# Gold-Rush Goldens



## bfinnerty1712 (Sep 19, 2018)

good afternoon!

My husband and I have been looking for a golden retriever puppy to adopt in our area (NJ), and we found Gold-Rush Goldens in Princeton, NJ. They seemed great, and fortunately have puppies available in a good time frame. The woman I have spoke with is extremely nice and helpful, and it seems like a lot of people have posted about how amazing/reliable/passionate/health conscious this breeder is. Unfortunately, right after we scheduled a day to meet the litter my husband found a forum online saying that the breeder at Gold-Rush Goldens had knowingly used mother's with hip problems. Has anyone had experience with this breeder?

thanks in advance


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## Emmdenn (Jun 5, 2018)

Welcome to the forum!

Did the breeder provide you with the registered names of both dam and sire for the litter you would 'hypothetically' be getting a puppy from? You should be able to verify that they have all of the health clearances as stated in the code of ethics (hips, elbows, eyes, heart). Experienced members of this forum could help you out by looking at the pedigree and OFA clearances to determine whether or not you are dealing with an ethical breeder.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

They seem to have a long history but... even on their "news" page the last date of accomplishments stops in 2015. Lots of breeders don't maintain current information on web sites as they have been around so long, it's not really needed from the stand point of bring in puppy buyers.
Like Emma says you will need to provide the info. on sire & dam to look up health clearances as I couldn't find any information on their site as to who they bred or why. I have read lots of information about heavy cancer in their lines with early deaths but I have no idea how much is fact or fiction. They do have beautiful dogs and it would be hard to find any goldens that don't have Gold Rush dogs in their history... back in the 1980's anyway. 
My preference is a breeder that is more transparent with who they are breeding, k9data links offered on the breeding pair which will also link it back to the OFA postings but that's just me. I also wonder about a breeder that began back in the 60's, do they still do anything with their dogs other than make puppies?

I have another question for you... your post suggest this is your 1st golden. I personally think they are wonderful but have you educated yourself enough to know if this is the right breed for your lifestyle? Golden puppies can be a real challenge, more work than many breeds. They require a great deal of time and continued training and exercise commitments. Those wonderful dogs you see in the movies didn't start out that way. So cruz through the forum and learn from the "stickies" about some of the many issues people have... make sure this is the breed for you.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

this is a big operation- not a hobby breeder but a kennel sized breeding program.

There is an office manager, kennel help, lots of employees, so finding out which sire and which dam are parents of the litter you hypothetically would be getting a pup from is the most important piece... don't go see puppies until you know this, and they are all good- otherwise you will commit whether they are a safe pair or not.
Ethically, it is absolutely wrong to breed animals with known anything problems, not just hips. But Ann Johnson is not a GRCA member.


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

If it's the original people and original lines from 20 years ago, they were not considered very reputable. They were a profit breeder, not breeding for the health and betterment of the breed then. I personally wouldn't consider a line that bred out to a Gold Rush line.

Just make sure you do all clearness 3 or 4 generations back. And look at siblings as well.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Gold Rush has been around a lot longer than twenty years. In that time they have been involved with producing some nice dogs and they have produced their share of clunkers too. 


My opinion is such that I do not and will not have any dogs in my line that are of Gold Rush lineage.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

My Jacks had Gold Rush behind him. His maternal grandmother came from Gold Rush. Both her parents were champions, and almost every dog behind them were champions or bred to champions. 

Now.

One thing I've observed is that Gold Rush shows up in many different pedigrees - which means that she will sell dogs to any breeders out there. Or she did in the past. Which is the polar opposite of what other breeders do when they completely limit who gets breeding rights on puppies from them.

Jacks did die of cancer... however, my gut feeling tells me that there were environmental causes which triggered the cancer (lymphoma). 

Other thing to be wary of is a lot of different lines out there DO have higher than normal issues with cancer. Particularly cancers like lymphoma. Performance lines are hard hit in those areas just as much as show lines. 

It's worth looking at the pedigrees and asking the breeder questions.


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

I know Gold Rush has been around way more then 20 years. I'm talking about it was 20 years ago that I was hearing and reading about the issues they had and how they were really just a breeding for profit operation.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Gold Rush has been around for a long time. I had heard of them from way back when I started. My advice is to ask around, find out who has had Gold Rush dogs to get info on them.


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## LynnC (Nov 14, 2015)

I’ve been hesitant responding to this thread but this is my experience with Gold Rush. I live in NJ and can tell you there are A LOT of Gold Rush dogs out there. I have had a Gold Rush dog and have friends who have/had Gold Rush dogs. There is no doubt they are beautiful dogs. BUT in my experience it does seem like a disproportionate amount of Gold Rush dogs die of cancer at young ages, including mine. Maybe it just seems that way because there are so many out there???

Also, I’m glad you had a nice experience with the person you spoke to but that was not my experience 3 years ago. I called to inform (not blame) them of my dog dying of cancer and the person I spoke with was horrible (I could be wrong because it was 3 years ago but I think her name was Kim??). She never asked who was my dogs dam/sire, what type of cancer it was or how old my dog was! Her response was “yeah goldens die of cancer” and then “I have a few available puppies if you want to replace your dog”. Please be careful and do your due diligence. I can tell you I will never get another Gold Rush dog.

Good luck in your puppy search.


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## LynnC (Nov 14, 2015)

LynnC said:


> the person I spoke with was horrible (I could be wrong because it was 3 years ago but I think her name was Kim??)


Ok I was wrong ........ it wasn’t Kim I’m almost positive it was Amy!!! I knew it was a 3 letter name :surprise: Sorry to all the Kims out there.


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

LynnC said:


> Ok I was wrong ........ it wasn’t Kim I’m almost positive it was Amy!!! I knew it was a 3 letter name :surprise: Sorry to all the Kims out there.





LOL My sister Kim will forgive you! :wink2:


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## nsaks (Dec 4, 2019)

*Gold Rush*

My last Golden Retriever, Ava, was purchased from Gold Rush kennels. She was the most beautiful, kind and intelligent dog I've ever owned. She unfortunately passed away at 10 years old from Lymphoma, but was completely healthy before that illness. The retriever I owned prior to Ava was from a kennel in Louisiana. She was also a wonderful dog, but passed away at 9 years old. My research tells me that Retrievers have an average life span of about ten years no matter who breeds them, and this is the only down side of owning a Retriever. Well, maybe the shedding is a downside too, but not a big one, when compared to the great joy a Golden will bring into your home. My advice is to try to find one from a reputable breeder, who checks their breeding dogs' hips and eyes. I would take another puppy from Gold Rush anytime if its anything like the previous one I had from them.


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## goldcoast (Mar 6, 2020)

bfinnerty1712 said:


> good afternoon!
> 
> My husband and I have been looking for a golden retriever puppy to adopt in our area (NJ), and we found Gold-Rush Goldens in Princeton, NJ. They seemed great, and fortunately have puppies available in a good time frame. The woman I have spoke with is extremely nice and helpful, and it seems like a lot of people have posted about how amazing/reliable/passionate/health conscious this breeder is. Unfortunately, right after we scheduled a day to meet the litter my husband found a forum online saying that the breeder at Gold-Rush Goldens had knowingly used mother's with hip problems. Has anyone had experience with this breeder?
> 
> thanks in advance


We’ve had two Golden’s from Gold Rush. The first lasted only for 7 1/2 years and died of a hemangiosarcoma. We gave him chemo to extend his life six months. He was a wonderful dog. Our second just passed away at 12. He also had a mass on his liver and we did surgery and he couldn’t stabilize afterwards. It turned out it also was hemaniosarcoma. He also was just the greatest dog. He also had a mast cell tumor level 1 when he was only four months old in his elbow. It was removed and never a problem. But he did have some sort of muscle injury in his front shoulder at about age 9 which always plagued him and would cause him to limp sometimes. The last year of his life we were giving him rimadyl twice a day. There is no better looking dog than a gold rush dog. I get the feeling they really don’t care about them after they are sold. This is a big kennel. When I told them about the cancer at four months old they were nonchalant about it. My vet said he had never seen this before in such a young puppy. So I don’t know what we’re going to do about our next golden yet. We live in Long Island and CT. I’m not going to get a dog from a breeder that matches us with the dog. I want to choose which one I want.


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

I am sorry of your bad experiences. I have to say, it is a familiar story you hear from Gold Rush backed dogs/puppies.

Most reputable breeders don't let you pick a puppy but normally will do temperament testing on the litter at 5-6 weeks of age and will pick the puppy with the personality that best matches what you want/asked for in your puppy. Unless you're there with the puppies all day for days, it's unlikely you will actually get the puppy you think you're getting. When you visit the puppy it could be exhausted from play or just gotten up from a nap and is wired. Good breeders will match you the right puppy. So I am just saying I wouldn't make that a factor in choosing a breeder.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

I'm sorry for all the heart ache. Hope you made a k9data page for your dogs. This is where people look when searching for a puppy. Having the date of death and reason would be so helpful.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

I second making the k9data page- if you can't figure out how to do it, just pm the reg slip to someone here to do for you... any of us responding here can do it. 
And yeah- don't make choosing a factor because it's just not how good breeders do it, so if that matters more than the rest of the package to you, you are going to have to go with one of the less-than breeders to get that piece satisfied. Those folks don't care who gets who- they care more about getting your money... good breeders know puppies far better than any buyer will, having spent every day with them since whelp and as long as you are honest in sharing your lifestyle, you will get the 'right' puppy.


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## goldcoast (Mar 6, 2020)

puddles everywhere said:


> I'm sorry for all the heart ache. Hope you made a k9data page for your dogs. This is where people look when searching for a puppy. Having the date of death and reason would be so helpful.


i will do that. Thank you for the suggestion. 
I can’t imagine letting a breeder choose the dog for us. Two adults, one home most of the day, four grandchildren under 9, and a house with land. I’ve been successful in choosing four dogs so far. I have a breeder in mind near us in CT where our close friend is good friends with the owner. I’m going to give myself some time to grieve and then start looking in the summer.


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

Before my current dog I also would not have thought of letting the breeder choose my puppy but now I have totally changed my mind. If you go with an excellent breeder it's likely they will do temperament testing on their dogs which helps in matching puppies to owners based on what the owners want to do with their dogs. Even if they don't do the testing, a breeder who has been watching those puppies for 8 weeks knows their temperaments, who is pushy, who is mellow, who is a troublemaker. When you visit, the wildest puppy might have had a busy morning and be tired but you could think it is a mellow one. Rukie's breeder listened to what we wanted in a dog and he is perfect for us.


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## goldcoast (Mar 6, 2020)

Thanks for the advice. I will make the page.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

I understand your thoughts on the choosing- and it is YOUR choice, of course- but since you seem to be discerning and perhaps able to get a dog from a great breeder I hate to see you limit yourself to only less-than breeders since it is a rare good breeder who lets buyers pick.
What I do- not that it really matters, but may be a way for you to see it working if someone up there does same- is I ask people to write me an essay on what they see as puppy's life w them, weekdays and weekends, travel, etc.. and which two puppies they like the best from the photos and videos. That way- if one of those two happens to be well-suited to the life the people will provide, they can have 'their pick' and I can not worry they are going to choose poorly. The reality is, puppy temperaments evolve and a buyer would have to move in with me, do their chores, in and out, for several days around 7 weeks old to even see what I see because I have been watching them develop all along.
I just hate for you to limit yourself to a breeder who isn't the best you can afford.


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## goldcoast (Mar 6, 2020)

I would definitely only use a high quality breeder. Our dogs from gold rush were magnificent and had amazing personalities. The second one made it to 12 which is a pretty good run. There are two breeders near us in CT that have excellent reputations. Both registered with the AKC.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

goldcoast said:


> I would definitely only use a high quality breeder. Our dogs from gold rush were magnificent and had amazing personalities. The second one made it to 12 which is a pretty good run. There are two breeders near us in CT that have excellent reputations. Both registered with the AKC.


I like to pick my own puppy too but give this some thought. Shoot I picked the families for my rescues too. A really good breeder is going to spend 2 months getting to know you and your life. They know their dogs personalities (and temperament of the pedigree behind this dog) and have spent 8 weeks with the puppy you are about to receive.
I'm really, really good at knowing what pup will fit into my life best, mainly because I've matched families and pups for 40 yrs  Point is not everyone picks the type of puppy they should have. Quiet laid back people tend to love the rowdiest pup in the bunch but the breeder knows this is not a good match and everyone / pup & family will be miserable. There are so many people that post "help" for a pup they picked out and start posting how aggressive this puppy is at about 10 weeks. OF course this pup is not being aggressive, it's just not the best match for the family and they don't have a clue how to manage the energy level of the puppy.
Just hate to see you rule out a good breeder, if you are open and honest about your life & family the chances are very high the breeder is going to pick the very same puppy you would prefer anyway. They know their pups, have them tested for temperament and have watched their behavior and interaction within the litter every day for 2 months... you are making a decision on a 10 or 20 minutes window with this pup. Just something to consider.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Believe it or not - I look at letting the breeder choose my puppy as totally selfish! As in, I want the absolute best pup for me, and I want him/her to choose based on what I have told them I want in my pup. They know the pups best, if they are reputable, good breeders, they will do temperament testing, and match personalities as best they can with their families. If you are totally honest about what you want in a dog, a good breeder will try to make the best match possible.

Also, sorry for your losses. It's the hardest part of owning these dogs, isn't it? I found my recovery after I lost my last girl, my total heart dog, was helped so much when I started to think about and plan for another. As soon as I started to look and found my breeder, I felt happier. I hope the same for you.


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

goldcoast said:


> i will do that. Thank you for the suggestion.
> I can’t imagine letting a breeder choose the dog for us. Two adults, one home most of the day, four grandchildren under 9, and a house with land. I’ve been successful in choosing four dogs so far. I have a breeder in mind near us in CT where our close friend is good friends with the owner. I’m going to give myself some time to grieve and then start looking in the summer.



Make sure you scrutinize that breeder. There are FAR FAR more bad breeders out there then good or even just OK breeders. Make sure you check adult dogs for clearances, Hips/elbows at 24 months or older, Heart by cardiologist and eyes done yearly (starting at 12 months or older) and not out of that year when breeding takes place. Check the pedigree as well and make sure they all have their clearances as well, I would check 4-5 gens back at least. Check K9data.com and OFA.com. They should be posted on OFA at the very least.

So you know if that breeder doesn't check the right boxes, it can take 6 months to a year to find the breeder and get on a wait list. So I knwo you're grieving now but know that it can take a long time to get a well bred puppy. As soon as you're up to it you should start looking at breeders.


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## goldcoast (Mar 6, 2020)

Maggie'sVoice said:


> Make sure you scrutinize that breeder. There are FAR FAR more bad breeders out there then good or even just OK breeders. Make sure you check adult dogs for clearances, Hips/elbows at 24 months or older, Heart by cardiologist and eyes done yearly (starting at 12 months or older) and not out of that year when breeding takes place. Check the pedigree as well and make sure they all have their clearances as well, I would check 4-5 gens back at least. Check K9data.com and OFA.com. They should be posted on OFA at the very least.
> 
> So you know if that breeder doesn't check the right boxes, it can take 6 months to a year to find the breeder and get on a wait list. So I knwo you're grieving now but know that it can take a long time to get a well bred puppy. As soon as you're up to it you should start looking at breeders.


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## goldcoast (Mar 6, 2020)

Thanks for that info. Does anyone recommend any breeders on Long Island or in CT? I was looking at Golden Graham in Newtown, CT which is near our weekend home.


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