# Breeder recommendations in NJ-Goldenway Goldens



## ashleylynn (Dec 6, 2014)

We have reached out to Leslie at Goldenway Goldens and are excited to meet with her after the holidays! My only reserve is the number of litters she produces per year. Most checklists I've been reading say a breeder should yield an average of 2 litters per year. Does anyone have any feedback about Goldenway that could ease my nerves, or I am just being paranoid for no reason?

Thanks in advance!


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## ashleylynn (Dec 6, 2014)

As a sidenote, this will be our first Golden.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

She is a GRCA member and should adhere to the COE - I looked at the first litter's clearances and mom's eyes are due. 
Then I scrolled down, and it made me very tired- there are 5 litters due between now and end of January if I read it right!~ Maybe I misinterpreted the dates on upcoming litters?


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## CharlieBear80 (Oct 13, 2013)

This breeder?

Welcome to Goldenway Goldens

If that page is accurate, that's a lot of litters to have in the span of 2 months. I would just be very upfront and ask about it. It could be that she has a lot of help, or it could be that not all the litters are being whelped or raised there (although if that's the case I would want to know why). 

I also didn't check on clearances on all the litters, you'd want to do that for sure.


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## fourlakes (Feb 16, 2013)

Six litters due in December and January. On the "about us" page it says the dogs are all in the house, not kenneled, and sleep in bed with them. I'm trying to visualize this.
Edited to add: This is a big business. That does not mean they are not doing a good job at it. But saying on the website that all their dogs live in the house and sleep in their bed makes it sound like a small breeding operation. They say they encourage visitors so you should visit, meet the breeder and dogs, ask questions.


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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

With that number of litters, you may want to ask where the pups are being raised--it's possible there are "co-owners" or "foster" families raising the pups. Make sure you're comfortable with the arrangement and understand how the pups are being socialized. 

I also see the breeder sells NuVet, please read your contract terms to see if NuVet is required in order for any guarantees to be honored.


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## OnMyWay2MyDreams (Feb 13, 2011)

Wow..six. One is enough for me! Lol


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## GoldInMyHeart (Jun 4, 2014)

There is someone here who recently got a puppy from Goldenway, hopefully she will weigh in.

I talked to Leslie when we were looking, Beryl from Pennylane referred me. What I did not like is she mentioned something to the effect of the pup's grandfather was still living at an advanced age and how much she loved that dog. However, when I checked K9Data, I saw he passed away at age 9 from cancer. Since she made it sound like the dog was still living, I thought maybe she didn't know he had passed away. I thought I should mention it and when I did she replied saying she has been breeding for 20 years and that there is never any guarantee on longevity, cancer can strike any dog, etc. I knew we wanted a strong bond and long relationship with our pup's breeder and I knew based on Leslie's reply that I would not have that with her, I did not appreciate your harsh response or attitude.

Another thing...I was very specific in which breeding I wanted because we wanted a certain look for our male puppy. When I stated which litter from which I wanted our puppy, she said "oh, most people don't care which litter their pup comes from". What???? I just don't agree with that statement AT ALL.

So, again, not someone with whom I would want or could have a close relationship. 

The pups may be quality pups, but I didn't care for the actual breeder, so that is why I passed on this Kennel. Good luck with your search!


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

If you do go meet her, make sure to request to meet ALL of the dogs and go prepared with a list of them to refer to. Some unscrupulous high volume breeders or even puppy mills may not voluntarily show you where most dogs live if it is not in the house, and may just bring select dogs in to make it look like they are raised at home. Beware of what is for show vs actually opening up her facility to you.


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## devildogvc (Apr 6, 2015)

I would avoid Goldenway as there is cancer in their line. I was told that the owner continued to breed one of her males when she knew he was a carrier of cancer. I'm not a doctor but this was told to me. Be careful and ask if any of the progeny of her dogs died of cancer recently


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## ats13301 (Jun 19, 2015)

*Goldenway goldens info*

Hi All - I've seen quite a few people ask about golden way goldens and litters. I'm about to get my second golden from Leslie and she's amazing! my first golden Tucker is now 5 ( 6 in december ) and he is the love of my life. has had no health issues and temperament is just amazing. I'm about to take home my second one ( born yesterday) also from golden way goldens. leslie is amazing - she co owes a lot of dogs and her partner has some of those litters your reading about..so its not like SHE is having multiple a year - its all VERY safe, professional and i wouldnt get a dog from anyone else. Once the litter is born you receive photos, videos, updates, meet the dogs at week 6 on family day - she assigns them to you so the fit will be the best possible for your family / situation. She send you home with a puppy packet with more information that i got when i applied to college back in the day.. really - i would recommend her and golden ways for anyone looking for a puppy. she is also the sweetest and most caring down to earth person - so i trust her and believe she truly wants her goldens to go to good homes. I've kept in touch with her over the past almost 6 years and now wanted to get my second and she was so helpful once again. let me know if you have other questions!


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

Cancer is in all golden lines..run away from any one who says they do not have it...


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## BethBruno (Jul 9, 2015)

Hi,

Thanks so much your post! I literally just emailed Leslie about about getting a puppy! 

I am new to this as it's been awhile since my last Golden passed...i still miss her! 

The few places i found before finding Leslie, have terrible reviews so to find your post was awesome! 

Any info or advice would be awesome.

Thanks again!
Beth


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## devildogvc (Apr 6, 2015)

"Cancer is in all lines." Wow, an amazingly ignorant answer. The purpose of reputable breeding is to eliminate or minimize those problems. Regardless of whether a dam or sire lived a long life they can still carry. Ask Leslie about Storm and the litter he sired whereby three out of seven puppies died of cancer before age eight. I was told Leslie continued to breed Storm after she knew he was a carrier. Speculation, but ask her and see her reaction. I hope for your sake your puppy has no health problems and lives a long life.


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## Selli-Belle (Jan 28, 2009)

All animals are "carriers" of cancer, and any animal that lives long enough will get some kind of cancer. Early cancer (before 8 y.o.) is different and should be actively selected against in breeding programs. However, at the present time we (as in scientists and Golden lovers) are still trying to figure out the genetics of the the major Golden cancers and what environmental factors play into our pups developing cancer.


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## Goldenway (Apr 14, 2011)

I love this list. People make up such crazy stories. It really makes me laugh. Everyone is a maven. Why don't all of you try calling me and I will tell you the real story. First of all there is cancer in every line of golden. Every one and if someone tells you they don't have it the are truly lying. I have never bred a male that had cancer. My Stud dogs never had cancer so I don't know what you are talking about. I have several partners and the litters are with each of them so there is only one litter in each house. This is just a FYI. There are many many breeders you can go to so good luck.


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## Goldenway (Apr 14, 2011)

Wow you are a Devil Dog. I don't know who you are getting your information from but Storm lived to 13 1/2 and NEVER had cancer. He died of old age. Was the Healthiest dog ever.Try talking to someone that knows what they are talking about


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## nanaloisx5 (Jul 12, 2016)

We lost our Golden, Lacey, in April. Almost made 14! It is now the end of July and we still mourn her everyday. Been married 46 years and both of us come from dog loving families. We both agree our Lacey was the BEST dog we have ever had. Did a lot of research before deciding on a breeder to get another Golden, and chose Leslie Lesser from Goldenway. Read nothing but positive feedback about her business. We are now awaiting meeting our new little furbaby. I know in my heart we made the right decision with this breeder. Our Cavalier Lexi will be so happy to have a Golden sister again. ??


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## wendyclayton (Dec 6, 2017)

My beautiful golden, Hannah, from goldenway goldens was a therapy dog with temperament and intelligence that couldn't be beat! However, she was not a healthy dog. "Hot spots" and allergy shots from the time that she was 2 years old. She was from the stud "Storm" line and died of cancer at age 8. Although several years ago, I still wonder about the basic health of the puppy that I took home. I met another woman at my vet's office a couple years ago whose dog from Goldenway also died of cancer at a young age. We agreed that Goldens being our favorite breed aside, we were leery of future dogs from this breeder because of our similar experiences.


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## Goldenway (Apr 14, 2011)

Hi Wendy,

Sorry you feel that way. Unfortunately if you knew anything about the breed you would know that cancer is a huge problem. Every line of goldens has cancer in them with no exceptions. Thankfully there is very little in my lines. My Storm and his litter sister lived for 13 1/3 years with absolutely no issues at all. They died of natural causes. I have many offspring from them that have lived 12,13 and 14 years and many are still with us. As far as hotspots, there are several reasons for them, stress, staph infections and not properly drying your dog when they are wet. I have been breeding goldens for 30 years and I am a breeder of Merit with the AKC. They are living beings and like children can get an array of problems. Your girl unfortunately had allergies. Did you go to an allergist to see what was causing them. Many are environmental. There are a lot of crackpots on this list that have little or no substantial information and think they know everything e.g.. Devildog. They guy obviously has no clue as to what he is talking about and everyone knows it. So good luck in your search for a golden. I try my best to breed Healthy, Happy well tempered, well socialized goldens.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

Leslie, 
If it matters, the Devildog person hasn't posted here in several years. 
I think we were all in agreement that his opinion on the heritability of cancer was not one shared by most of us.


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## Goldenway (Apr 14, 2011)

Thanks Robin we all know that but there are so many crackpots on here that sometimes I wonder if people should really believe half of the things. On another note. I wish these people would check on things before they post so many untruths. That is one huge problem with this list. I have seen so many ridiculous rantings and I just have to shake my head.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

Goldenway said:


> Thanks Robin we all know that but there are so many crackpots on here that sometimes I wonder if people should really believe half of the things. On another note. I wish these people would check on things before they post so many untruths. That is one huge problem with this list. I have seen so many ridiculous rantings and I just have to shake my head.


OTOH, if all breeders would send in correct heart and eyes to OFA, there would not be room for error. 
It is CoE to send to OFA for posting, and it would help all of us in the long run- and help the breed. That's where I see so many ways the wrong assumption can be made. The ranters are not typically the people who are actually in the know on the breed. We are very careful to state only what appears to be the truth, probably because we are easily found and then threatened (and I get my share of those threats, none of which have actually sued me- because I only state the truth... imo, make your breeding program compliant w the CoE and be transparent, and then no one has any room to criticize... not talking about you in particular, just the rules in general since it was another opp for me to once again state the CoE rules!).


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## devildogvc (Apr 6, 2015)

I think most breeders care more about making money than healthy puppies that live long lives. As to Storm, a beautiful dog who lived a long life, but many of his offspring had numerous health problems and died young. If Gokdenways is so reputable why would you do business with Barbara from Picaboo who was **** down. Four out of six puppies from Storm's litter with Picaboo died of cancer at or long before age eight. As to the AKC, the organization is a joke and just cares about boosting membership. If they cared about the dogs they'd shut down puppy mills and large scale breeding operations. BTW, How many puppies does Gokdenway produce a year?


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

I don't know Leslie in real life- but Storm died long ago, and breeding choices 10+ years ago might not be the same if made today- people change, their ethics change, behaviors, everything can change when someone makes that first exception to the rule. 

I also don't know if that is what happened w Barbara but what I do know without any doubt in my mind is good breeders never ever make exceptions to the best practices known. It's when one does that that one can find themselves heading down a path with no good end to it.


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## Goldenway (Apr 14, 2011)

All my clearances are clearly present on the OFA site for anyone to see and I have not changed my practices at all. This guy obviously has a bug up his ass for some reason which I could really not care about at all. He has no clue what he is talking about and never has. He figured out that Storm did not die young of cancer he lived to 13 1/2 and died probably of Hemangio. I have his son who will be 14 in a couple of months as well. He was one of my Champion stud dogs and was bred to many many different bitches some of which were from Picabo. What and when those dogs offspring died from I have no idea since he was only the stud dog. Which by the way ignorant people always blame the stud dog. But I have to say if he is one of the very very few that have posted on this list that should say it all. I have many partners and the litters we have are in different homes and are well cared for and well socialized and very healthy. This list is a very good thing sometimes as long as you realize all kinds of nuts are on here.


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## BRR (Apr 1, 2020)

GoldInMyHeart said:


> There is someone here who recently got a puppy from Goldenway, hopefully she will weigh in.
> 
> I talked to Leslie when we were looking, Beryl from Pennylane referred me. What I did not like is she mentioned something to the effect of the pup's grandfather was still living at an advanced age and how much she loved that dog. However, when I checked K9Data, I saw he passed away at age 9 from cancer. Since she made it sound like the dog was still living, I thought maybe she didn't know he had passed away. I thought I should mention it and when I did she replied saying she has been breeding for 20 years and that there is never any guarantee on longevity, cancer can strike any dog, etc. I knew we wanted a strong bond and long relationship with our pup's breeder and I knew based on Leslie's reply that I would not have that with her, I did not appreciate your harsh response or attitude.
> 
> ...





GoldInMyHeart said:


> There is someone here who recently got a puppy from Goldenway, hopefully she will weigh in.
> 
> I talked to Leslie when we were looking, Beryl from Pennylane referred me. What I did not like is she mentioned something to the effect of the pup's grandfather was still living at an advanced age and how much she loved that dog. However, when I checked K9Data, I saw he passed away at age 9 from cancer. Since she made it sound like the dog was still living, I thought maybe she didn't know he had passed away. I thought I should mention it and when I did she replied saying she has been breeding for 20 years and that there is never any guarantee on longevity, cancer can strike any dog, etc. I knew we wanted a strong bond and long relationship with our pup's breeder and I knew based on Leslie's reply that I would not have that with her, I did not appreciate your harsh response or attitude.
> 
> ...


Hi just wondering which breeder you ended up using? Thanks!


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## Love of Goldens (Sep 10, 2020)

devildogvc said:


> I would avoid Goldenway as there is cancer in their line. I was told that the owner continued to breed one of her males when she knew he was a carrier of cancer. I'm not a doctor but this was told to me. Be careful and ask if any of the progeny of her dogs died of cancer recently


We had a female at 9 with cancer and died and another female at 6 diagnosed with two different types of cancer. One extremely aggressive.....so sad. Leslie was not very nice when we contacted her about it just to make her aware. Defensive and nasty with her responses.


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