[Thinkmike]

Hi Everyone,

We are looking to add a golden to our family and are looking for recommendations for breeders/trainers that offer trained goldens around 9mo-1yr old or so.

We have two small children and would love to welcome a trained golden into our house.

I have found a few breeders/trainers in southern California but am looking for recommendations if anyone has them. We prefer local as we would like to meet the trainer as well as the Golden but are willing to broaden our search. Thank you in advance for any help.

Mike

 

[BayBeams]

I live nearby in southern CA. I'm not clear as to what you are looking for. Do you want an older puppy that you can train and are looking for a trainer? Or do you want a trained dog to purchase?
I purchased an older puppy from a breeder that had been taught some basics but needed additional training and I also had a Golden from the Golden Retreiver Club of Greater Los Angeles Rescue (GRCGLArescue). He was fabulous.
An older pup from a breeder might be difficult to find but you can check with GRCGLA. The club has several breeders and they also have rescue dogs.

 

[Florabora22]

I think sometimes breeders will have an older pup that they are looking for a new home for after they decide the dog isn't right for their breeding program. I would contact your local Golden Retriever Club (GRCA) and ask for recommendations. Also, could you consider a rescue golden? A lot of time rescues are dogs already have that basic training in them. If you go through a legitimate rescue then the dog will have been thoroughly temperament tested to make sure that it is appropriate for your home.

 

[Thinkmike]

Hi BayBeams - I am looking for an older puppy/young adult that is trained. We would keep up the training as it gets older but I am looking for a Golden that already has a basic command structure and housebroken, etc. Thank you for the recommendation on GRCGLA.

Hi Kdmarsh - thank you for the suggestion. My next step is to look into GR rescues.

thanks again.

Mike

 

[iansgran]

Be careful. Some may say the dog is trained but don't bet on it unless you see if for yourself. This is not the normal routine. You can contact your local rescue, though, and they may have an older dog which would work for you. Oh, and by the way 9 months is prime chewing age and a time when the most dogs are returned for lack of training and behavior issues. No 9 month old is fully trained, house broken yes, but trained, no.

 

[jackie_hubert]

Good luck and I highly encourage you to look into rescue!

Will this be your first Golden? If not, you may want to know that a teenage Golden can be more difficult than a baby. My 18 months old who has a lot of training would be terrible with small kids.

 

[BayBeams]

I don't really enjoy the baby puppy stages so the last Golden I got was a 10 month old that was from a breeder. He did not fit into the breeder's breeding program and needed a home. At 10 months old he was perfect. He was housebroken, no longer was in the chewing phase and was ideal around the house. His breeder was located in the Fresno area but I first met the breeder and the dog at a dog show. Baxter was a perfect fit for my household and is now learning to compete in obedience.
My rescue boy was so well mannered and just a true joy. He was six years old when I got him from the rescue and the best dog anyone could ever want.
Do your research and you will find a great match for yourself. Good Luck!

 

[doggiedad]

you could fine a reputable breeder and buy a
pup from them. then have the breeder train your
pup. it's going to cost you an arm and several
legs but it's worth it.

 

[HiTideGoldens]

I have to be honest. When my husband and I started looking into breeders several years ago the idea of an already trained dog sounded fantastic! Who wouldn't want a trained puppy? But the more we looked into it that wasn't really what it seemed....I could get into more detail but I would rather just say that it isn't my cup of tea....if that makes sense?

I would suggest either going the rescue route or getting a puppy from a reputable breeder. Sometimes breeders will place older puppies in pet homes. That's a great option if you can find it, IMO. But they aren't marketed as "trained puppies" or anything like that. They aren't generally "marketed" at all, for that matter. It's more word of mouth if anything.

Feel free to PM me if you're looking for a breeder in the area. I know of a few breedings happening in the next few months and can refer you to some people if you would like.