Hello,

Im new to this forum, and I am hoping to get some information. We have a 2 yr old purebred Golden Retriever and had gotten a purebred golden retriever pup awhile ago, she is almost 17 weeks. We had gotten the puppie for the purpose to breed our 2 yr old with the pup in about 2 yrs (so then she is fully grown etc). We got them from different breeders but I guess these two breeders sometimes breed their dogs with one another Earlier in the years.

Where I need help is here..we have their blood lines. It seems they have the same Grandmother. And if birth defects would occur from breeding them, ofcourse we dont want to do that. Would having the same grandmother cause birth defects in the puppies? it would really bring us down if its yes but we need to know before letting them breed. So some help would be greatly appreciated! Opinions please.

Thank you for your time!

P.s. when we purchased the pup the breeder said it should be perfectly fine to breed them (we told her our 2 yrs olds mothers name and she made a chart etc and said there should be no problems, but..i just need more opinions on this..do to the fact they have the same grandmother)

The fact that they have the same grandmother isn't a major consideration. But what genetic problems both dogs may carry is. Before you attempt breeding, there are many things you need to do.

Both dogs should have hip x-rays submitted to OFA. This can't be done before the age of two.

Both dogs need to have their eyes examined to determine if they are normal. The test you need is called a CERF test.

Both dogs should be good representatives of the breed, healthy and sound, and possessing attributes that will improve the breed. Having a piece of paper that says your dog is a purebred is not a guarantee of quality. There are a lot of purebred dogs that should never be bred.

In the case of Golden Retrievers, both hypothyroidism and allergies are rampant. Mostly because of people breeding dogs that shouldn't be bred.

The health clearances you MUST (and I mean MUST) get before breeding your goldens are OFA Hip and Elbow x-rays that you will then send to the OFA for evaluation and your dogs should only be bred if they score Excellent or Good. If they score Fair they should only be bred to a dog who has a good or excellent and NOT to another fair. OFA can only be done after a dog turns 2 years old. You must also get the CERF test done and this must be done once a year until the age of 8 years old! You will also need an OFA cardiac test done by a Veterinary cardiologist showing your dogs have NO signs of heart murmers, SAS, etc. This can be done at 12 months old. And depending on the line your dogs are from you should always get a thyroid test done as well (through the OFA). Also do your dogs have titles? Do you show them or compete in hunt tests, agility, etc? Do they fit the breed standard (you can read it on the AKC web site) You can also find a local breeder or show handler to evaluate your dogs and tell you if they are of quality to breed. Hope this helps you out.