# physical differences in a well bred puppy



## kbear (Aug 27, 2014)

I know these may sound like dumb questions but I'm a real novice and this is my first golden puppy. she looks different from most of the puppy pictures here. she is lankier, has longer legs, her coat is not near as thick or fluffy. the puppies look like big fluffy teddy bears on the breeder sites with the really expensive pups and most of the pups here too. I know mine came from a back yard breeder. she was only $350.00 but I saw both parents and they are beautiful ckc registered goldens. I have no interest in any kind of competitions, I just wanted a good, healthy family pet. 

I didn't ask the age of the parents but the breeder said they had no hip problems--or any health problems but I didn't get any real proof of that. 

I have a feeling I may regret this, do byb pups usually end up with health problems? do the dogs with the clearances still have problems too? no one can really say if a dog will get cancer or not. 

so far she has a very sweet temperament and she seems healthy. I'm going to make her first vet appt. tomorrow.

I was just wondering if those of you that have bought or rescued pups like this if they lived long healthy lives or if they had a lot of problems?


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## dezymond (May 3, 2012)

I bought Maverick as a 8wk old puppy from what many here would probably consider a BYB. His parents had all the clearances and judging from the parents I saw, they were very healthy and both had great calm temperaments. 

I'm sure there's more peace of mind when buying from a "real" breeder, but it's also no guarantee either that the puppies will be healthy. 

Your little girl looks healthy to me judging by those pictures. Hope her first vet visit goes smoothly too!


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## Lynn5707 (Aug 30, 2014)

Hi,

My first two Goldens were from byb. I also bred my Golden, without having knowledge. I hate to admit that we did that, as one of the pups, who happens to be my daughter's dog, did have hip dysplasia and had surgery as a young pup. My first Golden lived until about 12 and she died of cancer. My other Golden is 11, she does have arthritis, but has been healthy. We also have a Black Lab who is almost 13, who has been healthy until recently, he has leukemia. The pup who had surgery, the cost to fix his hip was about $2500. 

So, in our experience, our dogs have been OK, until older years. However, knowing what I know now, after seeing my daughter's dog go through the surgery, and sometimes have pain in the hip, if I buy a puppy, I will make sure they have their clearances. It would be a peace of mind know they have been given the best start. I am not sure we will get a puppy in the future - so much work - but may look to adopt a foster, or an adult dog from a breeder. 

Take care - I don't know if I answered your questions or not - just wanted to share our experience.


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## LJack (Aug 10, 2012)

Yes, purpose bred puppies will have a district look. Those purpose bred for the show ring do tend to have the teddy bear look as youngsters (as shown below). Purpose bred field/hunting puppies are normally a little thinner with a more athletic build. Puppies who are randomly bred may look very different from purpose bred pups but should mature to look similar to their parents.

I hate to say it, but unless CKC stands for Canadian Kennel Club, the registration is essentially worthless. The Continental Kennel Club is not a reputable registry and they will register dogs as purebred as long as pictures submitted look anywhere close to the breed selected. So, Continental Kennel Club registration is not reliable as far as knowing if a dog is truly purebred.

As far as health, yes some well red puppies from health test parents can have health problems. Just as puppies from unknown health backgrounds can live long healthy lives. 

It is truly a difference in odds. Below are some stats from OFFA on Elbow Dysplasia.

Normal Elbows x Normal Elbows = 12.2% offspring affected with ED
Normal Elbows x Dysplastic Elbows = 26.1% - 31.3% offspring affected with ED
Dysplastic Elbows x Dysplastic Elbows = 41.5% offspring affected with ED

So, if the puppy was from health tested parents, you know there is a 12.2% chance of getting ED. If the puppy is from untested parents it could be the same 12.2% or it could be 41.5%. It is all in the odds. 

Also, dogs can have hereditary issues like Dysplasia, Sub-Aortic Stenosis, or Progressive Retinal Atrophy with out outwardly visible signs. So, the fact that someone says the dogs are healthy or you don't see any issues does not mean there are not some.

I would suggest looking in to insurance. That way if something does come you will have some backup. I hope you and your puppy get lucky and never need it. I know I got lucky, I had a back yard bred Min Pin who live to be 14 and was healthy his whole life until the end. I am so glad he was but I know I could have easily been paying to treat heart issues or patella issues. 

And yes, you are correct no one can predict or stop cancer. It is in the foundations of our breed and all Goldens are at risk. Here is hoping the Morris Foundation study produces dearly needed answers for cancer.

Try not to worry to much. enjoy your beautiful girl.


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## Jedismum (Sep 30, 2014)

I'm certainly far from an expert as my first golden is now 11 weeks old. But I'm curious how old is she in these pictures? I'd say Jedi looks similar right now. Much lankier and less fuzz ball that he was just a couple of weeks ago. I'm just guessing but maybe the pups you are comparing her looks to are several weeks younger, thus the shorter legs and fluffier coats.


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## kbear (Aug 27, 2014)

Jedismum said:


> I'm certainly far from an expert as my first golden is now 11 weeks old. But I'm curious how old is she in these pictures? I'd say Jedi looks similar right now. Much lankier and less fuzz ball that he was just a couple of weeks ago. I'm just guessing but maybe the pups you are comparing her looks to are several weeks younger, thus the shorter legs and fluffier coats.


she's 8 weeks in those pictures. she got her first bath today much to her dismay. I thought that might fluff her up a bit and it did but only a tiny bit. she's still adorable though!


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

My first Golden was from what is considered a BYB, other than having a sensitivity to corn, she lived a long, healthy life (she died 2 weeks before her 14th birthday). 

My Hank was given to me as a gift. I really don't know much about his breeder other than she's been breeding Goldens for many years and very involved in 4H. He's now 5 y.o. and very healthy & sound. 

Maybe I've just been lucky. IMHO, having a dog without health issues is pretty much a crapshoot. Clearences can help the odds but is no guarantee.


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## Kmullen (Feb 17, 2010)

The thing about reputable breeders is they are there for you any time you need them. Just recently, I know of a friend that bought a puppy from a reputable breeder and the puppy has kidney disease. Things happen... The puppy's kidney never really developed all the way. The breeder met her at the vet's office and paid for all the treatment, reimbursed her the purchase of the puppy, and offered a free puppy next time. Of course, everyone is devastated that the fate of the puppy is very grim, but it is so good to know their are loving and caring breeders out there.

As far as health, the point of health testing parents, etc., is to lessen the likelyhood that a puppy will have an issue, there are no guarantees.

She is adorable and just enjoy her.


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## wjane (Oct 12, 2013)

Hugs to your adorable new girl. My first golden was from a byb - she lived to be 14+ and never had ANY health issues and was the best dog ever.


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## Buddy's mom forever (Jun 23, 2011)

She is darling and deserves all love any human being is capable of giving. She doesn't know that she is not fluffy and doesn't care either. Enjoy every moment you have with her. You said it is your first golden puppy and I bet she won't be the last.
And BTW what is her name?


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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

I was wondering if I was the only one that saw the difference between well bred golden pups and those that drew the short end of the stick for breeders. My golden girl who was born at puppy mill and was sold as a breeder dog to another mill has bilateral hip dysplasia, is hypothyroid and has an incorrect temperament; my golden boy who was likely from a BYB (both pups are rescues) is hypothyroid and has really bad arthritis in his back and knees. My girl's sire has SAS. None of these are things you can see by looking at my goldens but they most certainly impact their lives. To me there is no excuse for breeders to take short cuts with their breeding practices as it's not fair to the pups produced as well to those being bred. These types of breeders are counting on their puppy buyers to think it's all a crap shoot which allows them to continue with their substandard practices and make for a profitable endeavor. Even the $350 pup drives a profit when the breeder does absolutely nothing with their dogs other than breed.


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## GinnyinPA (Oct 31, 2010)

She is a beautiful puppy and will hopefully have a long and happy life with you. 

One advantage of a dog with less fur: they don't shed as much. Our Ben is a rescue, probably BYB. He is beautiful, but has thinner fur than many goldens. But he is very easy to take care of since he doesn't shed heavily except once or twice a year.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

kbear said:


> I was just wondering if those of you that have bought or rescued pups like this if they lived long healthy lives or if they had a lot of problems?


Best answer I can think of... I have 2 neighbors who purchased puppies from the same backyard breeder. The female puppy lived to be almost 18, and she was put to sleep because she had reached a point where between senility and mobility, she was failing. The male puppy lived between 6 and 8 years - this with a family who had a St. Bernard live for 12 years so very good owners. 

Also... my barn lady's husband brought her 2 german shepherd puppies that were being given away at a horse race track. Both dogs had various issues - bilateral hip dysplasia and torn ACL's.... but she had also neutered them very early and they grew extremely fast and were huge. 

The one dog died when he was 14 and the other just died at 15. 

You talk to any golden retriever owner of us out there and we've experienced a wide variety of.... situations.... with our dogs, regardless of where they've come from. 

When it comes to health... there's a lot of luck and some certain advantages when it comes to where you purchase a puppy from. 

A puppy purchased from a good quality breeding has a better chance of not developing certain drastic health problems.... that's a chance. Doesn't mean any guarantee beyond what the breeder promises you. 

Physical appearance to a certain extent is guaranteed... to a certain extent. 

I sat with a very nice lady who was expecting puppies any day now. Her female comes from more field type breeding and she bred her to a show champion owned by her friend. And one of her hopes was for an improvement on what has in her girl. Or at the very least, nice looking puppies. 

Then another case - a friend of mine is looking to repeat a litter based on how happy she was with the puppies from the first litter. There - she has a certain confidence in getting exactly what she wants in the puppies. At least if they turn out like the first litter. 

Then of course there's dogs who have a certain look and style which is recognizable by anyone paying attention... I guess? Being around dog shows, I'm starting to recognize where some dogs come from based on their appearance alone. At least in my area. 

Anyway - there's a difference in the puppies based on the parents they were bred from and the intentions of the breeders. Not ever breeder is breeding for the same... attributes in appearance or ability. And there's some people out there who basically are not thinking about anything like that beyond breeding a purebred to a purebred for purebred puppies, and that's as far as they go. 

Rule of thumb is what your puppy's parents looked like - your pup will probably take after them. 

She is cute - I'd enjoy her puppy year and every following year you have with her. 

After you've bought a puppy and brought it home... and begun bonding with that puppy and giving that puppy your heart and your home.... it's too late to be thinking about where that puppy came from.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

I have rescued 3 dogs, all those neutered early. They did/do not look like a show/conformation golden like our breeder boy Yogi. One rescue had horrible hips but walked up until the day he died at 13 1/2 years from hemangiosarcoma. Our second rescue had horrible hips and severe allergies but lived until 12 years 11 months. Our current rescue boy is 10 years 8 months young and still acts like a teenager. He actually came with AKC papers in his adoption package and I learned he was from a BYB who did hip and elbow clearances but nothing else. This boy has great hips but suffers from eye issues, heart issues, digestive issues and thyroid issues....most expensive dog ever in terms of keeping him healthy. He is in a great place now health wise. Our breeder dog is healthy so far at 2. 

One suggestion for your sweet pup, get pet insurance for the just in case possibility then just love your dog with all your heart and enjoy her. No matter where they came from, they are all special and deserve to be loved and spoiled silly.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

You already have her, and worrying isn't going to change anything. We all started somewhere, we all learned as we went along. Love and enjoy her. From your posts, it's obvious you already do!
Getting a dog from a reputable breeder does stack the odds in your favor, but if it helps my first Golden, Tiny, was from a PET STORE and lived almost 17 years, very very healthy. My second Golden, Toby, was from a BYB and had lots of health problems, but lived 14 happy, loving years.


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## kbear (Aug 27, 2014)

Buddy's mom forever said:


> She is darling and deserves all love any human being is capable of giving. She doesn't know that she is not fluffy and doesn't care either. Enjoy every moment you have with her. You said it is your first golden puppy and I bet she won't be the last.
> And BTW what is her name?


her name is riley. I had that picked out before I found this forum but I guess it's a popular name now. I wanted my daughter to name my granddaughter riley but she named her ella and I see that's also a popular golden name too!
I am a worrier by nature and I didn't know goldens were so susceptible to cancer, hip and other problems until I started reading here. I read a few of the rainbow threads and was bawling like a baby over dogs I didn't even know and for their owners who loved them so much and I had visions of riley getting very sick at a young age. I thought maybe I was foolish to not buy a pup with all the clearances but I really couldn't afford to.

I'm too trusting of people sometimes and I thought this breeder seemed honest but I never even met her in person. she lived 100 miles away. the day we had to pick riley up was the day we moved into our first house so my daughter went to pick up the pup. she asked my daughter to meet her somewhere. I thought that was odd but she said her house was hard to find. (it is way out in the country). now I'm wondering if she really has a puppy mill and only does this for money. she also said something to my daughter about "all my other litters" which sounds like she's done this a lot.

my daughter called me on the way home and said they already found fleas on her and she didn't smell too great so I ran out and got some frontline plus to put on her. the breeder also told me she had wormed her 3 times. so again that indicates to me these puppies were probably kept outside in not very good condition. a decent breeder wouldn't treat puppies this way. a good breeder would not deliver a smelly pup with fleas. I have not seen any worms in her stool but she will be checked soon.

now that the stress of moving is dying down and I have more time to think I feel really stupid for trusting a complete stranger who put an add on ebay. and I feel really dumb posting all this here. you guys must think I am really really stupid!

I will still love her no matter what! she is really smart--we had no potty accidents inside yesterday! of course the second she starts sniffin, I grab her and RUN outside! my dearest wish now is that she will go to the door on her own because I can't carry a 60lb. dog out to the yard everytime! she thinks she is part pointer. when she hears another dog bark or any other interesting noise her tail goes ramrod straight and one front paw goes up. she's so cute. someone told me only male dogs usually do that. I guess she's an equal opportunity dog, lol.

another thing I just remembered, this breeder never gave me her home address. I did ask but she said she would meet us somewhere. all I got was her cell and email. I'm also on her facebook friend list. that does raise a red flag but I was so stressed at the time trying to pack I just said ok. I should have gone myself and insisted on seeing the parents at her home or no deal. she did bring Riley's father--or she told my daughter he was the father. any reputable breeder would want you to come to their house and meet the parents. yep, it's official, I'm an idiot..


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## Rkaymay (May 12, 2014)

I wouldn't worry about it. You probably saved your puppy from a horrible life as a breeder dog in a puppy mill. I adopted my girl from the humane society. She's a golden-lord-knows-what mix and I wouldn't trade her for the world. She might get sick and she might live to be 15 - no idea what the future will hold, and life's too short for me to worry about it. What will happen will happen, so I'm going to (attempt) to enjoy every minute I have with her (right now she's driving me nuts).


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

I love the name Riley. Your new baby is adorable. Look to your future and enjoy the journey of love you are traveling.


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## Irishladyo (Mar 15, 2014)

The breeder I bought Fizzy from would be considered a "Backyard Breeder" and I couldn't be happier. She was an awesome lady who breeds her dogs for the love of it. All of her dogs are registered and I received everything I needed to register Fizzy if I wanted to. Not all BYB's are bad. I don't think that there is any reason to pay thousands of dollars for a good dog if your not showing them. A registered purebred that passes all the health exams is a registered purebred no matter who is selling them. just my opinion I guess


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## kbear (Aug 27, 2014)

I just hope she isn't abusing dogs because if I saw that I would have reported her. I keep thinking that's why she didn't want us to come to her house. she emailed me at the last minute and said she had to bring a different pup than the one she had picked out because the one I was supposed to get got into some ants and had scabs on her face. now I'm really wondering what really happened. I guess there really isn't anything I can do but it still bugs me not knowing. riley certainly doesn't seem afraid of people though so that is a good sign.

she is in puppy jail right now. I took her out, she peed and pooped, came in and 5 minutes later pooped again on the carpet and peed on the kitchen floor! she must have a secret 2nd puppy bladder and freakishly large intestines. I thought I had at least 1/2 an hour worry free:doh:


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

I think you are possibly confusing a hobby breeder (good) with a backyard breeder (bad). 



Irishladyo said:


> The breeder I bought Fizzy from would be considered a "Backyard Breeder" and I couldn't be happier. She was an awesome lady who breeds her dogs for the love of it. All of her dogs are registered and I received everything I needed to register Fizzy if I wanted to. Not all BYB's are bad. I don't think that there is any reason to pay thousands of dollars for a good dog if your not showing them. A registered purebred that passes all the health exams is a registered purebred no matter who is selling them. just my opinion I guess


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## Lynn5707 (Aug 30, 2014)

kbear said:


> her name is riley. I had that picked out before I found this forum but I guess it's a popular name now. I wanted my daughter to name my granddaughter riley but she named her ella and I see that's also a popular golden name too!
> I am a worrier by nature and I didn't know goldens were so susceptible to cancer, hip and other problems until I started reading here. I read a few of the rainbow threads and was bawling like a baby over dogs I didn't even know and for their owners who loved them so much and I had visions of riley getting very sick at a young age. I thought maybe I was foolish to not buy a pup with all the clearances but I really couldn't afford to.
> 
> I'm too trusting of people sometimes and I thought this breeder seemed honest but I never even met her in person. she lived 100 miles away. the day we had to pick riley up was the day we moved into our first house so my daughter went to pick up the pup. she asked my daughter to meet her somewhere. I thought that was odd but she said her house was hard to find. (it is way out in the country). now I'm wondering if she really has a puppy mill and only does this for money. she also said something to my daughter about "all my other litters" which sounds like she's done this a lot.
> ...


Oh please do not beat yourself up. She is beautiful, and regardless what type of breeder she came from she is so very, very lucky to have found you to love her.

(((hugs))). Enjoy her, puppyhood is such hard work, but it also is a lot of fun.


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## golfgal (Dec 31, 2013)

She looks like a cute puppy in your pics. Now if you train her, give her proper food, you have a good chance of having a well behaved, nice looking dog regardless of where she came from. The clearances from a breeder may have provided some peace of mind but no guarantees. Give yourself and Riley a break and just enjoy.


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## Buddy's mom forever (Jun 23, 2011)

Your Riley is beautiful and I love her name too. Please relax and put your energy into loving and training her, that is the most important. She is yours now and you are her whole world.


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## Driggsy (Jun 12, 2014)

I don' think you are stupid, not one bit. I think you wanted a lovely family dog, and seem to have found one. Knowing the odds of health problems, and hearing from others' experiences here, may be helpful in knowing what to prepare for but there is no knowing what may happen in future to your individual dog. If you have found her to have a good temperament, well - everything else is gravy.

and I will join you in the Puppy Pees In the House Right After A Walk Club. How do they do it??


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## GoldenMomm (Nov 7, 2014)

My first golden was very lanky and people thought she was a lab till she almost 3! She was from reputable breeder and a long line of champion show dogs. Your baby will look like a golden in time and be just as beautiful as any other.


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

Life is a process of learning, and you are brave to put yourself out here! I too started with byb labs, my first pup was from really lousy conditions but I loved her and she was an awesome dog and she lived to be 14. Now you can learn as much as you can about what YOU can do to keep her healthy. Such as not spaying her young, feeding her good food ( no byproducts), limiting vaccinations (every 3 years not every year, after their 1 year booster) and minimizing her exposure to chemicals (lawn, cleaning, etc) hang around, it is fun!

And she is absolutely adorable


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## Anon-2130948gsoni (Apr 12, 2014)

Both my rescue Goldens were BYB...the first had a terrible underbite and our second had a thin coat and was always leggy. But they were both really healthy until the very end--I never dealt with hip problems, ears, allergies, thyroid...any of the typical stuff. As terrible and painful as it was, losing our first girl to stomach cancer at age 12 1/2 and Boomer to hemangiosarcoma at just 10...they both had reasonably typical lifespans, although they're always too short, no matter what.

What's most important really, is that they were both really wonderful dogs. Funny, gentle, goofy, kind...all of the wonderful things that a Golden is. Just like your girl.

Be aware but please try not to obsess? Chances are she will live a long and happy life.

Enjoy her! She's darling.


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## goldieluvr (Jul 16, 2007)

You're not an idiot!! :no: My Bonnie came from a sort of byb, he had been breeding goldens, and was decent, I have a short pedigree, and some clearances on mom and dad, but she was the last pup of the litter, 12 1/2 weeks old, hubby thought I was nuts, but I had to have her. I should have known when I went to get in the back seat next to her to go home, and she leaped over my lap, out of the car, and around and around the yard, before we could catch her and try again. She is my crazy girl. Headstrong, stubborn, selfish, independent, the queen bee, you name it, it's all about her all the time. Healthwise, she is great, except for a feather allergy, and when she is loving, she is very very loving. She is 7 1/2 now, and we just lost our male, who was the same age, and she is devastated. Sometimes, I wonder what I was thinking when we brought her home, but as hubby reminds me, "We are giving the best, happiest life."!  And, you will too, with Riley! Give her lots of love, and attention, and try not to worry about the rest!



kbear said:


> her name is riley. I had that picked out before I found this forum but I guess it's a popular name now. I wanted my daughter to name my granddaughter riley but she named her ella and I see that's also a popular golden name too!
> I am a worrier by nature and I didn't know goldens were so susceptible to cancer, hip and other problems until I started reading here. I read a few of the rainbow threads and was bawling like a baby over dogs I didn't even know and for their owners who loved them so much and I had visions of riley getting very sick at a young age. I thought maybe I was foolish to not buy a pup with all the clearances but I really couldn't afford to.
> 
> I'm too trusting of people sometimes and I thought this breeder seemed honest but I never even met her in person. she lived 100 miles away. the day we had to pick riley up was the day we moved into our first house so my daughter went to pick up the pup. she asked my daughter to meet her somewhere. I thought that was odd but she said her house was hard to find. (it is way out in the country). now I'm wondering if she really has a puppy mill and only does this for money. she also said something to my daughter about "all my other litters" which sounds like she's done this a lot.
> ...


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## kbear (Aug 27, 2014)

here's some new pictures. she is growing like a weed. I swear she has doubled in size since 9/30!



















no health problems so far. the vet said she should be spayed by 6 months. why is that too early? what is the reason to wait and what age is best?


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## thorbreafortuna (Jun 9, 2013)

She's beautiful!


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## kbear (Aug 27, 2014)

thorbreafortuna said:


> She's beautiful!


thank you, she has those kind golden eyes. it's hard to stay mad at her for long!


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

There is another thread going about spay age, most now say to let females go through 1 heat, even 2 if you can.


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## Aiden's Mom (Aug 27, 2014)

Looks to me like you're gonna have a thick, fluffy golden on your hands  Beautiful!


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## TheZ's (Jun 13, 2011)

She has beautiful eyes and a lovely expression.

I would take a look at the thread on age to spay females. Recent research is suggesting that it's much better to let them go through at least one heat cycle. We have a 14 month old female and decided it's probably best for her to wait with the spay. It's not uncommon for vets to recommend spaying by/at 6 months but they may not be current with the Golden specific research.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

Our first Golden came from a back yard breeder. That was in 1981, much less information available then. The breeder was a friend. Polly lived to 14 1/2. Her only health problem was a food allergy. Again, didn't have much access to information so I made her food myself.

Our Penny came from a reputable hobby breeder. She didn't have a single health problem until cancer at 11 1/2.

Our Mr. Darcy is from one of the top breeders in the country. Definitely has a different look than the other two...blockier and smaller. He's not quite a year but so far no health problems of any kind.


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## kbear (Aug 27, 2014)

I was just worried for a while that she was going to have a lot of health problems but after reading here a lot I'm not really thinking about it anymore. even goldens with all the clearances get cancer and the byb goldens can live long lives so nothing is for certain. I'm just going to enjoy her now--well, after we get past this psycho puppy biting stage!:no:


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## Romeo1 (Apr 19, 2008)

kbear said:


> here's some new pictures. she is growing like a weed. I swear she has doubled in size since 9/30!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


She's beautiful!


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## Romeo1 (Apr 19, 2008)

kbear said:


> I was just worried for a while that she was going to have a lot of health problems but after reading here a lot I'm not really thinking about it anymore. even goldens with all the clearances get cancer and the byb goldens can live long lives so nothing is for certain. I'm just going to enjoy her now--well, after we get past this psycho puppy biting stage!:no:


You are absolutely spot on. My oldest, who is 8 1/2, is from a BYB and he has the finest temperament and has been perfectly healthy. 

There are no guarantees, only love. Have fun with your adorable pup. They grow up way too fast.


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## DAMATS (Sep 10, 2014)

kbear said:


> I was just worried for a while that she was going to have a lot of health problems but after reading here a lot I'm not really thinking about it anymore. even goldens with all the clearances get cancer and the byb goldens can live long lives so nothing is for certain. I'm just going to enjoy her now--well, after we get past this psycho puppy biting stage!:no:


My last golden was from a Byb I paid like $400 and he was the sweetest dog you ever met. Even as a puppy. Never chewed things, didn't dig, never jumped on people, wasn't nippy and was trustworthy at 6 months to have run of house. So well mannered & sweet his whole life. He did have a cancerous lump removed at 3 yrs old but was healthy until 11 when he got Lymphoma. 

My pup now I paid thousands for has the look of a well bred Golden. Big cream puff, teddy bear. His parents have all clearances and father is a Canadian show dog winning BOB ..so I'm hoping health wise , he has better odds of being heathy. But this little guy is obnoxious .:doh:..I guess more of a typical puppy than my last but for the money I paid I would've thought he'd have a better temperament . Don't get me wrong I wouldn't trade him for the world but I guess I feel kind of stupid for paying that kind of money for a pet.


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## Lynn5707 (Aug 30, 2014)

She is beautiful! Our first Golden from byb was my heart dog and lived to a nice old age until she got cancer. Enjoy!

Also, I just remembered this about a puppy my parents bought when I was little (late 1950's early 1960's timeframe). My parents showed Scotties when I was little. Their first two dogs were relatively inexpensive, even though they were from champion line, and our dog even became a champion. Both those Scotties lived to very old age. My parents purchased one puppy during that time that cost $500, which was a fortune to them at the time. Their expensive dog had more health issues and the worst temperament of any dog we ever had. It bit all of us, including me. So, live and learn I guess. They never purchased an expensive dog like that again. 

Anyway enjoy your girl! Keep posting pics she is gorgeous!


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