One of the most popular and beautiful dog breeds is the Golden Retriever. An excellent family pet and hunting companion, the Golden Retriever is known for its loyalty, energy, devotion, intelligence, gentleness and beauty. Golden Retrievers are believed to be a mix of the now extinct Tweed Water Spaniel, Irish Setter, Bloodhound, and Newfoundland as well as other water spaniels. Today’s Golden Retrievers still love to swim and can be trained to hunt and track. Because of their high level of intelligence, Goldens are also trained to assist the blind.

Developed by Lord Tweedmouth of Scotland in the 1800s, the first Golden Retrievers were hunting dogs as well as family pets. Initially, a darker gold to copper-colored coat was preferred in the breed. Today’s Goldens are more likely to be cream to light gold in color and more likely to be family pets than hunters. The American Kennel Club sets the reed standard characteristics that must be apparent in a dog to compete in AKC competition. Golden Retriever breeders mate dogs with the most desirable characteristics in the hopes of breeding champion lines.
Golden Retriever breeders may have champions in their breed bloodlines but this does not ensure that their golden Retrievers are healthy. Like most pure breeds, Golden Retrievers are prone to genetic disorders that can significantly shorten their lifespan (average age at death is ten to thirteen years). Golden Retrievers are prone to hip dysplasia, eye and skin diseases, ear infections, cancer, and obesity. Though the breed has excellent behavioral traits such as loyalty and eagerness to please, Golden Retrievers can also become too focused on a task. For example they can work themselves until they collapse or eat until they become sick.

Owners must be able to keep their Golden Retrievers active and engaged and monitor their eating habits closely. Golden Retrievers are social dogs and will become depressed and act out if left alone too often. It is important that Golden Retriever breeders make potential buyers aware of the needs of the breed to ensure that dogs and owners are a good match for each other.
Golden Retriever breeders you should avoid include any breeders suspected of running puppy mills or over-breeding dogs until subsequent litters as well as parents become ill. If breeders seem to have too many puppies available at one time and will not allow the buyer to visit their kennels these are warning signals that these are bad breeders. Other breeders to avoid are those who sell to pet stores. Healthy, purebred puppies do not come from pet stores.

Good breeders do not breed or raise dogs as merchandise to be shipped across the country and sold to anyone. It is imperative for buyers to know how to identify good from bad Golden Retriever breeders to put bad breeders out of business for good. Buyers have the responsibility of researching Golden Retriever breeders to find legitimate sources to buy purebred puppies. Buyers should ask for references, visit the kennels and puppies prior to purchase, and ask many questions of breeders to determine how much they know about Golden Retrievers. Good breeders will be experts on their breed and will also have questions for buyers to make sure puppies are going to good homes.

Golden Retriever breeders are knowledgeable of AKC breed standard traits and breed them for these traits. Golden Retriever information about what to look for in breeders can be found in this article.

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