[michellepotato]

Hi everyone! I have been looking for a golden retriever and breeders for a while now, and I had a couple of questions:
1) If a breeder on a site is saying that their current list is full, and to request a puppy questionnaire in a couple of months instead, is it bad etiquette to send an introductory email now? I may be overthinking this one, but I really like this particular breeder's dogs and do not want to mess this up.
2) I noticed some questionnaires ask if there is a preference for a male or a female. I personally have always wanted a male golden retriever, but for no particular reason. I was surrounded by male dogs in my extended family and friends, so it is just what I want. With that being said, I was wondering if there is any real difference from the genders. From my research, there doesn't seem to be any, but I wanted to know your experience if there is!
3) I have narrowed down breeders based on DanaRun's old list. But I just wanted to know if there are any other breeders that you guys would recommend. Ideally, the breeder would be based in Southern California, but I am open to Northern as well and surrounding states! Or even anywhere in the United States if necessary. Also, this is not my priority but I would love if their dogs have broader heads and are light golden to golden in color.
4) What is a fair price right now? I looked around and it seems to be around 3500$ which is okay with me. Just wanted to know if this was average at the moment?
5) Lastly, I do not have a large backyard or front yard as I live in a townhome. I may move in this next year and am definitely looking for a single-family home that has at least a backyard. I was wondering if this is a dealbreaker for breeders (Especially if I do not end up moving homes). I do plan on finding alternatives such as going to the dog park nearby and two walks a day or whatever is recommended to keep my golden active. Also, I consider myself to be pretty active so I will bring my dog with me as well.

I would appreciate any of your responses

 

[ArkansasGold]

Bumping up!

 

[JerseyChris]

Welcome to the Forum, if you have some time read through this Blog. Has a log of great info on getting on breeders list and what do do after..

Home - The Canine Chasm

The Canine Chasm - Crossing the Chasm between the Pet World and the Dog World - Welcome to The Canine Chasm! Not your typical dog blog, The Canine Chasm seeks to bridge gap between the Pet World and the Dog World. This blog is for YOU: whether you are an looking for a responsibly bred puppy...

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Prices seem to be in the $3500-$4500 for a good average and might move a bit based on where the Breeder is located. That is a good range up here in the NE. I would be honest with your living situation and your plans. But I would not mention or recommend a dog park. If you did need to find a place for them to get some off leash exercise (which this breed needs) I would only use a dog park at off hours where you tend to be the only one there.

 

[Sweet Girl]

Not having a yard is a breaker for some breeders, but I always encourage people to speak directly to the breeder about your particular situation and what you plan to do with your dog. I have only lived in apartments and townhouses (no yards ever) with my dogs but I am very active with my dogs and would actually find it weird to put my dogs out for bathroom breaks without going with them on leash! And being out in a yard does not equal getting exercise. Anyway - there are several threads about living with Goldens in apartments here if you do a search.

The other question of yours I can comment on - there are broad, general differences between males and females (but there are always exceptions, too). Males are generally big loveable goofs who take a bit longer to mature and are all about their people. They are all love you love you. Females are generally a bit more serious and mature sooner. They can be more independent and are more love me love me. My two girls have pretty much been typical girls (my first especially) but my current girl is also very cuddly and soft (which I was not expecting but which I love). I tend to be a quieter and more reserved person and so I think that's why I gravitate to the girls. (I had a female and then a male as a kid - and only females as an adult). But like I said, there are always exceptions to these broad generalizations (though in all my hunt training classes, without exception, the girls do serious-up sooner than the boys - and I'm only talking about the Goldens). If you want a boy, even if it is just because you are used to boys or had boys as a kid, there is absolutely nothing wrong with saying so. It always means you are a little more limited (say, if there are five girls and one boy in the litter), but if it's important to you, it's important to you.

 

[KellyH]

If you want a boy, even if it is just because you are used to boys or had boys as a kid, there is absolutely nothing wrong with saying so. It always means you are a little more limited (say, if there are five girls and one boy in the litter), but if it's important to you, it's important to you.
[/QUOTE]

That's so funny. I requested a girl (she's coming home in 2 weeks!), and knew it might not happen depending on how many (if any) girls there were. In the end there were indeed five girls and one boy!

 

[Sweet Girl]

That's so funny. I requested a girl (she's coming home in 2 weeks!), and knew it might not happen depending on how many (if any) girls there were. In the end there were indeed five girls and one boy!

Same here. I am a girl-dog person, and I felt like I held my breath for the full pregnancy until the night my breeder called and said, "there are 3 girls and one of them will be for you..." I might have cried a bit.

Congrats on your puppy!!

 

[KellyH]

Same here. I am a girl-dog person, and I felt like I held my breath for the full pregnancy until the night my breeder called and said, "there are 3 girls and one of them will be for you..." I might have cried a bit.

Congrats on your puppy!!

oh, congrats to you, too. It’s such a wonderful feeling, no? My breeder said she didn’t fancy my chances of a pup from that litter but told me to keep my fingers crossed. (I got hold of her about a month before they were born). She had me join the puppy private FB page and I followed the pregnancy and the birth and all the adorable pics and videos but it wasn’t until they were a week old that she let me know I was getting a puppy!

 

[DanaRuns]

I was going to provide a detailed response, but I see that the OP has only one post and hasn't returned to this thread in five days. So, OP, if you're reading this thread you might want to just pop your head up and let us know that you're reading and still interested.