What To Ask Your Prospective Golden Retriever Breeder

Don’t assume that all Golden Retriever breeders are alike! They definitely are not. That’s like saying that all car salesmen are alike. You have to meet and ask questions of the car salesman before you can decide whether you are getting a good deal or not. You will be overwhelmed by all of the dogs and Golden Retriever information the breeder is ready to give. Write down the questions you need to ask your breeder before you start shopping.

Puppy mills are a sad fact of modern life. Although there are many working to eradicate this unnecessarily cruel practice, there are still many puppy mills in existence in North America. You need to visit your breeder before you make any final commitments to be sure they treat their dogs humanely and get them proper vet care. At puppy mills, the dogs usually never see a vet in their short, miserable lives. Flee from any breeder who keeps their dogs in stacked crates or in their own waste.
There are still a frightening amount of puppy mills in North America, sadly. Puppy mills produce puppies in very inhumane ways, which often produces sickly and slightly demented animals. You want to avoid paying for this type of cruel dog breeding if you love dogs at all. This means you have to visit the home and kennel of every Golden Retriever breeder you are considering getting a pup from to be sure they are not puppy mill owners.

Never pay in full for a puppy that you have never met. Usually, the puppy will not have even been born yet, but you can see the mother and other relatives of the potential puppies. The best Golden Retriever breeders focus on quality rather than quality and may only have a few pups to see per year. You will have to be put on a waiting list. This is normal. And good Golden Retriever breeders will never ship their pups.
You also want to ask for a written contract, which spells out what the breeder is responsible for. A good Golden Retriever breeder will already have such a contract for you! A good breeder will also be able to not only show you the puppy’s mother, but also her health certificates. You need to be sure the parents have been tested for hip dysplasia and eye conditions that can be passed genetically.

Then ask yourself why you are going through all of this. If you want show dogs, breeding dogs or hunting dogs, then stick with the Golden Retriever breeder you can best get along with and is as proud of his or her dogs like they would be their children. If you want a pet, then please do not go to a breeder. Instead, go to a Golden Retriever breed rescue group and adopt an adult or older puppy. You’ll save a life and get a financial break that way.

There are too many Golden Retriever breeders in the world and not enough homes for all the pups. Golden Retriever information is abundant on the Internet.