Golden Retriever

[nursetomommy]

We are thinking of getting a golden retriever for our family. We dont have any pets and have a 3 month old and a 3 year old. We have a small fenced in yard. I was wondering if anyone has any advice on this breed, challenges, where to find. We keep seeing them for sale from breeders for 500 - 1000 dollars and we simply cannot afford that. Not sure what to do...

[Iansmama]

Retrievers can be fantastic family pets. :yes They can be a bit on the bigger side, though, if that is an issue. We have a stray rescue retriever/lab mix who is the best dog I have ever had. Retrievers are usually pretty hardy breeds. They shed. A lot. :shifty

I would recommend looking for one with the rescues and shelters in your area. For a small fee (usually less than $100) they are already vax'd and spayed/neutered and often are microchipped. :tu Breeding makes me sad, because we put to death so many loving animals that need good homes already.

[itzj]

Have you had dogs before? They are a lot of work, but I will admit I am a cat person (I could handle outdoor dogs). We briefly had a golden puppy that DH's parents gave us without asking. We could not handle the neediness and gave her back (she is happy in their home but has health problems). And we can handle pets (11 cats here). I would really read about them, about training them, and come up with a detailed plan. The ages of your children alone are a lot of work. And I agree, look at rescues and shelters first. It will cost less and you will help an animal in great need of love.

ETA Other breeds, and even mutts from the shelter can make lovely pets too. I've known some fantastic mutts.

[Johns_Gal]

Have you read the "Pets and Kids" sticky?

Goldens... you aren't going to get one with tested hips and eyes for a song. And frankly, I wouldn't be okay supporting a breeder who does not test his dogs. Hip dysplasia is horrible for a dog to suffer through... known folks who had to put down a young GSD because he just could not walk by five years old.

They do sometimes exhibit rage syndrome. They are a high energy breed.

I like dogs, have had several pre-kids. Now? Puppy + toddlers= NO, in my book. :)

[mystweaver]

Yes to all the above: goldens have been overbred, inbred, and have all sorts of genetic problems because of it. You can find reputable breeders whose dogs shouldn't have those issues, but it will cost you an arm, leg, and your firstborn's firstborn. ;) And that's before you burn through 3 vacuums in 2 years due to all the shedding. :shifty

If you're set on a golden retriever, a golden mixed with something else could be great (and I think mutts have better personalities, anyways :shifty).

Until about 5 years old, goldens need loooooots of play time to channel their destructive/hyper energies (this is also true of labs, and many other larger breeds). Once they're trained, they're great pets, but they take lots and lots of work (imagine a 2 year old, minus some of the moodiness, stuck in the 2 year old exploring stage, for about 3 years). :)

Have you checked out local shelters? Or perhaps seeing eye dog rejects, if you have a training center near you? (They offer fully trained, 1-2 year old dogs.)

[Autumn]

I've heard people say that it's best to wait until the youngest child is 5 - you should be able to find more on that here if you search. Now that my girls are 5 and 4 I can see the difference it really makes when you hit that age. As much as we want to have a dog, we're going to wait until we're done :twocents