# Adoption before showing?



## Kmullen (Feb 17, 2010)

Breeders with show pups will most likely not take you seriously just because you have a rescued golden. I think it is a great idea to adopt a golden, but if you think it will make you a step closer to a show breeder, I doubt it. Have you joined your local golden retriever club or GRCA? That would be the first step, attend meetings, go to shows in your area. I am sure a rescued golden is a great idea. But, just not sure if it will accomplish what you think it will.


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## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

I think you have your heart in the right place, but it may, or may not, impress a breeder that you rescued a dog. What you could do that would be helpful is foster some goldens, get used to training and so on with different dogs. Many rescues have training programs or get rebates or free classes so this would be a great learning experience. You may also want to foster a pregnant dog and raise a litter too, before you get a puppy so you know if you want to do it again or not and have that much more experience under your belt.

Adopting a dog is great but if that dog has no major issues it's not a lot that you'd really learn. And if that dog had major issues it might create an issue if you want to add in a puppy. Some breeders might be concerned if you ended up with an aggressive dog, as some of those issues MIGHT be passed on to the pup.


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## Noodles (Aug 9, 2011)

I figured this might happen... sorry for the short intro of me to you guys I have been talking to a few other breeders and owners on here previously and was hoping to get thier opinion again since they have been aware of our situation from the start. Anyway I can go through it again in short... 9 years showing raising and training GSD's, I have handled many breeds for friends and family in the AKC and UKC ring, Husband loves Goldens, looking into expanding our kennel to two breeds adding Goldens eventually (like a few years down the road five or so at least and on a very small scale) Getting involved with the local breed clubs, I have been a member of my local kennel club and two training clubs for years. Just thought rescuing a senior dog until then might be a good idea. I am worried though that a new dog who wasn't raised in our home with a good life might cause problems. Also I am not looking to impress the breeders so to speak but I know that a lot of GSD breeders feel better placing a pup into a home when the person has GSD experience and figured it would be the same way with Goldens. Thanks for your input and help!


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## Claire's Friend (Feb 26, 2007)

All of my dogs have been rescues in the past, I actually have my own rescue group. But after losing 3 dogs in 6 months, I wanted to get a puppy with a good health background. I talked with dozens of breeders and never had any of them not want to sell to me because of my rescues. Please consider adopting an older rescue, they are simply the BEST !!!


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Noodles said:


> I know that a lot of GSD breeders feel better placing a pup into a home when the person has GSD experience and figured it would be the same way with Goldens. Thanks for your input and help!


Not really. GSDs are not an easy, beginner breed; goldens are. 
Almost everyone has had a golden or their parents had a golden or their neighbor had a golden or whatever so owning one in the past doesn't necessarily provide any pull for a breeder.


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## BayBeams (Jan 3, 2010)

I just wanted to say that rescues don't necessarily have big issues. I adopted the most wonderful 6 year old dog ever. He was truly perfect in every way with an awesome personality. 
I later found a pup through a breeder that I wanted for obedience competition. I don't think the fact I had a rescue before made the difference as much as I had experience with goldens in general.
That being said if you have the heart and the room for a rescue I highly recommend offering your home to a pup in need.
Best of luck getting into showing goldens and welcome to the forum.


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

How wonderful that you're looking to adopt! Watch out GRF has a tendency to find a rescue for you before you know it! Any experience with a golden will be useful I think. 

What areas do you compete in with your dogs?


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Adopting an older Golden from a rescue is a GOOD thing to do. I don't know what kind of problems you might be anticipating, but rescue Goldens are no more likely to have behavior issues than a dog raised by you. Many are totally normal, happy dogs that for one reason or another ended up without a home, some of them because of bad treatment, and others because people just didn't want them anymore. Since you have raised and trained GSDs, I highly doubt you would have any trouble with a Golden, they are such clowns and want to please everyone.

If you have questions about how an adult dog would fit into your home, you could sign up with your local GR rescue and foster for awhile to see how it would work before adopting one. That would be the best of all worlds, saving several dogs and getting to pick the one that fits in with your family the best before committing to an adoption.


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## HiTideGoldens (Dec 29, 2009)

I think adopting a senior rescue is a GREAT idea! But here's the thing, if you have a senior dog you need to think of the impact a new puppy will have on that dog. My childhood golden did NOT react well to the addition to a puppy when she was 11 years old. We had to re-home the puppy (to a family friend, so it worked out great) because it put so much stress on her. She had been in a multi-dog household when she was younger, but as a senior, it was just too much for her. It may be fine with your future rescue, but your senior will need to be the priority before adding a puppy, IMO.


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## Noodles (Aug 9, 2011)

Thank you, everyone for your advice. Anyway I think that fostering is a wonderful idea! I will be contacting GRRAND about fostering in the near future. 

We compete in Conformation UKC and AKC Division 5, we have been training in weight pull and agility and look forward to starting competition soon! I would like to work on some herding in the future... even though I don't think my sheep will appreciate it! Even though its not competition we love backpacking and hiking with the dogs also! I really love the versitility of the GSD and if my dog loves doing it I want to give it our all! We also have just started taking Rhett to the Library for reading time with the kids. We participate in meet the breeds quite often with our Kennel Club.


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## BayBeams (Jan 3, 2010)

As you become more familiar with the Golden breed you will find they are very versatile as well. There is hardly anything they don't enjoy doing and do well when given the opportunity.


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