Seaside Golden Retrievers

How can I approximate what size the puppy will be when it is an adult?

 

For Golden Retrievers, observe the size of the parents for an approximation of size. The ultimate size of a puppy also depends on factors such as feeding, quality of care and the age at which the dog is neutered. All of these combine to influence your puppy's final size.

Male Golden Retrievers are typically larger than females. Their faces have more squareness and they are heavier boned. Females have more delicacy in their stride.

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Can we get another breed of dog from you?

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We specialize only in Golden Retrievers.  While we like many other breeds and their varying characteristics, Goldens are the ones that we know well, and this is the only breed we work with.  There is so much to love about them.

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When I look at high quality pet foods, there are foods specifically formulated for large breed puppies. Why is this?

A large bred puppy has different nutritional needs than smaller breed puppies. A diet that is appropriate for a small breed puppy can lame your large breed puppy.

Research has shown that large breed puppies need to have the proper balance of calcium, phosphorous, vitamin D, protein and calories. This helps to restrain sudden rapid and crippling overgrowth which strains the natural capacity of the skeletal system and involved soft tissue, such as cartilage, tendons and ligaments.

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The breeder of my sister's dog gave out her contact info for referrals.  I do not want to be contacted by strangers.  Will this disqualify me from getting a puppy from you?

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We respect everyone's right to safety and privacy, and your desire to maintain this will not be a reason for disqualification. Your details are private and not for us to hand out. We would expect that kind of privacy from any breeders we adopt from. Our policy is, and always has been:

We will never share your personal, nor contact information with another person.  Period.  It is extremely discourteous for any breeder to do this just to place a puppy.

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I saw that you recently had a litter, and the puppies were reserved very quickly.  Can I get on a Call Back list just in case one of the adopters finds they are unable to take home a puppy at this time?

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Yes, you can.  The first calls are sent to persons who have placed a preliminary deposit with us. If you are on the list, a quick response is important you want the puppy. If a cancellation were to occur late, i.e. when the puppy is 7 to 8 weeks old, the Call Backs would be sent out simultaneously to the homes we feel would be best for that puppy.

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Can a breeder hold a puppy while I think about it? I realize it's hard work to raise puppies, and I want to be fair to everyone concerned.

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Thank you for being concerned about this.  If a person needs time to consider their decision; that is perfectly reasonable. 

 

For us, when you decide for sure you want a puppy: please reach out to us again to see if there is still an available reservation. This is the fairest solution we can offer because especially during times following the announcement of puppy birth, many people are wanting a place on the Reserved list.

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What if you have a litter of all males or all females?

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It is rare that there will be a single-gender litter.  If there are not enough puppies of your desired gender born, our preference is to refund your deposit right away.

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Will we receive support materials from you?

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Yes, we have comprehensive puppy health and care articles that are available for adopters when their puppy is born.  This resource contains a truly amazing amount of information!

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Can you tell me about English Cream Golden Retrievers?

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The term "English Cream" is generally only used in the United States.  They are Golden Retrievers, and there is only one Golden Retriever breed, governed by the breed standard recognized by long established Kennel Clubs around the world. 

 

Goldens brought to America around 1910, and were selectively bred for more color, whereas the ones that stayed across the Atlantic were selectively bred by pairing up the lightest puppies over many generations. In Europe, there was also a preference for those with stockier bodies. There are many dubious claims about special health and temperamental advantages of English Creams that have been used as a marketing ploy in the United States.  Really, the term English Cream is preferentially used simply as a way to describe the coat color of very light colored Golden Retriever.

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Is there a breed standard for the color of a Golden Retriever?

 

It depends on what country the dog lives in. For example:

 

Great Britain:

“Color may be any shade of golden, but it must be rich and lustrous. Body color that approaches cream or red is undesirable.” ( in practice, they tend to be more accepting of lighter color Goldens than in the United States. )

 

United States:

“Rich, lustrous golden of various shades. Feathering may be lighter than rest of coat. Predominant body color which is either extremely pale or extremely dark is undesirable.” ( the breed clubs in the US heavily favor mid range color Goldens )

 

Canada:

"Lustrous golden of various shades."

( In practice, they tend to be more accepting of lighter color Goldens than in the United States. )

 

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Why is there so much variance in the appearance of Golden Retrievers?

 

Probably because the phenotype is not yet set.  If you look at Rottweilers for example, there is much less variance in appearance than within the Golden Retriever breed.  The Rottweiler is an ancient breed, and is reputed to have served the Roman Legions and travelled with Hannibal over the Alps. Golden Retrievers on the other hand, were developed as a breed in Scotland in the late 1800's. The newness means the phenotype is still in flux.

How do I train a golden retriever?

In order to become a well-behaved member of the family and society, training is necessary. Whether you choose a private trainer and/or a class, we've had our best results with golden retriever puppy training taught using positive motivation and rewards. Training classes are a lot of fun and give your puppy socialization and enjoyment with other puppies. Classes teach your puppy to behave and follow your directions even when there is a lot of distraction.

It is important to observe the way a trainer works with both puppies and their human parents. Watch a class, or several classes before you sign up. If they won't allow you to observe prior to signing up, it may not be the class for you.

There are many methods of training.  It's been our experience that methods that focus on dominance as the primary concern can be psychologically, socially and physically hurtful to a Golden Retriever. Think of kindergarten: learning should be fun and it should not hurt !

 

There are some wonderful trainers.  Kind, devoted, generous, caring.  Sadly, there are some whose financial motivation is to lock you into their early puppy class prior to 4 months of age so they can sell you their ongoing training programs. A puppy needs to be fully vaccinated before entering any class.  For this reason, it is crucial that you choose a trainer with enough concern to understand how pathogens are transmitted. 

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What about field and agility training while my puppy is not yet fully grown?

It is important not to overexercise or improperly exercise a developing puppy of any breed.  As with a toddler, you can injure the young creature if you do not take proper care.  The best person to consult is a good veterinarian.  Seek a veterinarian who will assess the activity in which you desire to participate, and advise you on your puppy's readiness for that activity.

 

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We want to make sure the puppy is a great fit for our family. Have you any suggestions?

Purebreds were bred for specific purpose, appearance and temperament.  That great fit, given the relative uniformity of a purebred's behavior and temperament, is shaped by the way you keep and train your dog.

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In some ways, it is much like when people have children.  The inherited contribution makes the child very much like the parents.  Add to this the social environment of the family and the way the child is treated.  These factors combine to shape who that child will grow up to be.

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I would like to get a Golden Retriever puppy at a specific time to fit with my plans.  Is it possible for you to time a litter?

It's best to be flexible with a schedule if you want a puppy from a specific mating pair.  There is no season of the year which corresponds to a calendared "breeding season" for domesticated dogs.

The time of fertility for a dog is called the "heat."  Most dogs come into heat twice per year, or about every six months, although the interval can vary between breeds, and from dog to dog. Even the same female can have variances in timing between her heats.  Attempts by veterinary scientists to induce canine heat cycles have not resulted in successful pregnancies.  

Dogs do not ovulate in response to mating as some species do, and they do not ovulate every month.  The variance between canine estrus cycles makes it impossible to predict precisely when a litter will be conceived.  An average human can conceive every 28 days; a good size dog on the other hand can conceive only every 6 months or so at most.  

In sum, the female is the one that sets the timing for conception and birth.

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You have such beautiful dogs. I am interested in adopting one of your adult retired dogs.  Will you have any of these available?

All of our dogs stay with us their entire lives. Our adult dogs are family members.  We love them, take good care of them, and they will always have a loving home with us.  All of our dogs live a plush life, sleep in our bedroom with us and are able to go in and out of the house as they please.  They have 10 fenced and cross-fenced acres to enjoy romping and playing with each other. 

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What is meant by "working with" a breeder? 

 

"Working with" just means that the adopter is expected to do their part.  This includes attention to home preparation, purchasing of food and other items for their puppy, carefully reading written information provided by your breeder, finding a veterinarian and scheduling follow up vaccines and care.

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So this is the Golden Rule for adopters:  

"Love your puppy enough to give the breeder the time and energy needed to take the very best care of your puppy."  For sure, taking excellent care of your puppy is the best way a breeder can care for you.

Waiting for a litter to mature is not easy.  It's important to ask yourself if you can live with the fact that a breeder who is taking very good care of a litter of puppies is entirely devoted to the care of those puppies. Breeder support focuses on providing information how you can best take care of your puppy.

 

And yes, you will get photos every 10 days or so while your puppy grows for your fluffy family member's photo album.

 

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I would like to be able to take my puppy with me on an airline flight in a couple of months.  Can you give me any suggestions for flying with my puppy?

 

Airlines are your best source for specific information.  Policies and procedures vary from airline to airline, as do service levels, ability and willingness to accommodate pets.

 

Generally, a pet flying must meet a minimum age requirement, have a veterinary health certificate and be current on all vaccines.  Official proof of current rabies vaccination is usually required for older puppies. Microchipping may also be required.  You will need an airline approved kennel or pet carrier.

 

If your puppy is small enough to fit under the seat in a pet carrier, some airlines allow you to reserve space for your puppy to fly with you in the cabin.  However, they usually limit the total number of pets flying in the cabin, so you need to reserve a place before another person does.

 

Even after you have made your reservation for yourself and the puppy, it is suggested that you call the airline back and verify.  It's a good idea to this several times, as people have experienced reps who fail to place the reservation.  Airlines have service levels that are very good, as well as those that are unreliable when it comes to flying with a pet.