[Cait]

I have never breeded a dog before...but i have a Red Golden that is AKC and he is about 1 1/2 years old..his blood line is fantastic..i bought him from a great breeder..I just need to know how to start this..I only want to breed him once and wanting pick of the liter..I just dont know how to get it started and who to ask..help pls

thanx Cait

[Yogi]

Originally Posted by Cait

I have never breeded a dog before...but i have a Red Golden that is AKC and he is about 1 1/2 years old..his blood line is fantastic..i bought him from a great breeder..I just need to know how to start this..I only want to breed him once and wanting pick of the liter..I just dont know how to get it started and who to ask..help pls

thanx Cait

If you got him from a great breeder, you need to address with this with them.

[OrangeDog]

as a golden breeder myself I agree with yogi fully. Who did you get your dog from?

if you got your dog on a breeding contract then talking to the breeder is the way to handle it.

there is a LOT to do, A HUGE amount of money needed to "get started" and a lot to think about.

More than happy to answer questions for you so let em rip

[cigwyllt]

Even the best bloodlines can suffer genetic faults so your vet will have to advise you about all the tests your dog will need to undergo before being given the go ahead to breed and those can be costly.

Then there are the practical risks involved in breeding. Are you aware of the risks to your dog? If the bitch is not willing she might turn and attack him, you will need to be holding her throughout - even the most placid bitch can turn and your hands will be the first thing that she reaches. Then there is the tie - if she struggles then your dog could be fatally injured. This is supposing of course that he has managed to "do the deed" by himself. Many breeders, especially with an inexperienced stud dog, have to be very "hands on" and help the dog into the right position.

So if you have got through that what about the effect on your dog? You have shown him what is available out there - you may find that from that point on the scent of a bitch is irresistible and your devoted pet dog might well prefer to chase down the nearest bitch in season than respond to your recall command. He may be more aggressive to other dogs because he sees himself as a real man LOL! Think about how frustrated he may be - he knows what he's got and how to use it and yet he is never allowed to it again.

But if that is a risk you are prepared to take that's fine but what about responsibility for the pups? How would you feel if one of those pups ended up in a shelter? If it was neglected and ill treated? Are you prepared to just let your dog father them, take your pick and leave the rest to their fate? What sort of agreement will you come to with the owner of the bitch?

You may well find that the owner of a high quality bitch will want an experienced stud owner to supervise the mating of the bitch and not be willing to entrust the job to someone who has never done it before - the bitch should be brought to the dog, and not the dog to the bitch. You should be able to recognise the signs of the most fertile time in the bitch's cycle - not something you can find in a book but something you need to be taught by an experienced breeder.

If, after thinking about all that, you are certain that you want to go ahead and breed your dog then the best thing you can do is find someone to mentor you, someone who will let you attend matings, let you help with holding the bitch, positioning the stud etc etc.

It is a lot of work and expense and risk. If you are thinking of it as a way of getting a good quality puppy with little financial outlay you might find it is easier (and possibly cheaper!) to buy a pup.

[OrangeDog]

Very well said!!

For goldens you are looking at OFA, CERF and PennHip testing of hips, elbows, eyes, heart, thyroid (depending on the line)... testing which cannot be done until at least two years old. This testing will run you between $1000-$2500 depending on your area and MUST be done in order to make sure your dog is not going to pass on diseases that could make his offspring blind or crippled.

Is your dog a show or field champion? Does he have his CCA?

It is very possible for a dog to be pure bred but NOT breeding quality... that is usually the case. Now that does not mean that he is not smart, beautiful or a wonderful friend and family member but not all dogs are quality to breed. I will post some photos of breeding quality and non breeding quality goldens (this is STRICTLY based on conformation and coat NOT health... I have no idea what the health of these individual dogs is)

Goldens with incorrect traits that should NOT be bred:


1. head is to small, muzzle to fine, not enough bone, rear looks to straight, front is also a bit straight and the coat is shorter then we like to see.


2. besides being overweight, this dogs head is to long and there is not enough bone, overall this dog has very poor balance.


3. another dog that is not balanced. head is to fine ears are way to large and placed to high on the head, narrow backskull.


4 terrible topline, not enough bone... a common problem that gives the dogs a "stick leg" look.

[OrangeDog]

more dogs with INCORRECT breed type


this one is just all wrong and hardly looks like a golden at all. While the muzzle is not bad the backskull is way to narrow, the eyes are to large, ears are set to high, very small weak looking frame, poor shoulders, lack of bone, incorrect coat


to fine, head way to long and thin, overweight, poor topline, tail set to low, ears set to low, I do not like the shoulders on this dog.

[OrangeDog]

Below are some goldens with correct breed type...

while it is hard to see them as individuals they are balanced dogs with lovely heads and correct bone.


this dog has a very nice head and expression, I love the front assembly (shoulders, neck, etc.) great coat and nice bone.


this dog has a slightly longer head and is straighter front but it is still correct and shows nice balance, angulation and a correct coat.


great head, lots of bone, correct coat and topline

As breeders we strive to better the breed with each generation. One thing to ask yourself is "how is breeding this dog going to better the Golden Retriever breed?" With the number of dogs in shelters and rescues we should only be breeding litters that work towards eliminating genetic defects, improving temperament, improving working ability, etc. This is done through health testing (NOT just a vet exam but proper testing for genetic diseases), with showing, competition and evaluation and with a LOT of research.

[CorkyMax]

I am not a breeder, nor will have no real use for the info you provided but I am very curious to know the things (for each dog shown) you can tell/show me that make them not good candidates! Can you go back in your post and comment beside each dog? It would be interesting to see why, lol, some look pretty nice to me---but I am not an expert--Just curious! I have a golden retriever/cocker mix so may be why I am so curious.
Thanks!:mrgreen:

[OrangeDog]

happy to do so C/M

[CorkyMax]

Originally Posted by OrangeDog

happy to do so C/M

Thanks! I can see what you are talking about now--one of those pics reminds me a little of my mix---the one with what you called the sticks---legs. Course I wouldn't expect my mix to be in league with a 'pure' breed anyhow--and being part cocker would prob. be more apt to have this kind of leg anyhow.

The 'good' ones are very nice looking--I imagine these are all or mostly your dogs?
Lol, that 'good' 2nd pic-is nice looking but sure does have a stern look on his face! (sun in his/her face?) I love that very last dog!:mrgreen:

[OrangeDog]

only the very last dog is mine... he was 8 months old when that was taken. The rest of the photos I found on google images

[CorkyMax]

Originally Posted by OrangeDog

only the very last dog is mine... he was 8 months old when that was taken. The rest of the photos I found on google images

Lol, guess I picked the right dog (Yours!) He is beautiful!:mrgreen:

[Cait]

wow that is def alot of info..i think im going to go with the route in buyin a pup LOL thats way to much stress i def do not need..but thank you guys so much for your comments..made my descion a WHOLE lot easier

[Cait]

i would put a picture of my dog on here but i dont know how to LOL

[OrangeDog]

Have you shown your dog? What breeder is he from?

[CorkyMax]

Originally Posted by Cait

i would put a picture of my dog on here but i dont know how to LOL

I have uploaded pics for the album but have never done it in a post! (I am not that computer savy) Am copying here what it says in the FAQ section---See blue strip across page(s) in this forum--Find the white word FAQ(S) and click on it--lot of info there on how things work! Here is the info from there on pics:
How do I use albums?

As a member, you can create Albums of images that are linked to your public profile. Albums can be created by visiting the User Control Panel, and clicking on the 'Pictures & Albums' link, and then clicking on 'Add Album'.

Each album can have a title ('Joe's Holiday to Nepal'), a description ('A bunch of photos from my recent adventure') and can be of three different types: Public, Private or Profile.

Public albums can be viewed by anyone
Private albums can only be viewed by site staff (moderators, administrators) and your Friends and Contacts (info)
Profile albums are viewable only by you. However, you can use the images to customize your public profile (info)
How do I upload pictures?

Once you've created an album you can upload images to it. Simply view the album and click on 'Upload Pictures'.

You'll have the option to give each picture a caption, and to set one image as the Album cover, which will be displayed on the public profile. To delete an album or edit the title, description or album type, click on 'Edit Album'. To delete an image, or to edit a caption or change the album cover, click on 'Edit Pictures'.

All members who have access to your album images can comment on them, in a similar way to Visitor Messages (more info). You can delete any image comments from your albums, and report inappropriate messages to moderators.

This next paragraph is how you put the picture(s) you have put in your album into a post. There must be a way to just put a pic in a post without making an album as I have seen pics in posts and the member did not have an album! Heck, make an album--nice to have!

When you have uploaded a picture, you can place it in your posts by using the BB code text that is displayed below the image when you view it at full size.

If you can't get any of this to work--Ask Yogi for help! :mrgreen:

[OrangeDog]

you can also go to tinypic.com upload the photo and then copy and paste the link for message boards right into your post.

[Cait]

This is Bo..He was about 5 to 6 months here..this is when we 1st got him..His coat is MUCH longer now i keep it trimmed the best i can cause he is a inside dog and the shedding is Horrible I cant seem to find my newest pics of him I lost them some how..But Pls tell me what u think of him as in the way he looks

http://www.i-love-dogs.com/forums/at...chmentid=1709&
stc=1&d=1267039224

Thanx

[Lara's mom]

I think he's beautiful but, I thought all the other ones were also beautiful. I don't have "the breeder's eye."

[Cait]

Originally Posted by OrangeDog

Have you shown your dog? What breeder is he from?

Goodness no i havent shown him LOL..we live in the country so he just runs around being a dog all day..He is from a local breeder around my area..now he showed his dogs they had like hundreds of pictures and things they had won..He showed me paper work on his blood line...All that didnt really matter to me i just wanted a healthy pup that would be in our family for a very long time