[Sweet Girl]

Who have you contacted and what kind of dog are you looking for? High energy/athletic, more laid back? What do you plan to do with your dog?

 

[lilpixie]

Who have you contacted and what kind of dog are you looking for? High energy/athletic, more laid back? What do you plan to do with your dog?

I'm looking for a dog who has a medium level of activity, enjoying a few hours of jogging and hiking per week but also liking cuddles and laying on the couch with me. I plan to have him as a companion as I struggle with anxiety.
My priority is with temperament and health. In terms of the look, I prefer those majestic fluffy goldens from championship bloodlines. I don't mind the price.

So far, I have contacted these breeders:
Ambertru: No response
Gold ones: No response
Bow bell goldens: No response
Gray valley goldens: I talked to her on the phone a few months back but we weren't a match.
Goldpaw: Talked to her on the phone, she was interested. She said to contact her again in early 2021 if I want a puppy from her.
Blackpool: Responded to my emails saying that I can make a reservation on January for puppies born in April.

Any suggestions?

 

[Sweet Girl]

I've only heard of Ambertru, Grey Valley and Blackpool on your list. It's worth going back to Ambertru - they do say all of their upcoming litters are spoken for, so that might be why you haven't heard back yet. You can also try Kyon, but make sure to check all parents for OFA clearances (as you should for all). I was also going to suggest Blackpool; if they are saying you can get on a wait list for January, providing all clearances are in place, I'd jump at that. You're not going to get pups any sooner than that from a reputable breeder - and most would likely be longer.

 

[lilpixie]

I've only heard of Ambertru, Grey Valley and Blackpool on your list. It's worth going back to Ambertru - they do say all of their upcoming litters are spoken for, so that might be why you haven't heard back yet. You can also try Kyon, but make sure to check all parents for OFA clearances (as you should for all). I was also going to suggest Blackpool; if they are saying you can get on a wait list for January, providing all clearances are in place, I'd jump at that. You're not going to get pups any sooner than that from a reputable breeder - and most would likely be longer.

Thanks for the info! I have no rush for getting my puppy. I can wait until Summer 2021. It's just hard to decide which breeder suits me best. I like Blackpool, they seem like a reputable breeder, but I prefer the goldens that have a heavier coat like Ambertru's. I'm gonna try calling them this time as they did not answer my emails.
Someone suggested a few other breeders to me in this regard. Do you know any of them:
Amber croft goldens
Bailey mist goldens
Melia Gold Reg'd golden retrievers

 

[Sweet Girl]

Ambercroft - good. Does all the clearances.
Baileymist - have not heard of. Seems to do clearances, but you'd have to check the prospective parents.
Melia - Also never heard of. Incomplete clearances from what I can see, so you would have to do due diligence again on the prospective parents.

Don't take it as a negative that I don't know them - I know/ know of fewer conformation style breeders. But there are probably people here more familiar with them.

 

[lilpixie]

Thanks!
Is there anyone in the forum that knows good conformation style breeders?

 

[russellthegoldenretriever]

Hi!
This might be a little too late but we got our pup a few weeks ago from Oxford Retrievers. They're CKC registered breeders and our pup is a beautiful red colour and has an amazing temperament. It's about an hour and a half - two hours drive from Toronto.

 

[Buyer Beware]

Buyer beware,

Bowbell Goldens/Carole K certainly breeds a beautiful dog, but be prepared whether you’re on a waitlist, or after you've received one of her pups, she can be extremely temperamental, accusatory and shaming. If you inquire, disagree or have an opinion that differs from hers she will “ghost” you, you’ll never hear from her again, and may never know why.

Most concerning was her lack of transparency around one of her litters where she was aware that at least 3 of the 7 pups in the litter died of cancer UNDER THE AGE OF 5, but never notified the other dog parents that they may want to consider additional screening at annual check ups because of this issue.

Most of the parents in this litter indirectly knew one another through friends so we became aware of this on our own as the dogs were dying.

Money making and protecting her reputation seem to come before empathy and doing what’s right

 

[lilpixie]

Thanks for everyone's input. Thought I log in and update you on my puppy situation

I ended up getting a golden retriever puppy in January 2022 from Sunkozi kennels. We named him Leo, and he's the sweetest and most handsome boy Beverley at Sunkozi is extremely professional, and I believe she deeply cares about her goldens. I waited about 18 months (she had bad luck with some of her pairs), but it was worth it. Leo's parents are Dino (M) and Rainbow (F). We met both of the parents and the puppies at 5 weeks old and picked Leo at around 8 weeks of age.

A few months ago, we started noticing some limping in Leo's shoulder. After several vet visits and an x-ray, we realized Leo has a disease called shoulder Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD), affecting young large dogs. The surgeon believes it is a hereditary disease that unfortunately cannot be tested genetically yet. I talked to Beverley about it and she handled it professionally and refunded 70% of the purchase cost as per our puppy contract. She told me this is the first time any of his goldens have had such an issue. Leo ended up having surgery on both of his shoulders. It has been 3 months, and his shoulders have healed beautifully. He's no longer limping and is a happy teenage golden

This is Leo now at 10 months old:

 

[Tagrenine]

These updates are great, thank you for sharing. So sorry you had a run in with OCD, but glad it’s better. Leo is a beautiful boy and the breeder handled it so professionally