What to research before you buy
Breeders can reduce the risk of inherited diseases in several ways.
- DNA tests and health screening schemes can help breeders eliminate or reduce the risk of specific health conditions.
- Avoiding mating too closely related dogs can reduce the chances of unknown genetic disorders that are hidden within the genes.
Health should be a priority.
Once you have found your breeder, it’s important that you find out about the health of the puppy’s parents. Having healthy parents is the best start to life a puppy can have. Ensure that the breeder has undertaken the necessary tests before producing a litter.
A responsible breeder will want to improve the health of the breed by breeding from only the best and healthiest dogs. Both the puppies mum and dad should have been tested before breeding.
Health Tests
Health tests for the golden retriever
When visiting a breeder, you should have already done your research on the breed and know what health certificates the breeder should have on the parents to show you. A responsible breeder will always be willing to discuss the relevant health issues with you. At a minimum the breeder should have tested their breeding dogs for:
- Hip and elbow dysplasia (once of test once the dog is older than 12 months)
- Eye diseases (every 12 months)
- Heart Disease (Once of test once the dog is older than 12 months)
For more information on health read our Health & Research page.
Always meet the puppies mum
A classic sign of a puppy farmer is that you can’t meet the mum of the pups. The mother of the puppies should look happy and healthy. Any signs of illness should be a warning and could indicate that the mother hasn’t been cared for by the breeder.
The mum should display the characteristics of the golden retriever. If the mum appears nervous or aggressive these tendencies may also be seen in the puppies. The puppies may not show signs of behavioural issues until they are older, so the mum’s personality may give you a better idea of how your puppy might behave as an adult.
If you would not be happy to take home the mum of the pups, then it may not be advisable to choose a puppy form the litter. the mother (and father) will pass on various characteristics to their puppies that you may not like and these may appear in the puppies when they are older.
- The mother should be healthy, happy, relaxed and displaying the characteristics of a golden retriever – Kind, Friendly & Confident.
The Next Step
After making initial contact with the breeder, the next step is to Visit the Breeder. This is important as it will give you a chance to meet them, ask any questions you might have and see what conditions the puppies are being raised in.