# Advice on Rescuing 8wk GR Puppy



## Kaila (Feb 1, 2012)

I'll be adopting an 8 week-old Golden Retriever puppy from Georgia at the end of this month. I'm just a little concerned about a few things. Maybe I'm worrying about nothing..

It's just that I hear so many people talk about how crucial it is that a GR puppy from a breeder have OFA certified parents, clearances for heart and eyes, etc. A rescue puppy won't have any of that. The sire isn't even known, which is really common in rescue situations. Morally, I feel really good about rescuing, and a Golden for $250 at 8 weeks old seems like such a steal. I can't believe no one wanted the mama after she got pregnant. She was dumped pregnant at a high kill shelter. (The mother is petite, around 45 lbs, so she might be a mix although she looks purebred. She was about 1 year old, so I think she might have accidentally gotten pregnant and someone dumped her because they didn't want the expenses or responsibility. The vet who saw the puppies said that she thinks the sire of the litter is a purebred Golden from the look of the puppies. She charted my puppy to weigh about 50 lbs fully grown.)

Should I be worried about health issues? I know that a rescue is a mixed bag and there's really no way to tell for sure.. I just don't want to end up with a broken heart and lots of vet bills, you know? From the get go, I plan on putting the pup on a good food (Orijen large breed puppy) and supplementing raw, just like with my Chi. I also supplement probiotics, fish oil, glucosamine and chondroitin. I'm just terrified! Should I be, or am I just worrying myself over nothing? Would you take this sort of risk? Can I do anything more to reassure myself?

As far as socialization goes, I already have a few venues lined up. AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy classes on Sunday afternoon AND Tuesday evening. Visits to work with me on Monday, and then puppy playgroup Monday evening. Visiting local dog-friendly locations (like outdoor cafes, Home Depot, etc.) throughout the week with my boyfriend and friends to help socialize her to people (100 new people by 12 weeks old!). Even if she starts with a socialization deficit, this should more than make up for it, right? The foster mom said that all of the puppies are friendly and interested in people so far, but it's probably not the ideal environment for socialization as an exceptional breeder's home might be.

I wish I could stop worrying so much! :doh: Help!


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Part of the reason for buying a puppy from a reputable breeder who does all the required clearances, in addition to making sure puppies have the best chance of not inheriting genetic problems, is so that if someone does buy a puppy they are not supporting puppy mills or backyard breeders. 

Adopting a puppy from rescue achieves the same goal. Now, as far as health clearances, unfortunately you don't have that background for an adopted puppy. They can be perfectly healthy for life, they can have normal health issues, or more than normal. But, to me, adopting keeps profits out of the pockets of irresponsible puppy millers or back yard breeders, and you should feel good about that.

You should be prepared to handle issues that may come up, buy pet health insurance, or start a savings account for vet bills. Should you take the risk? I have adopted all of my dogs, except for one. I would do it again in a heartbeat, what I've gained from them outweighs any health issues I have encountered.


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## Kaila (Feb 1, 2012)

Do any of your dogs have health issues common to the breed, mylissyk? For some reason my gut feeling is that the chances are unlikely that this puppy will have debilitating hip dysplasia or something of that sort. Maybe it's because the mother is petite and possibly a mix, or maybe it's just something I tell myself because I'm scared. But that fact coupled with my determination to start the pup off right with a good diet specific for large breeds and joint supporting supplements makes me feel a little better about the whole ordeal. I also want to wait until as close as possible to 1 year old to spay in order to allow time for the bone plates to fully fuse, hopefully reducing the risk of osteosarcoma, hip dysplasia, weak bones, etc.


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

Mutts tend to live longer and are healthier than many purebred dogs (especially if from puppy mill or BYB who do it just for the money).


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

You are doing a wonderful thing and it sounds like you have made great plans. The only thing I would suggest is to get yourself a good insurance policy. I thought I was going to end up with a rescue puppy of unknown origins and had a policy all lined up for her. She ended up going to someone else and I ended up getting my puppy from a really great breeder with health clearances. I still put a policy on Jordan, just in case. There are no guarantees no matter where we get them. Stop worrying and start planning all the pics you are going to take of your new baby. We can NEVER get enough puppy pics here !!!


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

MikaTallulah said:


> Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
> 
> Mutts tend to live longer and are healthier than many purebred dogs (especially if from puppy mill or BYB who do it just for the money).


No actually, mixed breeds have the highest rate of cancer, but it could be because there are more of them. That's what they told me when I had JOY at UC Davis.


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

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Claire's Friend said:


> No actually, mixed breeds have the highest rate of cancer, but it could be because there are more of them. That's what they told me when I had JOY at UC Davis.


Goldens have a high cancer rate anyways so I guess it would even out in the end.

My 1 uncles mutts always live long lives 15-19+ years while eating Ol'Roy everyday. I guess whatever breeds made them must have had tough genes. 

Claire's friend thanks for the info.


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

are you buying your puppy from a reputable well known rescue? there are some very clever puppy brokers calling themselves 'rescues' ....the market it tight...if a broker can use an angle sell a pup...they will.

If yes...I would get some insurance and get on with enjoying your pup...


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## coffenut (Jan 3, 2012)

Claire's Friend said:


> You are doing a wonderful thing and it sounds like you have made great plans. The only thing I would suggest is to get yourself a good insurance policy. I thought I was going to end up with a rescue puppy of unknown origins and had a policy all lined up for her. She ended up going to someone else and I ended up getting my puppy from a really great breeder with health clearances. I still put a policy on Jordan, just in case. There are no guarantees no matter where we get them. Stop worrying and start planning all the pics you are going to take of your new baby. We can NEVER get enough puppy pics here !!!


I have been looking into pet insurance as well. EMBRACE was highly recommended to me by a trusted source.


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## Kaila (Feb 1, 2012)

Here's the rescue's website:
Http://www.angelsrescue.org

I've spoken with at least three people on the phone from different levels of management (adoptions coordinator, home visit coordinator, and foster mom). I had to have a local rescue organization do a home visit and then have them submit supporting documentation. Luckily we passed with flying colors because of all the research and puppy proofing I've been doing..


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## Kaila (Feb 1, 2012)

coffenut said:


> I have been looking into pet insurance as well. EMBRACE was highly recommended to me by a trusted source.


I read an article that said pet insurance is often more expensive than actual treatments. It suggested a savings for vet bills instead of paying money that might be wasted if "what if" situations never occur.

Analysis of coverage and premiums of 4 pet health insurers


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## Hunter'sMom (Sep 5, 2011)

Since the litter was kept together, and with the mother, that will really help because puppies learn so much (bite inhibition, etc) from their littermates. Much better than the puppies we see at the shelter that are separated so young. When I adopted Jackson from AGA in October (at 9 weeks), I did sign him up for pet insurance just in case. He is a very well rounded puppy because I made sure to get him as much safe exposure to new things before that 16 week mark. I would be careful about putting your puppy on the ground before the vaccination series is complete, but I certainly carried him around when I was out and about to socialize him. And go slow with the food transition!

Don't worry about what the future may hold... live in the moment and enjoy your puppy and getting to know who they are! It's so fun to see their personalities develop!!!


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## Hunter'sMom (Sep 5, 2011)

For pet insurance, there are a lot of great threads on here that helped me decide which one to go with. I have Jackson's set up so it really only covers major issues, since I can cover the routine care costs but would have trouble paying for an emergency $2000 surgery, for example. If you are in a position to have adequate savings, then you may not need it, but I am not and couldn't take that chance (especially since puppies put everything in their mouths)!


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## GoldenMum (Mar 15, 2010)

Relax Girl! There are no guarantees in life. I rescued two puppies from a small rescue in SC, brothers. One has been very healthy, the other has had to have double OCD shoulder surgery. It sounds as though you have thought this through, I agree with the savings account instead of the insurance. You can't worry about what might be, just take things as they come...and enjoy the ride!


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

I have never bought pet insurance. I do however put aside money each month into a pet emergency medical cost account- It is only touched for emergencies never routine costs. I put away at least $200/month into the account for the 7 animals ($30/pet- The amount most insurance premiums would be for each pet). It does take work to do it. Most months I save more than that. If I get 5 off a bag of dog food that saved money goes into the account in addition to the $200.

Ex. Cozy had surgery for stage 1 cancer a few months ago. I would have spent at least $1,800 in premium for her but the end bill for treatment was $1,000.

This method is not for everyone but it works for me.


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

You've received such wonderful advice here. You've done a beautiful job of planning and I hope you will now sit back and allow yourself to enjoy the pure joy of rescuing a puppy and making him part of your life. I can't wait to see the pictures you post!


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

mylissyk said:


> But, to me, adopting keeps profits out of the pockets of irresponsible puppy millers or back yard breeders....


This does not mean that you are not getting a puppy from a puppy miller or byb. The downside is that there will probably be people out there who might consider a litter a success if their dog had puppies and dealing with those puppies if they don't sell, it's just as simple as taking them to a shelter or rescue. I'm not in favor of shelters charging people a fee for dropping off animals, because doing so might only encourage them dropping puppies and dogs off in the middle of nowhere to fend for themselves. But surrendering really is an easy out for some people. 

And there are definitely people on Craigslist or other places who place puppies for an adoption fee. Considering they do not put any money or care into the litter, they make a profit even if they are only charging $50-100 per puppy. This encourages them to do it again. 

I'm just saying this because I'm still bothered by a lot of nonsense I unfortunately had to read in connection to the Westminster show. There are people out there who are constantly trying to claim the moral high ground because they will never buy a puppy from a good responsible breeder. You can still claim the moral high ground because not only did you encourage those good breeders to exist by padding _their_ pockets, but you also are doing your part to show people what the "dog buying experience" should be.

And for that matter, people who buy from bad breeders can still claim the moral high ground because while they padded somebody's pockets - they still are giving that puppy a good life and doing what they can to make sure that puppy never sees the inside of a shelter kennel. 

And people who rescue from shelters definitely can claim that moral high ground, because they saved that puppy's life. 

And people who adopt from rescues definitely can claim that moral high ground, because their money is padding the pockets of a rescue group and hopefully will be used to keep that rescue group going so it can take care of other dogs. 

There's no supreme owner of moral high ground. That's all I'm saying. And if people want to throw stones around and condemn people, they should go after bybs specifically. 

Please keep in mind that when you adopt puppies the upside is you ADOPTED a rescued dog. Or regardless of where your puppy comes from - it will be YOUR puppy. This means while you can't control the health problems that puppy will have, you can control what kind of life it has. That is a huge thing. Especially if that puppy grows up to be your "heart dog". 

As far as health - pet insurance is cheap for puppies and young dogs. I'd get started with that and hopefully you won't need to use it.


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## Kaila (Feb 1, 2012)

Thanks for all the reassurance, guys! I feel much better. I'm going to try to sit back and relax.. Everything is prepared. Food, bowls, bed, crate, toys, training classes, training/socialization plan.. Now I just need the puppy, and I definitely don't want to miss out on the puppy phase because I was worrying. It goes so fast.

Megora, I see what you mean about how shelters and rescues sometimes facilitate the dumping of unwanted litters by bad breeders. But remember that in this case, the mother (the cash cow in any breeding situation) was ALSO dumped. That's why I suspect it was an ignorant family who failed to spay/neuter. At 1 year old she probably went into heat, got pregnant, and they either panicked or just plain didn't want to deal with rehoming seven puppies so they got rid of her.

But I'm happy to report that the mother now has a permanent home with her foster mom.  So the place where she went after being pulled from a shelter, the place where she gave birth to and weaned her puppies, and the place where she will recover from her spay surgery is the place she'll stay.


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## jealous1 (Dec 7, 2007)

One of my favorite rescue t-shirts: "It doesn't matter where you came from, only where you end up!"

Good luck with your new puppy and looking forward to seeing pictures - enjoy!


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

> Megora, I see what you mean about how shelters and rescues sometimes facilitate the dumping of unwanted litters by bad breeders. But remember that in this case, the mother (the cash cow in any breeding situation) was ALSO dumped. That's why I suspect it was an ignorant family who failed to spay/neuter. At 1 year old she probably went into heat, got pregnant, and they either panicked or just plain didn't want to deal with rehoming seven puppies so they got rid of her.


Or she went stray while in heat and was thankfully picked up by the AC. <- I unfortunately came close to throwing my computer while emailing back and forth with a goldendoodle owner who was searching for her lost dog, who happened to be in heat. I don't know if she was planning to breed the dog down the road, but she had been in the backyard alone before she got loose and lost. >.< 

I'm glad that golden girl is in a great home now and her puppies will all find great homes<: 

You will have to give us pictures - lots of them - after Next Friday.


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## Our3dogs (Apr 3, 2008)

Congratulations on your upcoming new addition to your family. Nothing in life is a for-sure positive thing. Even the best-bred dogs can and do come down with bad things, or they get expensive injuries. You recognize that you need a savings account for your puppy so you are ahead of the game. Just look forward to bringing your new little one home, love it to pieces and enjoy it to the max!


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## Wyatt's mommy (Feb 25, 2011)

I second what Our3dogs said. We did everything right (in the eyes of some) the first time around and it cost us a fortune So nothing is guaranteed. It looks like this young pup has a wonderful forever home. Congrats!


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## Kaila (Feb 1, 2012)

Just brought home a bunch of dog food.  Orijen large breed puppy kibble, Party Animal canned organic duck, salmon, and turkey, and Evanger's canned rabbit and pheasant! I got bowls too, so aside from a few extra toys, I am as prepared as I could possibly be. I want to get some interactive toys for her:

• Busy Buddy Tug-a-Jug
• IQ Treat Ball
• Busy Buddy Kibble Nibble
• Busy Buddy Puppy Cube
• Premier Squirrel Dude
• Premier Twist 'n Treat
• Kong Wobbler Medium


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Kaila*

Kaila

You must be SO EXCITED!!! Your pup is coming home on Feb. 24th?
How is she getting to you?
What is her name?


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## Kaila (Feb 1, 2012)

Karen519 said:


> Kaila
> 
> You must be SO EXCITED!!! Your pup is coming home on Feb. 24th?
> How is she getting to you?
> What is her name?


I am! She's coming home on Feb. 24th. I'll be driving from Gainesville, FL to Atlanta, GA (about 6 hrs) to pick her up, then we'll drive home. My grandpa and boyfriend are coming too. 

I haven't picked a name yet! It's so hard. I have a list of about 55 names that are okay. Maybe I need to spend time with her in person to decide. Here's the short list of my favorites:

Avery
Cora
Lucy
Lyra
Riley
River
Skye
Sydney
Tessa
Willow


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## sdain31y (Jul 5, 2010)

Congratulations on the new addition. She's very lucky to be adopted by you and finding someone to give her a forever home. Enjoy!!


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

I vote for Skye or Willow


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## Kaila (Feb 1, 2012)

Claire's Friend said:


> I vote for Skye or Willow


I'm liking Skye and River a lot.. I guess I like nature-y names!


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## Wyatt's mommy (Feb 25, 2011)

Love River!


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

Kaila said:


> I'm liking Skye and River a lot.. I guess I like nature-y names!


I like nature names too. I had a foster I named River, but he was a boy. I have had cats named Starr and Moon.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Kalia*

Kalia

I couldn't be more excited for you and her!! 
I like the names: River, Skye, Sydney and Willow!!


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Kaila*

Kaila

Isn't today the day your girl comes home!! WHAT TIME?
I am so excited for you!!


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

Photos????


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## Kaila (Feb 1, 2012)

nolefan said:


> Photos????


PICTURES HERE! 

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com...09641-waiting-puppy-rescue-3.html#post1652733


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