# Light Colored Golden Breeder in New England (MA)



## jperro (Dec 10, 2009)

Hi All,

I've been searching the web looking for breeders in the New England area for a possible spring litter. Preferably, I'm looking for a light colored Golden - and yes, I've seen the Sticky about expensive marketing because they are British creme or very light colored. I would still prefer one in this shade as opposed to the deep golden sunfire coat.

If anyone knows a reputable breeder, I am just looking for a healthy (hip/eye clearance, AKC certified, etc) Golden Retriever. It does not need to be a show dog, field dog, or champion blood line - just a loving pet for my finacee and I to run with, take care of, and relax.

The only breeder I've found thus far is Cromwell Goldens in Douglas, MA. If anyone has had experience with them, please chime in.

Thanks in advance!


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

Welcome to the forum. I have no advice for you other than to continue your search. I have light golden from a breeder in Maine but I'm not sure she is still breeding her dogs. There are a few light golden breeders here in Maine but their names escape me at the moment. At least one of them hires them out to LL Bean for their catalogs. 

Please make yourself at home here and feel free to post away.


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## Packleader (Nov 27, 2007)

Welcome to the forum, sorry I can't help out either here in Colorado!


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

bumping up


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## ragtym (Feb 3, 2008)

A few things stand out to me:

1) Strong Stael Western West - http://k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=300223 - First used at stud at 1 year old. No OFA hip clearance listed, no OFA elbow clearance listed (or even mentioned on the Cromwell website). Has Penn-Hip numbers but they are not published through OFA's site. Does have a cardiac clearance done by a cardiologist and an eye clearance listed on CERF.

2) Golden Valley Retrievers Maxwell Silver Hammer - http://k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=339624 - no dog by this name is registered with AKC. His parents are listed on the Golden Valley Retrievers website under completely different names than they are registered with through the AKC. His sire was 17 months old when he was born. Neither his sire or dam have clearances listed with OFA for Hips or Elbows nor with CERF for eye clearances. They do both have Cardiac clearances but they were both done by regular vets, not cardiologists.

3) Dam of their most recent litter - Blondinka V Chocolade http://k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=300229 - has no OFA hip or elbow clearances listed on the OFA website, no CERF clearance listed on CERF site. Does have an OFA heart clearance by a cardiologist and a Penn-Hip clearance.

4) Dam of their next litter (according to their website) - Golden Ridges Elenor Rigby of Cromwell http://k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=318198 - says the litter will be bred late winter - this bitch is 13 months old this month. There are no clearances of any kind listed with OFA, CERF

I would suggest going to http://starcrowned.com/egnatest/ - the English Background Golden Retrievers in North America site. There is a list of breeders there, including some in MA.


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## SunGold (Feb 27, 2007)

May I suggest you check out Eastshore Goldens in New Hampshire? They have some breautiful english lines. www.eastshoregoldens.com

Best of luck on your search!


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

Oak Hill Goldens here in Maine only breeds light goldens. Both of our pups sires are from that kennel. They also have had pups in the LL Bean catalogs. They are a very reputable breeder and have been around for years.

www.oakhillgoldens.com


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

I always tell people that color should be least of their considerations-health and temperament should come first. That said, you CAN have all 3, you just need to choose your breeder carefully.

Every breeder generally produces a broad range of colors in their breeding program. My Truman litter was light to medium in color. I expect the Guess litter will have quite a mixture, from dark to light. 

The English Breeders resource is an excellent one. Just because you are focusing on color, doesn't mean you should be willing to give on health clearances, longevity and temperament. Look for hip/elbow clearances done through a recognized group such as OFA, BVA or OVC (PennHip does hips but not elbows so most breeders using PH also use OFA), eyes cleared annually by a veterinary opthamologist and at least one heart clearance done by a veterinary cardiologist. All of these clearances should be present for both parents, their parents, etc.


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## SunGold (Feb 27, 2007)

jwemt81 said:


> Oak Hill Goldens here in Maine only breeds light goldens. Both of our pups sires are from that kennel. They also have had pups in the LL Bean catalogs. They are a very reputable breeder and have been around for years.
> 
> www.oakhillgoldens.com


This breeder has no OFA hip/elbow clearances on either sires they are using. I also can't find an OFA or K9data page for the dam of the current litter. :no:


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

SunGold said:


> This breeder has no OFA hip/elbow clearances on either sires they are using. I also can't find an OFA or K9data page for the dam of the current litter. :no:


This is Tucker's dad: http://k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=224874

http://offa.org/results.html?all=oak+hills+dream+tucker

I have no idea about the dam since the mothers of our pups are from a different breeder and they have all their clearances.


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## tbliss (Mar 26, 2009)

We got our Maevis from Cromwell in June. Margie Benjamin has been great. We did a lot of research before deciding to go with Cromwell. Notwithstanding that Margie refers to her dogs as "English Creme," she does not charge more for them than other area breeders charge for other colored goldens (at least from what I could tell). We told Margie the type of dog we were seeking--temperament the number one concern--and she steered us to Maevis. Maevis is now 7 months old and has been the perfect dog as far as we are concerned--very calm, even-tempered, loves all people and other animals and pretty darn cute (her picture is on the Cromwell "Families Brag" page). When/if we decide to get a sibling for Maevis, we will definitely get her from Margie, as long as the timing works out.


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## SunGold (Feb 27, 2007)

jwemt81 said:


> This is Tucker's dad: http://k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=224874
> 
> http://offa.org/results.html?all=oak+hills+dream+tucker
> 
> I have no idea about the dam since the mothers of our pups are from a different breeder and they have all their clearances.


I'm referring to the litter Oak Hill has listed on their web site currently, no hip/elbow clearances on the sire, no OFA/K9data page (that I can find) on the dam.


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## MaineMom (Nov 12, 2009)

jwemt81 said:


> Oak Hill Goldens here in Maine only breeds light goldens. Both of our pups sires are from that kennel. They also have had pups in the LL Bean catalogs. They are a very reputable breeder and have been around for years.
> 
> www.oakhillgoldens.com


I couldn't find clearances on the Males they have either!!!I am not saying they don't have them but its not on OFA!!!


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

MaineMom said:


> I couldn't find clearances on the Males they have either!!!I am not saying they don't have them but its not on OFA!!!


http://k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=350866 That's one of their males. I know that they do OFA on all their dogs. Tucker's dad is from there and has elbows, hips, heart, and CERF. Several of my family members also have dogs from Oak Hill and have clearances on both the sire and dam. I have no idea why they're not listed, but if you were to contact Lori she should be able to provide the info.


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## MaineMom (Nov 12, 2009)

jwemt81 said:


> http://k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=350866


Oh so they are Preliminaries!That would explain why they are not on OFA!The breeder hasn't sent them in to OFA to be examined!


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## SunGold (Feb 27, 2007)

jwemt81 said:


> http://k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=350866 That's one of their males. I know that they do OFA on all their dogs. Tucker's dad is from there and has elbows, hips, heart, and CERF. Several of my family members also have dogs from Oak Hill and have clearances on both the sire and dam. I have no idea why they're not listed, but if you were to contact Lori she should be able to provide the info.


If they did FINAL OFA clearances at 2 years old, they'd be in the OFA database, unless they didn't pass. I apologize, Tucker's Dad does have an elbow clearance, it was his heart that wasn't listed. Sorry bout that.
I don't want to go into a big thing about it, I just didn't want the OP or anyone else looking for a puppy to think the clearances are there if they are not.


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## Mileysmom (Feb 11, 2009)

I got my Miley at Beechwood Goldens in Barnstable, Ma. There is also a long thread on here that is interesting reading. A cousin of mine got hers from the website My Golden Retreat in Bridgewater, Ma & I believe she has very light/white creams. Who ever you choose do your homework well. Good luck to you..


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## SunGold (Feb 27, 2007)

MaineMom said:


> Oh so they are Preliminaries!That would explain why they are not on OFA!The breeder hasn't sent them in to OFA to be examined!


It looks like prelims have been sent to OFA, but they are just that, PRELIMINARY... the xrays will need to be repeated at 2 years old for a final clearance.


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## ragtym (Feb 3, 2008)

Got the information on the dam of the litter listed on Oak Hill's website - Oakhill's Chloe Leading The Way - http://k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=361432. Her birthdate is 03/14/08 which made her approximately 17 months old when this litter was bred. She has no clearances listed on OFA or CERF's site. Her sire is Tucker - the dog mentioned above and her dams only clearance on file is a CERF clearance from 2007.

The sire of the litter on Oak Hill's site is Northern Light's Lets Go Brady -http://k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=288036. He has no hip clearance listed with OFA, no elbow clearance and his CERF clearance is 18 months old.

Their other females:

Candie Bella Aurea - http://k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=361442 - no hip or elbow clearances listed with OFA

Oakhills Little Miss Daisy - http://k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=361463 - no hip or elbow clearances listed with OFA


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## SunGold (Feb 27, 2007)

ragtym said:


> Got the information on the dam of the litter listed on Oak Hill's website - Oakhill's Chloe Leading The Way - http://k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=361432. Her birthdate is 03/14/08 which made her approximately 17 months old when this litter was bred. She has no clearances listed on OFA or CERF's site. Her sire is Tucker - the dog mentioned above and her dams only clearance on file is a CERF clearance from 2007.
> 
> The sire of the litter on Oak Hill's site is Northern Light's Lets Go Brady -http://k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=288036. He has no hip clearance listed with OFA, no elbow clearance and his CERF clearance is 18 months old.
> 
> ...


Good research! This breeder is not reputable in my opinion.


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

Well, all that I know is that Tucker came from both a sire and dam with full clearances. Tucker's mother was 4 when she whelped Tucker's litter and his dad (an Oak Hill golden) was 5. Both have full clearances. Tyson is sired by Northern Lights Justice For All. Neither Tucker's or Tyson's mother are Oak Hill dogs. They are from an entirely different breeder. They just used Oak Hill males as studs. Tucker's mother was 4 when she whelped Tucker's litter and Tyson's mother who, who is Tucker's older half-sister, is 3-1/2 years old and just had Tyson's litter 3 weeks ago. It is a shame if Oak Hill breeds their bitches before the age of 2, but my dogs are not from Oak Hill bitches. I just happen to know for a fact that Oak Hill only breeds lighter colored goldens, which is why I mentioned them. I'm NOT trying to start a debate of any kind. Now I'm sorry that I ever even mentioned it.


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## sterregold (Dec 9, 2009)

ragtym said:


> I would suggest going to http://starcrowned.com/egnatest/ - the English Background Golden Retrievers in North America site. There is a list of breeders there, including some in MA.


I would second this! The EGNA group consists of dedicated breeders who are interested in the English bloodlines because of factors other than colour. Yes, most of us have lighter dogs (but even my quite blond girl has a dark gold grandfather in France!) We have a genuine interest in the more English style dog because we love the style, not because we see potential profits!! There are quite a few members in the New England area, including Eastshore who has also been mentioned already. Contact info is on the breeders list Karen maintains on the site. The other sites, with the breeding of dogs under 2 years of age, and without final clearances smacks of people marketing colour, not true fanciers of the breed.


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## SunGold (Feb 27, 2007)

jwemt81 said:


> Well, all that I know is that Tucker came from both a sire and dam with full clearances. Tucker's mother was 4 when she whelped Tucker's litter and his dad (an Oak Hill golden) was 5. Both have full clearances. Tyson is sired by Northern Lights Justice For All. Neither Tucker's or Tyson's mother are Oak Hill dogs. They are from an entirely different breeder. They just used Oak Hill males as studs. Tucker's mother was 4 when she whelped Tucker's litter and Tyson's mother who, who is Tucker's older half-sister, is 3-1/2 years old and just had Tyson's litter 3 weeks ago. It is a shame if Oak Hill breeds their bitches before the age of 2, but my dogs are not from Oak Hill bitches. I just happen to know for a fact that Oak Hill only breeds lighter colored goldens, which is why I mentioned them. I'm NOT trying to start a debate of any kind. Now I'm sorry that I ever even mentioned it.


You are aware Tyson's father doesn't have final hip or elbow clearances, right?
http://offa.org/display.html?appnum=1380154#animal
And, is under 2 years old.


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## chesneygirl007 (Nov 5, 2007)

I have a light colored golden and I love him to death. here is a picture of him. This is Cheyenne he is going to be 2 in April. He just loves the snow.

Kim
NJ


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## MGMF (May 13, 2009)

http://www.njcapsa.org/index.php/NJ-News.php

http://howellnj.com/smf/index.php?topic=451.0

http://www.app.com/article/20091221...ppies+in+van++man+charged+with+animal+cruelty

Articles about Northern Lights Golden Retrievers


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

SunGold said:


> Good research! This breeder is not reputable in my opinion.



Sorry I missed this thread when originally live. I just feel compelled to post on this comment and give my opinion. A lack of clearances being listed in OFA and/or CEFR databases does not make a breeder not reputable. If you read the GRCA Code Of Ethics ( http://www.grca.org/thegrca/code.html ) you will notice none of the clearances are required to be registered with OFA or CERF. Yes it is the norm in the States to do so but it is not required. And several other registries will clear dogs before the age of 2 years. So while researching breeders it is best to talk to the breeder and find out exactly how they ascertain the clearances on their dogs. The exception to this would be a breeder who states on their website thet there breeding stock are all cleared via OFA and CERF and then you can't find those dogs in the respective databases I would have a problem. 
The GRCA recommend and again it is the norm in the States to not breed a dog before 2 years of age.


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## ragtym (Feb 3, 2008)

Hi Hank,

Since I was the one who posted that info on the Oak Hill dogs, I wanted to respond to what you said.

You are absolutely right when you say that just because a clearance isn't listed in the OFA/CERF databases doesn't mean that the clearance wasn't done and I have said exactly that in the past when I have posted dog information here. Wouldn't you agree though that if a hip/elbow x-ray done in the US is not submitted (registered) to the OFA, it's not a clearance? At that point, isn't it just "vet-checked"? I would assume it's the same with OVC since the x-rays have to be sent to them to get the results. I don't know that much about how the BVA/KC system works so I can't say either way there.

(BTW, I'm just speaking about final clearances done after 24 months. Prelims are different since they don't appear in the OFA system unless the owner specifically okays it. The same goes for Abnormal OFA hip/elbow ratings. That's one rule I wish that they would change...)


> you will notice none of the clearances are required to be registered with OFA or CERF.


What the GRCA COE says is: _a. Hips – for U.S. dogs, a report from Orthopedic Foundation for Animals; or PennHIP at 24 months of age or older. __For dogs outside the U.S., report from a health registry approved by the Golden Retriever club of that country (e.g. Canada - Ontario Veterinary College; Great Britain - BVA/KC Hip Score) A report from the accepted health registry of another country may be used for U.S. dogs that are 24 months of age or older when x-rayed._

So for US dogs specifically, the COE requires either a report from the OFA or a PennHip report done after 24 months. AFAIK, the only way to get these reports is to submit the x-rays to the certifying body, in essence "registering" them. Dogs in other countries can get reports from their own health registry system so those dogs might not necessarily show up in the OFA database. Although I have seen some OVC numbers in there so they may be sharing data now.

The section on elbows says much the same. The exceptions seem to be the heart and eyes. I believe this is because the certification is done by the specialist vet at the time of the exam. Sending it off to the registry in these cases does nothing but get the results into their systems.

I do agree that if there seems to be something amiss, the best way to find out is to go directly to the source. I think that the problem may be that some people may not know what questions to ask or how to interpret the answers they get back.


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## SunGold (Feb 27, 2007)

AmbikaGR said:


> Sorry I missed this thread when originally live. I just feel compelled to post on this comment and give my opinion. A lack of clearances being listed in OFA and/or CEFR databases does not make a breeder not reputable. If you read the GRCA Code Of Ethics ( http://www.grca.org/thegrca/code.html ) you will notice none of the clearances are required to be registered with OFA or CERF. Yes it is the norm in the States to do so but it is not required. And several other registries will clear dogs before the age of 2 years. So while researching breeders it is best to talk to the breeder and find out exactly how they ascertain the clearances on their dogs. The exception to this would be a breeder who states on their website thet there breeding stock are all cleared via OFA and CERF and then you can't find those dogs in the respective databases I would have a problem.
> The GRCA recommend and again it is the norm in the States to not breed a dog before 2 years of age.


I agree you should talk to the breeder because I myself in the past have not mailed in CERF forms. But breeding underage dogs is something in_ my opinion_ doesn't make a breeder reputable.


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

ragtym said:


> Hi Hank,
> 
> Since I was the one who posted that info on the Oak Hill dogs, I wanted to respond to what you said.
> 
> ...



I agree with what you say here. And dog from the US can have an OVC or BVC clearance recognized as long as the xray is taken after the dog is 24 months. As for OVC info showing up on the OFA database if you send them a copy of the OVC clearance and a fee they will post the OVC esults on the OFA website.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

i would never endorse breeding dogs under two, nor would I participate in it even by buying a pup from parents under two now that I know better. BUT, it is such a source of hypocrisy in the dog world - famous, high-profile breeders do it from time to time and the rationale is that they know their lines. It is kind of a moving target when well-established breeders who are judges/role models etc do it or purchase pups from litters in which both parents are not two, but then hold backyard breeders to a different standard. The inconsistency is just something that bothers me.


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

Jill I think the inconsistency is because there is no black and white honestly when it comes to breeding. If we could say that if someone waits till both sire and dam are two years of age and passes all their clearances then your are guaranteed the offspring will be clear then it would so simple. 
I don't know how many folks realize that the Code Of Ethics of the Golden Retriever Club Of Canada allows breeding of dogs at 18 months of age? And the OVC and WCVM will issue final clearances at 18 months for hips and elbows. I do not think it can be called hypocritical if that is what is accepted as being responsible where you live. I can only hope that some of our Canadian breeders will chime in on this also.


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

And I think you hit on another VERY important point in your post. These high profile, world famous breeders DO know their lines and use that info to their benefit. They knoow what is behind their dogs for many generations, what they have and have not produced. And I have heard it said many times that a dog/bitch is at it's peak, from a reproduction point, between the ages of 1 and 3 years of age. So if they have what they believe is once in a decade bitch that cycles say every 9-10 months they do not want to chance missing have them bred at this optimum time. If they wait till the dog is over 2 chances are it will not come in season till it is 27-30 months. Still in that peak period but if that breeding does not take it will not be possible till the dog is over 3 and maybe close to 4 years old.

Please don't take these comments as my condoning the practice but more of a way as explaining so others might understand the breeder's thinking.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

AmbikaGR said:


> And I think you hit on another VERY important point in your post. These high profile, world famous breeders DO know their lines and use that info to their benefit. They knoow what is behind their dogs for many generations, what they have and have not produced. And I have heard it said many times that a dog/bitch is at it's peak, from a reproduction point, between the ages of 1 and 3 years of age. So if they have what they believe is once in a decade bitch that cycles say every 9-10 months they do not want to chance missing have them bred at this optimum time. If they wait till the dog is over 2 chances are it will not come in season till it is 27-30 months. Still in that peak period but if that breeding does not take it will not be possible till the dog is over 3 and maybe close to 4 years old.
> 
> Please don't take these comments as my condoning the practice but more of a way as explaining so others might understand the breeder's thinking.


This is one hundred percent what I was trying to say- the problem comes when a particular breeder thinks of herself/her dogs in that class yet her peers do not, lol. Sometimes on the Grf, it is presented as a black and white issue when, in truth, it is, for some people, a judgment call.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

And I agree it can be a judgement call, but I do have a problem with it when the people doing these early breedings are NOT "master breeders" and indeed, are often dealing with dogs that are not of their breeding, so whose background they are not intimately familiar with. Breeding on prelims is tricky at best, when you do have all that history on that dog and its ancestors, let alone when it is a purchased dog and you are not privy to all that insider information.


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## rappwizard (May 27, 2009)

And not to defend the practice of these "master breeders" who might breed on prelims on a rare occasion, in their defense, as a general rule, they do, generally, go on and get "official" clearances on their breeding stock, because they are concerned about what is behind the generation that they are producing. If they don't, then there's something wrong there.


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

I remember back when I was first thinking about doing my first breeding, it ALL seemed pretty much black and white. I was looking for a stud for my Keeper and talking to all whose opinions I valued. And I would hear that it was not all black and white but I really thought it was just their way of avoiding some of my questions. Then there was this truly world famous renowned breeder who had a boy that I was hearing things about and thought he might be a good match for Keeper. In my research I was confused because there were litters listed as his get yet he had just turned 2 shortly before this. I could not understand how this breeder could be thought so highly of while breeding underage dogs? Was she that powerful that no one was willing to confront her? I felt a twist in my gut every time I saw this breeder or even heard the name mentioned for probably two years. Then one day at a National I was sitting with a group of friends and this breeder joined us. There was a woman in the ring with one of their dogs and someone said something that "did you hear that she bred her unfinished girl before he was two years old?" This other breeder replies to the effect that if the bitch was hers she would probably do the same and proceeded to explain, in much better dialogue than I, and all of a sudden I understood what was meant by no black and white. I later told her the story and we have been pretty close friends since.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

AmbikaGR said:


> I remember back when I was first thinking about doing my first breeding, it ALL seemed pretty much black and white. I was looking for a stud for my Keeper and talking to all whose opinions I valued. And I would hear that it was not all black and white but I really thought it was just their way of avoiding some of my questions. Then there was this truly world famous renowned breeder who had a boy that I was hearing things about and thought he might be a good match for Keeper. In my research I was confused because there were litters listed as his get yet he had just turned 2 shortly before this. I could not understand how this breeder could be thought so highly of while breeding underage dogs? Was she that powerful that no one was willing to confront her? I felt a twist in my gut every time I saw this breeder or even heard the name mentioned for probably two years. Then one day at a National I was sitting with a group of friends and this breeder joined us. There was a woman in the ring with one of their dogs and someone said something that "did you hear that she bred her unfinished girl before he was two years old?" This other breeder replies to the effect that if the bitch was hers she would probably do the same and proceeded to explain, in much better dialogue than I, and all of a sudden I understood what was meant by no black and white. I later told her the story and we have been pretty close friends since.


It was awesome reading this post and Linda's too. This is where I am in puzzling through the issues- back where Hank once was in just trying to make sense out of some of the complexities. Thanks so much for this discussion.


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## SunGold (Feb 27, 2007)

Ljilly28 said:


> This is one hundred percent what I was trying to say- the problem comes when a particular breeder thinks of herself/her dogs in that class yet her peers do not, lol. Sometimes on the Grf, it is presented as a black and white issue when, in truth, it is, for some people, a judgment call.


Totally agree Jill. There are other factors involved with my opinion of this breeder not being "reputable" but the breeding of underage dogs is in the forefront.


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