# Goldenrod Kennels in Pa?



## Taz Monkey (Feb 25, 2007)

no one...ok then


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## momtoMax (Apr 21, 2009)

You should join the pa social group and see the list of people who belong - I personally got my boy from a horse breeder who breeds goldens very secondary so I can't be of help.
I'm also thinking that if you list more info about the parents of the puppies you are interested in, some ppl will run checks for you.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

momtoMax said:


> You should join the pa social group and see the list of people who belong - I personally got my boy from a horse breeder who breeds goldens very secondary so I can't be of help.
> I'm also thinking that if you list more info about the parents of the puppies you are interested in, some ppl will run checks for you.


I have no experience with this kennel, but having clicked through their website for a few minutes, I'd run the other way.

I could only find hip certifications on a couple of breeding dogs and nothing else. I didn't check every dog mentioned on the site, but the dogs on the breeding page only have hip certs, no heart, no eyes, and no elbows mentioned on their site or listed on offa.org.

Also, a breeder who sells on full registration simply for a larger check isn't typically the most responsible.

And lastly, the dogs don't compete in any venues. A great breeder is typically involved in agility, hunting/field work, conformation (showing), or obedience.

The biggest red flag is the lack of clearances. Not only are the dogs at risk of expensive health problems, more importantly, they're not being given the best possible shot at healthy, happy lives, and that's inexcusable so far as I'm concerned.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

A very quick check showed only 4 of their dogs in the OFA database - hips only. No elbows, cardiac, or CERF. Looking at their website, I am immediately turned off by the fac that they sell puppies for $800 on limited registration, $1200 for males for breeding, $1500 for females for breeding. Essentially, that is selling papers, a practice that the AKC shall we say, "frowns upon". It is also the ignorant mindset of the BYB or HVB that females should cost more because you make money off 'em.

I'd never recommend them.


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## Taz Monkey (Feb 25, 2007)

I was just wondering. I'm not in the market for a golden, and would rescue anyway, but this is where my aunt and uncle bought Taz. I was just looking through her papers the other night and curiosity got the better of me and thought I'd ask. I wasn't thoroughly impressed with them even with my limited knowledge of what to look for in a breeder.


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## momtoMax (Apr 21, 2009)

Taz Monkey said:


> I was just wondering. I'm not in the market for a golden, and would rescue anyway, but this is where my aunt and uncle bought Taz. I was just looking through her papers the other night and curiosity got the better of me and thought I'd ask. I wasn't thoroughly impressed with them even with my limited knowledge of what to look for in a breeder.


Well, are you impressed with Taz? To my point of view, that would be a better question. Health issues? Temperment issues? Beautiful dog?


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

I disagree with looking at one dog as a marker by which to evaluate a breeding program. Instead, review the Golden Retriever Club of America's ethical recommendations for increasing the chances of health in puppies by screening for common medical problems, and see if the breeder meets the expectations.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Ljilly28 said:


> I disagree with looking at one dog as a marker by which to evaluate a breeding program. Instead, review the Golden Retriever Club of America's ethical recommendations for increasing the chances of health in puppies by screening for common medical problems, and see if the breeder meets the expectations.


I couldn't agree more.
I know very few people who do not love their dog, and feel that s/he is the best dog in the world, which is as it should be. But there is so much more necessary as far as determining whether a dog should be bred, or even if that particular dog "should have been produced" (which sounds harsh, but I cannot think of any other way of putting it.) Yes, we love the dog and are grateful to have him/her in our lives. But does this justify having produced the litter, or repeating it? I have owned mixed breeds, and rescues, that I loved _dearly _and treasured as much or more than any purebred champion. But they had problems and to be realistic it would have been better had they not been produced. Of course, it is being idealistic and naive to think that only "perfect" animals will be produced, but there is no reason why everything possible should not be done to increase the chances of the producing the best that you possibly can.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

momtoMax said:


> Well, are you impressed with Taz? To my point of view, that would be a better question. Health issues? Temperment issues? Beautiful dog?


I disagree. Most Goldens who don't have an underlying temperament problems become deeply loved companions, health issues or not.

I look at it this way: if a mediocre breeder is producing dogs that 80% of the time don't have serious health issues, most of their dogs are going to seem great. They'll have the Golden temperament, they'll look pretty, and you won't see anything wrong with them. All Goldens are ridiculously adorable, particularly as puppies. It would be a crapshoot for you to find out that a bunch of their dogs weren't turning out healthy and sound. However, those dogs would be out there, and there would be an 20% chance your dog would join them. Your only way of knowing is to look at the breeder's practices and the verified health information they have on their dogs.

A great breeder who does all the clearances and has a multigenerational vertical health pedigree to look at might be producing dogs that 95% of the time don't have serious health issues. You can tell this person is serious about health because the clearances are meticulous. The dog you get will have a vastly greater chance of living to old age without needing multiple major surgeries or dying young of a heart problem.

I know your dog wasn't "properly" bred and still turned out great. That's awesome. Many of us (including me) have had a dog that wasn't bred carefully at some point in our lives, and chances are we loved the dog deeply. And, with any luck, the dog didn't have severe health issues. Still, most of us now choose breeders who do everything they can to decrease the odds of the common health problems. We know that careful use of lineages and clearances can prevent our dogs from developing these problems. It makes financial sense, but more importantly, the dogs deserve the best possible shot at a life free from pain.


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## Taz Monkey (Feb 25, 2007)

Well of course my dog is perfect 
I mean, as far as I can tell, she is healthy, and has a great temperament with people. She does get snarky with other dogs. She has a nice coat, no skin issues, her ears get extremely funky. Her dad, Goldenrods Mountain Dew, is one of the dogs on k9data.com, but I can't remember her moms name right now and am too lazy to get up and get her paperwork out of the filing cabinet.
My aunt and uncle's other golden, Lola, who they still have, they also got from them. Now she has skin and ear issues, is overweight (she eats great food and gets tons of exercise, and has been tested for everything, but the weight will not come off, so I can't say that has anything to do with breeding), and has the best temperment with both humans and other animals as any dog I've ever met. So yeah, I was just being nosy and thought I'd ask some people who know something about breeding.


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## joypeace&hope (Jan 18, 2010)

MomtoMax~

How do you join the Pa social? You stated that you purchased your dog from a horse breeder. Is he the one who has the email profitpolicy.com? If he is, are you happy with your golden you purchased from him and did the parents have their clearances?


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