. But we aren't going to give up on her unless it becomes a quality of life issue. I'm sure that the pups cuteness will get him into another home if you don't take him, but if you do good luck.

 

Well bred dogs are proven to be healthiest. Goldens are generally healthy dogs, and are almost always motivated to please their owners. However, that looked like a pet store. DO NOT buy dogs from pet stores! They lie through their teeth about the origin of their animals, and normally get them from disreputable breeders. If you don't want to go through the process of finding a good breeder, just go to the animal shelters until you find a dog you like and adopt it. Your chances are better there.

 

I agree. Many petstores get their puppies frompuppymils, and the dogs have serious congenital problems. Find a good breeder---or, as I did with two of mine---rescue! 1400 dogs a day are put down across the US because they are abandoned, lost or just plain turned in.

As for me, I have four dogs---three labs---chocolat, black and yellow, and a labX---the yellow and the cross were rescues. I do have 1 1/2 acrs and an undergroudn fencing system that lets them run alot. AS stated previously, any retriever is a very active dog and requires an abundance of exercise and attention.

Best of luck to ya,

TSC

 

As referee said, PLEASE, don't get the dog from a pet store. You will regret it! I have heard so many horror stories of poor breeding, covering up health problems to make the sale, and not caring abotu the animal after its gone. If you are set on a golden retriever purebred, there are probably plenty of breeders in your area who can get you a better dog for a lower price. beware though, golden retriever puppies, like lab puppies, etc. are very high energy and need a lot of time, patience, and training. They seemc ute and cuddly at the pet store or the breeder, wait until you get them home and the first thing they do is chew up one of your shoes and poop in the other, then proceed to chew ona ll your nice furniture and **** on your new carpet. Seriously they take time.
If you aren't set for sure on a golden retirever purebred, I'd really like to advise you to think shelter dog. Most of the dogs are not puppies (though many shelters do occasionally have puppies, the shelter I volunteer at has about 5 or 6 puppies right now from people dropping off unwanted litters). If you can get a dog thats 2 or 3 years old they are already past the cute puppy stage, and most are already housebroken and many come fully trained, as my dog did... the day I got her she already knew sit, stay, down, speak, and shake.
Not only are mutts often in better health than poorly bred purebreds, they are MUCH cheaper... where a purebred golden retriever might cost ya $1200 not including shots and spay/neuter, a mutt at a shelter will cost you $75 and they come with their shots and already spayed/neutered, and many shelters are even microchipping the dogs for free.

Now, I had a golden retriever purebred when I was 8 until I was 22. They really are great dogs, if we'd known what we know now we probably would've went mutt with her instead of purebred, but we got her from a breeder. She was really a great dog, though did have many health issues. I loved her so much I got this on my arm for her:


As was said above, please try to avoid getting a puppy for Christmas, its a trap that we unfortunately see too much of at the shelter... parents get their kids a puppy and then a month later, the dog is showing up at the shelter because the kids didn't want it as much as they thought they did or the parents got sick fo trying to train it not to crap on their fancy rugs.

 

Kobi......like it has been said before......NEVER purchase a dog from a pet store.....if you really want a dog, go through the process and find a reputable breeder.....

......look at it this way.......how often are you walking around and say to yourself........."that person should not be allowed to breed"..........well.....the same goes with dogs.....except female dogs don't get the opportunity to say no..........

.......do your homework......find a good blood line............Golden Retrievers make great companions.......but you would not want to be involved with trailor trash in your love life, so why allow it in your personal life.......

 

I've been wanting a dog lately too. I've got two middle aged cats so it wouldn't be fair to them but once they are gone I'm getting one, unless you get one and come back here and say what a huge mistake you made.

 

Kobi, is the dog for you? You travel a lot, what will you do with the dog while you are gone? Dogs are wonderful companions but can require a lot of attention and time. Just was wondering if it would fit in your life style.

As far as the Golden breed. I have known three famlies that have had pure bred Goldens and they all thought that was the only dog to have. Our Rat Terrier requires lots of our time, long walks every day regardless of weather, play time, etc. but she has added so much to our lives. She is a lot of fun. When we talk to our Grandkids, they always include Maggie when they mention Papa and Nannie. They do not think we can come to see them unless Maggie is with us.

If you decide to get the puppy, I hope it adds to your life as much as Maggie has to ours.

 

Get one now and those sissy *** cats will be gone in no time

Sorry..me and cats dont get along very well...long story that goes back to my childhood days.



BREW

 

I''l grab 05rouch and you know what happens next...









J/K