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Golden Retriever Puppies – How to Find a Healthy Pup With Great Personality
By Archie Right

So you’ve decided to adopt a Golden Retriever puppy! Excellent choice! But how to tell a great pup that’ll grow up in healthy strong and intelligent dog from the pup that’ll cause you nothing but trouble? Here are some advises that helped hundreds of people choosing their perfect Golden Retriever pupp.

First of all let’s have a look at what characteristics we are looking for. Naturally, any dog owner wants a healthy dog with outstanding obedience and intelligence. You will also probably want your dog to be friendly and emotionally stable so that it could easily adapt to your family’s lifestyle. May be you’ll add something but basically that’s the list of the characteristics you are looking for in your new little friend. But before we start to look for the right pup we need to decide were to look.

Breeder vs. pet store

Don’t get me wrong, I believe that pet stores are great in many ways, but it just happened that buying Golden Retriever puppies there is not the best option. The argument against pet stores is a poor quality of puppies available there. Most of them come from the puppy mills were dogs are kept in poor conditions for money purposes only. As the result you are very likely to buy a pup in poor health with a bunch of genetic diseases that are likely to develop later in life. Another downside is that you know nothing about the breeding couple. The puppies are likely to inherit traits of their parent, so how can you know anything about the pups if you’ve never seen a breeding couple?

On the contrary, finding a respectable breeder will give you a good idea about the conditions a breeding couple is kept and get to know the character of puppy’s parents better. You’ll be able to ask breeders a bunch of questions about their dogs and find out all you need to make your decision. Don’t be shy to ask question, breeders expect it from you and actually most of them love to talk about their dogs. Be sure to find out about health condition of a breeding couple. Always ask for a health certificate stating that the dogs were checked for hip-dysplasia which is very common in this breed. There is no excuse for a reputable breeder not to show you health related papers.

Get to know your pup

Now, the best and actually the only way to get to know the puppies is to spend some time with them. First, you need to see the whole litter. When they notice you and run towards you note who approaches you first. Then take one puppy in your arms, see its reaction. It should stay calm and show no enmity to your touch. Do the same with the rest of the pups. When observing the litter, note which pup is in the center for the most of the time. You need to find the one that’s getting along well with all his peers. This pup will have the most balanced personality. When you’ve seen them as a group it’s time to spend some time one-on-one with each pup.

The best piece of advice I can give you while choosing a puppy is not to hurry. You need to give your decision a good thought and you have to be sure about the pup you are adopting. In the end of the day, you’ll have to wait one way or another before you can take your puppy home, and with life expectancy in Golden Retrievers of ten to twelve years adopting one is a lifetime commitment.

Costs

I’d also like to say a few words about the price. In most of the cases you’ll find the pup in the range from $250 to $1000. It may be even more if you are plating to adopt an offspring of, let’s say, National Champions. But keep in mind that the price of the pup is just the first expense you are going to make. It’s a good idea to consult with your local vet regarding the prices of veterinary services for the first two years of your dog’s life (just tell him you are planning on buying a Golden and want to know an approximate cost of procedures). Your other costs will include toys and different accessories and of course food. Your little puppy will grow up into a pretty big dog with pretty big stomach. Of cause all the costs should not be too high, but it’s better to take them into account before you adopt the puppy, just to be aware and not to get an unpleasant surprise.

Of course, I can hardly fit everything in one article, but I hope this information give you a clue of where and how to look for your very own perfect Golden Retriever puppy.

Archie Right is a Golden Retriever expert. For more information on Golden Retriever puppies, visit http://goldenretrieverdoginfo.com/.

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