# Adopting a retired breeder female



## Gertrude (Nov 18, 2017)

Anyone have any feedback about adopting a retired 6 year old female breeder dog?? Good Idea....Bad idea?? Health- behavioral issues??


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

All depends imo- has she lived w the breeder, or out in a kennel every day? Was she shown in some venue (implying a human-dog partnership) and titled? Is this a breeding program that spares no expense on care or one that cranks out puppies? 
It could be a great thing or a really awful thing. 
At 6YO, dogs are usually just below puppy price fw that's worth, but that's the case when they are titled. If just a BYB situation, they should be free imo.


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## brianne (Feb 18, 2012)

Several years ago I did a "trial adoption" with a female Golden much like you describe: they were retiring her from a breeding program. She was beautiful and sweet to people, but we had an elderly female dog and the newcomer initiated fights our old dog and didn't respond well to corrections. The owner then admitted that the GR hadn't had much socialization. Sadly, we had to send her back before she injured our senior.

If the GR had been our only pet, I think we could have successfully adopted her. 

I think there are several factors to consider, most importantly, where did the dog spend her time while she was producing puppies? 

If she spent her time in a home, then she would likely have no problems at all adapting to life as a cherished pet. If she stayed exclusively in a kennel, then there might be issues with housebreaking and general house manner.

Do you have other pets? What are their personalities? What experiences has the new dog had with other animals and people? How does the owner describe this girl?

Once you consider these factors, you can make an informed decision.

Either way, personally, I would probably go for it. :smile2:


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## Gertrude (Nov 18, 2017)

The fact that she is not housebroken....makes me think she was either crated a lot.....or she spent her time outside in a kennel. My old Golden Girl passed in June. I need another golden.. No other pets in the house....


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## brianne (Feb 18, 2012)

Can you spend some time with her, observing her? As Prism said, what kind of breeder is she from? Has she been well taken care of, or just used to produce lots of puppies without much medical care? Is she healthy? What about a medical exam or can you see vet records on her?

The fact that she is not housebroken would not be a deal-breaker for me; GRs are really smart and this could likely be remedied with training and patience. I think I would be more concerned with how she acts around people. If she is incredibly shy this could indicate that she hasn't been well-socialized, again, probably not a deal-breaker but will take a lot of patience.

And Prism brought up something I hadn't considered: price. If the owner is trying to charge lots of money for her, then maybe they are more concerned with their pocketbook than the dog's best interests. I personally wouldn't mind paying something but the price shouldn't be crazy.

Good luck.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Gertrude said:


> Anyone have any feedback about adopting a retired 6 year old female breeder dog?? Good Idea....Bad idea?? Health- behavioral issues??


This is a situation where you have to consider each dog on a case by case basis. Was the dog trained and used in competition? Was it trained as a pet or has it just lived by itself in a kennel its whole life?

So, it could be a good idea or it could be a nightmare waiting to happen.


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## murphy1 (Jun 21, 2012)

Whatever the situation, it sounds like she may just need a loving home. I hope it works out for you and her.


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## jimgl (Jul 25, 2015)

Our first golden was a retired breeder from a back yard breeder. We adopted her at 3 years old for $300. She was not house broken, lived outside with other dogs, and was not well socialized with people. She quickly learned to potty outside. She was shy meeting new people, but she had a very sweet personality. Her best buddy was an old stray lab that we adopted. She lived until age 9 and I still miss her very much.

Jim


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Gertrude said:


> The fact that she is not housebroken....makes me think she was either crated a lot.....or she spent her time outside in a kennel. My old Golden Girl passed in June. I need another golden.. No other pets in the house....


Sorry for the loss of your girl. I know how hard it is to have an empty house after they're gone. 

And the poor girlie. The fact that she is not housebroken certainly indicates she did not live in a home. If she will be your only dog, and you have the time to house train her, and teach her how to live with people, I'd say go for it. She will need patience and love, but she'll probably learn quickly, and she will revel in your love.


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## DanaRuns (Sep 29, 2012)

Some good advice above, and some well-meaning but naive advice. This is not like buying a puppy or adopting a rescue from a family that had to move away.

It's not always just the case of an un-house-broken dog needing a loving home. If they lived in a kennel their whole life, they may not have received _necessary_ socialization. Such dogs can be nightmares that can never be fixed. They can be dog reactive, people reactive, unable to live inside a human house, unable to form a bond with the new family, a flight risk, a physical risk, and a liability risk.

Be very careful. You need to know the particular dog's situation, and not just take someone's word for it. You need to see the dog in its current home -- and I mean inside the home, interacting with the breeder and her family, and their other animals -- and you need to spend hours observing and talking to the breeder. You could be buying a wonderful companion or a hidden tragic nightmare.

Pretend you're adopting an adult human. Adopting a nun from a convent would be a very different experience from bringing someone home from a lifetime in prison. All dogs, like all people, are not equal. It could be a fairytale ending, or it could be the end of a fairytale.


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## djg2121 (Nov 22, 2015)

Gertrude said:


> Anyone have any feedback about adopting a retired 6 year old female breeder dog?? Good Idea....Bad idea?? Health- behavioral issues??




I’ve adopted a couple of adult females that had been bred, both at around 5-6 years old. They both were great dogs, that were well behaved and healthy. One lived until 15, and the other to 13. It’s very hard to find a nice mature Golden. If the dog is being offered by a respected breeder, you shouldn’t think twice. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

Gertrude said:


> Anyone have any feedback about adopting a retired 6 year old female breeder dog?? Good Idea....Bad idea?? Health- behavioral issues??


I have adopted 2 retired females from breeders. One 7yrs old and the other 8yrs old. I've also rescued a 2yr old female and 3 year old boy.

What I found is every dog is completely different regardless of whether they had a background or not. When you adopt or rescue a dog they are always going to have particular issues you will have to deal with.


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