As I sit on the deck of my yacht and look at my two dogs, all three of us eating fresh king salmon just yanked out of the bay by our fisherman-butler-sea captain, Jeeves, I shift my feet on the alligator-leather ottoman, sip my '65 Moet, turn my eyes out over the horizon, stroke my closely-cropped beard I've just groomed with scented whale-oil, and consider just how to explain to you how hoity-toity and luxurious it is to have a dog with a low chance of dropping dead from SAS at 2 years old and a low chance of ever developing hip dysplasia.

You see, I became a spectacularly wealthy person with a yacht and a fisherman-butler-sea captain on the staff by making prudent financial decisions, and while I enjoy the deep sense of superiority I feel every time I peruse my dogs' pedigrees, the real reason I spent $1200 is because I actually did my homework, and a $1200 dog from a clearance-heavy ancestry with proof of structure and longevity is actually the cheapest dog you can own.

Accusations often fly when people want "just a pet" that those of us who spent $1200 on pet dogs from titled ancestry do so out of some high-falutin' sense of having a dog with more cachet. Maybe some folks do, but the people who love and research the breed and then spend $1200+ on their dogs don't do so because they have so much money that they don't know what to do with it. I didn't spend $1200 because I had $700 extra dollars lying around. I did so because I crunched the numbers and it's a no-brainer.

The basic fact is that a strong clearance history saves more money than it costs. Yes, a dog can still get a condition like hip dysplasia, even if the clearance history is incredibly good, but his odds are cut by at least 50% over a dog with no clearance history. Spending a few hundred dollars to cut the odds of a $5000 surgery is just good math. It's like a kind of health insurance that prevents you from having to see a doctor at all. And the four clearances that are standard on Goldens give you that kind of risk reduction for all kinds of $5K-$10K problems, not just on the hips.

I don't need a dog who can win in the ring, and I don't have one. I do need a dog who's got the deck stacked in his favor for a long, healthy life with as few medical interventions as possible, partly because I don't want to have to cough up thousands for surgery and medicine, and partly because I don't want my dogs to suffer.

Saving $500 up front by cutting corners on health and temperament is just bad math because you're risking 10 or 20 times that amount by buying from a risky breeding, not to mention the fact that you're playing games with the pain and suffering of an animal that, no matter how bad his breeder is, will offer you unquestioning loyalty and will not hold it against you that you took unnecessary risks with his health because you were bad at math.

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Oh Tippy, you are soooo bad.

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Carolyn (A.K.A. Aunt Care) and

Creekwood Tanglefoot Selchie CD, RN, AX, AXJ, CGC, CCA, (A.K.A. Selli-Belle) Golden

Valentine Byrd McDuff (A.K.A. Duffy) Golden/Sheltie

Tanglefoot Autumn Dexter CGC (My Heart Dog at the Bridge) Golden

Talking with my friend at class - I kinda said I wanted balance. And I do. Prior to getting Bertie, I talked to a few breeders and there were definitely legit show breeders who had gorgeous dogs.... who I'd never buy a puppy from because they had a more casual or experimental attitude when it comes to hip/elbows. I'm even FRIENDS with one of those breeders and I've met and love her dogs.

Field boys like Tippy has - I think are still gorgeous and I was definitely looking at a couple breeders here in MI who breed that style of dog. They still look like golden retrievers and would probably pass a CCA as I understand it, even though thanks to the preferred style moving a different direction, they would not do well in the show ring.

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And at least twice that many who weren't carefully bred.

But a survey of GRF tells you nothing about the statistical risk. People come to the forum because they love Goldens and often because they're having problems. So whatever you're reading on GRF isn't going to give you a clear picture of your real-world risk and risk reduction.

However, the stats on many of the most expensive common problems are available, and they're stunningly clear. At worst, a clearance cuts risk by half. At best, through multigenerational clearances and other careful practices, the risks are cut even further.

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Comet would easily pass a CCA, so far as I understand it, though he is not of a style that would easily win in the northeast in the ring, though he is certainly within standard in all important ways. He doesn't have enough "bone" or the type of coat that is currently favored, though if I put a few pounds on him, bathed him every 3 days, took care of his coat, and groomed him properly, he would not look totally out of place in a show ring.

Jax is more "old-fashioned" in his style, and because of mismarks and his tailset, among other conformational flaws, would stand essentially no chance in a show ring, though he would stand a good chance on the CCA, despite being slightly undersized.

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Member has not come back in two and a half weeks. I think they found their dog elsewhere.

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“Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, it's at the end of your arm. As you get older, remember you have another hand: The first is to help yourself, the second is to help others.” (Audrey Hepburn)

I don't think that was a real puppy buyer.

Yes i am a real person and Yes i did find a puppy elsewhere

Good luck with your puppy. I hope you have a long and wonderful time together. You will find a lot of support and advice in the golden puppies up to 1 year area. Enjoy puppyhood.

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Laura, Jinx, Tilt and Rocky
UKC CH Wildfire's A Kind of Magic CGC
http://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=474956
Rocky the old min pin who thinks he's a golden

Thanks, I appreciate it!!