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Can I Choose My Own Puppy?
This is a question asked frequently and there is not a simple answer. Showing and breeding Golden Retrievers is my passion and I take every part of it very seriously. My goal is to produce a puppy that will not only be correct by the Golden Retriever Standard, but will be an irreplaceable family member. Matching a puppy to a family is not as easy as it sounds. Many things are taken into consideration: is the new family interested in showing, do they live in an apartment or a house, do they have children, what are the ages of the children, do they have other dogs/pets, what are their ages, have they ever owned a Golden before? The list goes on. We temperament test the puppies and have several breeders/and or judges evaluate the puppies at 7 weeks of age. Only then can I determine the best family for each puppy. I do allow families to express interest in a puppy at the visit, and if at all possible I try to get that puppy to them. I am appalled by websites where so-called "breeders" line up their male and female puppies like used cars and allow families to choose...even put down a deposit without a visit! This is completely unacceptable and no breeder who truly cares about their puppies would ever do this. The bottom line is this...if a breeder isn't a member of the Golden Retriever Club of America (and possibly their local breed club), doesn't have ALL health clearances BEFORE a breeding takes place (including hips, elbows, heart, and a YEARLY eye exam), and sells puppies without screening families, they are what we call "backyard breeders" and don't care what the future of this beautiful breed is. Run the other way...
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