[khrios]

I posted recently about the sudden loss of our Maddie golden girl to hemangiosarcoma. This is the first time in 25 years that there is no golden thunder-tail around the house. Needless to say, I intend to remedy this situation.
I have been inquiring with breeders, and reading very informative posts around here.

At first, I only thought of a puppy as a possibility, but a friend encouraged me to look into rescue as well.

Would it be possible to find a rescue golden who would fit into our particular family situation?

My mother lives with us and has some special needs. She has osteoporosis and can break bones easily. She adores dogs, goldens in particular. We need a calm, easy-going dog that could go for walks with her, without bolting or pulling, and be her daily companion. The rest of us, husband and young adult kids, will be around after work/school, and on the weekends.

My first inclination was to think that to get the right temperament, we would have to get a puppy and train it.

Your insights are very much appreciated.

 

[Jessie'sGirl]

I would think that if you are patient and willing to wait, the right golden is out there somewhere in need of a good home.

 

[GoldenCamper]

Would it be possible to find a rescue golden who would fit into our particular family situation?

My mother lives with us and has some special needs. She has osteoporosis and can break bones easily. She adores dogs, goldens in particular. We need a calm, easy-going dog that could go for walks with her, without bolting or pulling, and be her daily companion. The rest of us, husband and young adult kids, will be around after work/school, and on the weekends.

Yes, there are rescue dogs with calm loving mellow temperaments.

Get some applications filled out and approved with rescues in your area so you are prepared when the right dog comes along for you

Don't know how you feel about adopting a senior, but one sounds perfect for your situation. Good luck!

 

[kwhit]

This is a great rescue...I would try them:

Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue and Sancuary, Inc.

Actually getting an older dog would be wonderful for your situation because you know exactly what you're getting. Also, a puppy's exuberance might be too much for your mother.

 

[DaisyGolden]

Like goldencamper said I think a senior sounds perfect for you. The one advantage of getting an adult dog instead of a puppy is that you know what you're getting. Even if you get a great puppy from the best breeder you still have to go through the training time when the pup will have to learn not to pull on the leash. I would also be worried about once the puppy gets a little bigger it could jump up on your mom before it has learned not to. An adult or senior rescue would be great because you could see how it walks on a leash and how it acts around your mom before you adopted it. I think a senior dog would be wonderful for your mom. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[booklady]

I completely agree with the adult or senior golden rescue thought. I took care of mother during her declining years and finally had to ask her friends not to bring over their puppies and small dogs....my mother was a huge lover of animals of all sizes and varieties and encouraged her friends and family to bring the dogs, too. The little ones, especially the puppies were real trip hazards and she was quite frail.

She actually used my senior goldens to lean on when she was feeling unsteady.

 

[khrios]

There seem to a number of rescue organizations for goldens. What is the best way to talk to the right people?

 

[Sally's Mom]

One of our techs' mothers adopted an aged poodle from one of our clients when she went into a nursing home. The poodle had kidney insufficiency at the time. The new owners only requirement was that the dog was continent. The dog was great with the grand kids and lived maybe another seven months when her kidneys got the better of her. Anyway our techs' mom decided that older dogs were her calling.. As long as they were continent. A vet friend in another state knew of a mine year old golden needing a home. I let this woman know and Maxine became hers...she is great with the grand kids, great with my co owned pup who lives with my tech, great in the house, and I can testify, great at the vets. The benefit is that she isn't hyper and crazy like a puppy might be. If you are patient, the right dog is out there for you..

 

[khrios]

That will be my mantra...the right dog is out there for us...

 

[CarolinaCasey]

What about contacting reputable breeders that have dogs that didn't work out for their breeding program. This could mean that they didn't fit the standard structurally or are missing teeth. It could also mean it's a little older female that isn't breeding any longer, etc. I think you might need a dog that is older and will not jump. A rescue dog coming from a known home where the family surrendered it for known circumstances would also be a good fit, I believe.

 

[khrios]

What about contacting reputable breeders that have dogs that didn't work out for their breeding program. This could mean that they didn't fit the standard structurally or are missing teeth. It could also mean it's a little older female that isn't breeding any longer, etc. I think you might need a dog that is older and will not jump. A rescue dog coming from a known home where the family surrendered it for known circumstances would also be a good fit, I believe.

Great idea. It had not occurred to me. Awesome.

 

[Sweet Girl]

Another option is to get on a waiting list for a dog who "fails out of" service dog training (for the blind, deaf, etc). These are generally really well trained, calm dogs, who just might have been scared of loud noises, or unable to discern between traffic lights, etc. As I understand it, wait lists can be long, but the wait is worth it.

 

[khrios]

I placed us on the Northern California Canine Companion reject list. I knew about them because my neighbor has one. However, the staff person told me they have hundreds of people on the waiting list and few rejects. Sigh

 

[khrios]

Today, I'm going to call some breeders about retired dogs, and see what happens. Wish me luck!

 

[khrios]

If you know of a breeder who has a retired adult dog to place or a young dog, who maybe didn't make the cut, please let me know.

I started looking for breeders who listed adult dogs for sale, and boy did I get sticker shock. I found a breeder in So.Cal. that was selling a trained dog for $15,000. Several others had dogs for $4,500, $3,500. Yikes.

 

[Bentley's Mom]

If you know of a breeder who has a retired adult dog to place or a young dog, who maybe didn't make the cut, please let me know.

I started looking for breeders who listed adult dogs for sale, and boy did I get sticker shock. I found a breeder in So.Cal. that was selling a trained dog for $15,000. Several others had dogs for $4,500, $3,500. Yikes.

That's too high. Here are some links to threads on this site to hopefully point you in the right direction.

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com...uppy/49956-reputable-breeders-california.html

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/golden-retriever-polls/88321-breeders-northern-california.html

 

[Sweet Girl]

I placed us on the Northern California Canine Companion reject list. I knew about them because my neighbor has one. However, the staff person told me they have hundreds of people on the waiting list and few rejects. Sigh

Oh, wow. That would be a LONG wait. Sorry to hear that. Good luck with the breeder route. There seem to be a couple of lovely Labs looking for a home right in this very thread...

 

[khrios]

@SweetGirl - Yes, a loong time. I was told people are on the list for years.

 

[FeatherRiverSam]

Well every sugestion I had has already been made so I'm afraid I'm not going to be much help. But it's definitely worth the wait for the right dog. I lost my mom this past April of 2011'.

She was 89 yrs old and quite frail but loved dogs and I can't express the difference it made for her when I visited with Woody my 3 yr old golden rescue. The bond between the two of them was instantaneous. I can still see her hugging Woody. I was very lucky as most dogs this age can be unpredictable but even though Woody can be a crazy dog when ever he got around my mom he was very gentle.

That being said I'd still urge you into looking for a senior rescue. I would have never let my mom try and walk Woody on a lead anywhere. But with a senior rescue this might be a possibility and that would be great everyone, your family, your mom and the dog!

Some pictures...

Pictured with Woody & my brothers setter Neman

My mom & Woody....

Good luck with your search.

Pete

 

[khrios]

Pete,

Thank you so much for sharing. The photos are touching. I keep thinking our golden boy or girl is out there, waiting for us to find them.