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Curious about golden marengere

26K views 60 replies 34 participants last post by  NickHdoglover 
#1 ·
Golden Retriever Farm
"Golden Retriever Farm"

Ran into a girl at the dog park a few days ago. She had a 6 month old golden, who looked to be a very big boy and just starting to get his adult coat in.. and of course she noticed Laika as well, as she is 9 months and both of them got along for the short while we were walking together.

I've found the question "where did you get him/her from?" is a quick one to ask. When she asked me I explained that Laika was rescued, and I return the question to her.. she gives me the answer "the golden retriever farm"

Now, I've been doing a lot of research for a reputable breeder in hopes of finding our next little girl and this has never come up in my searches. I was wondering if anyone knew anything about this guy?
 
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#4 ·
It's definitely an agricultural operation. Dogs can be livestock if you look at it that way. Is his name a play on words?
 
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#5 ·
That's EXACTLY what I was thinking.

To be clear this is just an inquiry out of my own curiosity after meeting this girl. I would never consider this place to be where my future pup will come from. Luckily I know well enough thanks to this site along with information from many others to have an understanding of what it means to be a reputable breeder and what I should look for. Heather from Arcane has actually be extremely helpful and I would say the front runner as of right now with the research I have done but I'm still keeping options open (and hopefully she won't be offended by that! I'm always extremely worried about hurting someone's feelings especially when they're such a good person)

I was just wondering as there is no information on the site, no dogs mentioned/no k9data information if anyone has had personal experience with them.. also mostly so this would hopefully come up in google searches alongside the kiji listing he has...
 
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#6 ·
Hey,

I was looking into a golden retriever last year and I went to visit the farm.

I found the dogs to in pretty decent living conditions. He took the time to show me around the farm showing me the main areas. The dogs get plenty of room to play outside (and they were when I visited, i just dropped by, not by appointment).

The dogs had great characters and the adults were just absolutely beautiful.

I would buy from them if I was still looking for a puppy.
 
#7 ·
Welcome to the forum! I see that you just joined today and this is your first post! I apologize if this is not the case, but it always makes me a little suspicious when a brand new member joins and their very first post, right out the gate, is to speak glowing praise a breeder who is being discussed- particularly if that breeder has been found to be a bit lacking. For me its very simple: no clearances? Not the kind of breeder I'd consider for my next puppy. Breeder's dogs don't compete and stack up favourably against other representatives of the breed? I'm not interested in their pups.

I appreciate you had what you'd classify as a "good" experience when you visited this breeder (assuming you truly aren't this breeder, pretending to be a potential puppy buyer to steer ppl to your "farm"), but that's not enough. I look forward to seeing your future posts, and encourage you to look around on here. You will quickly see the importance of clearances and the essential role that responsible breeding plays in the lives of this breed and the people who love them. The health and longevity of this breed is of paramount importance. As a breeder, you're part of the problem or you're part of the solution.

Sent from Petguide.com Free App
 
#9 ·
It's great that you had a good personal experience while visiting. However, I've also had acquaintances who have had wonderful experiences while visiting a puppy mill (legitimately, which was taken down by authorities some time ago. It was in Quebec - Quebec Puppy Mill). People who have no business to be breeding already know this, and can be extremely good at lying and manipulation. They're SELLING their dogs for profit, not placing them in homes they believe will be the best fit forever.

It is never a dog's fault for being bred into the world by a non-reputable breeder. However, by giving money going straight to a breeder's pocket, you're allowing the problem to continue if s/he is not responsible and reputable and breeding to better the breed.

If this post came up while googling, that truly makes me happy. I believe that in this day and age it's very hard to cry ignorance and hopefully this post will educate people on what to look for in a breeder and in a pup. Responsibility, reputation, guarantees and clearances with data going back a few generations. For me, I also like to see a breeder be active with their dogs, whether it's Field, confirmation, obedience etc. This "farm" seems far from offering any of those. Maybe I'm completely wrong about it, however my instincts are telling me otherwise until I can see evidence. I hope anyone who goes to check it out will have the information they need to put the screws to them and be able to properly evaluate their answers.
 
#11 ·
Golden Retriever Farm

Hi, we have one of their goldens. We actually adopted him from the Humane Society as a 10 month old rescue, but the original owners had given his breeder info to the Humane Society so we did check them out after the fact.

We brought our dog with us and kept him in the car while the breeder gave us a tour. The facility was very clean and the dogs looked healthy. However, I'm not so sure they are breeding for good temperment. We asked if our dog could 'meet' any of his and he said no and that the breeding mom (i.e, his mother) would be aggressive to him.

Fast forward a few months later and our adolescent retriever became fear aggressive himself (from day one he was afraid of many noises or objects -e.g bbq). Not sure if that was due to poor socialization from his first family or because of poor temperment inherent in his genes. Despite all of the training and behaviourists we had him with, he is still not solid with other dogs. He is almost 11 now and we love him dearly despite his dog - dog aggression. He's wonderful with people of all ages and sizes.

All to say, while we love our dog, I would not recommend getting one from this breeder. Instinct told me that being 'home-raised' probably would have helped rather than 'barn raised'.

Just my 2 cents!

Also - just saw his poor rating on Better Business Bureau: http://www.bbb.org/ottawa/business-reviews/dog-breeders/golden-retriever-farm-in-hammond-on-31375
 
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#12 ·
Hi everyone,

I purchased a dog from this breeder last year, nothing but good dealings with him. He is a little protective of his puppies as he is scared they might get sick before they leave to their forever homes.

we kept coming back every weekend until it was pickup day, 4 mths later we went back to him for the microchip to be placed on the pup. So far no illnesses with our pup he is super healthy and happy male.

I've got all of my paperwork for my pup and happy with him. If anyone wants to see some pics of my dog by all means just ask. And if there are any other questions regarding the breeder that I could help with (mind you i'm only talking regarding the experience I had)

cheers
 
#15 ·
Hello

I'm just wondering how you go about checking to see if a golden retriever breeder is actually registered and in good standings or not, along with his/her dogs?? I can't seem to find that area in the CKC website...

We just purchased a beautiful golden retriever pup from this breeder in question and I'd like to check this out. The farm does indeed look good, and is very clean when we were there. The puppies all looked in great health, very playful, and the adult dogs looked to be well taken care of. The only complaint I would have is the owner was very disorganized and other breeders that I had contacted sent to us a form to fill out telling them about us and why we would choose a golden and he did not have this at all. We called, went to look at the farm and the puppies, told him we would like to purchase one and we filled out an invoice of sorts, gave our deposit and received our pup 3 days later. (after vet check and needles) He also says on his website that he does the microchip however that is not accurate, he gives you the microchip and you have to take it to your vet to insert, if your vet will do it, as they have their own that they do.

His puppies are almost $600 less then the other breeders that we contacted. I thought maybe this was because he is a small country breeder, but I would like to see how I can check the CKC. He said all his dogs are registered and he registers his pups, and we received a certificate for both the mother and father of the pup when we left.

Can someone direct me to where I should look for this?

Thanking you in advance...

By the way - we are loving our baby... she is so smart and beautiful and has been very easy to train so far...

Regards
 
#16 ·
I'd be finding a new vet if my vet wouldn't put my own chip in!
That aside, I don't believe there is any way to verify someone's standing with CKC. You could make leaps of guessing by checking to see if they are member of a breed club- GRCC or GRCA- most breeders are proud to state that.
And you can check on OFFA.org to see if the parents have clearances, and many other things as well, if the animal is on ofa's site - you can see their offsprings' clearance history as well as their parents, grandparents.
 
#18 ·
This is not a reputable breeder, this obviously is just a business to this man and nothing more, and any precautions he takes with his puppies is likely because if they get sick then he can't sell them and has to spend money for treatment versus genuine concern. Would definitely pass on this puppy farmer.
 
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#19 ·
I'm new here but I do have a Golden from this kennel. I got Arwen in 2011. She is a dream come true. She's everything that a Golden should be: playful, boundless energy, and clever to boot with a great sense of humour. She is typical of the dogs that Ray breeds. There have been no abnormal or excessive health problems. There is only one problem she takes from her Sire and her Dame: she's bloody huge! I don't mean fat, she's perfectly proportioned to her 100lbs. So, I can only speak from my experience, but Arwen has to be the greatest dog to ever adopt me.
Hope this helps.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Hello everyone,

I came across this post months ago when searching google for reviews on "The Golden Retriever Farm" run by Ray Marengere. Even though there were some bad comments and reviews made on this forum, I still decided to take a look for myself since it was not too far from where I live. The thing I noticed on this forum is that most of the negative feedback and comments come from users who had zero personal experiences and I found lots of assumptions were made on this forum without any real facts...

My purpose in posting this is to share my first hand experiences with anyone interested. I have been to Rays farm a total of 6 times so far and all visits were unannounced. In fact, Ray does not see anyone by appointment...he has "drop-in" hours Sat-Sun, 12pm-5pm respectively and everyone and anyone is welcome.

My search started in August after my family and I made the hard decision to put down our beloved golden called Taz after 14 beautiful years of joy with him. Taz was suffering greatly from two worn down hips and was no longer able to walk without discomfort.

I found Ray's website (www.goldenretrieverfarm.com) through a google search and took a trip down to his home to visit him unannounced.

First visit:
When I arrived I noticed the barn from which he operated looked old and a little run down and this was my first impression. Once inside, I was greated very kindly and welcomed by Ray and I quicky noticed the inside was quite clean, confortably warm and well lit and the air did not smell bad. The dog pens were clean. There were big bowls of fresh clean water in each pen for the dogs and pups and the floors of the dog pens were covered in clean straw. His setup looked organized and was clean. Some of the walls in his facilities are plastered with pictures of smiling families with their new pup(s) and thank you cards and drawings...it gave me a good feeling! Although Ray was busy catering to the many dogs he has, he took time to ask if we had any questions in between comming and going. There were also many other guests looking and walking about the facilities. My kids had a blast visiting all the dogs and Ray was especially kind to them. All the dogs were well tempered and very social. Upon leaving were invited to come back anytime...

Seccond visit:
So we did. We came back unannounced the following Sunday with the kids again and this time Ray was busy feeding the pups and replacing the straw bedding in some of the pens. Again he took the time to greet us and let us know to ask any questions we might have had. He even let the kids pet some of the older puppies from one of the pens. At this point we started to enquire about the process to get a puppy. To my surprise I learned that the current 3 litters he had were all spoken for (between 20-24 pups) and that we would need to be put on a waiting list for the next available litter. This guy was busy I thought... We said we would think about it and come back.


Third visist:
We came back a thrid time (always unannounced) and since we showed an interest in getting the next litter, Ray took some extra time to introduced us to the potential mother and father. Today the adult goldens were outside playing when we visited. We learned that all the dogs get regular outside time in rotations. He also had us meet a 1 year old golden from the same mother and father to get an idea of the offspring. It was a blast and the mother and father were simply adorable. We got to play with the mother and father outside the pens and spend some time with them while Ray got more chores done. It was a very relaxing experience and I never felt pressured into any decisions. Ray simply provided options and choices and let me make my own. We also met other potential candidates in case we wanted to wait longer and go with anthor mother and father (however we fell in love with Dusty the father and Rosy the mother). Although the kids were allowed to pet some of the puppies Ray was also very cautious and adiment not to pick up or handle any of the puppies. It showed this man really cared for the well being of each pup.

Fourth visit:
Again Ray greated us with a warm smile and always made it a point to greet the children too. He let kids feed some treats to the adult goldens. Visiting the pups with the kids has now become a small ritual for our Sunday afternoons. We decided to put a down payment on a male puppy. Ray took the time again to let us get acquainted with the parents of our future pup. The barn was clean as usualy, clean water, ample amounts of food and clean straw in the pens...very impressed at this point. We are always invited to come back upon leaving.

Fifth visit:
On this visit I had a long talk with a couple who have bought two goldens through Ray in the last 20 years. It's nice to know that Ray has been keeping customers around for this long. By now Ray let's us wander around both inside and outside and we don't have any more questions for him. He's happy to let the kids pet the pups and give attention to the adults as well. His system is really a win/win for the dogs as they get attention and love from visitors while Ray is getting work done on the weekends. We decided to see if we could put a reservation on a seccond pup.

Sixth visit:
I got a call from Ray saying there was a last minute cancellation on the last litter and that one puppy was available. I met Ray Sunday morning to pick up the puppy. My wife and kids were ecstatic. Ray took two hours to go over all the paperwork with me and everything advertised on his website was honoured, EVERYTHING!. The puppy was very healthy, had all necessary paperwork and treatments. I also got paperwork on the parents as well. Ray went through other information with me such as feeding, general care and all kinds of little tips and tricks to train the pup. I really appreciated that even though I had a golden for 14 years, I still learned some things from Ray. Ray was also happy to take a picture with us and share in the happiness my kids and wife were experiencing.

I'm happy to announce Charlie is now a member of our family. The experience with the breeder was wonderfull from start to finish. We still have a reservation on a seccond pup which will be ready end of January-begining Feb 2016 (the one we originally reserved) and we're still going to continue to visit Ray any Sunday that we can.


To reitterate:

-Breeder is very knowledgable, loving, kind and has well over 20 years experience and it shows.
-Facilites and pens were consistently clean
-Dogs were well fed and plenty of fresh water
-Straw bedding was regularly changed
-Tempuratures were consistently confortable
-Breeder is very open and allows you to inspect his premissis at your leisure
-Dogs looked healthy, happy and were all very social and nice
-Breeder is happy to answer any questions
-Very relaxed atmosphere and I never felt pressured or missguided.

It's obvious when visiting and talking with Ray that his dogs are well maintained, loved and cared for. While his pens are not modern as some comments were made and located inside a barn, the animals in his care get all the proper love attention and support they need to get the best start ever for their new owners...

5 STAR breeder and I personally highly reccomend him.


P.S I've attached a picture of our new family with Ray (holding Charlie). And a few of Charlie ;)

I hope someone finds this informative and I encourage anyone interested to simply go down and visit Ray and find out for themselves!
 

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#35 · (Edited)
We also met other potential candidates in case we wanted to wait longer and go with anthor mother and father (however we fell in love with Dusty the father and Rosy the mother).
Did you get the clearances and 3-5 year pedigrees for your dog? With a long history of keeping both sires and dams on site and breeding many litters per year, I'd worry about accidental inbreeding somewhere along the line.

Just wondering!
 
#21 ·
Not keeping his dogs in filthy cages doesn't equate to being a reputable breeder. Please post the registered names of the parents and we can see if this breeder is performing all recommended health clearances. Can you tell me how he evaluates the puppies for which home they should go to? How can you judge his breeding practices if you have no idea what to look for.
 
#22 ·
I can appreciate where you are coming from, Phatpuppy, but the reality is, most people who come here asking for help in choosing a reputable breeder- or even knowing what one is- are not on the page you are coming from. They want a breeder who does not see Golden Retrievers as livestock, who does everything he can to prevent future health issues, and who knows his breeding animals as household partners. The typical person who reads these posts is looking for a bit more than someone they are free to drop in on with no notice. They want the best they can afford and they are intelligent enough to know things are often not as they appear at first glance. So they research. When the areas researched are not in their own realm of knowledge, they reach out for help to the folks here who know how to get info even when very little is provided. So, no matter how appealing it is to you personally that you are able to drop in and therefore feel safe in a puppy from a puppy farm that isn't what most discerning buyers are looking for...they want a well-bred puppy whose start is at the safest starting place they can find.
Because someone has been doing something for 20 years does not imply they are doing it well or ever have been. The fact that the animals on his farm live on straw speaks volumes. Maybe a different breed would be suited to that life, but a Golden? Never.
So, because I know you are satisfied and would like to feel no doubt in your mind that you are right, post your puppy's sire and dam info and let someone here show you that either the 'right stuff' is there or is not. It's not the puppy's fault if it is not. I hope that it is for your and his sake.
 
#24 ·
It sounds like a well run business. But, breeding should be more than a business.

The fact that he is willing to place two puppies at the same time or less than 12 months in age apart is not a practice good breeders (who are not looking to make their living off the reproductive organs of their animals) are willing to subject their puppies or buyer to.

If you have not already, please read up on the issues two young puppies present. Here is an example of the types of articles a simple google search will pull up for you Littermate Syndrome | Modern Dog magazine
Another downside few realize at the time they get them, is that 2 puppies will eventually equal two geriatric dogs at the same time.

Thank you for sharing your personal experiance that this commercial profit kennel is at the very least clean. As others have said, I hope that your puppy has the benefit of the minimum health testing that goes in to good breeding. I can't say I am confident as most profit driven breeders are not likely to spend on things that impact the bottom line which is why barns, straw and livestock treatment are a standard operational model in comercial kennels.
 
#26 ·
I imagined when I saw that that he was a Pro-Plan member...
since you are right, they do not sponsor anyone... which makes one of the very few pieces of information on his site a lie. Think I will let PPP know that they are now sponsoring breeders.

It has not escaped notice that this happy customer has not bothered to supply the names of his pup's parents. I would guess that he was either Ray himself or never got papers so doesn't know the names of his pup's parents (having read the complaints about not getting papers on BBB).
 
#27 · (Edited)
I imagined when I saw that that he was It has not escaped notice that this happy customer has not bothered to supply the names of his pup's parents. QUOTE]

Just because I have better things to do then to debate with people who have clearly already made up their minds does not make what I stated untrue. Furthermore, I made my post to share information and let people make up their own minds not to argue or win points in Rays favor or yours. I'm not sure why I have to prove or submit anything to you and I won't lose any sleep over your rude attitude...but when I get a chance today I'll be happy to submit the documentation on the parents that were given to me when I got the puppy for anyone else interested. I got all documentation, health treatments for his first 2 months as well documentation on the parents last vet assessment.

Please note I never claimed (nor has anyone in this thread) that Ray is some high class blue ribbon "show dog" breeder. What I do want to convey is that in my experience, Rays dogs are very well cared for, loved and treated well. I could really care less if you don't agree with any of his methods or if you find his standards sub-par compared to your liking and I certainly won't lose any sleep over that either. For the average person who simply wants a companion and to provide a loving home for his Golden, I find nothing wrong with what Ray is offering.

I thought this site was an information site on Golden Retrievers in general but if it is limited to simply support "show dog" and blue ribbon breeders, then I have wasted my time in contributing to this site.
 
#31 · (Edited)
(Quote)Just because I have better things to do then to debate with people who have clearly already made up their minds does not make what I stated untrue. Furthermore, I made my post to share information and let people make up their own minds not to argue or win points in Rays favor or yours. I'm not sure why I have to prove or submit anything to you and I won't lose any sleep over your rude attitude...but when I get a chance today I'll be happy to submit the documentation on the parents that were given to me when I got the puppy for anyone else interested. I got all documentation, health treatments for his first 2 months as well documentation on the parents last vet assessment.

Please note I never claimed (nor has anyone in this thread) that Ray is some high class blue ribbon "show dog" breeder. What I do want to convey is that in my experience, Rays dogs are very well cared for, loved and treated well. I could really care less if you don't agree with any of his methods or if you find his standards sub-par compared to your liking and I certainly won't lose any sleep over that either. For the average person who simply wants a companion and to provide a loving home for his Golden, I find nothing wrong with what Ray is offering.

I thought this site was an information site on Golden Retrievers in general but if it is limited to simply support "show dog" and blue ribbon breeders, then I have wasted my time in contributing to this site.[/QUOTE]

Thank you for posting your puppy's parents names. I checked- there are no clearances, so whatever he says...this litter's parents don't have hip, elbow, cardiac or eye clearances. And that brings me to the points of this post. I'm sorry for offending you- lots of breeders realize they are topic of conversation here and DO come on and post. You'd be surprised. The reason they do this is not because they care about me, or anyone else here- it's because these conversations cut into their sales. So that suspicion was not out of line. I did not accuse someone of being him twice, however. I have only twice EVER found a need to suggest that. In any threads.
I do find something wrong with what Ray is offering. It has nothing at all to do with show dogs, or blue ribbon breeders. It has to do with the health of the produce and the heartbreak this sort of breeder will produce that could be avoided. Breeding itself has heartbreak in the best of cases, when the breeder has done every possible thing to avoid issues. When a breeder such as Ray does nothing to avoid issues, it hurts the breed, it hurts the people who buy the puppies and it hurts the puppies. And no matter to me where the breeder who uses this farm method comes from, Goldens are not farm animals and I will always support the people who have already purchased a puppy but will also always try to discourage someone who's on the fence because there is no reason to make puppies that are less than as healthy as they can possibly be.
I don't believe I was rude, I do believe I was stating what I know to be true and I also believe you are invested in Ray's breeding style because you bought from him. You have to realize, you are NOT an expert in Golden Retrievers, so you are coming from a different place than I am. I may also not be an expert, but I know an awful lot about Goldens. Every day of my life is devoted to this breed in some way. What appears to be a good old boy great place to buy a puppy really is not. It's a farm. The dogs are on straw. I'm glad they appear clean, but they are on straw. I hope -truly I do- that you are not sorry later, but if you find you have an issue to worry about, the folks on this board will always help you as best we can.
Again, whatever 'clearances' he showed you, the dogs that are your puppy's parents do not have clearances, so realize that what you thought was 'all the necessary paperwork' was NOT.
 
#32 ·
Your suspicion may not have been out of line but your comments, tone, accusations and attacks were. You accused myself as well as others who made comments of many things that I take offence too.

For example, in your response you say "I checked- there are no clearances, so whatever he says..."

No one said anything about this. Ray never claimed my pups parents got these clearances, it's not listed on his site and maybe, just maybe those clearances are not important to everyone. Clearances don't guarantee that my pup won't have an issue down the road with any of these problems, as was my case with my last golden, Taz. While I could go back to complain to the original breeder it won't bring back my beloved Taz.

I think we'll agree to disagree on your views as well as mine on breeders.

You may know a lot about Goldens, but I feel you have a lot to learn about human beings and how to treat people with respect. Stick to the Goldens...
 
#34 ·
Clearances ARE important to the breed and while you and Ray may not agree with this, all reputable breeders and dog owners believe in the importance of clearances based on research and science. i think you may want to step back and read this thread again in terms of who said what to who.... I also find it a bit suspicious that 3 brand new members joined this forum, found this thread and decided to post to defend Ray's breeding practices. Also, I am not clear on your numerous references to "blue ribbon show dog breeders". The 4 basic clearances apply to ALL goldens and are important for the sake of the breed!
 
#33 ·
I'm sorry you feel attacked. I really am.
But when you come on this site and post a glowing review that someone else might come here and read, and no one points out how wrong you are about this man being a reputable good breeder, that's doing a disservice to the people who (as I said in my first post to you) come here wanting some help in discerning whether someone is a good breeder.

You obviously feel Ray is a good breeder. I do not. No one who values Goldens would feel the method of raising puppies or choosing parents or screening for health that he uses is satisfactory.
When you post that you got all the 'necessary certification' you imply you got what the best minds in the breed believe is a bare minimum to insure health of offspring. So pointing out that you did not get this is important for others who may read this thread. I didn't point it out to make you feel bad, or disrespected, truly I didn't. I'm not a mean person and I cannot think of anyone who thinks badly of me. I didn't make you post a glowing review on a breeder whose methods are less than deserving of your praise, though, and it feels to me like NOT pointing out the gaps is akin to approving of whatever's been said prior.
So, we do have to agree to disagree on this. For your hurt feelings I apologize. For my feelings about this breeder, I do not apologize.
I do hope you remain happy with your current puppy, and the puppy you plan to get next from him, and I honestly wish you only the best with your puppies as they grow into dogs.
 
#38 ·
Everyone is entitled to choose their own breeder that is the great thing about the options we have. That you are satisfied with a breeder who is not interested in using basic health screenings to produce a better chance at a healthy long lived puppy was obviously the right choice for you and one you are satisfied with.

The forum tends to get puppy buyer/shoppers/lurkers who do want a breeder who is doing everything possible to try to produce a puppy with the best chance at a healthy long life. For those people this breeder is 180 degrees from their needs. Also, the forum posters tend to recommend this way as well because health is important to us.

It is not a personal grudge nor an attack on anyone's dog or anyone's decision. I am sure anyone who buys from this breeder loves thier dog dearly. We all have the best dog and the beauty is we are all right.

It is simply a fact that if health is important to a buyer a reputable breeder who's dogs have full health certifications is the best choice. Breedes like this one are not.

Every buyer should have the right to make their best decision. That means knowing what you are getting and what you are not. Honestly my biggest beef with any breeder is taking advantage of another person's lack of knowledge by lying, misleading and misrepresenting thier dogs as it robs people of making their best desicion.

I hope you stick around. Start a thread for your dogs. Become an active poster her we have lots of great areas to participate in. Welcome to forum.
 
#39 ·
I'm super embarrassed to admit how very naïve I was when it came to puppies of any kind, especially Golden puppies pre this site. I am super grateful for the members and breeders who take time out of their day to educate newbies about the importance of good breeders.


Let me start by saying I joined after we put a deposit down & didn't know this section existed until after Dory was home- and wish I had known sooner, honestly.


We bought our first golden, Bayleigh, from a pet store almost 11 years ago. Totally by chance. And we didn't know we were supporting puppy-mills or the like until several years after owning her. She is just now having some health issues and we were blessed to escape the horrible of what could have beens.


When we decided to welcome another(Bayleigh has made us fall head over heels in love with this gentle, beautiful, intelligent breed). we knew better than a pet store. I did NOT however know about clearances, or what to look for, etc.


We didn't get some discount puppy with Dory. She was $1600 in Florida and I am assuming that is on the low end of average for my state. However, what we did get? We got a VERY sick puppy. A breeder who refunded our money for selling me a parvo puppy(and we spent that, plus another 6200 to save her!)- but offered zero other assistance other than to "take her back and treat at home" Which our vet said, for her age and size, would be a death sentence. Then, two-weeks ago, she text to say that her other female golden just delivered. My heart sank. She isn't a 'good' breeder by standards. She loved her puppies and her dogs, no doubt. She checked daily on Dory. She still does. But Dory's parents have no clearances, she hasn't take precautions against another litter with parvo, and she is breeding dogs like rabbits.


As much as we LOVE our puppy(who is now 17 weeks and healthy) in the back of our minds- mainly due to this forum- we wish we would have had the resources Robin and others have shared. And now we worry- will we get lucky twice? Or will Dory start to have health issues way sooner than she'd need to if she was protected prior to her conception?


Just my two cents when you describe your "great" dogs. No clearances doesn't mean for sure health issues; but having them sure would help ME sleep better at night!
 
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