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Golden Retriever » Golden Retriever Forum
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Trying to find a breeder, golden club local website useless

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Shadow

Scardy Cat		 
 
Barked: Mon Jun 8, '09 10:11am PST 
Hello all, im trying to find a golden retriever breeder and have read through other threads here that suggested i look at the local Golden Retriever clubs website. I did a google search for golden retriever club new mexico and found the site, but it is terribly designed and i cant even really navigate it, there is no contact links on it anywhere to be found, what should i do next?
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Harvey

Mountain Goat in- Training		 
 
Barked: Wed Jun 10, '09 6:30am PST 
What I would do is go to the AKC breeder classifieds. Many breeder will post their litters there. You have to be careful of course, because AKC registration doesn't necessarily guarentee quality dogs, but they have a pretty thorough breeder profile questionaire, and even a place where the OFA info can be placed (I'm always clicking on that and get giddy when I see EXCELLENT!!)

We'll hopefully be getting another Golden soon, and I've found a breeder we like so far, but we haven't made contact because we are still evaluating whether Harvey would benefit from having a second dog around.
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Shadow

Scardy Cat		 
 
Barked: Wed Jun 10, '09 9:34am PST 
well i finally figured out how to find the breeders on the akc website, ive been looking for months and didnt have a clue how to find a list of litters available. One thing that gets to me is the price range.

A few breeders list the price at $1200 and others are under 7, should i be worriesome about the breeders that charge a significantly cheaper price?

Also i found only one local breeder here in new mexico and the dire and dam dont have health clearances. i know its not adviced to purchase a puppy without having those health clearances, but how much of a risk is it really?
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Harvey

Mountain Goat in- Training		 
 
Barked: Wed Jun 10, '09 10:43am PST 
It's a big one. Don't risk it. You can call and ask to see if they have the OFA's and they neglected to put them up on the website (make sure to check them against the OFA website).

Consider traveling a little outside your area. Try AZ or TX as well.

I don't think cost is a factor if all their ducks are in a row. You want to be wary of dogs that too inexpensive, but $700 may be a fair price for a Golden in your area. However, don't sacrifice quality for cost. It may be better to pay $1200 for a dog now with health guarentees and well-vetted (ha! a pun!) parents, then to have to pay 3-5k for Hip/Elbow Dysplasia surgery down the road.

You have to speak to the breeder directly, and ask all those important questions, read up on their health issues, and ask the breeder about their dogs' health. It may be nice to meet the parents as well. Ask the breeder WHY they breed, and do they show (I don't know if this is important to you, but its a good indication that the dog will be a good example of the breed standard)
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Shadow

Scardy Cat		 
 
Barked: Thu Jun 11, '09 8:27pm PST 
the problem is that traveling isnt so much an option with work and school. as well as cost being a major problem, i couldnt afford 1200+ the cost of shipping
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Harvey

Mountain Goat in- Training		 
 
Barked: Sun Jun 14, '09 12:35pm PST 
I know it's hard. I'm in grad school and doing my internship while looking for a teaching position. The good news is that school has breaks, even if you're on a quarter system and work can schedule you time (it's nice when they give you vacation time). The truth is, you'll need time to settle the puppy in, and if there's not enough time to go pick up a dog for an 8-10 hour car trip, it's going to be tough to even start with a new puppy.

I'm not one who says you have to be at home 24/7 with your dog, because that's crazy, but being able to put quality time in when they're young pays AMAZING divdens. Our last golden, Teddy, was housebroken in 2 weeks (results not typical) because our family divided the work and was able to get her on a schedule really quickly.

The price thing is difficult, and I frankly feel a little uncomfortable about the idea of shipping puppies to begin with, so I understand your plight. However, I worked for a pet insurance company until last week (aaahhh, the joys of unpaid internships shrug ) and the cost involved with a badly bred dog is OBVIOUS and I saw them day in-day out (and insurance can't pay for hereditary or congential conditions). Hip Dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, allergies up the ying-yang, all sorts of weird pre-dispensities that add up in the long run.

I know you'll find the perfect pup even if it takes a while. The AKC breeder thing only shows current litters, perhaps if you ask the breeder referral coordinator, she can put in touch with breeders that have planned litters and talk to you about your concerns:

Rio Grande Valley Golden Retriever Club
Dianne Uzdawinis
(505) 856-6658

You can also look for breed clubs outside of NM: AZ, TX,and CO to see if they can point you towards a breeder who meets your standards. The show stuff...well, it really depends, conformation is not the be all and end all...but those health screens, that's something I wouldn't willingly gamble on.
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