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Concerned about breeder...

1K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  CAROLINA MOM 
#1 ·
So like I said in a previous post, we were supposed to betting our 1st Golden boy in just a few weeks but it turns out it might not happen. Totally my fault in not doing enough research and hunting. This breeder had wonderful pictures, info, and was very sweet. Come to find out she is letting her pups go home around 6 weeks of age. In her defense, she states her vet okays this because apparently bigger breed pups start weaning at 3-4 weeks and are okay to leave with the buyers anywhere from 6-8 weeks. I understand the weaning part. That is not why I'm concerned. What concerns me is that it says pups, regardless of breed, learn crucial behavior skills at that time from litter mates and mom.. i.e. Bite inhibition. SO, I am looking at other REPUTABLE breeders and am frustrated.. Good thing is, the deposit is refundable until a certain date. So I think we will be looking elsewhere. This breeder is very sweet but just does not give me a wholesome feeling that pups will be completely ready. I need all the suggestions and advice I can get! I appreciate anything! We just want to raise a beautiful Golden family inside and out, especially since it's our first. Not looking to breed or show, just want lovable pets.
 
#2 ·
Regardless of when puppies wean, it is better for them to learn bite inhibition with their litter mates and other social behavior from the mother. More importantly, it's actually illegal to sell a puppy that young in certain states. Did you verify health clearances of the parents, etc. I just can't imagine a truly reputable breeder would send puppies off at 6 weeks, regardless of what their veterinarian said was acceptable.
 
#3 ·
I can't imagine it either-
that's too young not from the standpoint of 'able to eat on own' but from the social standpoint.

Of course, from the breeder's standpoint, it is probably just about right- they won't have been needing a lot of work
cleaning up poop, etc till right before then. And all the socializing, different experiences, teaching them to go potty outside, exposing them to all sorts of stuff, that takes a lot of work.
 
#4 ·
I recently struggled with this dilemma as well. We are picking up our puppy tomorrow, just a day short of 7 weeks-which I was initially concerned about. From what I've read and discussed with vets, 6 weeks seems to be absolute earliest it would be ok to take from the litter, and 7-8 weeks is more ideal. I think some of the bite inhibition research is influenced by other breeds. When we got our first golden (when I was clueless) from a farm, we took her home at 5 weeks!!! She never was much of a land shark and despite being high energy, still had a remarkable ability to be gentle with everyone from nippy dogs to rough toddlers. During tug games if her tooth so much as touched your skin, she would instantly let go. We never purposefully trained bite inhibition. So...it's possible we just got lucky with an exceptional dog, but it's also possible that goldens are naturally gentle beings and that teaching bite inhibition is more important for more aggressive dogs. Just my 2 cents. I think we can become overly concerned about some of these small "fine-tuning" details. Remember, there are scores of goldens out there who had much worse conditions than what we're getting and who still turn out to be loving, gentle dogs.
 
#5 ·
A 10-15 year commitment to a dog is no small thing. Do you have proof of clearances for Heart (done by a cardiologist), Hips, eyes and elbows on each parent? This is not the same thing as a vet check. If the breeder doesn't do these clearances before breeding a litter, she is taking unnecessary, increased risks that these puppies could inherit physical defects in these areas. She should be more than happy to provide you with copies of these clearances or to give you the link on OFA to check them. If not, it is a giant red flag that she is cutting corners with her puppies and not an ethical person no matter how sweet she may seem.

Ethical breeders, in general, simply do not let a 6 week old puppy leave it's littermates for no reason. If the breeder doesn't understand the benefits of socializing the puppy with littermates longer than 6 weeks, I would say that you may wish to spend your money with a breeder who cares enough about doing a good job raising puppies to stay current with the most recent information on puppy raising. As mentioned above, proper care and socialization of puppies is time consuming and an effort. Just cleaning up after them is a hassle. Again, if the breeder is cutting corners in the way she raises puppies, do you really want to spend your money with her?

You may never want to show your dog, but you still want him to both look AND act like a Golden Retriever as described in the AKC standard. Goldens are famous for being bright and easier than many breeds to train. Temperament is crucial to a long happy life for a pet dog. If this is your first dog, you want a puppy that wants to please people. A breeder who is cutting corners in areas of ethics is probably not too concerned with upholding the breed standard in the puppies they produce either.

I would spend a year on a wait list with an ethical Golden breeder who only breeds dogs with a minimum of 4 health clearances and spends a lot of time and effort trying to give her puppies the best start possible. Many dogs come from shelter after a terrible start in life and make great pets, but living creatures are risky bets. A breeder who tries to do everything the right away gives you the best odds possible at bringing home a dog you can live with happily. If there are ever reasons why the dog is not able to live with you, if he is not good with children etc. an ethical breeder will take the dog back at any time during it's life. She is a safety net for that dog and a resource for you for life. That's the kind of breeder you want to spend money with, not someone who cuts corners and doesn't give her puppies the best possible start.
 
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