# Golden Retriever Breeder Within 4-5 hours of Houston?



## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

I figured it'd be a good idea to start a new thread for my (new) breeder search. I live around Houston and am willing to travel 4-5 hours in any direction. I would love thoughts on these breeders I posted and suggestions for others. Warning, this will be a _long_ post.

- I want all of the health clearances (eyes, heart, elbows, hips, DNA, etc) or at least the core four. The last breeder I put a deposit for (waiting list) only did preliminary hips and DNA (didn't realize that hips had multiple checks at the time). The deposit was nonrefundable and I have essentially lost $200, so I'd... prefer for that not to happen again. Health is #1 for me. 

- Some show wins from the parents would be cool. Just to know that others thought those dogs were breed standard too.

- I am looking for more of a show line than a field line if possible. I love the "blocky" headed show males. 

- I would love a good line. After digging, the last breeder had a dog whose parents were bred by a golden retriever/"doodle" breeder. And a few "types" of doodles too. No offense to doodles, but...that raised some big red flags for me. 
I loved pulling up a line on K9data and seeing parents, grandparents, great grandparents, etc with pictures, titles, clearances and all that. 

- I want a medium colored golden retriever ideally. I prefer the stereotypical color to than the super light colored dogs I see so many of. (Hope this is okay).

- I am fine waiting until late 2021. I will be ready for the puppy as soon as Spring of 2021 if it happened that soon.

- My budget is $2,500 if I can get a well bred puppy for that much or less. If I found the _perfect_ breeder I may be willing to wait and save more, but I'd prefer if it was in that price area. Waiting more than a year and a half would be difficult since I've been waiting so long already. 

Right now I am looking at:
Caprock Golden Retrievers
Dogwood Springs Golden Retrievers
Elkcreek Golden Retrievers
Emery Golden Retrievers
GoldenWind Golden Retrievers
Scion Golden Retrievers
Trailsend Golden Retrievers
WAHKEEN KENNEL

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*Emery Goldens *
I heard them recommended here but don’t know much else past their facebook page; thoughts on them? I don't see their dogs' names anywhere; how can I see their clearances?
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*Trailsend* *Golden Retrievers*

Chateau’s I Love A Parade (Macy) has hip, eye, heart, elbow, and thyroid clearances.

Trailsend My True Love Gave to Me (Piper) I don’t see hips for on K9data. Looking on OFA, I see it says “MODERATE UL”. What does this mean? I do see eye, heart, elbow, and thyroid.

Trailsend Busy Being Fabulous (Henley) has hips, eyes, heart, and is clear for prcd-PRA, PRA1, PRA2, Ichthyosis, DM, and NCL. However, I don’t see elbows.

Alliebeck Celebrity High Times at Trailsend (Dosey Doe) has hips, eyes, heart, and elbows, and is clear for prcd-PRA, PRA1, PRA2, Ichthyosis, DM, and NCL.

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*Goldenwind Golden Retrievers*
All dogs have hips, eyes, heart, and elbow clearances. One is tested and clear for prcd-PRA.
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*Elkcreek Golden Retrievers*
All dogs old enough have hips, elbows, eyes, and heart. Some have clear for prcd-PRA, PRA1, PRA2, Ichthyosis, DM, and NCL.
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*Dogwood Springs Golden Retrievers*
I see hips, elbows, and heart on all dogs. One dog I can't find on K9data. One has an unknown eye clearance, but the rest have eye clearances. 
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*Scion Golden Retrievers*
A lot of dogs, but from my brief look, I did mostly always see hips, elbows, eyes, and heart. At a minimum hips and elbows (I think the dogs with just that are deceased). 
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*WAHKEEN KENNEL*
Couldn't find the parents on their page. They seem to be involved in the breed clubs. Anyone with more information?
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*Caprock Golden Retrievers*
All dogs they own have hips, eyes, heart, and elbows. One dog is a carrier for ichthyosis.
------

I’m open to suggestions! I’d prefer if the breeder had a website, or a social media page if possible just so it's easier to find out things. Thank you all!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Bumping up


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## Heart of Goldens (May 6, 2019)

We have two of Colleen’s dogs (Dogwood Springs) and she is great to interact with. I’ve posted pictures before, but here our Max and Lucy.










In addition to the list above you may consider arkgoldens and gracengoldens as they have been recommended here before, although I have no direct dealings with them.

ElkCreek was on my shortlist when we looked, but didn’t have any litters available at the time.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

Heart of Goldens said:


> We have two of Colleen’s dogs (Dogwood Springs) and she is great to interact with. I’ve posted pictures before, but here our Max and Lucy.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Oh, they are so lovely! Have they been pretty healthy? That is exactly what I meant when I described what look I like. What are their personalities like? 

I considered arkgoldens and gracengoldens. 
Arkgoldens looked good but most of their dogs seemed to be on the paler side, especially the males. It'd be a trek, but I'll add them to the list too and consider them.
I'd honestly prefer if I could find a breeder that doesn't require a deposit until puppies are at least conceived, since I won't be getting one for a year+ down the line (if possible). I am kind of wary about large deposits that far in advance at this point. Is this possible or does everyone require a large deposit before puppies are conceived?

GracenGoldens I just don't see much info for on their website to dig further into health testing, structure of the parents, etc. I did see in the contract that the $500 deposit is nonrefundable if you decided not to go with them or had a change in life to where you couldn't get a puppy (unless it's just if you don't tell them before puppy is born; maybe I'm misunderstanding). 

I don't have a problem with a small reservation fee just to make sure I'm serious. Just that much upfront for a year+ down the line makes me somewhat uncomfortable. 
-------

List has been changed to consider:
ArkGoldens
Caprock Golden Retrievers
Dogwood Springs Golden Retrievers
Elkcreek Golden Retrievers
Emery Golden Retrievers
GoldenWind Golden Retrievers
Scion Golden Retrievers
WAHKEEN KENNEL

I will do some more digging today to hopefully dwindle this list more. If anyone has experience with these breeders or has a dog or dogs from here, I'd love to see/hear your experience.


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## DblTrblGolden2 (Aug 22, 2018)

I don't have time right now to check everything but I can easily tell you that Trailsend is a definite no for me. I looked at Henley and he does have elbows on OFA but they failed. He also failed at 25 months so I won't accept the reason they will probably provide which will be he suffered some sort of injury. One of the other dogs failed hips.

This will also bump your post up and maybe someone else will have some time this morning to do some more digging.


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

Hi @Searching Goldens ! I used to live in Houston (miss it every day, even in August), so hopefully I can help.

Arkgold is my breeder. Both of my dogs are the traditional show style, medium gold. She is going to be about 9-10 hours from you, so it might be easier to fly into Little Rock from Hobby (IAH if you're closer) and meet her there to pick up your puppy. All of my family is in Arkansas, so we just made family visits out of our puppy pickup trips. Marissa is a lovely, wonderful person. It sounds like you will want a Chuckles puppy next time she breeds her. (LOVE Chuckles. She is a delight! And a Grand Champion). Here are pedigree links to my two dogs: Rocket (Pedigree: Arkgold Rocket BN RM RAE CGC TKN), Eevee (Pedigree: Arkgold Eeveelution CGC TKN). Rocket cannot be bred and Eevee isn't old enough yet. This is just to kinda show what Marissa has produced in the past. About Marissa's deposit policy: a deposit locks down a spot for a puppy of a particular litter, but she will only take a few deposits per litter in advance in case the litter is small. If you put down a deposit and there aren't enough puppies (say only 2 or 3 are born or something), then you can either apply that deposit to a future litter or she will give it back. She's really very easy to work with.

Caprock I don't know personally, but I know they have been in the breed for years, are professional handlers, and follow the GRCA code of ethics.

Dogwood Springs I do know personally. Colleen is a lovely and kind person and I think her dogs would be an excellent fit for you based on your description of what you want. She works closely and has mentored both Marissa (Arkgold) and Grace N Goldens (Marlo Grayson). They are all three on the phone with each other all the time. Marlo has my Eevee's littermate.

Elkcreek I also know personally and think that Teresa is just a gem of a person. Has always been kind to everyone and she has some really nice dogs. I'm not sure if she is planning on breeding again anytime soon as she has some young up and comers that will be shown if shows ever start back up.

Emery Goldens - Brianna is an acquaintance, but she is in Houston and has some really lovely dogs. There was an article in Houstonia (I think it was in Houstonia anyway) a few months ago about a couple in Tanglewood and their two Emery Goldens. If you want to check her clearances you have two options: 1) Text/call her and ask her to send you links (after you fill out her google doc on the facebook page). or 2) Go to the k9data home page, click the "Search for dogs based on callname, titles or other fields" link and then use the next page to search for Emery in the name and Brianna Bischoff for the breeder and/or owner. She doesn't have a website because she doesn't really need one - most of her puppies are spoken before they are even conceived. She does all clearances and will be there for you for the life of the puppy.

I don't know anything about GoldenWind.

Scion is in the Austin area and Pat also produces some really gorgeous dogs that are exactly what you're looking for. I've never met her in person, but I know her by reputation. I know she does all of the health testing and I wish I had more things to say. She's bred multiple Top 20 Goldens over the years and I hear she's really nice.

Wahkeen I have met a few times. Linda is a super nice person, has lovely dogs, and follows the Code of Ethics. She is not as big of a name in Goldens (like Scion and Emery for instance), but she is in the Houston area, has bred multiple champions and other titles, and I think you would be very very pleased with a puppy from her. Definitely recommend Linda.

Please let me know if you have any other specific questions!


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

Pros/Cons List of Each Breeder for the moment:
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*ArkGoldens 
Pros:*_ Love_ all of the clearances and DNA tests on the dogs (and how easy it is to access). The dogs are gorgeous and they do have a few dogs that aren't on the paler side that I like. They have prices listed. They allow you to neuter your dog once they are old enough and have stopped growing. This breeder seems very nice based on their website and is fine with you contacting them about Goldens in general, even if not one of their own puppies. 

*Cons: *"We require our puppy families to have experience with Golden Retrievers" I have no personal experience with Goldens outside of the vet office I work at. I have done extensive research and I am familiar with the breed, but have never owned one. I don't know if this means this breeder would not place a puppy with me. This is the breeder farthest from me, at 7 hours (which is okay if they are the best breeder for me; still driveable). Does "Our puppies are reserved by a deposit of $500 taken to secure your place in the litter" mean before the puppies are born or after they are born? If after they are conceived/born, this is no longer a con.

*Price*: With tax, the puppy would be around $2700, which is close enough to $2,500 that I'd be okay with that. 
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*Caprock Golden Retrievers*:
Pros: Beautiful dogs. Core four clearances on all dogs. They are breeders/handlers in shows. Only 30 minutes from me. 

*Cons:* Puppy must be neutered/spayed before 7 months old. I have no intentions to breed, but I know of the research with early neutering causing the dog to grow up instead of filling out. I'd prefer if I had the option to neuter later. 

*Price:* Unknown
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*Dogwood Springs Golden Retrievers
Pros: *Core four clearances. OFA _and_ PennHip clearances. Their dogs are absolutely gorgeous. They show their dogs. 

*Cons:* None that I see off the top of my head. Looks like they may place puppies at 7 weeks; is this okay? Or am I reading this wrong? "Pickup/Shipping As soon as is reasonably possible after the Puppy is seven weeks of age..."

*Price: *Unknown
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*Elkcreek Golden Retrievers
Pros: * Core four clearances. Some dogs are tested and are clear of prcd-PRA, PRA1, PRA2, Ichthyosis, DM, and NCL. Beautiful dogs that are shown. 

*Cons:* Male dogs must be kept intact for _life. _I kind of would prefer to have the option to neuter_ if _the dog had major behavioral problems relating to them being intact (marking inside, fighting with other males, etc). If the dog had no issues, I don't care if he stays intact unless the breeder required him to be neutered at some point. Our dog is a blind/deaf 15 year old male permanent foster Dachshund (neutered), so there would be no risk of him getting into fights at home at least. 

*Price:* Unknown
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*Emery Golden Retrievers
Pros:* The dogs I see on her Facebook page are beautiful. It looks like she shows. She lives near me.

*Cons: *I can't find much information on her dogs as she only has a Facebook page. 

*Breeder Notes:* Beautiful dogs. Showing is a plus. 

*Price: *Unknown
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*GoldenWind Golden Retrievers
Pros:* Core four clearances done. Dogs are shown and are very pretty. Website is clear and has good information, so I expect no surprises. 

*Cons:* "Please note, we do not take names on a waiting list. We please ask that you to check back with us for updates during the pregnancies, whelping, and raising of the puppies." Concerned I might wait a year and a half and still get no puppy. Then back to square one again. That'd hurt. A meet and greet is mandatory at around 6 weeks old, but the breeder is a bit of a trek away. Would be okay if the puppy was the perfect one. 

*Price: *$2,500 plus TX sales tax (over here usually around 8.25%, so let's say $2,700).
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*Scion Golden Retrievers*
Pros: Only 2 hours away. The dogs are gorgeous and they show them. I did mostly always see hips, elbows, eyes, and heart. At a minimum hips and elbows (I think the dogs with just that are deceased).

*Cons: *The website is a little difficult to navigate and the last puppy litter advertised is from 2012. 

*Price:* Unknown.
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*WAHKEEN KENNEL*
I can't find much information on their dogs.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

ArkansasGold said:


> Hi @Searching Goldens ! I used to live in Houston (miss it every day, even in August), so hopefully I can help.
> 
> Arkgold is my breeder. Both of my dogs are the traditional show style, medium gold. She is going to be about 9-10 hours from you, so it might be easier to fly into Little Rock from Hobby (IAH if you're closer) and meet her there to pick up your puppy. All of my family is in Arkansas, so we just made family visits out of our puppy pickup trips. Marissa is a lovely, wonderful person. It sounds like you will want a Chuckles puppy next time she breeds her. (LOVE Chuckles. She is a delight! And a Grand Champion). Here are pedigree links to my two dogs: Rocket (Pedigree: Arkgold Rocket BN RM RAE CGC TKN), Eevee (Pedigree: Arkgold Eeveelution CGC TKN). Rocket cannot be bred and Eevee isn't old enough yet. This is just to kinda show what Marissa has produced in the past. About Marissa's deposit policy: a deposit locks down a spot for a puppy of a particular litter, but she will only take a few deposits per litter in advance in case the litter is small. If you put down a deposit and there aren't enough puppies (say only 2 or 3 are born or something), then you can either apply that deposit to a future litter or she will give it back. She's really very easy to work with.
> 
> ...


Oh, thank you so much for taking the time to write all of that! I really appreciate it! Your dogs are beautiful!
Do you know if ArkGold will place a puppy with someone who does not have breed experience outside of extensive research and interacting with goldens at work? I saw this on her website, and I don't know if this means personal owning experience: "We require our puppy families to have experience with Golden Retrievers". The drive would be a trek, but if it's just a one time drive it might be okay. I think I'd prefer to stay a little closer to home if possible though. 

This is going to be a hard choice!


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## DblTrblGolden2 (Aug 22, 2018)

You can go on K9Data and run a search under the breeders name it can be helpful.


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

Searching Goldens said:


> Pros/Cons List of Each Breeder for the moment:
> ------------
> *ArkGoldens
> Pros:*_ Love_ all of the clearances and DNA tests on the dogs (and how easy it is to access). The dogs are gorgeous and they do have a few dogs that aren't on the paler side that I like. They have prices listed. They allow you to neuter your dog once they are old enough and have stopped growing. This breeder seems very nice based on their website and is fine with you contacting them about Goldens in general, even if not one of their own puppies.
> ...


See my previous post explaining about the deposits, but the "experience with Golden Retrievers" thing doesn't necessarily mean that you have to have owned one before. I had never had a Golden before I got one from her. It really just means that you need to be prepared for what you are getting into. Goldens are sporting dogs bred to hunt, so they have a lot of energy and a lot of people aren't prepared for that. Lots of people think they are getting a laid back lovable goof like Comet on Full House, and then are unprepared when their puppy is like a landshark and tornado wrapped into one. It takes time, training, and dedication to get to the Comet stage. 

So please don't rule her out based on that. And feel free to call her and ask her all of these questions yourself. She's super easy to talk to - and very very nice. Unless you are already north of Conroe though, it's going to take you at least 9 hours to get to her, not 7. There isn't really a direct route to get from Houston to Texarkana, and there are lots of little speed trap towns in between. Unless they've done more progress on I-69 than I think they have...


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

ArkansasGold said:


> See my previous post explaining about the deposits, but the "experience with Golden Retrievers" thing doesn't necessarily mean that you have to have owned one before. I had never had a Golden before I got one from her. It really just means that you need to be prepared for what you are getting into. Goldens are sporting dogs bred to hunt, so they have a lot of energy and a lot of people aren't prepared for that. Lots of people think they are getting a laid back lovable goof like Comet on Full House, and then are unprepared when their puppy is like a landshark and tornado wrapped into one. It takes time, training, and dedication to get to the Comet stage.
> 
> So please don't rule her out based on that. And feel free to call her and ask her all of these questions yourself. She's super easy to talk to - and very very nice. Unless you are already north of Conroe though, it's going to take you at least 9 hours to get to her, not 7. There isn't really a direct route to get from Houston to Texarkana, and there are lots of little speed trap towns in between. Unless they've done more progress on I-69 than I think they have...



Yes, I definitely have done my research! I took around a year deciding which breed I wanted. Goldens kept winning in every department. I do have dog experience (Dachshunds), but big dogs are new to me as far as owning goes. I know that golden puppies are a bit much; I am used to landshark puppies at work! I just know that the adult afterwards will be worth it to get through that stage. I am very excited to have a dog I can train extensively and maybe do agility with. Dachshunds are...not very trainable from my experience with our original family dog (I got him to learn sit, stay, come, kiss, "soft" with the hand signals, but not much else). All of our foster Dachshunds have been deaf at the minimum, so I can't say for them how trainable they really are. 

We're north of Conroe (not much). 9 hours is perfectly fine for a one time trip for the right dog that'll live with us for hopefully 10+ years. I want to get this right!

I'm kind of leaning between Arkgold and Dogwood Springs Golden Retrievers. I do really like how Arkgold does DNA too. I think I'll start contacting breeders now that I've narrowed my top two. Arkgold asks for references, is it okay if I say that you referred me?

I'll let you all know what happens from there!


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

Searching Goldens said:


> Yes, I definitely have done my research! I took around a year deciding which breed I wanted. Goldens kept winning in every department. I do have dog experience (Dachshunds), but big dogs are new to me as far as owning goes. I know that golden puppies are a bit much; I am used to landshark puppies at work! I just know that the adult afterwards will be worth it to get through that stage. I am very excited to have a dog I can train extensively and maybe do agility with. Dachshunds are...not very trainable from my experience with our original family dog (I got him to learn sit, stay, come, kiss, "soft" with the hand signals, but not much else). All of our foster Dachshunds have been deaf at the minimum, so I can't say for them how trainable they really are.
> 
> We're north of Conroe (not much). 9 hours is perfectly fine for a one time trip for the right dog that'll live with us for hopefully 10+ years. I want to get this right!
> 
> ...


Yes you can absolutely tell her that I referred you! You can tell Colleen the same if she asks. If you are north of Conroe, then it may only take 8-ish hours to get there. I lived in central Houston close to Memorial Park, so half the battle was just getting out of town. lol Where Marissa lives is a beautiful area, so if you go anytime from Spring to Fall, you can make a little weekend trip out of it and camp/hike or something. I grew up in Arkansas (miss it just as much as Houston...), so I'm a little biased to its beauty.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

ArkansasGold said:


> Yes you can absolutely tell her that I referred you! You can tell Colleen the same if she asks. If you are north of Conroe, then it may only take 8-ish hours to get there. I lived in central Houston close to Memorial Park, so half the battle was just getting out of town. lol Where Marissa lives is a beautiful area, so if you go anytime from Spring to Fall, you can make a little weekend trip out of it and camp/hike or something. I grew up in Arkansas (miss it just as much as Houston...), so I'm a little biased to its beauty.


Thank you so much! I am going to fill out her questionnaire now. I'm very excited!


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## aesthetic (Apr 23, 2015)

Searching Goldens said:


> Pros/Cons List of Each Breeder for the moment:
> ------------
> *ArkGoldens
> Cons: *"We require our puppy families to have experience with Golden Retrievers" I have no personal experience with Goldens outside of the vet office I work at. I have done extensive research and I am familiar with the breed, but have never owned one.


I have a friend in agility class who is getting a golden puppy from ArkGold in early July. He's never had a golden before, but is familiar with the breed through my dog and another mutual friend's goldens (I joke that Kaizer's clown-like personality in agility class won him over). He also has a high energy lab/poodle mix who is dog reactive - so I think the breeder was pretty convinced that my friend could handle a golden. I don't have direct experience with the breeder, but I would imagine she just wants her potential puppy families to have realistic expectations of what to expect with a golden.

My friend is very impressed with the ArkGold breeding program and is thrilled with the breeder, he said she's very responsive and knowledgeable. His doodle came from the local Amish, so this is his first experience with a reputable breeder - I don't think he's going back. FWIW, we're in Delaware, so definitely a ways away from us. If you find the right breeder, you'll find a way to make the distance work.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

I emailed ArkGold! Hopefully we'll be a good fit for one of her dogs! 



aesthetic said:


> I have a friend in agility class who is getting a golden puppy from ArkGold in early July. He's never had a golden before, but is familiar with the breed through my dog and another mutual friend's goldens (I joke that Kaizer's clown-like personality in agility class won him over). He also has a high energy lab/poodle mix who is dog reactive - so I think the breeder was pretty convinced that my friend could handle a golden. I don't have direct experience with the breeder, but I would imagine she just wants her potential puppy families to have realistic expectations of what to expect with a golden.
> 
> My friend is very impressed with the ArkGold breeding program and is thrilled with the breeder, he said she's very responsive and knowledgeable. His doodle came from the local Amish, so this is his first experience with a reputable breeder - I don't think he's going back. FWIW, we're in Delaware, so definitely a ways away from us. If you find the right breeder, you'll find a way to make the distance work.


That is good to hear! I am thrilled that I have found such good breeders with the help of this forum. Thank you all very much! 


If anyone has pictures of their goldens they want to share (from Arkgold or otherwise) I'd love to see. I'm amazed at how different these dogs from good breeders look from the other I first considered. It almost doesn't even look like the same breed sometimes! Crazy!


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

aesthetic said:


> I have a friend in agility class who is getting a golden puppy from ArkGold in early July. He's never had a golden before, but is familiar with the breed through my dog and another mutual friend's goldens (I joke that Kaizer's clown-like personality in agility class won him over). He also has a high energy lab/poodle mix who is dog reactive - so I think the breeder was pretty convinced that my friend could handle a golden. I don't have direct experience with the breeder, but I would imagine she just wants her potential puppy families to have realistic expectations of what to expect with a golden.
> 
> My friend is very impressed with the ArkGold breeding program and is thrilled with the breeder, he said she's very responsive and knowledgeable. His doodle came from the local Amish, so this is his first experience with a reputable breeder - I don't think he's going back. FWIW, we're in Delaware, so definitely a ways away from us. If you find the right breeder, you'll find a way to make the distance work.


If that's the litter that I think it is, I should get to see them right before they go to their new homes. I'm so excited!


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

Searching Goldens said:


> I emailed ArkGold! Hopefully we'll be a good fit for one of her dogs!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Follow me on Instagram (if you're on it)! @eeveelution_of_rocket Marissa is on Instagram too @arkgoldens


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

ArkansasGold said:


> Follow me on Instagram (if you're on it)! @eeveelution_of_rocket Marissa is on Instagram too @arkgoldens


I'm not on there, but I'll try searching you up on google so I can see some pictures!


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

Oh, and any recommendations for stuff I should have for the puppy? (Hope it's okay to ask in this thread). I'm taking my mind off the wait by "window shopping"...well, mostly window shopping. I did choose a name, get a heavy duty kong, an ID tag, a duck toy with four squeakers and some poultry flavored enzymatic dog toothpaste... (I can brush our foster dachshund's one tooth in the meanwhile, right? )

So far on my list I have down:
*Bought-*
Heavy duty Kong
Flat duck squeaky toy
Enzymatic poultry flavored toothpaste
Extra soft bristle toothbrush
ID tag
Quik stop powder (just in case for nail trims)
Pooper scooper
Poop bag carrier for leash
Nylabone durachews
I made some over the collar bandannas for the puppy

*Need it (waiting for coupons since I have a year to get it all) -*
42" double door crate with divider
An X-Pen
Fleece blanket
Cheap towels
A squeaky tennis ball (or 5)
Frisco Corduroy Plush Squeaking Elephant Dog Toy (Okay, not a _need_, but...how can I not?)
Lots of poop bags
Puppy shampoo (Earthbath puppy cherry scented)
Food and Water Bowls

*Items I have questions about and/or don't know if I need:*
Brush / Comb - Should I get just a slicker and a nice comb? Maybe a boar's bristle brush for smoothing? Any brushes people recommend?

Split Antler - I hear mixed reviews. Some people say that this saved their lives with teething puppies and some say it breaks dogs' teeth. Experiences?

Enzymatic urine spray - If I only have tile in the areas puppy will be, do I need this?

Kong Wubba - Mixed reviews. Some say puppies love, love, love it and it lasts forever. Some say it died on the first day. 

Grannick's bitter apple - Did this product work for anyone here? Worth it?

Raised dog bed - Similar to what is used at shelters. Seems more sturdy in case the puppy is a chewer?

I'm also trying to figure out which heartworm preventative I want. Maybe leaning towards HeartGard, but our foster dogs are sent Iverhart and seem to do fine on it and they eat it without complaint. We are not in an area with a lot of ticks fortunately. Flea preventative I will probably need too since this dog will enjoy outside more than our Dachshund (he hated it). Recommendations?


If anyone has recommendations on medications, toys, brushes, things that saved them through puppy phase, notes on what I got, etc I'd love to hear!


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

Here’s a few of Rocket:


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

ArkansasGold said:


> Here’s a few of Rocket:
> View attachment 873930
> View attachment 873931
> View attachment 873932


So beautiful!! Thank you!


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

And here’s a few of Eevee:


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

ArkansasGold said:


> And here’s a few of Eevee:
> View attachment 873933
> View attachment 873934
> View attachment 873935


Your dogs are beautiful! Thank you for the pictures!


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Searching Goldens said:


> Pros/Cons List of Each Breeder for the moment:
> ------------
> *ArkGoldens
> Pros:*_ Love_ all of the clearances and DNA tests on the dogs (and how easy it is to access). The dogs are gorgeous and they do have a few dogs that aren't on the paler side that I like. They have prices listed. They allow you to neuter your dog once they are old enough and have stopped growing. This breeder seems very nice based on their website and is fine with you contacting them about Goldens in general, even if not one of their own puppies.
> ...





Searching Goldens said:


> Pros/Cons List of Each Breeder for the moment:
> ------------
> *ArkGoldens
> Pros:*_ Love_ all of the clearances and DNA tests on the dogs (and how easy it is to access). The dogs are gorgeous and they do have a few dogs that aren't on the paler side that I like. They have prices listed. They allow you to neuter your dog once they are old enough and have stopped growing. This breeder seems very nice based on their website and is fine with you contacting them about Goldens in general, even if not one of their own puppies.
> ...


Re: Wahkeen - Linda is a lovely person, just give her a call. You will enjoy the conversation with her.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

mylissyk said:


> Re: Wahkeen - Linda is a lovely person, just give her a call. You will enjoy the conversation with her.


Thank you! It feels really nice having some good options!


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

Oh, and just to have an idea, how long should I wait for a breeder to reply before I make sure they got my message by calling and/or try another breeder? Is waiting a week for a response a reasonable wait period?


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## Ffcmm (May 4, 2016)

ArkansasGold said:


> Hi @Searching Goldens ! I used to live in Houston (miss it every day, even in August), so hopefully I can help.
> 
> Arkgold is my breeder. Both of my dogs are the traditional show style, medium gold. She is going to be about 9-10 hours from you, so it might be easier to fly into Little Rock from Hobby (IAH if you're closer) and meet her there to pick up your puppy. All of my family is in Arkansas, so we just made family visits out of our puppy pickup trips. Marissa is a lovely, wonderful person. It sounds like you will want a Chuckles puppy next time she breeds her. (LOVE Chuckles. She is a delight! And a Grand Champion). Here are pedigree links to my two dogs: Rocket (Pedigree: Arkgold Rocket BN RM RAE CGC TKN), Eevee (Pedigree: Arkgold Eeveelution CGC TKN). Rocket cannot be bred and Eevee isn't old enough yet. This is just to kinda show what Marissa has produced in the past. About Marissa's deposit policy: a deposit locks down a spot for a puppy of a particular litter, but she will only take a few deposits per litter in advance in case the litter is small. If you put down a deposit and there aren't enough puppies (say only 2 or 3 are born or something), then you can either apply that deposit to a future litter or she will give it back. She's really very easy to work with.
> 
> ...


sorry to just jump in so randomly but I went to click your dogs pedigree (Eevee) you shared and Omg my Monty has Chaos down his line as well, I find that really interesting that they are distant relatives (and im all the way in Singapore and you are in the US)


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

Searching Goldens said:


> Your dogs are beautiful! Thank you for the pictures!


Thank you!  



Searching Goldens said:


> Oh, and just to have an idea, how long should I wait for a breeder to reply before I make sure they got my message by calling and/or try another breeder? Is waiting a week for a response a reasonable wait period?


A week is a pretty normal time period, but keep in mind that breeders have been inundated with COVID puppy requests and many of them are very behind in their emails.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

ArkansasGold said:


> Thank you!
> 
> 
> A week is a pretty normal time period, but keep in mind that breeders have been inundated with COVID puppy requests and many of them are very behind in their emails.


Thank you! I figured; I read that thread where someone had 10-15 inquiries a day for (less than) six puppies. Yikes. 
I'll be patient by window shopping for the puppy. Maybe I'll start a new thread to see if my shopping list is enough.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

I sent a message to Wahkeen Kennel as well to see if they have anything officially planned for 2021 and if so, what the names of the parents would be so I can see if I should add them to my "possibilities" list. Them being only 30 minutes away is really nice, I must admit. I just want to make sure all of the clearances are there and see what the parents look like. This breeder search sure is exciting! 🙂


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

ArkGold replied already! I have a good feeling about this! I will be calling her once I finish running errands. So excited!


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

Searching Goldens said:


> ArkGold replied already! I have a good feeling about this! I will be calling her once I finish running errands. So excited!


Yay! Let us know how it goes!


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

I'm getting an ArkGold puppy from Chuckles if the breeding takes in 2021! The phone call was absolutely wonderful and _so different_ than the call with the first breeder I picked. I appreciate you all helping me pick such a wonderful breeder!


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

Yay!!! I’m so happy for you!!! Chuckles is just wonderful and Marissa is the best! ❤


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

ArkansasGold said:


> Yay!!! I’m so happy for you!!! Chuckles is just wonderful and Marissa is the best! ❤


Thank you for recommending her (and you too, Heart of Goldens!) She was so nice! The sire she's planning on is gorgeous. She did warn me how bad the shedding would be, haha! Sire and dam have nice _full_ coals.  I might need a new vacuum.


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## aesthetic (Apr 23, 2015)

ArkansasGold said:


> If that's the litter that I think it is, I should get to see them right before they go to their new homes. I'm so excited!


That is so exciting! I wish I saw this before class last night, I would have told him. When he told me which breeder he was getting a puppy from, I showed him pictures of Rocket and Eevee. I _think_ he said the dam was Lizzie. It was either Lizzie or Lyric lol. I could barely hear him between the mask and building sounds.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

I am sending my paperwork and deposit in tomorrow to ArkGold. Just to confirm with you all, these clearances are good, correct? (Checked/confirmed all information on K9Data and OFA.)  Dam and sire will not be bred until 2021.

*Dam:*
Pedigree: GCH Trademark's Laughing on the Inside with Arkgold
EYES: Normal (Test date Oct. 16, 2018)
EYES: Normal (Test date Oct. 29, 2019)
ADVANCED CARDIAC: NORMAL AO/CONG, AUSC ONLY
DENTITION DATABASE: Full Detention
HIPS: Good (24 months old)
ELBOW: Normal (24 months old)
prcd-PRA status: Animal Genetics Clear
PRA1 status: Animal Genetics Clear
PRA2 status: Animal Genetics Clear
Ichthyosis status: Animal Genetics Clear
DM status: Animal Genetics Clear
NCL status: Clear Animal Genetics

*Planned Sire:*
Pedigree: AmCH CanGCH Ind Ch. Hashgold's Santiago De Himmelstein MBIS BISS BOSS
EYES: Normal (Test date Oct. 25, 2018)
CARDIAC: NORMAL - PRACTITIONER
HIPS: Fair (27 months old)
ELBOW: Normal (25 months old)
prcd-PRA status: Paw Print Clear
PRA1 status: Paw Print Clear
PRA2 status: Paw Print Clear
Ichthyosis status: Paw Print Clear
NCL status: Clear


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

Bumping up to get a few opinions on the above clearances (hope that's okay).  

Thanks all!


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

Hi! Chuckles's clearances are all in place of course. Santiago is behind on eye clearances (only one year), but that doesn't mean they haven't been done. They just might not have been sent in yet - and you have plenty of time between now and next year for him to get an updated eye clearance. Santiago's heart clearance would be deficient under the GRCA Code of Ethics, but as he's in Canada it's acceptable. GRCC allows practitioner clearances for hearts, whereas GRCA requires a cardiologist. Sorry if that's confusing, short answer is: Double check on the eye clearances for Santiago when you get closer to when the breeding will occur next year, other than that it's a definite "yes" from me.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

ArkansasGold said:


> Hi! Chuckles's clearances are all in place of course. Santiago is behind on eye clearances (only one year), but that doesn't mean they haven't been done. They just might not have been sent in yet - and you have plenty of time between now and next year for him to get an updated eye clearance. Santiago's heart clearance would be deficient under the GRCA Code of Ethics, but as he's in Canada it's acceptable. GRCC allows practitioner clearances for hearts, whereas GRCA requires a cardiologist. Sorry if that's confusing, short answer is: Double check on the eye clearances for Santiago when you get closer to when the breeding will occur next year, other than that it's a definite "yes" from me.


Thank you! I am sending my deposit in today then! So happy!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

ArkansasGold said:


> Hi! Chuckles's clearances are all in place of course. Santiago is behind on eye clearances (only one year), but that doesn't mean they haven't been done. They just might not have been sent in yet - and you have plenty of time between now and next year for him to get an updated eye clearance.* Santiago's heart clearance would be deficient under the GRCA Code of Ethics, but as he's in Canada it's acceptable*. GRCC allows practitioner clearances for hearts, whereas GRCA requires a cardiologist. Sorry if that's confusing, short answer is: Double check on the eye clearances for Santiago when you get closer to when the breeding will occur next year, other than that it's a definite "yes" from me.


Acceptable, but not preferred. And only where a cardiologist is unavailable. From the GRCC breeder CoE:

A Certificate of examination from a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine- Cardiology (DACVIM-C) indicating no physical signs of cardiovascular disease; or Where a DACVIM-C is unavailable, a certificate of examination indicating no physical signs of cardiovascular disease from a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) with qualifications acceptable for OFA cardiology certification.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

I know that Santiago lives in India; I'm not sure if that makes a difference. I'll keep an eye out on his clearances when the time comes. Breeding wouldn't take place until winter of 2021 if I'm not mistaken. I feel comfortable with the clearances if that's the only possible concern, but I can transfer the deposit to a different litter later on if I change my mind. Are there any major heart diseases to look out for that a DVM couldn't easily catch?


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## BlazenGR (Jan 12, 2012)

Searching Goldens said:


> Are there any major heart diseases to look out for that a DVM couldn't easily catch?


Yes. I know of several cases where SAS was missed by just doing an cardiologist auscultation. It was found upon echocardiogram. This is a BIG DEAL in this breed, and having a veterinary practitioner do an auscultation just isn't good enough.


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

BlazenGR said:


> Yes. I know of several cases where SAS was missed by just doing an cardiologist auscultation. It was found upon echocardiogram. *This is a BIG DEAL in this breed, and having a veterinary practitioner do an auscultation just isn't good enough.*


Thank you for not being wishy washy on this. For those of us who are trying to learn, who wouldn't have access to incidents like you're mentioning, we need this kind of clarity. I appreciate it.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

BlazenGR said:


> Yes. I know of several cases where SAS was missed by just doing an cardiologist auscultation. It was found upon echocardiogram. This is a BIG DEAL in this breed, and having a veterinary practitioner do an auscultation just isn't good enough.


Thank you! I will keep an eye on the sire's clearances when it gets closer. Hopefully they will update. If not I will consider a different litter. I appreciate the help! If anyone has anything else to say please feel free to post.


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## BlazenGR (Jan 12, 2012)

Colebrook Where The Magic Begins

Eye clearance:OFA GR-EYE7653/29M-VPI (5/15)Heart clearance:OFA GR-CA25647/15M/P-VPI

His sire does not have an eye exam posted, and his heart is a P exam also. Dam has a practitioner heart exam, eye exam was out of date when she whelped this dog, and she does not have an elbow clearance.


Colebrook Get Your Shine On

Eye clearance:OFA GR-EYE10717/14F-VPI (5/16)Heart clearance:OFA GR-CA30306/13F/P-VPI

Her sire was bred before he was 2, had a P heart exam, and eye exam was not kept current. Dam was bred before she was 2, does not have an elbow clearance, has a P heart exam, and eye exam was not kept current.


Seasons Nuth'N But The Finest At Colebrook

Eye clearance:OFA GR-EYE1605/15F-VPI (4/13)Heart clearance:OFA GR-CA25647/15M/P-VPI



Colebrook It's My Tale To Tell

Eye clearance:OFA GR-EYE15899/15F-VPI (10/18)Heart clearance:OFA GR-CA3378/12F/P-VPI

Bred before she was 2 yrs, P heart exam and eye exam is not current. She owned the sire (already stated he was not current on eye exam and had a P heart exam), and the dam (again) bred before 2 yrs, eye exam not kept current, and heart exam was a practitioner. 

Want more?


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

BlazenGR said:


> Colebrook Where The Magic Begins
> 
> Eye clearance:OFA GR-EYE7653/29M-VPI (5/15)Heart clearance:OFA GR-CA25647/15M/P-VPI
> 
> ...


The sire isn't from the breeder I'm looking at (planning on AI). I did see that one of his full siblings has an elbow problem if I'm reading the OFA results correctly- I noticed when I was looking through his/his family health reports a moment ago. There was another option for sire and dam offered to me. I'll post their health stuff. It does look more detailed from my brief look. I will admit that I don't like the pairing quite as much, but since it's a pet, health comes before my own selfish desires on 'looks'. Let me write down the health reports for the other puppy parent pairing option she said she'd be doing in 2021. But where are you finding Colebrook? His parents are
Flying Nico de Himmelstein and TROYA GOLDENBROS & HIMMELSTEIN.


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

BlazenGR said:


> Colebrook Where The Magic Begins
> 
> Eye clearance:OFA GR-EYE7653/29M-VPI (5/15)Heart clearance:OFA GR-CA25647/15M/P-VPI
> 
> ...


None of these dogs are in the pedigree in question, so I'm confused as to why they are relevant. Are they examples of SAS that wasn't caught?


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

This is my other option for 2021 from the breeder. I will admit that I prefer the looks of the first pairing more.

*Second option -*

Dam:
Pedigree: Amica She Gives Me Butterflies CCA
HIPS: Good (26 months)
ELBOW: Normal (26 months)
ADVANCED CARDIAC: NORMAL AO/CONG, AUSC ONLY
EYES: Normal (Oct 16 2018)
EYES: Normal (Oct 29 2019)
prcd-PRA status: Animal Genetics Clear
PRA1 status: Animal Genetics Clear
PRA2 status: Animal Genetics Clear
Ichthyosis status: Animal Genetics Clear
DM status: Animal Genetics Clear
NCL status: Clear Animal Genetics

Sire:
Pedigree: BIS GCHB GoldRox SunnyDreams Fire Starter MBISS SDHF
HIPS: Good
ELBOW: Normal
ADVANCED CARDIAC: NORMAL AO/CONG, AUSC ONLY
EYES: Normal (Jun 16 2018)
EYES: Normal (May 15 2019)
EYES: Normal (Mar 7 2020)
prcd-PRA status: Paw Print 97016 Clear
PRA1 status: Paw Print 97016 Clear
PRA2 status: Paw Print 97016 Clear
Ichthyosis status: Paw Print 97016 Clear
DM status: Paw Print 97016 Clear
NCL status: Clear


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

ArkansasGold said:


> None of these dogs are in the pedigree in question, so I'm confused as to why they are relevant. Are they examples of SAS that wasn't caught?


I am a little confused there. I don't see those names anywhere on either side. Am I missing something?


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

Maybe that was meant for a different thread? I see a Colebrook thread a few threads below mine. I definitely see no Colebrook dogs in the lineage of either of the first pairing options.


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

Searching Goldens said:


> I am a little confused there. I don't see those names anywhere on either side. Am I missing something?


No. I'm confused as well. LOL



Searching Goldens said:


> This is my other option for 2021 from the breeder. I will admit that I prefer the looks of the first pairing more.
> 
> *Second option -*
> 
> ...


You would do well with either one, but Arson does meet all GRCA criteria for health testing. You will love a puppy from either litter. Butter is a lovely girl too, she's just a little darker than Chuckles. I love Arson, having seen him at shows and he's Eevee's uncle through his sire Percy.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

ArkansasGold said:


> No. I'm confused as well. LOL
> 
> 
> 
> You would do well with either one, but Arson does meet all GRCA criteria for health testing. You will love a puppy from either litter. Butter is a lovely girl too, she's just a little darker than Chuckles. I love Arson, having seen him at shows and he's Eevee's uncle through his sire Percy.


Well, there are good options either way with ArkGold, so I'm definitely sending my deposit. I'll have to think about which pair a little more though. But I'm curious to see how this thread progresses and where on earth Colebrook plays in.


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## Kmullen (Feb 17, 2010)

Jumping in here. I had a friend interested in using Santiago, but what concerns me and I agree with Leslie on the cardiac clearance, but it’s the lack of clearances behind Santiago’s dam. That there... I could not do it.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

Kmullen said:


> Jumping in here. I had a friend interested in using Santiago, but what concerns me and I agree with Leslie on the cardiac clearance, but it’s the lack of clearances behind Santiago’s dam. That there... I could not do it.


Maybe I'll contact the breeder with the concerns about the planned sire and see what she says. There is always the other pair as an option and we are still very early, so I'm glad I am planning this much ahead.

Out of curiosity, does anyone know how exactly these genetic things work? So say (_*this does not apply to this pair, just an example question*_) sire has good hips, dam has good hips, but the dam has one full sibling with not-so-good hips (not as the result of an injury). Does good hip sire + good hip dam = good hip babies, or is it more complicated? How about this with heart stuff? Elbows? Eyes? Obviously if both dogs are negative for basic genetic traits controlled by one gene, then the offspring will be negative, but what about things like hips and elbows where maybe things aren't as cut and dry? (Or are they?)

I enjoy genetics, so this is kind of interesting to me.


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## Kmullen (Feb 17, 2010)

I look at the whole pedigree. I look at grand parents, great grandparents and littermates to all. If the vast majority has good hips, I do not worry as much
Hips and elbows do not have a genetic test (unfortunately) but it involves many different factors.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

Kmullen said:


> I look at the whole pedigree. I look at grand parents, great grandparents and littermates to all. If the vast majority has good hips, I do not worry as much
> Hips and elbows do not have a genetic test (unfortunately) but it involves many different factors.


Thanks! I'll do some more digging on Santiago's side. 

I never knew finding a puppy would be this complicated. Before all of this my list was just basically - don't get a puppy from a pet store or puppy mill. I never know there was this much depth to everything. Are most breeds like this or did I just happen to enter a more complicated breed? 😂


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## SoCalEngr (Apr 11, 2020)

Searching Goldens said:


> I never knew finding a puppy would be this complicated. Before all of this my list was just basically - don't get a puppy from a pet store or puppy mill. I never know there was this much depth to everything. Are most breeds like this or did I just happen to enter a more complicated breed? 😂


All breeds should be like this. And, life gets much simpler...as long as you're willing to accept the potential consequences. 😁 You did, however, pick a breed that ranks higher in some of the known health concerns, and this puts more emphasis on the upfront research.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

So I did more digging on Santiago's side. Of his _tested_ line (according to K9data), going back to great-great grandparents (I think I got them all right, but it was a lot of links), he has 2/15 with fair hips, 15/19 with good hips, and 2/19 with excellent hips. 16/19 had normal elbows and 3/19 had no posted elbows. For heart, 14/19 had normal hearts (cardiologist), 1/19 had a normal heart (practitioner) and 4 had nothing posted. I'll have to do great-great-great grandparents tomorrow.

*Santiago has one offspring with some posted results. Offspring has:*
ADVANCED CARDIAC: NORMAL AO/CONG, AUSC/ECHO
Eyes: Normal (Feb 23 2020)
Thyroid: Normal
prcd-PRA status: Clear
PRA1 status: Clear
PRA2 status: Clear
Ichthyosis status: Clear
DM status: Clear
NCL status: Clear

*Santiago has one full sibling with posted results. Full sibling has:*
HIPS: MILD UNILATERAL RIGHT
ELBOW: Normal

*Santiago's posted half-siblings (Sire) have:*
HIPS: 4/14 fair, 2/14 good, 8/14 have nothing posted on hips

ELBOW: 6/14 Normal, 1/14 DEGENERATIVE JOINT DISEASE II UNILATERAL LEFT, 7/14 have nothing posted on elbows

Eyes: 5/14 Normal, 1/14 NORMAL W/BREEDER OPTIONS NOTED: E2 Posterior Suture Tip Opacities, 8/14 have nothing posted for eyes

Heart: 6/14 ADVANCED CARDIAC: NORMAL AO/CONG, AUSC ONLY and 8/14 have nothing posted for heart


*Santiago's posted half-sibling (dam) has:*
HIPS: Excellent
ELBOW: Normal

Whew! That was a lot of links. Surprised my computer didn't crash.


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## Kmullen (Feb 17, 2010)

Yes, you won’t find bad or good hips on dam’s side as there are no clearances.


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

Actually, Santiago's dam has several American ancestors in her pedigree, so there are GRCA compliant clearances for Troya's grand-parents and great-grandparents, which would be Santiago's great-grandparents and great-great grandparents. 

Anyway, this breeding is a long way out and the sire of the litter could definitely change within the next year. @Searching Goldens if you have any concerns about this particular breeding, please call Marissa and discuss it with her. She would be very happy to talk with you again and she can explain about heritability of hip and elbow issues better than most on this forum as she did graduate work in cell and molecular biology before she started breeding dogs. She's just as smart as she is nice.


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## Kmullen (Feb 17, 2010)

I agree talking with the breeder about any issues or concerns you have.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

Everyone here is extremely helpful, so thank you all! I look forward to the day when I get to show pictures of a puppy instead of OFA heath tests 😂 . Hopefully all of the research going in will pay off in a healthy dog. I will contact the breeder later to ask about this.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

Oh, a question that doesn't have to do with health tests: do you usually pick your dog's "full name" on the papers or does the breeder pick the full name and you just pick their "call" name?


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## DblTrblGolden2 (Aug 22, 2018)

Searching Goldens said:


> Oh, a question that doesn't have to do with health tests: do you usually pick your dog's "full name" on the papers or does the breeder pick the full name and you just pick their "call" name?


You normally get to pick the registered name and the call name. Many breeders make you start it with the kennel name and may assign a litter name. For example I just brought home a new puppy. The kennel name is Belle Terre and the litter name was "Good". My guys registered name is "Belle Terre Hez Good To Go". His call name is Cruz. It can be fun while your waiting for your puppy to come home to think up names once the breeder gives you the litter name or theme.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

DblTrblGolden2 said:


> You normally get to pick the registered name and the call name. Many breeders make you start it with the kennel name and may assign a litter name. For example I just brought home a new puppy. The kennel name is Belle Terre and the litter name was "Good". My guys registered name is "Belle Terre Hez Good To Go". His call name is Cruz. It can be fun while your waiting for your puppy to come home to think up names once the breeder gives you the litter name or theme.


Awesome! I know the puppy will *likely be named (by me) Boaz (Beau) if a boy and Abigail (Abby) if a girl. Boy is my first choice unless the litter is all girls.  It'll be fun coming up with names. I kind of like Forrest for a boy as well, though. We'll see.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

Also, advice on this. The *first breeder *I contacted before I knew stuff (the one with just DNA and hip prelims) much pretty much just had a short questionnaire, followed by a paypal deposit to be put on their wait list. They say the deposit is nonrefundable (it was about 200 bucks, I've been on the list less than a month and am a crazy number down the list). Now, I'm not sure if I'll ever see this money again and have mostly come to terms with that, but on the questionnaire the breeder had me put in my driver's license number and I'm kind of concerned about asking to be removed from their list due to this. Advice? I want to be off the first breeder's list, but am concerned about all of the information they have about me. Am I overreacting?


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

I think you should still ask to be removed, although I have no idea why they would ask for a DL... I don't think you are overreacting at all, I would be concerned as well.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

ArkansasGold said:


> I think you should still ask to be removed, although I have no idea why they would ask for a DL... I don't think you are overreacting at all, I would be concerned as well.


Yeah, that's my main concern. I have no idea why that was required from the first breeder. My only two real options with that are contact them now to ask to be removed, or ask to be removed once they start contacting me next year. I'm not really sure what my best option is, honestly. Pro about now is that I'd be off it, pro about later is hopefully they'll forget that I was the one calling asking for the dogs' OFA information. I don't expect to see the deposit back either way.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

ArkansasGold said:


> None of these dogs are in the pedigree in question, so I'm confused as to why they are relevant. Are they examples of SAS that wasn't caught?


I suspect the thread these should've been posted in was this one: Breeders in VA, MD, WV, PA


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

Well, I asked to be removed from the first breeder's list. We'll see what happens; hopefully it'll all be fine.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

I am off the first list now. I explained exactly why as well (lack of health testing in general). The breeder was nice in the email exchange. They didn't seem to understand why we wanted to get off the wait list but understood our position. However, I did get this:
'one of the reasons (_sire's_) line does not show a lot of testing is because the majority of his line comes from the UK'. The UK does do health testing, right?


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

Bumping up and a funny story.

I work at a vet's office and was discussing my future new dog with my coworkers and showing pictures of the potential parents. One of the vets came to the back asked which breed I was getting. I said golden retriever. They said "hot spot city and-" I turned the phone to show the potential parents' pictures. All they had left to say was how beautiful the dogs were. 😂 We don't see good quality goldens very often unfortunately. Mostly we get "English creams" and allergy goldens at the clinic. I fell in love with the breed there, though. The worst golden I've met was one that submissive peed on my shoe, and even then he was begging for love after we drew his blood and vaccinated him. I love it when goldens come in.

We mainly see a lot of tiny dogs and various "oodles" and "doodles". Craziest so far has been a Cairn Terrier x Poodle and a Bernese Mountain Dog x Poodle. I don't know why people don't just go with a poodle if they're going to do a "doodle". The standards I have met have been mostly lovely dogs and a well bred one would probably be cheaper or the same price as the "doodle". But I digress, that's a bit off topic.

Almost everyone who has asked how much the puppy will cost thinks I'm crazy for paying that much for a dog. I'll probably be labeled the crazy golden lady, but I'm okay with that. I'm already laughed at for putting bandannas and bows on all the dogs I can get my hands on.


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

Searching Goldens said:


> Bumping up and a funny story.
> 
> I work at a vet's office and was discussing my future new dog with my coworkers and showing pictures of the potential parents. One of the vets came to the back asked which breed I was getting. I said golden retriever. They said "hot spot city and-" I turned the phone to show the potential parents' pictures. All they had left to say was how beautiful the dogs were. 😂 We don't see good quality goldens very often unfortunately. Mostly we get "English creams" and allergy goldens at the clinic. I fell in love with the breed there, though. The worst golden I've met was one that submissive peed on my shoe, and even then he was begging for love after we drew his blood and vaccinated him. I love it when goldens come in.
> 
> ...


Welcome to the crazy Golden lady club!!! My vet in Houston always loved seeing Rocket and I could tell that they didn’t get very many nicely bred dogs in there. He was a great one and I loved that he was willing to tell me that Rocket was a bit overweight at one point (he only got up to 66 lb lol).

Speaking of clubs, you should look into joining the Greater Houston Golden Retriever Club! @Christen113 is the President (I think) and a friend of mine.


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

Searching Goldens said:


> I am off the first list now. I explained exactly why as well (lack of health testing in general). The breeder was nice in the email exchange. They didn't seem to understand why we wanted to get off the wait list but understood our position. However, I did get this:
> 'one of the reasons (_sire's_) line does not show a lot of testing is because the majority of his line comes from the UK'. The UK does do health testing, right?


yes, the UK does health testing, just not OFA. They have their own system. Not an excuse for that breeder to use though.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

ArkansasGold said:


> Welcome to the crazy Golden lady club!!! My vet in Houston always loved seeing Rocket and I could tell that they didn’t get very many nicely bred dogs in there. He was a great one and I loved that he was willing to tell me that Rocket was a bit overweight at one point (he only got up to 66 lb lol).
> 
> Speaking of clubs, you should look into joining the Greater Houston Golden Retriever Club! @Christen113 is the President (I think) and a friend of mine.


Thanks for the welcome! 😂 I'll definitely look into the Greater Houston Golden Retriever club once I have the puppy! 



ArkansasGold said:


> yes, the UK does health testing, just not OFA. They have their own system. Not an excuse for that breeder to use though.


Thank you, I thought so. Just wanted to confirm.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

Just wanted to update everyone: ArkGold received my deposit so I'm officially on the list for a puppy in 2021! They also liked the dog bandanna I sent with the check and paperwork. 😂 

I am loving having a breeder that doesn't mind answering questions. Some questions she even brought up on our initial phone call before I asked (like her stance on when to neuter). Such a nice experience so far.

Thank you all for your recommendations and advice on what to look for with a breeder! This forum is great!


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## Heart of Goldens (May 6, 2019)

Glad you found your breeder for your next furry family member! Be sure to take and post pictures when the glorious day arrives.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

Heart of Goldens said:


> Glad you found your breeder for your next furry family member! Be sure to take and post pictures when the glorious day arrives.


I will make sure to overload you all with cute puppy pictures when the day comes! Until then, here's our old man. _Definitely_ not a baby (though he does wear diapers, ha!), but we think he's cute. He waited in his temporary foster home for a year before we found him and decided to permanently foster him. Such a sweet boy; he loves to be cuddled and he spins in circles excitedly if you sing his name.


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## Searching Goldens (Jun 10, 2020)

So...plot twist!  A coworker found a stray dog (I work at a vet's office). No collar, no chip, nothing to ID him belonging to anyone. He (was) intact and is heavy heartworm positive. I agreed to take him on as a "foster" until my coworker could find a home for him...haha! This dog is like a golden in a mystery mutt's body. He's _so_ loving. He follows me around the house constantly. 

His heartworm treatment will be expensive because is is so heavy, so puppy plans have been pushed back until the dog emergency fund gets replenished. ArkGoldens was kind enough to just let me keep my deposit down and I'll let her know when our family is ready to bring a puppy into the mix. She was very excited for us. She is so kind. 

Hopefully I am still welcome here in the (other) pets section, haha! Here's a picture of my Copper-Bear! His DNA kit is coming in soon.


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