Goldens & Labs (Houston: how much, home, buyer)

[jimboburnsy]

Hi all,

My wife and I are researching Houston area breeders for goldens and labs but our efforts have been largely confined to internet resources. It is my feeling that the best breeders are more than likely not going to be covered by an internet search so I was hoping to supplement our research with some (quasi) word-of-mouth opinions. We are looking for dogs that come from athletic/hunting lines over standard confirmation/show lines. Any leads?

[whitegoldens]

Your post caught my eye as I am a golden breeder moving to Houston! You are welcome to look around my site but I don't have much in the way of hunting lines.

http://goldengirlskennels.com

Good luck to you!

Kate

[brookeb1119]

Hi!

I've shown dogs since I was 10 and I'm a judge as well. I used to show Goldens, though they were from California. I don't know anyone local personally, but your best resource for reliable dogs that have sporting instinct, is to go here
American Kennel Club - Breeder Referral Search

You'll find the Golden and Lab clubs of Houston and the members will stand behind their dogs.
Good luck!

We're getting a Golden when we get a bigger yard. I miss them.

[brookeb1119]

Actually, here's the popular Golden club. Untitled Document

If you click to see puppy referrals, there is someone I'm friends with that I trust. She's nice and can help you. She's in the list, and her name is Melody. It's towards the bottom.

[Seaglass]

Just a thought from another long-time dog person--as long as you're careful to get a puppy from a reputable breeder, hunting vs. show lines is irrelevant, especially for a dog that will primarily be a pet...and in that case, purely hunting-bred dogs may ultimately be a lot more dog than the buyer was expecting, which is why so many sadly end up in rescue. There are great dogs and lesser dogs from each discipline; this is why it's so important to get sound referrals either way (the Houston and GRCA link in the post above will help you), and hard copies of up-to-date annual health clearances (eyes, hearts, and hips on the pup's parents, minimum) before you buy. If the breeder can't or won't provide them up front, walk away. Best of luck-- Good Goldens are just wonderful.

[jimboburnsy]

Originally Posted by Seaglass

Just a thought from another long-time dog person--as long as you're careful to get a puppy from a reputable breeder, hunting vs. show lines is irrelevant, especially for a dog that will primarily be a pet...and in that case, purely hunting-bred dogs may ultimately be a lot more dog than the buyer was expecting, which is why so many sadly end up in rescue. There are great dogs and lesser dogs from each discipline; this is why it's so important to get sound referrals either way (the Houston and GRCA link in the post above will help you), and hard copies of up-to-date annual health clearances (eyes, hearts, and hips on the pup's parents, minimum) before you buy. If the breeder can't or won't provide them up front, walk away. Best of luck-- Good Goldens are just wonderful.

I definitely appreciate the sentiment. I've seen the results of people who want a border collie or a blue-heeler without really understanding how much time needs to be invested in a working breed to prevent them becoming bored and destructive. I grew up with rowdy hunting dogs and while any dog that is brought into my family will certainly serve in large measure as a pet, he or she will have quite a bit of work to do as well. That's one of the best things about goldens; They can put on a real game face for the morning duck hunt and then get silly with the kids in the afternoon. Labs aren't quite as good with that. They are rougher characters and need more aggressive discipline. A golden, on the other hand, will be heartbroken if you so much as raise your voice. You have to be nice when you are training such a good-natured animal.

[tstone]

We're fostering an 18 mo old rescue lab... looks pretty close to a purebred field lab to me, like from a backyard breeder. Sort of a skinny boy, but a very solid 70 lbs. He's mostly calm and cool, but he gets wild streaks at times. I'd say he can run at an easy 30 mph, and is unstoppable if he runs past you. He was housebroken immediately. He's also learned from our Dachshunds which items are toys, so there are no destruction issues. He's also learning from watching the wieners how to squeeze/shake/tear up the toys & play tug of war... bad Lab behavior!!! And when he gets bored, he tends to find things to bring to us like bottles of perfume off the counter, or clothes out of the laundry basket. The only problem is he gets so excited when we come home from work, he's knocked my wife off her feet a couple of times. I've never had a Lab before but I think this is a great breed and it'll be hard to let him go next week. Some persistence, patience and some firm hands pay off. I don't know if I could recommend these dogs to women, unless they're as physically as strong as men.