Golden Retriever – Dog, Friend or Commodity?

This is a non-commercial educational home page about aspects that should be considered before buying a Golden Retriever. Dogs of this breed are buoyant and very friendly, which is visible from the friendly appearance of these dogs with the characteristic benevolent “canine smile” (remember the movie “Neverending Story” and the good-humored Luckdragon Falkor). These dogs are useful labor dogs, fowling retrievers, and after special training the dogs can serve as rescue dogs. In this home page you will find answers to questions preoccupying me and many supporters of this idea who share the same views.

The basic information is in Latvian. I have given links to educational home pages in English, which, in my opinion, seem to contain the best information about Golden Retrievers.

In the Latvian section you will find what is a Golden Retriever, about its behavior and how the dog will gladly understand master’s orders. There are also recommended questions to ask the puppy breeder whether he/she has done everything possible to prevent any of the characteristic diseases of this breed – hip joint dysplasia, eyesight problems, hereditary heart disorders. Those who do not perform health tests before breeding and selling Golden Retrievers apparently consider this dog breed a simple commodity to earn money. And often such breeders who do not undergo health tests will sell you a puppy under the age of 8 weeks, and the price will be lower than buying a dog from a breeder who cares for puppies so that they would live a healthy and happy dog’s life. According to a lawyer’s view on dog breeding in Latvia, due to the incomplete legal system such bad breeders who make business on Golden Retrievers cannot be called to account.

Here you will also find explanation why it is not advisable to take a puppy before 8 weeks of age and other useful details about dog’s development stages that the puppy goes through.

You will find out that by ensuring and facilitating slow grow of a puppy probability of development of the hip joint dysplasia will reduce.

In the English section Expert View and Advise you will find Of a Hip Dysplasia Mating Probability Data as well..

You can delve in answers of a veterinary Dr. Kristine Drevinska from the Jelgava Veterinary Medicine Training Center.

In the friendly Forum you will find people who share your views, and here you can look for advise and answers to questions bothering you. You can also participate in developing this home page. The Forum has a separate section – Discussions in English.

Picture Gallery contains various interesting stories and photos.