Health Guarantee:
We do provide a return/exchange policy should the pup have anything major wrong with it congenitally after you take the pup for a Vet check and set up their shot schedule, heartworm, etc. This is detailed in your contract that we go over with you when you pick up your pup.
This is there to protect you; and, most anything major wrong usually will be apparent at that time, subject to the thoroughness of your Veterinarian; which, unfortunately we've found does vary. To help with this, we do require you to get a vet check within 72 hours and do some basic stipulated tests (fecal, blood, etc.) that are usually part of a complete "puppy package" that most vets have.
As with any living being, or human being, there are various health issues possible, whether it be from environmental, viral, bacterial, parasitic, genetic, or congenital. We do as we are able to keep our dogs healthy and do have a long healthy history, but "stuff" can happen. Please take a look at the information below; and, we encourage you to research and ask questions. We don't "make" the pups, but we try to do basic things, care, and research to aid in the process. We have quite a few happy adoptees (over 400!) from over 16 years plus that would attest to this, and have both in writing (on our references page) and by both referring others or even getting one or two more pups from us!
Currently the American Kennel Club (AKC) has a program to encourage you to register your pup with AKC. Through AKC you receive a 60 day health guarantee and insurance after you register your pup. We DO encourage you to either consider extending this health insurance, or consider the many other pet health insurance plans out there. Heaven forbid you should ever need to use it, but it can be cheap insurance to cover you should something develop. We don't recommend any particular one, but there are many available. See more info in the next segment.
As a breeder under the USDA "Animal Welfare Act" we are classified as an "Exempt Business" - Anyone who sells domestic pets directly to pet owners is exempt, regardless of sales volume, when picked up face to face or may be sight-unseen when the breeder has 4 or fewer breeding females. Such sales can be made via internet, in person, or by mail.
Pet Health Insurance:
Currently, thanks to modern medicine, veterinarians can perform once unheard-of operations and treatments to suffering dogs, significantly increasing both their life expectancy and their owner's happiness. However, these latest procedures can come with an expensive price tag.
Tests, examinations, and procedures can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars. Even a routine examination with vaccinations and preventative tests can cost from $200 to $400 or more. If that hasn't busted your budget, you can only imagine the reality of chemotherapy and hip replacement for a pet in bad shape.
Pet Insurance allows a caring master to continue to enjoy their pet for years to come without facing the financial burden and difficult decision between helping their loved one, or putting it to sleep as a result of cost. A number of pet insurance companies exist today that can greatly relieve the burden of life saving procedures and care. However, these companies all vary in services covered, cost, customer service, and claim reimbursement.
Before selecting a pet insurance provider you should consider the following:
· Coverage. What procedures and services does the plan cover? Is their flexibility in selecting the plan that meets your needs? What services are excluded?
· Customer Service. Will someone answer the phone if you call in an emergency? When is the company open for assistance?
· Insurance Premiums. How much will your premium be for the pet insurance that best meets your needs?
Following are some links for various reviews of pet insurance providers.
We do NOT recommend, nor endorse any particular provider.
Insurance Review Links:
http://www.consumersearch.com/pet-insurance
http://www.petinsurancereview.com/reviewStart.asp
http://www.topconsumerreviews.com/pet-insurance/
http://www.consumersadvocate.org/pet-insurance/best-pet-insurance.html
Hips, Elbows, & Heart (OFA, etc.) / Eyes (CERF) .......
"Certifications" / "Guarantees" / "Life"
The SHORT Version! ...... (long version following)
Many adoptees of a golden retriever pup search for a pup that has parents with many "certifications" and a "guarantee" related to various health issues that may be addressed by these certifications.
The unfortunate part is that this develops the misnomer that somehow you are getting a pup that is "certified and guaranteed" that the pup won't have these health problems. Remember, at best, it is the parents, not the pups that have these certifications, NOT the pups. Similarly, many breeders use these certifications and guarantees to lure prospective adoptees in, as well as the majority of the breeders using these certifications as an excuse to charge a premium for their pups.
Our stance is that we would liken a pup to a new baby that is part of you and your family. We all would hope that this "newborn" would NOT have any disease that ANY dog can get; but ....... life sometimes has disease in it - some get it, some don't. There are just as many, if not more, "certified" Goldens out there that are getting various diseases, as there are Goldens that aren't "certified".
We choose to use a more reliable "health screening", largely based on R. Ann Johnson's research found in her book "The Golden Retriever Puppy Handbook" - this is in the form of looking at our history of good health of the parents, grandparents, and most importantly, their offspring. In 15 years plus of breeding, we do have good health histories, lots of referrals, and repeat adoptees.
The truth is, that things such as hip dysplasia, even heart issues, can be caused as much by "environmental factors - too early jumping of the pup, early excessive play, the food they eat, lack of exercise, etc. versus what some try to claim is purely genetics.
With this said however, our breeding dogs' health backgrounds do have many, of the grandparents (parents of the parents of the pups we breed) with these "certifications". Some are from American, some are from European, certification organizations.
Some breeders do offer a one or two year health guarantee along these lines, but we really would not want someone to adopt a pup based on a health guarantee. With little exception, a guarantee involves surrendering back your pup if you take advantage of the guarantee. If you are adopting a pup, and it contracted a disease, or had a health problem, isn't it indeed part of your family? Would you even think about taking back your child because they got sick; or, expect the doctor to pay for the treatment because they delivered your child?
The LONG Version: ......
Hip Dysplasia, Elbows, and "issues" - Our Position:
As a result of readily available sound research and facts developed over many, many years by very reputable organizations and scientists that truly wanted to promote quality health in dogs, we take serious exception to statements that suggest that Hip Dysplasia, and similar (herein referred to broadly as HD) is highly hereditary (genetic) as if a puppy / dog / Golden Retriever was predetermined to have the condition.
Such statements give a frightening impression to anyone not familiar with the scientific data and lead people to believe that only if they obtain a pup with some sort of "certification" that they will not have any issues with a pup. They have been lulled into believing they are being sold "defective goods". And, it has been promoted by the majority of breeders and vets alike, that the normal recuperative powers of the body will not be effective in overcoming any problems that may (may) come about from the developing joints and musculature of a Golden Retriever.
Certifications:
"Certifications" for HD have become a "market" for various hip certification programs and for promulgating the myth that there can actually be some sort of a "perfect" hip condition that a dog can possess and thus somehow guarantee no HD issue. It is falsely attributed to being totally derived from the genetics of the dog, therefore "testable" and "certifiable". A dog should have perfect hips (or acceptable "grades" of perfection); and, only these dogs that have these certifications should be bred. This is despite the evidence that dogs WITH certifications are producing pups just a many, if not more pups, that end up with HD, than those dogs bred WITHOUT certifications - these are generally rather bred based on their health history, their body structure, their ancestral background; and, most importantly, are raised with proper environmental conditions.
A Brief History:
The trend has been to ignore the scientific studies that have shown over and over that the primary cause of hip, elbow, etc. problems is environmental and NOT genetics. This would therefore GREATLY discount the value of any certifications. (And perhaps put some of these "for profit" organizations out of business?) It has been shown that the testing to determine the "hip-worthiness" certification is in fact flawed and has very LITTLE to do with any capability of predicting whether a dog will have, or will produce other pups that have HD.
OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) does the testing one way; PennHIP (University of Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program) does it another; the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University does it yet another - called DLS.
In 1935 Dr. Gerry B. Schnelle, later Chief of Staff of the Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston, was the first to describe and name the condition called HD. Owners and breeders became increasingly worried, in fact even panic stricken, about HD, to the point that many dogs were being intentionally "put down". This is in fact even still being promoted today by many breeders in their contracts - requiring a puppy purchaser to return the pup to them if any signs of HD are found; and indeed, many requiring a pup to be "put down". SHAME on them!
A 10-year program in the 60's & 70's was done by the Swedes on HD which resulted in the recommendation to breeders "to ignore any certification programs and to breed the soundest, the best moving, and the most suitable for the purpose for which the breed is intended". This finding was essentially dismissed. The science, the studies, the facts now remain largely ignored for the sake of marketing, for purposes that are NOT really for the sake of health of the Golden Retriever.
The so-called "expert(s)" on HD (much of this based from R. Ann Johnson's "The Golden Retriever Puppy Handbook"):
The OFA was founded by Dr. Wayne Riser, who recognized the PRIMARY environmental component of the condition of HD; following in the established research of Dr. Schnelle and the Swedes. He said that "all pups are born with normal hips. It is the physical stresses affecting this joint which can lead to laxity of the joint. And it is this laxity that promotes the degenerative changes characteristic of HD." ..... NOT genetics.
Under different management, the OFA's explanation of the condition called "hip dysplasia" is to refer to it as a "disease" that results in abnormal hip development, i.e., anything less than perfect ball and socket formation. Genetics is the cause, and environmental components have nothing to do with it. At one time the OFA defined HD as joint laxity, but later defined it as any hip abnormality, whether of the ball or socket or femur or depth of fit. No credence is given to any environmental component, only that "some factors may affect the genetic expression of HD." Nor is there any explanation other than that it is a hereditary or "genetic" problem" - an assumption not shared by others schooled in an understanding of heritability; and, that flys in the face of the research that is well established fact.
Data generated from the PennHIP diagnostic and scoring method for HD revealed that only 5 percent of Golden Retrievers in this study were truly unsusceptible to HD" - i.e.,95 percent of Goldens, and other dogs, are susceptible to HD - why? ...... the environmental component.
Why?
These certifications are unfortunately being used by many breeders under the guise of promoting lines of Golden Retrievers that are supposedly better than those that do not have these so-called certifications. Ultimately it is to charge more - profit; NOT, because they care more about promoting the quality of the breed. It is to make the Golden Retriever, or these breeders, somehow more exclusive. What it does encourage is promote the rampant "backyard breeding" of many breeds of dogs; dogs that should never be bred because there is no knowledge of their pedigrees or health backgrounds. It is these dogs that get bred because the exclusivity has prevented many from getting truly good dogs that can be bred either due to the exclusivity and/or the cost that is being charged for these "perfect" dogs.
Health issues come about more so from Environmental Factors versus not necessarily genetics
Just as some children may be overweight for example; this can cause a myriad of health problems. Most of us have a penchant toward over-eating, or "wrong" eating. We may be genetically pre-disposed toward a lower metabolism, or other bodily construction, but each of us can control our weight through our environment. The same is true of a pup.
Primary Environmental Factors:
1) Dietary Protein and Body Weight
A high protein diet as well as moderate exercise helps protect a Golden from HD. Excess food and extra weight will lead to a greater incidence of HD.
2) Trauma:
Such things as having puppies romp, run, or walk on slippery floors, where minute slippage of the feet affects the hips and causes the femur to push against the capsule of the joint, and when done repeatedly will can begin to strain or stretch the ligaments. This is primarily a worry for the first 6 months to a year. Running up and down stairs; jumping in and out of cars that are also perhaps too high, but within their reach.
3) Exercise:
The kind and amount of exercise .... balance .... common sense.
Goldens LOVE tennis balls. One could argue that THIS is definitely genetic! Perhaps they should have been born with one in their mouth! Everyone loves to throw the ball for them and watch them retrieve it. Especially as a pup, the ball can barely fit in their mouth, but their LOVE of humans sends them off chasing! Just not too much, not too far, over obstacles, etc.
The opposite of this is not giving them enough exercise. On the other hand, a Golden Retriever puppy doesn't need to go through long periods of inactivity, waiting for the owner(s)to return at the end of the day. In other words, an inactive puppy may be weaker than a puppy playing in the yard all day long, wrestling and romping with playmate.
So far, we have never raised a dog with HD; God willing; and, with your help in caring properly for these pups, this will remain the case. The puppies are raised wrestling and playing with each other, and with us, which fosters good muscle mass development. An activity level is maintained appropriate to their own natural tolerance with playmates of the same size, age, weight, and energy level.
4) Muscle Mass:
All of the factors above may contribute to HD, alone or in combination. Insufficient muscle mass may be the ultimate result of these factors; and, can be exacerbated by the "life" of the pup, as well as inherited predisposition to low muscle mass - yes, genetics, but is not directly HD. Some of the environmental issues that can cause low muscle mass are excessive crating, too little exercise, and poor nutrition.
Summary:
Breeding based on any certifications, given the basis and process yielding those certifications, labels HD as a purely genetic defect and implies that surgery must intervene to correct the defective situation.
Golden Retrievers that have good health backgrounds, normal body builds, and that are subjected to proper environmental conditions should provide both of you a long wonderful life together, hopefully without HD, or any other issues or diseases. But there are no true guarantees in life, especially this way.
A dog that does develop HD should be viewed as an injured dog that is going through a difficult period of healing (as humans do). They need rest and rehabilitation which should be viewed as a normal recuperative process. Do everything possible short of surgery to stop the cyclical process of damage to the joint(s) to allow the recuperative powers of the dog's body, that God gave them, to have time to heal - rest, restricted exercise, good diet, and perhaps vitamins or medications.
Yes, at some point surgery may be required. This is a decision between you and your veterinarian and needs to be thoroughly and carefully weighed after all other approaches have been exhausted.
A dog that develops HD surely does not need to be "put down" because they aren't considered "perfect". Oh wouldn't it be a sad day if we started doing that with humans that perhaps develop one injury or another, or even some disease? Unfortunately, our society seems to be heading that way more so than not.
The Bottom Line:
We do what we can to help the parents have healthy puppies, just as we, or you, would raise your kids the best possible way, but unfortunately there are no absolutes in nature, there are no real valid "certifications" that a pup won't get a disease; nor, that any of us humans won't have bad hips, need knee surgery, or get something like cancer or diabetes.
We don't sell pups. We adopt out pups to a family for it to become part of your family. Our history shows that you have a MUCH better chance than not of having a great healthy pup with the parents and their relatives long history of good health, not to mention their wonderful temperament. However, we do not certify, or guarantee, that you are going to have a perfect pup. We don't "make" the pups; God and the pups' parents do! Our many referrals from past adoptees and repeat adoptees seem to think they are close to perfect though!
Registering:
All pups come with AKC registration as an adopted pet and companion. The AKC paperwork for registering your pup comes with your puppy package at the time of adoption pickUP, though may be held back if paid by check. Pups are registered on a "limited" basis, which is by far the common practice, meaning they are not intended for show or breeding, at least initially. We do have a provision for possibly providing "full" registration for showing or breeding, but do generally discourage this. We do encourage everyone to register their pups, though it is not requried. It costs very little to register with AKC and you also get the free benefit of the health plan indicated above.
Naming:
When registering, your AKC name will usually need to consist of at least 3 parts, sometimes more, to differentiate from other names already on AKC. You can use parts of the pups parents names, or others in their pedigrees.
Naming your new Golden Retriever puppy can be quite tricky. Waiting a few days before naming your new puppy will allow you some time to get used to your Golden Retriever puppy's personality and traits. Some Golden Retriever breeders say it can be just as hard as naming a new born child! There are several different factors you should keep in mind when thinking about a name:
Pick a name that the new Golden Retriever puppy can easily understand or become familiar with; studies have shown that one or two syllable names are much easier for an animal to understand and become accustomed to.
Pick a name that you would not mind calling out in public; naming your dog "Stinky" and then having to call that name out may get you some stares at the California dog park. Keep this in mind when choosing a name.
Stay clear of names that sound very similar to commands; for example, "Joe" sounds very similar to "No". Your Golden Retriever may become confused with such a similar sounding name.
If you have a long name in mind, you should keep in mind what the name will sound like when shortened. Most of these longer names become shortened just because it's easier or cuter to call the Golden Retriever puppy by a shortened nickname, so pick a name that can flow well when shortened.
Consider doing some research on the Golden Retriever's history and origin. This may help you when thinking of foreign names for your California puppy.
You may find it heartwarming to name your dog after a family member that you hold dear to your heart, but please be aware that the family member may not find it as cute. Sometimes people will be offended by this.
Another point to consider is that your Golden Retriever puppy will not remain a puppy forever; puppies grow and certain cute baby names may not fit an older dog. You will want something that will define the dog even at his old age.
Most name their pets names that resemble human names, or names that they would name themselves, and others base pet names on the animal's personality or color. For example an all back Lab might be named "Midnight Express" and an active and on the go Chihuahua would be named "Dasher."
Once you have finally picked the perfect name, we recommend trying it out for a full day. This is a sure fire way to decide if that name suits your Golden Retriever pup. You'll know after one day if it's not right.