I hate it when threads from brand new posters start that way because it may seem to the new member that others are attacking their choices, which is totally not the case. So I thought I would share a personal story about our first golden, Bogey, who we brought home in July 2008.
Our story started the same way yours did. We heard about a breeder who ALWAYS had tons of cute puppies, so we knew, as young impatient newlyweds, that we wouldn't have to wait. We thought we did everything right - we went to the house, checked out the parents, talked to some people who had purchased goldens from the breeder in the past, talked to the breeders' vet, etc. But I had never heard of health clearances, and I only knew that goldens were susceptible to hip displaysia.
So I asked the breeder about HD and she said they had a "two year guarantee". Okay, I thought! Sounds good to me! I was so stupid. Like I would ever ever return a puppy if he got HD after he'd already become a part of our family. But that's beside the point.
When we first when to visit there were two litters on the ground, and when we went to get Bogey there were three. The all lived in a nice, clean barn, which I thought was normal. After I joined this place I found out that was far from true. Lots of (good) breeders actually raise the puppies in their bedrooms and are playing with them tons every single day. Our breeder was a nice person, but she didn't do those things.
I felt totally humiliated after we got Bogey home and he was so sick. The breeder wouldn't help, and I was embarrassed after reading the forum and realizing I did so many things wrong. But the community was so supportive and what was done was done.
But I would really encourage you to not make the same mistake. We ended up spending THOUSANDS in vet bills trying to diagnose Bogey's problem, which turned out to be some fairly serious stomach problems that prevented him from growing for awhile and made his coat awful. Not to mention that he was really sick for months and constantly had diarrhea and was throwing up a lot.
If you want to bring a good puppy into your home that needs to be loved and can't stomach the $1000+ price tag that comes with a well-bred golden, please consider rescuing. It would be so rewarding and the best of both worlds.
I am sure the family and puppies you met are all lovely, but I know from first-hand experience how heartbreaking it is when a story starts that way and has far from a fairy tale ending. And I would hate for you and your family and other pets to go through that. It takes away time, money and attention away from them.
I hope you find the forum to be a welcoming, caring place and don't view people's concerns as any sort of attack. It's just that many of us learned things the hard way and want to spare others the same heartache.
Welcome! And I can't wait to hear more about your search!!!
