# Ok I need some RECENT reviews! Liberty Run MD



## Judi (Feb 26, 2007)

Have you considered a Golden Retriever Rescue?


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## DCC5911 (Jul 23, 2012)

yes, but we want a puppy to grow up with our toddler.


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## Judi (Feb 26, 2007)

Rescues sometimes have puppies.


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## Jersey's Mom (Nov 25, 2007)

It's usually a pet peeve of mine when questions about breeders are met with repeated referrals to rescue (I think rescue is great, don't get me wrong). However, if it's not important to you that your pet is bred from fine examples of the breed standard -- in both structure and temperament, as attested to by accomplishments in 1 or more competitive venues -- and you're not concerned about whether clearances are in place for the parents of the litter and the generations of dogs behind them... then I'm with Judi on this one. Rescue is the way to go.

As for Liberty Run... as it appears they have not changed the way they do things since 2007, there's really no updates to give on the reviews you've already read. Have you tried contacting Sue at Delmarva? Perhaps she knows of other reputable breeders in the area whose waiting lists are shorter. Have you tried going through your local golden club's breeder referral list? Those are the two places I would start looking if it were me. Good luck with your puppy search!

Julie, Jersey and Oz


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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

Have you ever had a toddler & a puppy...a golden one at that? 

As for the breeder, if they're not doing all clearances then they're failing to do the bare minimum and are not following the GRCA's code of ethics which is a deal breaker for me. Just because you don't want a show dog doesn't mean you don't want the classic golden retriever that is healthy--someone proving their dogs are worth breeding by an independent body (show, agility, field, obedience) and is accomplishing clearances is a breeder that can set you up for success.


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## Kmullen (Feb 17, 2010)

Alot of people think if you breed show dogs that all puppies will be show quality and that is NOT the case!!! Most people do not realize that 80-90% of puppies in a litter go to pet/family homes NOT show homes.

I understand you do not want a show dog, but I would hope you want a healthy puppy. Reputable breeders do everything in their power to improve the breed and try to eliminate health issues. Is their a chance of getting a puppy from a reputable breeder with a health issue? Sure, but not as big of a chance. And sorry I will Always support breeders fighting for this wonderful breed, Not Against them!

Good luck in your search


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

DCC5911 said:


> yes, but we want a puppy to grow up with our toddler.


It will make cute pictures of your 2 babies growing up together but your toddler won't remember the puppy years. 

I personally would wait to add a puppy/dog to the family. 

Potty training both together will be more work than I would want to take on. Plus golden can be very clumsy as puppies and knock your little one over easily. Plus they are "land sharks". 


Liberty Run does not have full clearances posted on Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. It is my understanding that if they are submitted and accepted they would be posted as public info. If the results are not good they owner can have the results not posted. 

Just my opinion. Take it or leave it.

I would keep looking.

Golden Retriever Club of America - AKC National Breed Club is a wealth if info. and can help you find local breed chapters near you to find great breeders.

Best luck to you and your's


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

After him coming to this forum and pretending to be someone else, and the truly awful stuff he said, I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him. And looking at his website - nothing has changed.


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## DCC5911 (Jul 23, 2012)

Where is that thread??? and who is He? One of the Breeders??


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## Mosby's Mom (Oct 19, 2011)

I would 100% recommend contacting the Potomac Valley Golden Retriever Club - their puppy referral person is super nice, got back to me quickly when I was looking for a puppy, and included a list of breeders with puppies on the ground that still need homes. They don't refer anyone to breeders that do not have all clearances, etc - although it is always best for you to double check yourself.


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## DCC5911 (Jul 23, 2012)

Mosby's Mom said:


> I would 100% recommend contacting the Potomac Valley Golden Retriever Club - their puppy referral person is super nice, got back to me quickly when I was looking for a puppy, and included a list of breeders with puppies on the ground that still need homes. They don't refer anyone to breeders that do not have all clearances, etc - although it is always best for you to double check yourself.



I contacted Chesapeake Bay club and also 2 other breeders who seem a bit more reputable I will try them too! Thanks!


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## Mosby's Mom (Oct 19, 2011)

Good luck!


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## Shalva (Jul 16, 2008)

please remember that just because you don't want a show dog doesn't mean you shouldn't go to a breeder who shows and competes with their dogs. In any litter of 8 puppies you will have 5 or 6 "pet" pups and maybe if you are lucky 2 or 3 show puppies... it is how it goes... but the reason people are showing and competing is to try and make their dogs prove that they are worth breeding; that they are more than just a nice dog and in a breed like goldens that are so popular and so overbred in many respects that is a very important part of breeding. 

In my past four litters 2 flat coat which produced 14 fcr pups I had 4 show flat coats and in the goldens which produced 12 pups I had again I think 4 show pups... the rest of the puppies went to wonderful pet homes where they play ball and hang out with their families... 

a breeder who shows doesn't mean they only have show pups and a breeder with a long waiting list has a long waiting list for a reason.


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## GoldensGirl (Aug 2, 2010)

Seeking a Golden for a pet, I visited Liberty Run a bit over two years ago and I was very disturbed by the conditions that I saw. The kennels were filthy and smelly, the dogs I saw were visibly neglected and desperate for attention, and the quality of the food was poor. I don't know if they have cleaned up their act or just cleaned up for you. We didn't give them much notice, so I think we caught them "as is."

Since then, I have learned a lot more about breeding Goldens and I wouldn't dream of getting a pup from parents without clearances, though I have no intention of showing or competing with my sofa-loving fur-kids. The breed has too many inheritable conditions that can make dog's life shorter and less comfortable, not to mention more expensive for the owners. Having had my backyard-breeder Goldens that ran up more than $10K in veterinary bills, I know all about this that I want to know. Besides, responsible breeders want to make the breed healthier and stronger, and that's implicit in getting the clearances for dogs _before_ they are bred.

Liberty Run charges as much as the best breeders in the Baltimore-D.C. area. In my opinion, they provide NO EVIDENCE that their dogs are worth that.

I hope you find a Golden family member who live happily with you for many years.

Lucy


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## Judi (Feb 26, 2007)

Jersey's Mom said:


> It's usually a pet peeve of mine when questions about breeders are met with repeated referrals to rescue (I think rescue is great, don't get me wrong). However, if it's not important to you that your pet is bred from fine examples of the breed standard -- in both structure and temperament, as attested to by accomplishments in 1 or more competitive venues -- and you're not concerned about whether clearances are in place for the parents of the litter and the generations of dogs behind them... then I'm with Judi on this one. Rescue is the way to go.
> 
> As for Liberty Run... as it appears they have not changed the way they do things since 2007, there's really no updates to give on the reviews you've already read. Have you tried contacting Sue at Delmarva? Perhaps she knows of other reputable breeders in the area whose waiting lists are shorter. Have you tried going through your local golden club's breeder referral list? Those are the two places I would start looking if it were me. Good luck with your puppy search!
> 
> Julie, Jersey and Oz


A lot of the things mentioned above are important to me but it seems that too many rescue dogs have a bad reputation which is not fair. There are so many stories with various rescues and not all of them are bad ones. Some times they came from a breeder but the people they live with can't take care of them anymore, etc.


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## Liberty Run Goldens (Jul 3, 2012)

DCC5911 said:


> My husband and I went to Liberty Run Goldens Sunday and we were pretty happy with what we saw and the husband and wife who live there. I DO NOT want a show dog or anything like that and so I'm confused as to why I'm reading all these bad reviews on here when people have never even visited. Delmarva seems to breed show dogs and has an extremely long wait list. It did not appear to be puppy mill to me, they don't even have litters all the time. They intereact with the puppys...just not in the house, which I don't see a problem with as they have a nice little house area for the dogs. and even own a few from different litters that they have bred. They feed them awesome top of the line food. So my biggest concern should be the certs? It appears to me they have all the paper work backing them. The thread about them is from back in 2007? I'd like some recent reviews on the place or if anyone owns a dog from them I'd love to hear how it turned out.


Thank you for the nice words! 

If you're interested in testimonials from people who have _*truly*_ visited us or have first-hand knowledge of us, please see our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/libertyrun. One doesn't need to login to FB in order to see the content.


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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

Liberty Run Goldens said:


> Thank you for the nice words!
> 
> If you're interested in testimonials from people who have _*truly*_ visited us or have first-hand knowledge of us, please see our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/libertyrun. One doesn't need to login to FB in order to see the content.


Do you use the GRCA CoE as a guide to breeding? For me personally, I won't bother visiting a kennel/breeder if the bare minimum isn't in place by way of clearances. Just looking at your own website for the Dec 12 litter between 
Riverwalk's Maybelle was bred to Liberty Run's Scout there are no elbow clearances posted for Maybelle and the hips were accomplished after her first litter, also it doesn't appear that CERF or cardiologist cleared heart was sent into OFA though it was on one of her pups and as for Scout, he doesn't come up at all on the OFA website though your website lists him as OFA good. Realize this is an old thread that the breeder resurrected, but it doesn't look like anything has changed.


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## Liberty Run Goldens (Jul 3, 2012)

SheetsSM said:


> Do you use the GRCA CoE as a guide to breeding? For me personally, I won't bother visiting a kennel/breeder if the bare minimum isn't in place by way of clearances. Just looking at your own website for the Dec 12 litter between
> Riverwalk's Maybelle was bred to Liberty Run's Scout there are no elbow clearances posted for Maybelle and the hips were accomplished after her first litter, also it doesn't appear that CERF or cardiologist cleared heart was sent into OFA though it was on one of her pups and as for Scout, he doesn't come up at all on the OFA website though your website lists him as OFA good. Realize this is an old thread that the breeder resurrected, but it doesn't look like anything has changed.


Hi SheetsSM, great stuff - thanks for bringing it to light.

As our website states, people who purchase our puppies receive copies of mom & dad's OFA, CERF and SAS clearances. Originals are on premises for all to see. Always have been - nothing has changed in our 20 years. Also, please feel free to go to our Liberty Run Facebook page and ask those who have a Maybelle / Scout puppy if they received copies of the parents' clearances. They will confirm that they have them.

We’ll be glad to mail you, at Liberty Run's expense, a copy of the clearances you would like to see. Please PM me your name, address, and phone number. Or visit us if you're in the Washington, DC area. (Please call first - to make sure we're home.) It would be our pleasure to show you - or any others from this forum - around our farm.

You are right. Many of our CERF and SAS clearances are not in the OFA database. For the longest time it has NOT been mandatory to send the clearances to OFA. We made it known to CERF and SAS that it SHOULD BE! And we made it known to them that we were not submitting ours UNTIL they made it mandatory. Sort of a “peaceful protest”, if you will. Our YEARS of hard work paid off, because as of 2013 they FINALLY made it mandatory. As we take our doggies for their evaluations this year, more and more will show up in the OFA’s database. I think we’ve taken four or more for CERF and SAS clearances this year, already. Two just this past weekend. 

I trust you would agree it’s definitely a good thing for the benefit of the Golden Retriever breed to get these clearances, correct?

It’s fortuitous that you bring up Riverwalk’s Maybelle. There’s an important, true story behind Maybelle. As her name implies, she’s not a “Liberty Run” doggie. She’s owned by a very nice person named Debbie. 

Debbie wanted to breed Maybelle. She went the route of contacting GRCA breeders. As I recall, she told us she contacted three or four of them, but they all turned her down. But here’s the kicker – she told them all that she was going to breed her dog and if they didn’t help, she’d go somewhere else. I ask you – given those circumstances, what would you have done? Turn her down, too? help her?

Well, that’s how she came to us. Rejected by GRCA breeders, and perhaps rightfully so. If we didn’t help, she told us she was going to use a stud she already had found that didn’t have ANY clearances. 

Here’s how we decided to handle the situation. We established a relationship with Debbie by discussing all that’s involved in the breeding process. Made sure she was equipped for whelp, nutrition, shots, wormings, vet-checks, micro-chips. After we had her trust, we made it a condition of the first breeding that she HAD to go get the clearances afterwards. Having been heavily involved in breeding since I was 7 yrs old, I could tell by looking at Maybelle that she wouldn’t have any trouble passing (and as it turns out, I was right). She has all three clearances (hips, heart, eyes) now. We also helped her find GREAT homes for all the babies. And now we have a life-long friend.

If we hadn’t helped, Debbie would have bred anyway. To a male with no clearances. She would have made lots of babies and wound up placing them in homes where people don’t have enough sense to get a puppy from parents with clearances.

My question to you through this 100% TRUE story is this – who helped the Golden Retriever breed on that day more, GRCA breeders or Liberty Run? 

Interesting question you ask about whether or not we follow the GRCA CoE. We do agree that it’s a good starting point for novice breeders. It’s definitely wise to follow it. But speaking as someone who’s been breeding for over 40 years, the GRCA CoE doesn’t go far enough, in my opinion, to do everything possible to help the breed. So I guess we don’t follow it. We definitely exceed it. 

When it comes to our doggies, we follow the United Schutzhund Club of America’s breeders CoE. We believe they have the best breeding standards. Please don’t think me arrogant – and I’m not trying to be controversial - but not until GCRA improves its standards will we be part of that organization. (Just my opinion. Nobody else has to agree with it) It seems we kinda have a peaceful protest going with them, too. We’re hoping for positive results. 

Out of respect for the GRF, I think we’re a little off topic – but I felt since you asked a question, you deserved an answer. Since I’m new to posting here, I don’t want to break any rules. Please PM us with any follow-up questions. We enjoy discussing one of our favorite topics - Golden Retrievers!


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## HiTideGoldens (Dec 29, 2009)

As someone reading this thread for the first time, I'm not sure what the story of Maybelle proves. She still doesn't have an elbow clearance. And you allowed your stud dog to be used on a bitch with no clearances. You didn't help the breed, you produced puppies from parents without clearances. Why not insist that she get clearances BEFORE breeding???

I can appreciate that you feel your eyes are equipped to xray hips and elbows, but I have seen plenty of very experienced breeders be devastasted when their gorgeous dog/bitch fails hips or elbows. These are people who have been breeding for 30 plus years. If it were easy to see, we all woudn't xray.


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## SheetsSM (Jan 17, 2008)

Liberty Run Goldens said:


> Hi SheetsSM, great stuff - thanks for bringing it to light.
> 
> As our website states, people who purchase our puppies receive copies of mom & dad's OFA, CERF and SAS clearances. Originals are on premises for all to see. Always have been - nothing has changed in our 20 years. Also, please feel free to go to our Liberty Run Facebook page and ask those who have a Maybelle / Scout puppy if they received copies of the parents' clearances. They will confirm that they have them.
> 
> ...


I see you chose to focus on the absence of heart & eye clearances in OFA--but what about the missing elbows? If the dog cleared, elbows would be in the database. How about just posting Scout's elbow clearance to this thread and then you won't have to pay for postage.


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## Kmullen (Feb 17, 2010)

Liberty Run Goldens said:


> Hi SheetsSM, great stuff - thanks for bringing it to light.
> 
> As our website states, people who purchase our puppies receive copies of mom & dad's OFA, CERF and SAS clearances. Originals are on premises for all to see. Always have been - nothing has changed in our 20 years. Also, please feel free to go to our Liberty Run Facebook page and ask those who have a Maybelle / Scout puppy if they received copies of the parents' clearances. They will confirm that they have them.
> 
> ...


May I ask what you do that EXCEEDS the GRCA breeders? What would you like added to the GRCA so that it is improved?


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## HiTideGoldens (Dec 29, 2009)

I just would also like to point out that the United Schutzhund Clubs of America website homepage LITERALLY says: *where our membership is "For the German Shepherd Dog" *and the Breeding Regulations literally discuss faults specific to GSDs and titles specific to working dogs. (Here is the link, for those interested: http://germanshepherddog.com/regulations/breeding_regulations.htm ) If that weren't enough, the website for the club is germanshepherddog.com. 

What in the heck does that club have to do with golden retrievers and any hereditary health issues that plague the breed???? How does that GSD club understand the breed of GOLDEN RETRIEVER more than the Golden Retriever Club of America?


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## goldentemperment (May 16, 2012)

Liberty Run Goldens said:


> When it comes to our doggies, we follow the United Schutzhund Club of America’s breeders CoE. We believe they have the best breeding standards.


Can you provide a link to the United Schutzhund Club of America's CoE? I can't really find it online. 

What is it about their CoE that is better or more appropriate for Golden Retriever breed improvement than the GRCA's CoE?


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## HiTideGoldens (Dec 29, 2009)

goldentemperament, I linked it in my post right above yours


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## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

goldenjackpuppy said:


> As someone reading this thread for the first time, I'm not sure what the story of Maybelle proves. She still doesn't have an elbow clearance. And you allowed your stud dog to be used on a bitch with no clearances. You didn't help the breed, you produced puppies from parents without clearances. Why not insist that she get clearances BEFORE breeding???
> 
> I can appreciate that you feel your eyes are equipped to xray hips and elbows, but I have seen plenty of very experienced breeders be devastasted when their gorgeous dog/bitch fails hips or elbows. These are people who have been breeding for 30 plus years. If it were easy to see, we all woudn't xray.


Well said. If this breeder were truly doing this breeding to better the breed, they would never have bred their stud dog to an unclear bitch. Yes, Maybelle did go on to pass her hips, but what if she hadn't? I don't think it is a risk worth taking. One can only assume she didnt clear elbows because it is not in the database and they are typically done at the same time as hips. Yes, Debbie may have gone on to breed willy nilly and yes you taught her some things but you still condoned poor practices that put the puppy buyers and their dogs at risk.


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## goldentemperment (May 16, 2012)

goldenjackpuppy said:


> goldentemperament, I linked it in my post right above yours


I understand now...I had actually looked at the page before posting my comment, but I guess I didn't notice the banner at the top of the page stating that it was the United Schutzhund Club of America's website. I was confused because that domain name (germanshepherddog.com) isn't what I expected, if they call themselve's the United Schutzhund Club of America. 

I guess germanshepherddog.com is easier to spell...


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

It's interesting that the breeder keeps asking for us to send her PM's, when she can't receive any since she doesn't have enough postings. So conversation will be tough for her.


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

Totally skirted the elbow issue.. And I have heard that argument up,here in the Northeast...if I didn't breed my dog to that bitch, someone else will. In other words, I may as well make that money with MY stud dog... My mentor and my golden friends do not follow that mentality. Instead, they would explain to someone with an underage backyard bitch why waiting until two or later is a good idea. And better yet, they would have suggested that said owner obtained a higher quality birch to breed.... Just sayin...

Once in awhile, my crystal ball works with patient diseases, but I never rely on it when it comes to golden clearances...


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## Rob's GRs (Feb 25, 2007)

There has been a request that I post this statement in this thread as well that I have made in some other threads.

Critiquing breeders breeding practices has always been allowed here on this board. Even mentioning the breeders name or kennel name they go under in selling their pups is allow, if the member so desires. This is better to inform anyone looking for a pup what any breeder may, or may not, offer. This is just like any other site that offer reviews of goods and services. If you are breeder mentioned in any thread you are free to post anything you can find fault in from members posting.


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## Selli-Belle (Jan 28, 2009)

Fun Stuff, The United Schutzhund COE as far as I can tell requires a performance title, for them a schutzhund title, which a Golden can get (depending on the schutzhund association) Bitework anyone! Then it requires a breed show rating of 1, which I doubt they give out to Goldens since they don't fit the breed standard and there aren't any equivalents for Goldens.

Than they have the what they say should not be bred


> 4.1.4.3. Dogs with the following faults:
> • Faulty temperament, aggressive or nervous biters, or weak nerves
> • Documented hip dysplasia
> • Monorchids or cryptorchids
> ...



Their age requirements are interesting 



> 4.2.1. Minimum Age for Breeding
> At the time of breeding, males must be at least 24 months of age and females must be at least 20 months of age.


An interesting difference is that you are not allowed to breed if there is "documented hip dysplasia" but there is no requirements for a hip clearance to prove there is no hip dysplasia. In addition there is nothing about elbows, eyes or hearts.

The ONLY thing I can find that might be more stringent is that if the rules are not followed the puppies cannot be registered with the club. However, this is not something the GRCA CAN DO since the dogs are registered with the AKC not the GRCA.


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## Jersey's Mom (Nov 25, 2007)

I'm not sure how one can claim to exceed the GRCA's COE when they, in truth, fail to even meet it. It makes absolutely no sense to say the code "does not go far enough" when one can't even bother to fulfill its requirements! To my mind, a person who boasts the superiority of the United Schutzhund COE while claiming to exceed the GRCA's code would, in fact, meet both standards. That would mean that they do ALL the clearances recommended by the golden club as well as require that their breeding dogs earn a performance title, are successful in the breed ring, have no missing teeth, etc as required by the GSD club. They would also make sure each dog/bitch they bred TO met these requirements. They would send in heart and eye clearances even though the club doesn't require it BECAUSE they believe it's the right thing to do (not refuse to send them in as some sort of protest... that goes exactly against your own stated philosophy and makes little sense). Truly exceeding the GRCA's code is a tall order... but certainly a worthy goal. On the other hand, someone deferring to this other organization's code while failing to meet the one set by their own breed club (and calling that "exceeding") sounds like just so much of an excuse. 

Liberty Run -- If you feel the GRCA is falling short, why not get involved and help change it from the inside? Your "peaceful protest" is unlikely to be nearly as effective as taking action would be. The recommendation to send eyes and hearts in to an approved database came about because members pushed for it... not because you refused to send yours in. What else would you like to see changed? Jump on in, get involved, and work with the club to help make those goals a reality.

And regarding this question from your post: 


> I ask you – given those circumstances, what would you have done? Turn her down, too? help her?


I'm not a breeder -- but if I were, I would have helped her. I would have done so by offering to mentor her. I would have told her that I would love to teach her about the world of breeding from the inside out and how to do it right. I would have formed a bond/relationship with her while helping her to understand that breeding this bitch underage, without clearances, and without knowing whether she was worthy of breeding was misguided. I would have introduced her to the world of dog sports. I would have involved her in my own organization and shown her how I carefully examine pedigrees to find good matches for my breeding dogs. I would have introduced her to the GRCA's code of ethics and demonstrated through my own actions how one follows it. If I found value in the requirements of another organization (like the schutzhund one you mentioned), I would have introduced her to that one too and explained which requirements I liked and why (perhaps the ones requiring that the dog is proven both in performance and conformation... personally, I think that's a great idea even though I'm not quite sure how those requirements would quite equate to goldens. What level of a performance title? Is a championship required or is a more moderate level of success ok?). And someday, when she was ready to start her own breeding program, I would help her find the right foundation bitch and help her through the process. THAT is helping someone while also (most importantly) serving to protect this breed that we all love.

Julie, Jersey and Oz


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## LibertyHill (Jun 22, 2016)

DCC5911 said:


> My husband and I went to Liberty Run Goldens Sunday and we were pretty happy with what we saw and the husband and wife who live there. I DO NOT want a show dog or anything like that and so I'm confused as to why I'm reading all these bad reviews on here when people have never even visited. Delmarva seems to breed show dogs and has an extremely long wait list. It did not appear to be puppy mill to me, they don't even have litters all the time. They intereact with the puppys...just not in the house, which I don't see a problem with as they have a nice little house area for the dogs. and even own a few from different litters that they have bred. They feed them awesome top of the line food. So my biggest concern should be the certs? It appears to me they have all the paper work backing them. The thread about them is from back in 2007? I'd like some recent reviews on the place or if anyone owns a dog from them I'd love to hear how it turned out.


I got my 4th Golden (yes, 2 were rescues!) from Liberty Run in 2003, from Liberty Run's Leila and Muggs. 13 years later Emma is still going strong. We were given copies of all her parent's, and grandparent's clearances. She is the only golden we've had that has never had any health issues. More than that, from the day we brought her home she has exhibited the best of the breed's confidence, eagerness to learn and please, amiability, gentleness, and last but not least, beauty. She has helped children learn to read and overcome fear of dogs. She has been a blood donor dog and helped to calm fearful dogs at Virginia Tech and Oklahoma States teaching hospitals. (Her "girl" just graduated from Vet Med.) I say the proof is in the dog. When we are looking for the next Golden puppy, we'll be going back to Liberty Run. We even named our farm for Emma's birthplace! If I were on Facebook, I would flood Liberty Hill's page with pictures of HRH the Princess Emma.Thanks, Patrick and Suzanne for breeding Emma, who has brought such joy to so many.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

Well, interesting read. Current litter- no heart and eye on OFA. Mama's dam failed elbows, as did two of her half siblings.. so elbows are an issue. 
Sire is Scout- he has only hips/elbows on OFA - and his parents had no clearances at all. 

Upcoming litter- Pumpkin - no heart and eyes on OFA.. her parents didn't pass elbows, full sib and half sib didn't pass elbows... I'd have looked up the sire but, like many sites written by breeders who don't really want anyone to be able to verify- his name is omitted. 
I don't see anything to make me think they're not still supposedly following a German Shepherd Dog club's CoE, if they are even doing that. Whether a person wants a show dog or not, one should still attempt to get a puppy that has all odds stacked in it's favor to look like a Golden Retriever, and live a long and healthy life.


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## Coopsmom (Jan 13, 2015)

i am always curious about a brand new user who just happens to revive and OLD thread to discuss how wonderful a particular breeder is - AND - just happens to do so at the EXACT time that said breeder is advertising a litter!!
And, I am ever thankful for the forum members who take the time to check out said breeder and post a word of caution about important things related to health clearances! And, some interesting reading on Liberty Run's webpage re: their stance on health clearances.


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## Mja712 (Aug 20, 2016)

We got our beloved Cooper at Liberty Run a little over 8 years ago. He passed away this past Monday in his sleep. He was an incredible dog. Joyous, loyal, sweet, cuddly. I don't regret anything about him and the experience we had.

HOWEVER, Liberty Run is a puppy mill. First, the breeder told us he wouldn't have hip dysplasia. Wrong. He had it. A small part of me is thankful he never had to suffer through that at an older age. Second and way more importantly, I get that dogs can die at this age for multiple reasons but this breeder does not care about the number of certifications for heart, hips, eyes, etc like other breeders. Considering Cooper completely checked out cleanly at the vet a week before he passed, I have to believe his line had genetic heart problems. There's no other explanation for his passing at such a young age.

I caution you. Stay away from this breeder. You could end up heartbroken like my family with a beautiful dog dying too young because of negligence.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

I am so sorry Mja712. Cooper surely had a fabulous life as a part of your family.

Especially because he was checked out a week earlier, and was prime age for it, I would bet on his having had hemangiosarcoma. FYI there is fabulous research being funded by the 'shine on' fund at the Golden Retriever Foundation.org, and you may want to look at the online memorial garden area there. I am so sorry, again. It blindsides you.


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