Golden retriever

scwazrh

Hi all.Im looking for opnions and advice on golden retrievers.Ive done a fair bit of research on them and have a lot of experience with dogs but this will be the first dog for our family and my first golden so I would like some advice and info about any good breeders .

SillyMangoX

The top thing to check with any retriever breeders is that they do hip and elbow scores on the parents, if not font even look at the pups, you may pay more for a top of the range pup but it will save you a lot of money in the long run with vets bills etc!

scwazrh

Thanks. This may be silly question but how do you check the hip score ? Also what paperwork should I get if the pups are ikc reg. I know they should have had injections and be chipped , but how do I know this has been done?

SillyMangoX

It's the parents who need to be checked not the pups, it's done by an xray which is sent to England and the hips are graded on how good/bad they are, so basically how likely they are to develop hip dysplasia, the lower the scores are, the better. They should have a certificate that states what these scores are, a lot of breeders will say that they pups were vet checked and their hips are good, this is NOT the same thing at all, and if they say the pups have been hip scored then walk away because they can't be done until 18 months! You should get a little booklet with their vaccines, what they had and what date they will need their next ones and the microchip number written on it, and most breeders say that you can bring the pup to the vet within 48 hours (get a full check and check for the chip) and if you aren't happy then you can bring them back. If the pup is ikc reg then you will get a certificate saying this with the pups kennel club name. A good place to start would be the kennel club, or if there is a retriever club of Ireland then they should be able to recommend good breeders for you

ISDW

scwazrh wrote: »

Hi all.Im looking for opnions and advice on golden retrievers.Ive done a fair bit of research on them and have a lot of experience with dogs but this will be the first dog for our family and my first golden so I would like some advice and info about any good breeders .

If you are are willing to consider an older dog, a friend of mine has recently taken back a 4 and a half year old male that she bred. All of her dogs are sold under contract, which is how she has taken this boy back in. She does all relevant health checks, socialises the puppies properly and all of her dogs are great family pets. If you would be interested, please pm me and I can pass her details on to you.

gagiteebo

We have a 3 year old golden retriever, Dexter. We got him when he was 6 months old. Got him through a breeder registered with the ikc. He's chipped etc

I have had a lot of different breeds of dogs but I have to say retrievers hold a special place in my heart. They are so gentle and loving. Great around kids and great company. Very smart too:)

Dexter has dietary issues and IBS and has to get special food. According to the vet this is common amongst retrievers.

The only other thing is the hair! Tumbleweed galore haha but only small problem!

tk123

Definitely go for a breeder who has hip/elbow scores for the parents and make sure you can see both parents. I'd be contacting the IKC/AIGRC (all Ireland GR club) and getting a list of breeders from them if I was looking for a pup - you may have to wait a while but it'll be worth the wait. There are lots of badly bred retrievers with health issues and behavioural issues as a result out there - I have one of them and for that reason I don't think I could rescue one without knowing it's life story and having health certs from the parents. Retrievers can be nervous and resource guarders - especially if they've come from the wrong background. Shedding wise my guy swims a lot so that takes care of a lot of the loose hair and I give him a good going over with a rake and slicker once a week. Food wise I feed raw and he'a thriving since making the switch. He's clever enough so very easy to train and he loves it so good fun for both of us. He likes to hold soft toys in his mouth so never really destroyed things as a puppy and was house trained in a few weeks.

Rd1983

tk123 wrote: »

Definitely go for a breeder who has hip/elbow scores for the parents and make sure you can see both parents. I'd be contacting the IKC/AIGRC (all Ireland GR club) and getting a list of breeders from them if I was looking for a pup - you may have to wait a while but it'll be worth the wait. There are lots of badly bred retrievers with health issues and behavioural issues as a result out there - I have one of them and for that reason I don't think I could rescue one without knowing it's life story and having health certs from the parents. Retrievers can be nervous and resource guarders - especially if they've come from the wrong background. Shedding wise my guy swims a lot so that takes care of a lot of the loose hair and I give him a good going over with a rake and slicker once a week. Food wise I feed raw and he'a thriving since making the switch. He's clever enough so very easy to train and he loves it so good fun for both of us. He likes to hold soft toys in his mouth so never really destroyed things as a puppy and was house trained in a few weeks.

Any tips on the house training?we got a retriever a couple of weeks ago,she's now a little over 3mths old.
Also,you said you feed him "raw",just curious what it is

tk123

Rd1983 wrote: »

Any tips on the house training?we got a retriever a couple of weeks ago,she's now a little over 3mths old.
Also,you said you feed him "raw",just curious what it is

Lol I actually got a pup since posting She's 6 months now. For house training I crated her at night and took her out during the night when she cried. I said 'busy busy' every time she went to the loo outside and gave her praise and treats. After a week or so I started saying it when I brought her out so she knew it meant it was time to go. I hung a bell by the back door too for her to ring when she wants to go out. I put her straight onto a raw diet when we got her so minced raw meat and veg. I bulked the meat out with a good quality wet food (nature diet) to save costs and because of limited freezer space

Rd1983

tk123 wrote: »

Lol I actually got a pup since posting She's 6 months now. For house training I crated her at night and took her out during the night when she cried. I said 'busy busy' every time she went to the loo outside and gave her praise and treats. After a week or so I started saying it when I brought her out so she knew it meant it was time to go. I hung a bell by the back door too for her to ring when she wants to go out. I put her straight onto a raw diet when we got her so minced raw meat and veg. I bulked the meat out with a good quality wet food (nature diet) to save costs and because of limited freezer space

A bell?thats class....
Where do you leave her during the day?
You see my problem is I was working from home but two weeks ago I got a contract which takes me on the road everyday,so basically I have to leave her at home for the day.my mam lives over the rd and comes over twice during the day to let her out and run around.i try and walk her every day but I just don't know what to do with her long term during the day.

liger

There are plenty of dog daycare centres around, Even a couple of days a week would be good for your dog if you can't leave him there for the week.

Just look into the place your leaving your dog first. Ask people here even if they have good/bad experiences with the place.

tk123

I'm lucky that mine are with my mum during the day. Be picky choosing a daycare and ask around for reviews. IMO a cage free environment with constant supervision is better that one that cages/crates dogs without supervision for breaks etc. Also the more staff the better.