golden retreivers

[brimic]

We are currently looking for a Golden retriever as a family pet and occasional hunting dog.
Doing online research on this breed has been bewildering.
From what I got from reading various GR forums is that if you don't get on a 4 year waiting list to pay $3000 for a pup that has had its lineage tracked back 200 years along with a ream of papers and certifications that both parents are from champion bloodlines and have been checked for every ailment from cancer down to bad breath, and have DNA profiles on file,  the pup is likely to develop cancer within 2 years, have a leg fall off, and have an instinct for murdering random toddlers. (I am only slightly exaggerating here, not much).
I just remember having one as a kid, it was unpapered, and a really good dog....

Have things changed that much with this breed, or is this some sort of online breed snobbery, or something in between?

[charby]

Yes snobbery of breeds exist.
I upland bird hunt a lot, so I do my homework on breeding and spend the money on good breeding.

In my experience occasional hunting do usually results in a disappointing day in the field. Mostly because training doesn't stay consistant, dog doesn't hunt in a reasonable range, misses birds or just runs after birds flushing all the birds in front of you out well of shotgun range.

If I just wanted a house dog, I'd check the local humane societies or rescue groups.

[Brad Johnson]

For a pet, family member, and general all-around "dog" your average garden variety un-papered GR is fine. And they don't cost a couple grand a pop.

Heed what Charby said about the occasional hunting dog. There really is no such thing. They are a hunting dog who is a pet on the side or they are just a family pet. There's no in between due to the consistency of training needed to properly educate and condition an effective hunting animal.

Brad

[brimic]

If I just wanted a house dog, I'd check the local humane societies or rescue groups.

Unfortunately, most of the dogs in my area at humane societies are either pitbulls or 1/2pitbull mixes.... zero interest in that.

Re: hunting. Yeah, I get that with upland hunting- everyone I know who hunts pheasants/quail/grouse has a specially bred dog strictly for hunting, casually trained dogs need not apply.
I'm more talking about walking local drainage ditches for wood ducks, and some waterfowl hunting over dekes... a really well trained dog makes the experience great, a dog that has had some training in finding downed birds is far better than no dog, and can really make a day.

[Kingcreek]

I grew up with golden retrievers and raised goldens with English hunting bloodlines. Wonderful dogs and some of the best combo hunters and pets ever. Never had seizures, eye problems, hip dysphasia or social problems. That said, when we lost our last golden I looked and researched for 3 months. Then I bought my first lab.
The once wonderful breed has almost been lost. I wish I had realized sooner and maintained control of some of that DNA.
I hope the good hunting labs don't go the same path.
Seriously, you can search the hunting retriever sources and maybe get lucky find good goldens somewhere but I couldn't find anything close to what we had. If they are out there, it would be through the competitive circuit, HR trials, etc.
It's a lot easier to find a good lab.

[brimic]

Seriously, you can search the hunting retriever sources and maybe get lucky find good goldens somewhere but I couldn't find anything close to what we had. If they are out there, it would be through the competitive circuit, HR trials, etc.

So the overbreeding/inbreeding is an actual thing with goldens...

[BobR]

So the overbreeding/inbreeding is an actual thing with goldens...

That is a shame, I know it is a thing with Springer Spaniels, I have the scar to prove it.

People have screwed up more breeds than they have helped, just look at pictures of German Shepherd Dogs from the 1930s to what they look like today with the sloping back and hip issues.

bob

[brimic]

That is a shame, I know it is a thing with Springer Spaniels, I have the scar to prove it.

People have screwed up more breeds than they have helped, just look at pictures of German Shepherd Dogs from the 1930s to what they look like today with the sloping back and hip issues.

bob

Springers too? My family had 2 of them- both really good dogs.
Only messed up dog was an American Water Spaniel- we had that one put down before it was a year old, it had serious mental issues and eventually bit some kid down the street after running off.

[Jamisjockey]

So the overbreeding/inbreeding is an actual thing with goldens...

It's a thing with all breeds.

The breeder we got our Brittany from bought and sold dogs with other breeders around the country to change up the lineage of the dogs he sold just to avoid inbreeding. 
She's got champion blood as a field and show dog, but is a fat housepet 
That said, I've seen some pathetic looking purebred Britts.  I follow a rescue group online and some of the dogs are way small for the breed, with tiny mouths that couldn't carry a bird if they tried.

[BobR]

Springers too? My family had 2 of them- both really good dogs.
Only messed up dog was an American Water Spaniel- we had that one put down before it was a year old, it had serious mental issues and eventually bit some kid down the street after running off.

Springers have this little quirk known as Rage Syndrome. From what I could ever find out it is mostly in the show lines of the breed. That is all that kept me from putting down mine, he was a hunter and supposedly not as susceptible to the disorder. He only went beserk once and it *could* have been partially my fault for startling him. He was a great dog for chukars so he got a reprieve.

I believe the smaller the pool of breeding dogs the more whacked out they get, I have a friend that has a couple of Boerboels that are OK but she had to have an earlier one put down because it went nuts and tried to chew her arm off. The breeder replaced the psycho one for her. That is a fairly uncommon dog in the US so the gene pool is fairly shallow.

bob

[Jamisjockey]

Springers have this little quirk known as Rage Syndrome. From what I could ever find out it is mostly in the show lines of the breed. That is all that kept me from putting down mine, he was a hunter and supposedly not as susceptible to the disorder. He only went beserk once and it *could* have been partially my fault for startling him. He was a great dog for chukars so he got a reprieve.

I believe the smaller the pool of breeding dogs the more whacked out they get, I have a friend that has a couple of Boerboels that are OK but she had to have an earlier one put down because it went nuts and tried to chew her arm off. The breeder replaced the psycho one for her. That is a fairly uncommon dog in the US so the gene pool is fairly shallow.

bob

That's nuts.  They're so similar to Brittanys, but Britts are known for their gentle temperament.  I had no idea Springers had a propensity to snap.

[brimic]

One of our springers would go apeshit if you went near it while it was eating, but wouldn't bite. I always figured it was part of her personality...

[Larry Ashcraft]

I had a Springer from 1982-1999* (RIP Daisy Mae).  She was out of English hunting stock and had long legs, short ears and great instincts.  The Springers I see around here look more like large Cockers.  That was blamed way back in the 80s on the Americans who bred them for show, same way they ruined the Cockers.

*Yes, she lived to the ripe old age of 17.  She was a great dog.  She knew when I put my shotgun case in the truck that her place was on the passenger seat, not in the back or on the floor.

[BobR]

That's nuts.  They're so similar to Brittanys, but Britts are known for their gentle temperament.  I had no idea Springers had a propensity to snap.

One of the best, if not best hunting dogs I ever had was a English Springer/Brittany mix. Both parents were bird dogs, I owned the Springer and a friend had a Brittany so I ended up with a liver spotted long tailed Brittany/Springer mix. She was a great dog. All you had to do was say "dead bird" and she would hunt till she dropped looking for it and had such a soft mouth. She would catch my wife's lovebird when it escaped and bring to me.

bob

[charby]

Unfortunately, most of the dogs in my area at humane societies are either pitbulls or 1/2pitbull mixes.... zero interest in that.

Re: hunting. Yeah, I get that with upland hunting- everyone I know who hunts pheasants/quail/grouse has a specially bred dog strictly for hunting, casually trained dogs need not apply.
I'm more talking about walking local drainage ditches for wood ducks, and some waterfowl hunting over dekes... a really well trained dog makes the experience great, a dog that has had some training in finding downed birds is far better than no dog, and can really make a day.

Decoy hunting you want a dead broke dog that won't move until you command them to retrieve and then force fetched so they bring the quarry back to you as soon as they find it. A dog that isn't dead broke on sit/stay command will cause ducks to flare off as they come to your decoys.

I miss my lab, she'd sit there through the shooting and wouldn't move until I sent her to fetch. Might have to get back in retrieving dogs once my Weimaraner goes off into the happy hunting rounds. I'm planning on another Weimaraner but I might to include GWP, Picardy or Small Munsterlander to have a pointing dog for upland, but a sturdy waterfowl dog.

[grampster]

Thread veer:   When I was a late teen, my buddy had a Heinz dog named Spunky.  That dog hunted pheasants, pats, squirrels and rabbits like a champion.  I've hunted uplandbirds and rabbits with friends who had all sorts of highbred hunters, but never anything like Spunky.

When I peddled a morning paper as a kid I started my route around 5AM.  About halfway through there would always be a large Golden sitting on the corner waiting for me.  He'd follow me around the rest of my route, get his scratches and rubs and then take off for home.  Rumor had it he was pretty good on getting in several of the neighbor's chicken coops along my route as well.

[Larry Ashcraft]

To answer the OP's question; Goldens make great pets.  My mother in law had a couple, and my sister in law did as well.  We adopted one of SIL's pups when her female got pregnant.  Howard was huge, 140 lbs, black and ugly, so we took him in.  Best mutt we ever had, gentle with kids and other dogs, even small ones.  Their one drawback though, is that they love anything with four legs, so don't expect a GR to protect your garden.  They'll just want to play with the deer or rabbits.  It took a couple of near misses to get Howard to hate coyotes.  Twice he was drawn out by coyotes, but I happened to be there with my 25-06.  He finally figured out that "Daddy doesn't like coyotes, so I don't either".

[charby]

Unfortunately, most of the dogs in my area at humane societies are either pitbulls or 1/2pitbull mixes.... zero interest in that.

https://www.waagr.org/

Golden Retriever Rescue of Wisconsin

My buddy here in town adopted a sweet GWP from the local shelter, yes there are pits and pit mix, but if you are willing to wait a Golden Retriever will probably show up for adoption in one of the local shelters. Also seem like various rescue groups get the purebred/near purebred dogs as soon as they see their breeds in shelters.

[zxcvbob]

One of our best dogs was an un-papered GR pup that we got for free.  The farmer with the litter of puppies said they were Samoyed x Labrador; there might have been some Samoyed in there somewhere (she had a frizzy white undercoat) but she looked and acted just like a Golden.  And she died of cancer at 5 years    FWIW.

[bedlamite]

Dozer turns 15 this spring, he's half Golden and half Lab. Best dog I've ever had. The only real problem he's ever had is arthritis the past couple years.

[sumpnz]

That is a shame, I know it is a thing with Springer Spaniels, I have the scar to prove it.

People have screwed up more breeds than they have helped, just look at pictures of German Shepherd Dogs from the 1930s to what they look like today with the sloping back and hip issues.

bob

We're getting a Shepherd puppy in 1 month.  Deliberately sought out a breeder that had very little slope in their dogs' hind end.

[Firethorn]

One of our best dogs was an un-papered GR pup that we got for free.  The farmer with the litter of puppies said they were Samoyed x Labrador; there might have been some Samoyed in there somewhere (she had a frizzy white undercoat) but she looked and acted just like a Golden.  And she died of cancer at 5 years    FWIW.

With all the problems introduced with pure-breeding these days, a crossbreed is a good way to eliminate most negative recessive traits.  

Hell, the popularity of crossbreeds might be because of the overbreeding of most of the pure strains to the point that problems are so common.

Though yeah, I'm sorry to hear about the cancer.  You're pulling the slot machine arm no matter what, even if you game the odds your way some.

[never_retreat]

We just lost our golden to lymphoma a month ago. She was only 9 and just got done recovering from her 2nd ACL surgery when I found the lumps. Litteraly 1st time back on the couch with me and I felt them.

We still want another golden but setteled on a mutt puppy right now. Bernese and lab. One she gets out of puppy well will get the 2nd dog.

[brimic]

Found my pup.
I talked to about a dozen different breeders in the last week, almost all of them had all of their pups spoken for, two offered to put me on a waiting list for fall.
I found a few breeders who struck me as less reputable, who didn’t have their dogs OFA tested for hips, knees, eyes, thyroid, and various other issues.
Today I talked to a breeder in the northern part of the state who has not only been at it for 26 years, but is also a veterinarian. After talking to her for better part of an hour, I had her reserve her last pup for me to check out, and hopefully pick up on Friday afternoon.
She told me she has never heard of a genetic problem in her lines, and currently has 3 generations in her house (11 dogs of her own) that are all intelligent and healthy.
This one is 1/2 English Cream and 1/2 American Golden Retriever.

[Hawkmoon]

This one is 1/2 English Cream and 1/2 American Golden Retriever.

Awwww ...

I could almost be tempted to get another dog.