Golden Retriever Puppies

Golden Retriever puppies are small and snuggly and cute. It it can be very tempting to make an emotional decision pick them up the first place you seem them. That typically means a pet shop, or possibly even online. This could not be a worse decision.

Pet Shops are not the place to buy your new friend. Usually pet shops are trying to do a good business and this means they must make money on the puppies. Make money is not a bad thing, but it's not really the right way to approach dog ownership. Pet shops tend to turn a blind eye to the source of the puppies.

Typically a pet shop will source them from a puppy mill, knowingly or unknowingly. This isn't really where you want your pup to come from. You want a puppy to come from somebody that cares about puppies. And also preferably someone that has a great deal of knowledge. If you have ever talked to pet shop staff about a dog, you probably realize that while they have good intentions, they don't seem to know an awful lot about the dog.

So where did you get a dog? How about online? Unfortunately, this is a great choice either. The last thing you want to do is make a deal with somebody online never having seen a dog or met the person. Chances are that you will simply be parting with your money. There is nothing wrong with cruising online advertisements and websites but you definitely want to meet individuals selling the dogs and see the dogs in person.

Also, there are lots of good training resources online. There are lots of good sources of information to help you pick the right place to get your next dog. But to actually perform transaction online it is not something I would advise.

What's the best choice? Well the answer is a breeder. But not just any breeder. This is another area where there are lots of people out there just trying to take your money. What you want to look for is a serious hobby breeder.

You're looking for the individual that shows his dogs and exhibits his dogs with the American kennel club and other dog clubs. Why is this the case? This shows pride in the breeding operation. This is an individual that cares a great deal about dogs, and is the individual you want to buy a dog from., This is a person that knows what they're doing. They have a depth of knowledge that comes from both their experience, and dog club memberships. They want to share their information with others that are doing the same thing. And they also typically want to learn from them.

So when looking for golden retriever puppies how do we know a bad breeder from a good one? Look for ribbons, exhibit notices and pictures and ask to see kennel club memberships such as the American Kennel Club. Typically a good breeder will also belong to a local club, probably more than one.

It's also a good idea to interview several breeders before selecting one. Visit the AKC website and talk to members of the local dog clubs. Use your instincts, it will make your golden retriever puppies selection successful and you will both be happy.